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
GADAWG000001
January 5th, 2011
1:14 pm
Can you see where I’m going?
Or do you need a picture?
DIT
January 5th, 2011
1:14 pm
FS-Who has done nothing in the past 10 years until this year. Now, decide to talk smack. Now that is hysterical! Sorry to say, but FSU is not considered a “Big Time” program. Maybe 11 years ago, but not now.
Florida owns Georgia
January 5th, 2011
1:15 pm
You Georgia fans are too funny and too mad. Muschamps refuses to come back to JAWJA, Smart refuses to come back to JAWJA, and Techs old coach hands the Golden Boy a loss. Muschamp comes to The Gators and brings in legends to coach with him….win a BCS title once in 30 years then you can talk smack…..
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
1:15 pm
The death threat to girlfriend story was made up. Probaly by some disgruntled dog fan who was trying to deflect attention away from the corrupt program in Athens
GADAWG000001
January 5th, 2011
1:15 pm
Here’s some advice University of Florida Grads,
if you support The University of Florida so much–GO HOME!
Dawg Fud
January 5th, 2011
1:16 pm
Coach Searels and Coach Bobo have done a great job?
WTF are you smoking, Coach Richt?
GADAWG000001
January 5th, 2011
1:16 pm
Terry, that is my point–Our defense might have been feared in the early 80’s–but that is about it.
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
1:17 pm
Just think about it, there are grown men who have never seen georgia beat Florida twice in a row. Soon there will be grown men with grandchildren who have never seen it happen. Considering we have Muschamp and Weis and the dogs have richt and bobo, I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
Birddawg
January 5th, 2011
1:17 pm
I can just see Richt now…sitting down at one end of the church pew on Sunday morning, Bobo and his FIVE kids down on the other, all cute, sitting there, such a nice family…and Richt in DEEP prayer with his eyes closed the entire time,, trying to figure out how he is gonna can the guy (or asking forgiveness before he does) without starving out five little kids. I guess he figures he will just take a firing himself before he does that…cause the divine guidance seems to have not told him to save thyself! (or thy team)
Wonder if there is a little devil Mark Richt on one shoulder yelling “DO IT!, JUUUUST DO IT!” and a little angel Mark Richt on the other soothingly reassuring him he is doing the right thing by allowing The Bobo Bunch to stay and not be in foreclosure with the rest of the jobless????
GADAWG000001
January 5th, 2011
1:17 pm
Gatormeat, it was about as made up as Tebow Crying on the sidelines.
Florida owns Georgia
January 5th, 2011
1:17 pm
Georgia fans had better hope that A&E’s The First 48 never comes to Athens.
We would see multiple UGA football players on every episode….
lawdawg
January 5th, 2011
1:18 pm
I hate to say this because I love Ga,but if Ga. can get a dream team to come to this mess they most be paying them off.
irondawg
January 5th, 2011
1:19 pm
How should Richt discipline a player? Does he do a perfect job? Heck no. Does he do a fair and balanced job? Yes, that is the bottom line. No parent, coach, judge, whatever does a “Correct” job. It would be nice if in Athens. Gainesvegas, Knoxville, and America nobody did anything wrong and if they happen to there were perfect “consequences”. G
GADAWG000001
January 5th, 2011
1:21 pm
Florida owns Georgia–Touche-We have had some stupid players doing stupid things,
but
–I can guarantee you that no entertainment program would even go to Gainsville–hmm, I wonder why
DIT
January 5th, 2011
1:21 pm
Oh, the Rainey incident was made up… L.O.L. Now that is funny!. I guess the text message came from Mike Bobo! No doubt the gators own us, but to spew that garbage that you just did is priceless! UGA should be an after thought to gators, but not you. Why, are you worried about being on a UGA blog?
You know that you can construct a UF blog on your own right?
FSU fan
January 5th, 2011
1:21 pm
Do grown men bark at UGA games? I’ve never been.
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
1:21 pm
I’m sure many in here remember the guy on Idol with the “Pants on the ground” song. It would be a fitting theme for the georgia football program. Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, them dogs looking like fools with their pants on the ground. What a comically hopeless baggy pants farce you have become. You would think some self respect would kick in and you nutty dogs would force the university to do better. Maybe you guys just don’t have any self respect in you, which considering the way you act, it would not be surprising
UGAly
January 5th, 2011
1:21 pm
Don’t urinate down my neck and tell me it’s raining.
dgator
January 5th, 2011
1:23 pm
This is no slam on the Dogs. They have a long tradition, and I can remember when they owned the Gators for years. Just a suggestion to Richt. He should spend more time coaching his players up in a game and less time worrying about his hair(what he has left).
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
1:23 pm
I’m not sure if grown men bark at their games or not but their women sure do. You ought to see them when they come down to Jacksonville for their annual whooping. It looks like some kind of freak show
irondawg
January 5th, 2011
1:24 pm
WEIS is a Legend?. About the only thing that is legendary in Gainesvegas is jorts, mullets, beaters, hair jel, fake tans, gold chains, ugly camo. Heck you could film the Jersey Shore in gville
Mama is calling
January 5th, 2011
1:24 pm
My friends,,lawdawg….i AGREE 100% WITH YOU….DID BOBBY LOWDER SLIDE OVER TO THE RED AND BLACK?
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
1:24 pm
It would be a good idea for the dogs to change their field to astro-turf. It would stop their cheerleaders from grazing
Reality Check
January 5th, 2011
1:25 pm
Gator meat, you better worry about UF and not about Georgia. Your head coach has ridden the coat tails of Tuberville, Mack Brown and Saban. Your Offensive Coordinator was run out of College football.
A greater sense of excitement
January 5th, 2011
1:25 pm
`
14-0 is not too much to ask for, . . . Coach Mark.
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:26 pm
And some hot babes in revealing clothing. The bathing suits in Gainesville come out earlier in the year here and stay out later than in Athens….
Andy in Blairsville
January 5th, 2011
1:26 pm
What a disgrace of a football program and 2011 is only going to get worse with crappy recruiting and disgruntled fair-weather fans.
2011: year of the Dawg!
January 5th, 2011
1:27 pm
With Richt’s new focus on football, and UGA’s experienced returning talent, the Dawgs should easily win the SEC east. South carolina’s losing a bunch of talent and florida will be down again with muschamp. Look for the Dawgs to play bama in the SEC title game and a 11-1 regular season. The Dawgs are back!
irondawg
January 5th, 2011
1:27 pm
black jeans dont count as dressy
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:27 pm
Reality Check….worry about our head coach…7 pages of beating MARK RICHT here alone, someone call the police, CMR is getting beat worse than the two crooks on ” HOME ALONE”
Andy in Blairsville
January 5th, 2011
1:28 pm
FSU Fan – Oh yeah. The only SEC fan base with as many neanderthals as UGA’s is USC’s.
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:29 pm
OH YEAH CHECK THIS OUT..NICE CALENDAR OF GAINESVILLE HOTTIES
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/1268151248059038892CLraKb
UGA89
January 5th, 2011
1:29 pm
One of the things that has really bothered me over the last few years in regards to CMR is how reactive he is vs. proactive.
The great coaches think and prepare and implement things before they become a problem. That’s ON & OFF the field.
CMR is always saying something to the effect “we are going to stress that this week… ” or “we are going to ramp up tackling in practice because of our poor performance…” or “it’s our strength & conditioning..” or now “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.”
By the time CMR says these things, they are already a problem and should have already been addressed and corrected.
Teams don’t turn things around with “Reactive” coaches. Once they begin to go downhill… they continue.
And there have been way to examples of how CMR is reactive vs. proactive.
The great coaches foresee obstacles before they are a problem. Not after.
irondawg
January 5th, 2011
1:30 pm
if you could turn off the gals NJ accent,
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
1:31 pm
Everyone outside of athens knows the only reason georgia is keeping richt is no one else would come coach there. It is a coaches graveyard. A place where the coach will be more noted for the arrests of the players than wins on the field. athens, the ghetto of the SEC.
Richard
January 5th, 2011
1:31 pm
Get ride of the black socks and shoes, they look like they weigh the players down. Everyone with white socks and shoes seems to be so much faster. Change the offense, it so predictable, no rushing at all. Surely Ga can recruit a RB that can shine.
SportsFan31313
January 5th, 2011
1:32 pm
Yea Okay Richt,
Let it be another losing season. You will be gone. The Fans has spoken about this for at east a couple of years now. BoBo should be gone….. You should have gotten rid of him when you got rid of Martinez. Now the focus is definitely on you. The offensive line is a underachiever with very little talent along with the defense. They had better be significant change for the better. If the Dawgs don’t achieve a 10 game win season at the very least, the pressure to fire Richt will be overwhelming voice loudly.
irondawg
January 5th, 2011
1:32 pm
dude, how much you bench? I got that beater in black, little more dressy.
DIT
January 5th, 2011
1:32 pm
Have you UF people ever been to Athens? If you have you would know that the girls there are very attractive. Voted one of the best co-ed Universities in the country. Now, I will not knock UF because I married a UF grad. She is hot. Let’s stick to football because it’s moronic to get on a conversation about saying there are ugly women on either campus when that is far from the truth.
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:33 pm
Tonight when the dream team starts announcing one by one they are attending other schools would someone please post a social worker outside of Mark Richt’s church( it is wednesday nite prayer meeting night) so he will not harm himself.
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:34 pm
Drunk chicks are not attractive, easy yes, attractive no..only at Georgia
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:34 pm
Yes, I’m an idiot!
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:35 pm
Yeah we have some “hoggers” on campus too, we just try to keep them herded together
Gainesville Florida
January 5th, 2011
1:35 pm
Now Ole Miss is a different story…they do not know how to grow UGLY women in OXFORD……whoa…
Gatormeat
January 5th, 2011
1:36 pm
The only way I would visit athens would be with a police escort. Considering the multiple arrests of football players there it must be a lawless town with a bunch of drunks and thugs running around. You would think they would clean things up there, athens is a stain on what is otherwise a great conference. I would be ashamed to be from there, I guess dog fans have no shame in them. Just a bunch of low-lifes
ApopkaDawg
January 5th, 2011
1:37 pm
2008 – “I’m really fired up and excited about this year. Preseason Number 1, we have Matthew and Knowshon back. Our O-Line is seasoned. It’s going to be an exiting year.”
2009 – “We have a veteran line back. A really strong running game with Caleb. AJ Green is a special athlete. Joe Cox has been in our system for 5 years and I think everyone is going to be really surprised at the level of leadership Joe brings to the table. I am really excited about this year”
2010 – I think we are in a position to surprise some people this year. AJ Green is set to have a really special year. Our O-Line is one of the strongest in the league. Caleb ancors a strong running game. We should be a good, solid football team this year. I am excited about our possibilities.”
2011 – I am sooo excited about the prospects in front of us. I am able to get back to studying the game of football. Bobo and Stacy are going to stay in place. I do’nt want to confuse anybody and blow thing up. We are right there.”
2012 – “I am so happy to be the head coach of the Colorado. We have some great coaches in place and I am really excited about our chances this coming year.”
Just one more painful year Dawg fans.
Athens Po Po
January 5th, 2011
1:37 pm
We have current warrents out on Mark Richt. He is accused of “transfer of funds without performing satisfactory work”
Athens Po Po
January 5th, 2011
1:38 pm
Apoka Dawg…now that was good…
Ryan
January 5th, 2011
1:39 pm
Not sure why everyone is so down on this. It’s all crap anyway. The real question next year is will Strength and Conditioning improve. Look at Arian Foster – guy was on the practice squad and only made the team because of injury. Over the offseason he works out consistently and this year he led the league in rushing yards from scrimmage. If, and it’s a big IF, S&C improves Georgia’s record will improve.
ChunkyMonkey
January 5th, 2011
1:39 pm
WEll there we have it folks! Move along; there is no more to hear! Mark Richt is now excited about 2011. Sure that fixes everything. Sorry he was not excited over 2009 or 2010!
One question: WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO ABOUT DISCIPLINE???????