What Mark Richt had to say at end-of-season news conference …
ATHENS — Mark Richt officially turned the page to 2011 at his end-of-season news conference Wednesday morning.
“Just want to start out by saying I’m glad 2011 is here,” Richt said. “I’m excited about that. Last season certainly was not anywhere close to what we expected or what we expect here, and it was certainly well below the standard of what Georgia football is all about. I understand that as much as anybody. I’m not happy with the way things went, but I do think in the process of going through what we went through, we’ll be better for it in 2011.”
Despite the team’s 6-7 record this past season, Richt said he has “a greater sense of excitement than I’ve had in a long time,” partly because of changes implemented in conjunction with new athletic director Greg McGarity that Richt said will free him from some administrative duties to spend more time focusing on football in 2011.
“In some ways, I feel like a first-year head coach,” Richt said. “Usually when you come in as the first-year head coach, the administration is coming to you and saying, ‘Coach, what do you need? What do you need to win?’ You wouldn’t think going into your 11th year you’d have that kind of feeling, but that’s what’s going on.
“Instead of me being the new guy, Mr. McGarity is the new guy. And as he has come in, we have had many conversations about what we need to get done to make this program the very best in the United States of America. That revives me; that rejuvenates me; that excites me in a big way.
“We’ve got some things that have been put in place and are being put in place that are going to make us better. And quite frankly things are being put in place that are going to help free me up to [spend] more time doing the things I love the most, which is study the game of football and … be on the cutting edge.”
Richt said director of player development John Eason, a former wide receivers coach, and administrative assistant Dave Van Halanger, a former director of strength and conditioning, will handle certain duties that previously fell on the head coach. Eason serves as the football program’s academic liaison, and Van Halanger heads a new mentoring program for the players.
Also, Richt said, “there are a lot of little things that crop up along the way that sometimes don’t get solved [or] sometimes take too long to solve in my opinion, but now the relationship that I have with Mr. McGarity is helping us expedite some of those things. . . . I am just spending less time messing around with things that Greg will be able to take off my plate from an administrative point of view.”
Richt, though, did not express any intention to take over as the Bulldogs’ play-caller.
“I’m not saying I’m taking over as the [offensive] coordinator or anything like that,” Richt said. “Mike Bobo is the coordinator; Mike Bobo is the quarterback coach, and Coach [Stacy] Searels is the running game coordinator. And they have done a great job . . . so I have confidence in those guys.
“The point I’m making is, I’m going to have the ability to have the time it takes to truly study the game of football, the trends and what’s going on, so a higher percentage of my time is going to be able to be used for that, which is exciting to me.”
Overall, Richt spoke with a confident tone as McGarity and several of Georgia’s associate athletic directors watched and listened.
“We’re not looking to blow anything up,” Richt said. “In my opinion, we are very close. I mean, how many teams have what would be considered a down season one year and the next year they are right there?”
He also stressed the importance of the recruiting class Georgia will sign on Feb. 2.
“You’ve got to get a boost from your recruiting class, your freshman class,” Richt said. “I’ve never been on a championship team that didn’t have guys step up and make a difference.”
– Tim Tucker
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727 comments Add your comment
DawgFaceBlues
January 5th, 2011
4:19 pm
Andrew has good point but even recently, ole ball coach said he would have won 2-3 ncs with the talent Georgia has had.
Saben
January 5th, 2011
4:21 pm
What did Richt say about creating a sheep farm in Athens for the football team.
Something about raising and caring for sheep would get the team in the right frame of mind for the coming year.
al.com
January 5th, 2011
4:23 pm
What did he say about hiring a full time bail bondman? Go and pick 85 men off of any campus and tell me what are the odds of 12 of them going to jail.
MillerCoDawg
January 5th, 2011
4:25 pm
Enter your comments here All I wanted for Christmas was a new coaching staff. All I wanted for my birthday on 1/3 was a new coaching staff. Didn’t happen. Now reading the garbage spewing from Richt’s mouth makes me quite sick to my stomach.
Have always been a Ford fan, 5 are parked out back. Ford’s are built tough and perform at their hightest level unlike Richt and the rest of the wussies he call coaches.
Dawgfan13
January 5th, 2011
4:25 pm
How many teams do you hear clamoring to hire any of the UGA coaching staff? That ought to speak volumes to everyone. The only thing this team leads in is arrests and under performing! Come on CMR I know you can do better than this garbage! How about, I am will resign if we don’t win @ least ten games this next season and one of those ten has to be the Gators?
Papadawg
January 5th, 2011
4:26 pm
6 points against Central Florida is a good job by Bobo?
Lumpkin Street Larry
January 5th, 2011
4:28 pm
Snore…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Lumpkin Street Larry
January 5th, 2011
4:28 pm
You right Papadawg; tell ‘em.
CMR
January 5th, 2011
4:29 pm
Hey Bobo, if I can get them excited about recruiting 5 stars they’ll never figure out we suck as coaches. Tee hee tee hee tee hee. Oh, didn’t we already have 5 stars?
Professor Van Nostrin
January 5th, 2011
4:29 pm
Andy in Blairsville: One last thing…..as far as belittling GA Tech fans about their team. Are you joking? GA Tech is a team that UGA has beaten like 9 out of 10 times. I think beating your instate rival 9 out of 10 times warrants a few verbal jabs, don’t you?
Fate
January 5th, 2011
4:30 pm
And so it begins…I’m glad he has hope, because I have lost mine. CMR is officially clueless. Looking forward to 2012.
Barry Bonds
January 5th, 2011
4:32 pm
As long as the local Ford dealership can sell more F-150’s and these fat a$$ football players are taught how to do a cannonball off the high dive, then I think Richt should stay. Not to mention the fact that he is keeping several tanning salons in business in Clarke and Oconee Counties.
the Owl of Prophecy
January 5th, 2011
4:34 pm
Why is Eason still being paid? And Van Halleger? And Steve Greer? All are failures at their original jobs. For that matter, Bobo, Searles, Grantham, McClendon, Ball, et al? Richt has been corrupted by his big money contract, and he’s taking our football program down with him.
we shall see
January 5th, 2011
4:39 pm
CMR can’t say anything that is going to make people happy. I actually think the team was improved this year and will be more improved next year. The key for Richt is whether or not it shows up in wins. The reality is that you coach long enough and you will have some down cycles. Despite the legend of Bear Bryant (and he deserves it) he had some lean years himself where people were saying he was too old and had lost touch and couldn’t get it done anymore. Same with every coach who coached at one place for an extended period of time. Personally, I think Richt can get it done. I hope so for two reasons –1)I like him and 2)I don’t want to have to go through a bad season and a transition and the crap shoot of a new coach. There are no guarantees.
buzzer
January 5th, 2011
4:50 pm
I think the defense is the real key. If the defense continues to improve (I think they will) it will show up in the win column. CMR left too much goodwill on the table by holding on to Willie for too long but I think they’ll win 8-9 next year and maybe 10. The reality, despite, the suckwad season is that they were in every game this year. Just left too many on the table. There is a fine line between winning and losing. After the 1-4 start a lot of fans didn’t think they’d beat anyone but Idaho State.
David Granger
January 5th, 2011
4:53 pm
If you know what’s wrong, and how to fix it…you shouldn’t have let it get to this point in the first place.
I like Coach Richt…he’s helped Georgia…but it’s time for him to move on.
playing time
January 5th, 2011
4:55 pm
we shall see – Your telling me that Mark Richt did a comparable job to Derek Dooley at Tennessee based on talent and time severed.
playing time
January 5th, 2011
4:55 pm
Enter your comments here
Christopher
January 5th, 2011
4:56 pm
Let’s all revisit this conversation after we’re about 3 games into the 2011 season.
the Owl of Prophecy
January 5th, 2011
4:57 pm
@buzzer…I certainly respect your opinion, but what have you seen that makes you think we can win 8-10 games this fall? The only improvement I can recall is at QB, and anything would have been an upgrade to Cox. (I’m still trying to ubderstand why Richt played him). Two games where we didn’t score a touchdown and it could have easily been three with Miss State.
tc
January 5th, 2011
4:58 pm
There is nothing that I just read for the news conference that gives me any hope that things will change for the better. I would love for someone to ask CMR if he and Bobo are going to continue to run up the middle on 2 and 25 downs. It is hope less people. I don’t trust him.
JACKSON DAWG
January 5th, 2011
4:59 pm
The last on, is always the first off…………….Good bye bandwagon jumpers!!
tc
January 5th, 2011
5:01 pm
buzzer, I don’t want to be in every game, I want to win almost every game. Just about every year CMR has been there we have always had tough times playing inferior oponents. He has a hard time motivating his team to play 4 quarters of football and the offensive play calling is offensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike
January 5th, 2011
5:01 pm
He needs to have his team produce this year. If not, then he will be out of a job.
Thanks,
http://www.the404list.com
tc
January 5th, 2011
5:05 pm
He needs to be out of a job NOW. He is like a child that is in trouble, when asked what he is going to do different he says.. I don’t know ugh, try harder?? Yea I am going to try harder. Happy Now?
tc
January 5th, 2011
5:06 pm
Reminds me of Bill Clinton
Randy Marsh
January 5th, 2011
5:11 pm
Does this mean that players will be taught how to finally block and tackle, or cover wide receivers? Imagine that…. I’m ready for 2011!!!!! Stacy Searels has done a great job as the OL coach and running game coordinator? Has Richt been asleep during these games? Those guys didn’t block anyone all year.
Efficiency Matters
January 5th, 2011
5:13 pm
With the new AD in place, Richt’s on the ball. I heard he’s convinced McGarity to build a holding cell in the Butts Mehre building when football players get arrested. That way, Richt doesn’t have to send one of his gofers to the Clarke County jail with bail money and even better, he can counsel the player while in the cell and get him out of lockup for practices with a special “monitoring device” in his uniform. That’s thinking smart, thinking possible!
Travis McGee
January 5th, 2011
5:13 pm
Is that “Dandy Don” I hear singing?
Still running untouched
January 5th, 2011
5:15 pm
Good luck CMR, I am still a fan of the coach and will respect him as a man long after he is gone.
That said it is time to put up or shut up…UGA must rise and produce next year or CMR will be gone.
Good luck coach and GO DAAWGS.
wally
January 5th, 2011
5:16 pm
Coach Richt’s assistants are going to cost him his joand he has not got the sensec to see it. I wish 2011 would be a better year , but I will believe it when I see it. Six wins and Seven loses hurt. Still a Bulldog at heaert.
Dumpster
January 5th, 2011
5:20 pm
What Richt should have said was that he’s a sorry excuse for a coach, he’s not earning his huge salary, and therefore he resigns immediately.
But that won’t happen, so fire his ass now.
Fate
January 5th, 2011
5:29 pm
“I drove 800 miles round trip to watch Georgia kick two field goals”… priceless quote from a fellow blogger that pretty much sums up the state of the Dawg Nation.
LakeDawg
January 5th, 2011
5:29 pm
Who would have known? The reason for UGA’s three year collapse has been too many administrative duties for CMR. Glad we got that solved. Next step…national championship. LMAO
Summit Dawg
January 5th, 2011
5:32 pm
Mark Richt is a “nutless” brain dead coach….and I use the term “coach” loosely!!!!…..What a joke it has turned to in “Dawg-Town!”
BAMADAWG
January 5th, 2011
5:34 pm
THE DOGS HAVE LOST IN THE PAST BUT WERE ALWAYS FIGHTING TO THE END. NO FIRE IN THESE DOGS. IS THIS NOT THE HEAD COACH’S FAULT?
Lakedawg
January 5th, 2011
5:34 pm
Well said coach. WE need the real Dawgs fans to get behind program, sign that top 10 class and win at least 10 next year. Every game exceot one was winnable in 10 and all are winnable next year.
Dumpster don;t know who you really pull for, but you can go take a dump.
Timmy Dog
January 5th, 2011
5:34 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Somebody wake me when Richt says something with any substance or doesn’t have some hokey, manufactured “Dream Team” hype attached to it.
Parents of HS fball players in GA
January 5th, 2011
5:38 pm
Go anywhere but GA!!!!!!!!!
SuperB
January 5th, 2011
5:46 pm
If Bobo and Searels are running the offense again next season there is no reason to watch. Sayonara in 2011 Thick Richt. Richt just doesn’t get the urgency or is to lazy to care.
Buzz 2010
January 5th, 2011
5:48 pm
The recruits do UGA no good at all, don’t you get it! No discipline, no coaches at all.
Where do all those 4 & 5 star recruits go when they hit Clarke County?
SuperB
January 5th, 2011
5:48 pm
I was a Bulldog before Richt was born and will be one when he is long gone– probalby in 11 months. But I think I will just take the 2011 season off– kind of like he did in 2010.
Charlie Weiss
January 5th, 2011
5:51 pm
Ha Ha Ha! Finally, I’ll be able to be on a winning team…and eat Georgia’s lunch every year!!!
Really???
January 5th, 2011
5:51 pm
Just read the article. Its official, Richt is out of his godd#$% mind. Forget turning the team around he is craphouse rat crazy and needs to be evaluated. Bobo and Searels did a great job??? I need to study more football??? Really??? I am absolutely stunned. Did any coachless team in the nation come looking for BoBo..nope. Richt must have naked pictures of Mcgarity and Adams to be that incompetant and keep his job. What is there left to do. Anyone have a suggestion…anyone…
tell me again
January 5th, 2011
5:52 pm
It is not out of the norm for a new top man to come in and reshuffle resposibilities and tasks. If CMR feels like a burden has been taken off of him that will allow him to be more in tune with the latest trends and schemes then more power to him. Having said that – I have to question the over the top endorsement of Searles and Bobo – Searles was a very sought after line coach wheh he came to UGA – maybe there are issues with the players more than the coach. But Bobo? Too inconsistent and predictable……….there are way better OC mids out there that would love to coach at UGA….the Bobo situation smells a lot like the Martinez one. Cut him loose Mark before he pulls you down with him. He’ll have to find another way to support his burgeoning family. He is NOT an SEC or national caliber offensive mind – the offensive game of today has gone WAY PAST what Bobo can imagine. Hoping for a much better 2011 – Go Dawgs!
Tombo
January 5th, 2011
5:54 pm
Really??? #*%#&* administrative crap cost us 7 games? Um, you don’t call plays on offense, you don’t call plays on defense, you don’t do anything on special teams, you obviously don’t monitor player behavior or strength and conditioning…what exactly was taking up all your time? Use some of your $3 million to hire a freakin’ secretary to handle the admin duties so you can coach!!!
Can somebody PLEASE give Mike Bobo some dice to help him choose plays less predictably?
How about one die yields: 1=Run/2=Run/3=Run/4=Short Pass/5=Mid Pass/6=Deep Pass
The other die yields: 1&2=Right/3&4=Left/5&6=Middle
It would be a lot better than this:
Play Action Pass on 1st down; run smallest running back up the middle for no gain or short loss on 2nd down; on third and long call pass for less distance than required for first down.
Atlantadawg
January 5th, 2011
5:56 pm
Shut up Richt!! Just do your damn job , stop the arrest, and makes us Proud again…
dejabeenthere
January 5th, 2011
5:57 pm
Man, CMR is such a good man, but these quotes are just simply more evidence that he is, truly, clueless. He isn’t even aware enough of what is expected of him by the fan base to even understand WHICH line of BS to lay on us. Atleast have the smarts to come up with SOMETHING substantive that we can hang on to…not feelings and emotions…we need ACTION ITEMS, but first–identify to us what YOU think the problems are. CMR, you’re a fine man, but if you were in the private sector, you’d have been househunting several years back. Reality check time, dude–as you study your football, you might want to also study yourself…are you really doing this great university a disservice by staying? Only you can answer THAT question with certainty.
Gator Man
January 5th, 2011
5:58 pm
Wozzo the Wonder Dog Love Coach Richt but I’m not sure I can forgive the losses to Colorado &
What a bunch of loosers in this state, you people here fall in love with a charactor instead of results.
This man could not coach a high school team in Florida.
Really???
January 5th, 2011
5:59 pm
I love the dice idea. Or perhaps a play calling 8 ball. Anything is better than run run pass punt, run run pass punt. Thats what we did in high school.