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
Really???
January 5th, 2011
6:05 pm
Bobo: “Should I pass on 1st and 25 instead of a run followed by a screen?”
8 Ball: “It is decidedly so”
Richt: “Should i kick a field goal from the 3 yard line after driving 90 yards?
8 Ball: “No”
See, we just won the Liberty Bowl.
Morgan
January 5th, 2011
6:06 pm
I agree with the earlier comment.Just do it,coach.You as a playcaller will elevate this team faster than any other solution.GATA
Beast from the East
January 5th, 2011
6:11 pm
Summation:
We had a terrible season that we know is unacceptable, but I’m not making any changes.
Look forward to more of the same.
77DAWG
January 5th, 2011
6:13 pm
Rodriques is gone @ UM after 3 years of so so record. UGA is steadily declined the past 3 years too. I don’t know what direction we really want to go, our headman seems solid with his job.
Tombo
January 5th, 2011
6:27 pm
@Really??? – I think our problems are solved!
jack bull
January 5th, 2011
6:31 pm
on our way to a 10-2 season next year…. can’t wait!!!
Mark's Rectum
January 5th, 2011
6:42 pm
bull jack – more like 2-10 next year….can’t wait!!!!
porter
January 5th, 2011
6:43 pm
Why did The Dogs not Offer Hunt-Days, I thought he was big on them, why no offer to Safety out of Stephenson? I recruiting in question?
Ray Goff
January 5th, 2011
6:44 pm
10 years in and now he figures out that he needs to study the game of football. Can’t fix stupid.
ABAC-North Doggies
January 5th, 2011
6:44 pm
“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.”
This is really sad – what high quality coach would EVER say this?
Summit Dawg
January 5th, 2011
6:44 pm
Obama is bringing this country down, and Richt is bringing UGA Football down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
January 5th, 2011
6:47 pm
ROLLDOG: What makes you think you speak for all of us?
ABAC-North Doggies
January 5th, 2011
6:49 pm
Just admit Rodney “sign and get a car” Garner runs things.
Coastal Dawg
January 5th, 2011
6:50 pm
Agree with most of the above comments.
Also, I am not reassured in the least. Two recent failures as coaches are going to handle duties and two others who had terrible years are given high praise?
I wanted to see Bobo at least demoted to QB coach with someone else calling the plays.
I felt he should address the obvious shortcomings and place those assistants on notice.
If “there were reasons that we played the way we did”, then for goodness sakes, please tell us what they were and how the hell you intend to fix them. Many of us send too damn much of our money to Athens to be left out of the conversation. I don’t think we should have a stockholders meeting and hear every petty problem…but we are talking about major issues. We should not be brushed off that he is going to have time to study football and that he feels rejuvenated. I want him to feel a sense of urgency, right now, and I want him to convey it to his coaches, players, and recruits.
As for Garner, we need to see with this recruiting class. We need elite athletes but ones that want to play for UGA and want to behave and get better. (Never been a Stanford fan, but was one the other night. Intelligent, well mannered, well spoken, disciplined kids who appear to really like each other and are all team players. No one trying to be the center of attention, but all giving credit to someone else, especially their coach. Kudos to Owen Marecic).
I have full confidence in Greg McGarity. I am glad he is offering his full support with time, money, and encouragement. What transpired in 2010 was unacceptable and was predictable from what happened the 3 years before (yes, in spite of Marcus Howard carrying the defense at the end of the season, 2007 wasn’t so spectacular early on…see the game in Knoxville. If our team had shown up that day, we would have won the National Championship).
If CMR has the answers and they have been implemented, why did we have our poorest showing in memory 12-31-2010? Again, I am also underwhelmed.
At the least he could have asked Tony Barnhart to write his remarks at the press conference and get a few acting lessons in showing a little passion.
Have to be shown this time. Not drinking the koolaid until I see results.
swgadawgfan
January 5th, 2011
6:51 pm
The Dogs stink in the classroom, practice field, weight room (if any of them know where it is), meetings, sidelines, coaches. In other words, in every aspect, from CMR to the last player, they are inferior!!! Nothings going to change, CMR said it!
Doesn’t matter who we play next year! Dawgs couldn’t beat an inferior Florida team, an inferior UCF team, an inferior Colorado team, ummm. notice the pattern? Georgia’s got an easy schedule next year, BUT, they did this year and a record of 6-7 was long from the pre season predictions!
Wolverine
January 5th, 2011
6:57 pm
You guys better watch out. Keep talking about Richt like this and he’s going to end up the new coach at Michigan or Stanford!
Wolverine
January 5th, 2011
6:58 pm
Remember when people said all that BS whenever you criticized Coach Richt? HA! He’ll get the same next job as Ray Goff did.
FIRE MIKE BOBO!!!!!!
January 5th, 2011
7:02 pm
Richt is a great man but one of the worst football coaches i have ever seen. His players get a personal foul, and he doesnt take them off the field if any of my players ever got a personal foul they would get a mouthful.
Bobo knows little plays and doesn’t diversify his offense. Defenses can read his plays like the picture books they study.
No Richt Milady
January 5th, 2011
7:05 pm
The biggest change that CMR needs to make is to stop recruiting the low-class illiterates and thugs who he seems to think will win for him and keep his oversized paychecks coming in. People like Marcus Dowtin, A.J. Green, Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, and others too numerous to mention are not team players, they’re thug wannabes who are much closer to a gang than a team.
It’s sickening to see felons and goons like these representing the state’s flagship university.
jsmooth
January 5th, 2011
7:16 pm
Dickson to Alabama, the beginning of the end for the Richt era at UGA?
Bill Engvall
January 5th, 2011
7:19 pm
“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.”
Here’s your sign.
SnoopDawg
January 5th, 2011
7:19 pm
Well, if Xzavier Dickson is supposed to be a member of the phantom Dream Team, he’s either AWOL or a traitor because he just committed to Alabama on national TV. Here’s another Georgia 5-star recruit who will be putting a whoopass on the UGA football team for the next three or four years.
Mark Richt is an idiot. So is Rodney Garner. Wake up people.
fla dawg
January 5th, 2011
7:23 pm
richt is out of his mind. our program is a joke and we just lost a dream team member, dickson.
Georgia loses, Fl wins, AU wins, UA wins
January 5th, 2011
7:24 pm
Dixon to Alabama….
The Dawgless get the bone..and not the good one…
NORRIS
January 5th, 2011
7:25 pm
i just watched that dickson kid commit to alabama. The kid barely could talk. How is he going to pass college??? He looked about as dumb as a two by four. Amazing that these kids are actually making the grades to get in. something is crooked somewhere cause he aint smart enough to pass college. no way…
SnoopDawg
January 5th, 2011
7:27 pm
Even though it’s disappointing that Richt and his incompetent staff couldn’t close the deal on Dickson, from watching him on TV I doubt that his IQ would reach three digits. There is absolutely no way that Mr Dickson could pass enough real classes to get a degree from UGA, even as an athlete… This fellow is dumber than a box of rocks.
NORRIS
January 5th, 2011
7:28 pm
no way that dickson kid has made the necessary sat score.
NashDawg
January 5th, 2011
7:31 pm
10-2 next year.
ugab
January 5th, 2011
7:31 pm
I guess p’ssed off fans opinions do not matter. MR has a plan to fix the problems on and off the field. All us fans can do is support him through all these hard times. MR is standing by his staff. LETS SUPPORT OUR COACH!!!GO DAWGS!
Georgia loses, Fl wins, AU wins, UA wins
January 5th, 2011
7:34 pm
10 minutes prior to Dickson committing to Alabama, all you UGA losers were begging for a verbal..and praising him like a god….you losers…losers losers..
UGA Grad1978
January 5th, 2011
7:36 pm
Wow! So far, this means basically no changes to me.What a joke and lack of balls for McGarity.What a milk toast bunch we have.I am glad he has time at least now to coach.
Please watch some bowl games this weekl Mark Richt, maybe you will see a trend.The trend is a head coach with a passion and a vision that knows how to implement it and demand discipline. What a damn joke!
NORRIS
January 5th, 2011
7:38 pm
i was hoping for a commit. I admit it. But that was before i heard the guy and saw him. he cant walk and chew gum at the same time.
NORRIS
January 5th, 2011
7:39 pm
word is that Bray is not going to UGA either.
SnoopDawg
January 5th, 2011
7:40 pm
Maybe Mr Richt could get a PhD in football like Dr Tom Osborne from Nebraska… He would transform from the buddha to the yoda. Just what we need on the sidelines…
george bush
January 5th, 2011
7:41 pm
Brownie … i think you are doing a heck of a job.
dawg from a distance
January 5th, 2011
7:41 pm
Dickson picks Bama…. dream teams becoming a night mare??????
Can’t seem to get anything to fall our way as of late????
SnoopDawg
January 5th, 2011
7:42 pm
Dr Richt….
The doctor is in… The doctor will see you now Mr Dickson…
ugab
January 5th, 2011
7:42 pm
I like the story about Dooley in 1974 turning the dawgs around after an embarrassing season. After losing to Miami(Ohio) in the bowl game that year Coach Dooley speech went like this in the locker room after the game:”Men, get ready. We are going to work until we play football like Georgia is supposed to play. Spring practice is going to be very tough. We are going to learn to block and tackle the way football is meant to be played. You’d better fasten your chin straps and get ready. I want you to know what is coming”. Coach Dooley after having a losing season in 1974.
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
7:42 pm
Dickson to Alabama, Crowell to Florida, you dumb dogs left behind again. There will be no dream team in athens, no one wants to go there and I don’t blame them. It is not much more than a penal colony with players getting arrested all over the place. A terrible place to build character, Florida and Alabama are much better places. The beating the Mighty Gators led by Muschamp and Weis will give the dogs led by richt and bobo will be epic. It will be the day richt’s career ends at georgia, and then you can hire another loser for us Gators to beat down. To us, you are Vanderbilt. You are Kentucky. Accept it
GEORGIA MORONS ARE IN THE HOUSE
January 5th, 2011
7:42 pm
fOR THE COMMENT ABOUT WALKING AND CHEWING GUM.
HAVE YOU HEARD YOUR ALL AMERICAN WIDE RECIEVER SPEAK….AND STARTING RUNNING BACK…..THEY ARE HOLLOW BEHIND THE EYES…
GET A CLUE….
GEORGIA MORONS ARE IN THE HOUSE
January 5th, 2011
7:45 pm
CROWELL WILL GO TO GEORGIA, HE IS GETTING LEFT OUT AND HIS LAST PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN KINDA LACKLUSTER..BUT GOOD LUCK IN GETTING CROWELL,IT IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE GEORGIA FOR CROWELL.
ugab
January 5th, 2011
7:45 pm
Where is all these DL recruits 4 our new 3 4 defense. oops. going out of state. !!!!!!!::::!!!!sh”t
SnoopDawg
January 5th, 2011
7:45 pm
Yo dawg from a distance.
Our fortunes aren’t decided by Tarot cards. It’s all based on the choices we make to pay a complete idiot named Mark Richt 3 million dollars a year to absolutely wreck our beloved UGA football program. Good things fall to those who earn them. These high school players may be stupid, but they aren’t dumb. They can see through Richt and so can their high school coaches.
The Dream Team…. please pass the Koolaid, Mark…
NORRIS
January 5th, 2011
7:46 pm
i have a clue. i have a college degree and no what it takes to receive a real one. most of these kids are getting help behind the scenes. probably some illegal stuff
GEORGIA MORONS ARE IN THE HOUSE
January 5th, 2011
7:46 pm
Clowney is heading to Alabama along with Cyrus, mark it down….The Clemson hire to Alabama sealed it….and Cyrus’s brother is already in Alabama.
NORRIS
January 5th, 2011
7:46 pm
please disregard the careless grammar. maybe i need a tudor too.
GEORGIA MORONS ARE IN THE HOUSE
January 5th, 2011
7:47 pm
Norris, agree, but every kid has gotten help and no one is stupid enough to think it is not happening everywhere.
WestOfAthens
January 5th, 2011
7:49 pm
Hmmmm, could he be comparing UGA to it’s oldest rival?
“Down season, then in a NC game the next”
I hope he is right, loooooong overdue for UGA, and it’s heritage, it’s the heritage and it’s fans who deserve better, Hunker Down Dawgs!
blue
January 5th, 2011
7:49 pm
CMR sees no problems at UGA but some of the fans don’t see them either. P.S. I could give a $hit what kind of man he CLAMS to be
SnoopDawg
January 5th, 2011
7:50 pm
News Flash! Our next 5-star Savior, Isiah Crowell, doesn’t even weigh 200 pounds. He’ll be redshirted and join in the tradition of all our other Richt -recruited scat backs that run right into the lines before a hole can even develop.
Why can’t we get some fast BIG backs who can administer some pain to the defenders who try to tackle him and can block as needed?
This is failed 1990s FSU BS…