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
Contractor
January 5th, 2011
11:19 am
Wow, I have not been one to crticize Coach Richt, but with this press release I am a really upset at his mindset and lack of tone. Bobo and Searles did an awful job this year. Is a great job scoring six point against Central Florida, losing to Colorado? Georgia didn’t win one meaningful game this year that they could be proud of, and he’s happy with the offense? I think he needs to use this “freed” up time, and make sure his players obey the law and stay out of freaking jail. Nothing sends a program into a tailspin more than legal issues, and that is exactly where Georgia football is headed. Why would a recruit want to come to Georgia right now? I would kill to play for Georgia, but I’m not so sure I wouldn’t take that pass to Alabama, Auburn, LSU, or even dang Florida right now. I want our coach to smell blood and show some emotion, cause that’s what the game is about, not lollipops and ice cream. I for one am watching my wallet this off season towards anything that is Georgia football, because I don’t want to throw my money in the toilet for a coach or program that settles for mediocrity and is happy with failure.
I sure hope we can pull Crowell, Rome, and Mitchell from Valdosta, because we are going to be hurting at receiver, and need a running back to take the place of King, and sparingly use Ealey. Just a total mess, and hope recruits come in with a heart, and not just a nose for the money.
Dawgtards ruin this state
January 5th, 2011
11:20 am
The bight shining star that was Mark Richt has seriously faded. He is now a more tan version of Jim Mora Jr or a lighter shade of Paul Hewitt.
DIT
January 5th, 2011
11:20 am
@ collegeballfan: the grads I spoke to are furious and have been fed up with Bobo calling plays for two years now.
__________________
Ditto that for this grad!
DawgDog
January 5th, 2011
11:20 am
“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.” – WHAT DID I MISS ???
rincon dawg
January 5th, 2011
11:20 am
The thing that should scare everyone is that next year is the rebuilding year. Yikes
Fixit
January 5th, 2011
11:22 am
2011 = 6-7 again!!!!!
dawggirl
January 5th, 2011
11:22 am
collegeballfan – UGA grad here. Completely unacceptable. Not going to another game until they prove otherwise.
NORCROSS DAWG
January 5th, 2011
11:22 am
THAT DAMN PLAY AGAINST GT WHERE ALL UGA HAD TO DO WAS TAKE A KNEE 3-4 TIMES AND GT LET THEM SCORE ON PURPOSE? DO YALL REMEMBER THAT? WELL,THAT BONEHEAD PLAY BY UGA LET GT GETINTO A POSITION TO POSSIBLY TIE THE DAMN GAME! DU U GUYS REMEMBE RTHAT DECESION BY OUR 3ML/YEAR COACH? THAT ONE PLY ALONE SHOUOLD OF GOT HIS PUNK A$$ FIRED! WHAT AN IDIOT OF A HEADCOACH. WHY DO WE DESERVE MORE OF THIS KIND OF DECESION MAKING BY OUR HC? PLEASE GREG. SELAH
GT Fan
January 5th, 2011
11:23 am
I will have to say this is great news for the GT Fans. I think the messages as we hear them today from Athens are what we were looking for, more of the same. We may not have the football factory program and traditions that the UGA fans claim but at least so far this month CPJ hasn’t made a complete FOOL out of himself with statements such as come from CMR. As long as things remain the same or worse in Athens it gives GT football program more time to catch up. ADVANTAGE GT!!!
LMAO at you rednecks!!!!
Floyd
January 5th, 2011
11:24 am
That’s the thing about putting your program on cruise control…by the time it veers toward a ditch, it’s too late to turn it off and retake control.
steve
January 5th, 2011
11:24 am
I think the point made in this release is that CMR is putting it all in for next season. He’s basically saying I’m committing my full attention and efforts into coaching next season. If he fails again, he’s gone. If he succeeds, he stays. But I think this was a combined effort by Richt and McGarity that basically gives him one more year to turn it around. He basically is throwing all excuses out the window for next year.
Georgia | MrSEC.com
January 5th, 2011
11:24 am
[...] up. In my opinion we’re 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?”Richt said that he will not make changes on the defensive side of the ball because that staff was [...]
RunLyndseyRun
January 5th, 2011
11:24 am
CMR is already planning his golden years. You can blame BloBlo and Searels but MR understands and rides the sinking ship. His loyalty resides with friends, not UGA alum. Get out of town Richt!
jp
January 5th, 2011
11:24 am
listening to MR say everything is ok is maddening. What about this year is encouraging? It’s not like he’ had only one bad season. He’s had a couple in a row and things are just getting worse.
Richt has to go.
mdawg
January 5th, 2011
11:25 am
Well at the very least it seems like he will have to something great next year to save his job. This does mean one more year of mediocrity, but we should be on the right track with a new coach in 2012. I have zero confidence in Richt to win more than he loses next year.
CBB1
January 5th, 2011
11:26 am
Hey Calhoun Dawg,
I am a UGA Alum and love Coach Richt, but his time is up. He doesn’t need to stay as long as he wants. There are plenty of good coaches to get. We need to get Gary Patterson with TCU before someone else does. GA will be 7-5 at best next year. Please stop drinking the Mark Richt Kool-Aid. He will be gone after 2011. Sorry, but the truth hurts. We haven’t been good since 2005. Wow, we lose to 2 sorry teams in 2007 and beat Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Big deal. We have moved down with Kentucky and Ole Miss.
schmeckdawg
January 5th, 2011
11:26 am
Is it possible that the reason that CMR has not gotten rid of some of his assistants is that they may be joined at the hip with some of the major recruits? Just asking!
captguitarman
January 5th, 2011
11:27 am
It appears from this (for now, anyway) that the “Mike Shula moment” that turned Alabama’s program around has been postponed for another year at Georgia. The new recruits, as good as they might be, are all freshmen, and as should be obvious by now, they do not necessarily grow and progress in the Georgia program – as they seem to do at other schools. It is no surprise that a first year AD does not want to make the big changes and suffer the brain damage that is necessary when a school decides that the status quo in the athletic program is no longer acceptable. But, this may not be over yet. The “you’re doing a heck of a job, Brownie” statements about the coaches who are clearly not doing a heck of a job are certainly disconcerting and raise questions about whether the reality of the situation has been grasped yet by anyone in the program. It’s time to breathe some fire and life back into the program, but right now, the decision that must be made is on hold. It will just prolong the agony. Boise State arrives here to start the season in the Georgia Dome, and that sad event will set the tone for the rest of the season. Next year the AD will have no choice but to take action.
DIT
January 5th, 2011
11:27 am
@GT Fan
_____
You think it’s good news why???? Yours is the team that is keeping CMR at UGA because he OWNS the techies. Remember 9 out of 10! That was the most moronic post from a techie that could be posted. Congrats for winning the “Bonehead Award”
girldawg
January 5th, 2011
11:27 am
Seriously???? That was what he had to say??? I am guessing Adams and McGarity have not advised him his job is on the line. So I guess a mediocre season is in store for 2011.
CBB1
January 5th, 2011
11:28 am
Hey GT Fan,
I wouldn’t be on any GA blogs, your team sux too. Actually, your team sux a lot worse than GA. That is like us going on a FL blog and ragging them about their team. GA owns Tech, like FL owns GA.
nerds! nerds! nerds!
January 5th, 2011
11:28 am
Goooo Dawgs!
DIT
January 5th, 2011
11:28 am
@schmeckdawg
I’d have to agree with that comment about the recruits
Willl
January 5th, 2011
11:29 am
Okay, if anyone is still concerned about the direction of the program and/or the expected progress next year, Coach Richt certainly put that to rest today.
If anyone expects less than 9-10 wins next year, I would like to hear why.
UGA Lover
January 5th, 2011
11:29 am
Been around a long time and played a lot of football in my time….UGA better learn how to use the talent it does have and the biggest gap in that area currently is Bobo. I anticipated 80% of his play calling during the last game and if I can do it so can anybody else!!!
NORCROSS DAWG
January 5th, 2011
11:29 am
HEY GUYS,,HOW MANY OF OUR COACHES ARE GETTING PULLED AWAY FROM UGA? ANSWER = 0 . WONDER WHY? MAKES U SAY”UMM”. BOBO SHOULD GO COACH PE AT CLARKE CENTRAL,,AND OUR O LINE COACH(DO WE EVEN HAVE ONE) NEEDS TO JUST QUIT AND NOT FINISH ANY DRILL….AND GET MS MR OFF THE SIDELINE,,I HEARD FROM AOME PLAYERS THAT THE OTHER TEAMS FANS ON THE ROAD ARE RIPPING HER APART WITH LEWD COMMENTS….MOST OF WHICH AR EHILARIOUS..MAYBE SHE CAN WRITE SOME SHORT STORIES..SELAH
Russ
January 5th, 2011
11:29 am
You can do a lot worse than a coach that stands behind his staff. Richt never even bashed Martinez – he let performance dictate that guy’s removal. Richt is a class act and I’m proud he’s UGA’s coach. Why don’t you redneck clowns call Petrino and get him to slime you into a BCS bowl next season? Get some perspective country bumpkins. Richt might have had one losing season, but he’s not a loser like RichRod and these other slimeballs. I’m behind Richt. When Crowell inks the dotted line, all you haters will get excited again and re-up your season tickets. The only things frustrating about being a UGA fan is how predictable the fan base is. It’s embarassing.
RiffRaff
January 5th, 2011
11:30 am
Richt – here’s an idea – instead of studying the game of football, study coaching styles and philosophies. Learn what “winning coaches” do to get the most out of your players. Stop treating them ( players ) like your on a church retreat and grow some nads or get off the field!!!!!!!!!!
Glenn
January 5th, 2011
11:30 am
OK I am willing to give you next year and have confidence in the staff that UGA will turn things around next year. The bad part is for CMR is that if it doesn’t it will be his last at UGA but that is just my opinion. Wish them all the best, I really like CMR but the new AD will not stand by the way side very long. Less than ten wins there will be a lot of questions asked for sure. The first two are critical.
Could Switching To Geico
January 5th, 2011
11:31 am
Save you 15% on your car insurance? Is CMR and idiot?
sandman053
January 5th, 2011
11:31 am
I think the win total depends on who we beat. Beating Florida goes a long way.
DIT
January 5th, 2011
11:32 am
Even if CMR got rid of Bobo today, there is still a good chance that it is too late because he needs to win this coming season. New OC means new scheme, These kids are not bright enough to learn and execute a new Offensive scheme in just a couple months.
We just have to be ready for another embarrassing year and look for changes in 2012.
ATLnative
January 5th, 2011
11:34 am
This does not get r dun. I will keep an open mind until after the Boise St. game Sept. 3rd, and
if we are 7-0 in mid Oct., it will still be open until the FL game result. That’s all I can do.
murfdawg
January 5th, 2011
11:34 am
I have been studying football for 40 years and here is what I know.
1.Physical teams win. Bama, fl and even USC are more physical than the Dawgs
2.Teams that make hustle plays win. I haven’t seen all 11 players play hard in over two years. Someone is always takeing a play off. That is why we can’t recover a fumble, intercept a tipped pass or make a block downfield when a back breaks a run.
3.Good teams win the games they are supposed to win and one game they aren’t expecting to win. We haven’t won a big game since the Sugar bowl in 07. Since the Bama game in 08, we are 20-15.
4.Run the damn ball!!!! This is UGA. We have had a great history of tailbacks and offensive linemen. We get 80 yards against UCF. We don’t go for fourth and inches on the two against UCF. This ties into my first point.
5. Teams reflect their coach. Mark Richt is a wonderful man and is a good coach. Football has to be played with emotion, confidence and yes a little swagger. We play with hoping and wishing and praying and thinking. I want to see a linebacker hit sombody like Spikes hit Moreno on the first play at fl in 08. I want to see a D-lineman ragdoll someone like Fairley did to us this year. I want to see nasty, not dirty, but nasty. Somebody start playing like they don’t care if their hair gets messed up.
Unfortunately for Richt, not only is the honeymoon over, but Richt and McGarrity are sitting in a lawyers office drawing up divorce papers. Only a 10 win season, SEC East championship and wins over USC and fl will save the marriage.
It’s time to get physical and nasty and run over people.
Contractor
January 5th, 2011
11:34 am
GT Fan,
I agreed wholeheatedly with you until you started calling us rednecks. Typical Tech fan, calling people names instead of saying something that matters. I guess that’s all of the ammunition you have when you get it handed to you every year by your biggest rival. I know how it feels, see Jacksonville every year. I guess you’ll have to keep up the name calling, because Tech is a long ways away from being the program Georgia is. One Orange Bowl appearance doesn’t mean you have arrived.
I agree that Paul Johnson is an intimidating coach, and will release hell on a player that does wrong and doesn’t do right. I was at Georgia Southern when he was, and I love his mentality, and it speaks volumes for his success. Just stinks he can’t get any recruits to want to settle with a bunch of geeks and unatheltic dorks at Tech. See, I can play that game too. Try and win a few before you start talking the trash Techie. Oh, but Tech can’t even beat Georgia in basketball either. But there’s always next year.
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
January 5th, 2011
11:34 am
PEOPLE…..it is real simple….If you want change at UGA then quit supporting the football program…as in…DON’T BUY THE TICKETS…DON’T GO TO THE GAMES….. Money talks…….you’ll quickly see changes being made!!!!!
Why should the AD, University President, etc. make any changes if you keep packing the stadium no matter what product they put on the field on Saturdays??????
NORCROSS DAWG
January 5th, 2011
11:35 am
RUSS,,,,I WILL TAKE RICH ROD AS OC AND PETRINO AS HC…I WOULD EVEN TAKE YOU AS OUR HC AT UGA….WOW,,I CANT BELEIVE I SAID THAT,,BUT IT FEELS GOOD,WOW,,,ARE YOU AVAILABLE? RICHT=GOOD MAN’VERY BAD COACH AND DECESION MAKER,,,LET GT BACK INTO A GAME THAT ALL UGA HAD TO DO WAS TAKE A KNEE,,JUST TAKE A KNEE,BUT DIDNT BECAUSE OF CMR! SELAH
Joe Mason
January 5th, 2011
11:35 am
Whoopee-damn-do!
ATLnative
January 5th, 2011
11:35 am
“Maybe we should chug on over to namby-pamby land where maybe we can find some self confidence for you ya jackwagon. Tissue?”
Mr. Bitter
January 5th, 2011
11:35 am
To go along with the other BS, he must have forgotten to include the sales pitch for oceanfront property in Arizona.
dawgma
January 5th, 2011
11:36 am
I wish this was real good news like Bobo is gone and I’m calling the plays again. Bobo is not ever going to match wits and win against the top elite – he couldn’t even whip UCF for gosh sakes with 6 weeks to prepare.
The Way I see it.
January 5th, 2011
11:36 am
Give the Coach time to study and he will notice that Bobo needs to go
TC
January 5th, 2011
11:37 am
BLAH BLAH BLAH
Dwayne
January 5th, 2011
11:37 am
@GT Fan, you are an idiot…….hahahahahahahaha
NotAnIdiot
January 5th, 2011
11:38 am
DMAN, you are clueless….so is everyone else calling for the head of Richt. Thank God that none of you morons are in a position of power and we obviously wee why you arent! Richt is not going anywhere no time soon so all you cry babies better start supporting him and be DAMN THRILLED you have him because I can tell you this, that the next coach would suck just like BEFORE Richt got there. Richt has a better record than Dooley. They wanted to fire Dooley after about as many years as Richt had been there but a few years later he won it all. You intolerant impatient gotta have everything now brats go dig a hole and hide or support one of the best coaches in the country with all you got. BOBO on the other hand needs to stick with the offense and not the play calling or be gone. The rest of you grow up and keep the faith…..
Will
January 5th, 2011
11:39 am
UGA is currently married to CMR until at least 2013. It is what it is…. so let’s try and support the team the best we can. At Least CMR has more time to watch game film now, I feel better that is resolved.
DIT
January 5th, 2011
11:40 am
@“Maybe we should chug on over to namby-pamby land where maybe we can find some self confidence for you ya jackwagon. Tissue?”
_______________
Now that was funny right there. I don’t care who you are!
Hector
January 5th, 2011
11:40 am
He’s been making 3 million and just now getting fired up!!!!
DrDawg
January 5th, 2011
11:43 am
Make Bobo the QB coach and hire the Fridge as OC.
Mark Richt
January 5th, 2011
11:44 am
Now, guys come on. We are still the 2008 preseason #1 team in the Nation. Can we extend my contract now????