Contract extension likely for Mark Richt, but what about Todd Grantham?
Georgia head coach Mark Richt (L) and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham have proven to be a pretty effective tandem for the Bulldogs this season. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS — It’s reasonable to assume — and we have to assume since Athletic Director Greg McGarity is reserving comment — that Georgia will extend the contract of head coach Mark Richt after the season if the Bulldogs get past Kentucky on Saturday to secure a spot in the SEC Championship Game.
Richt has only two years remaining on his agreement following this season and it would only seem logical that UGA would lengthen that by at least three or four years sometime after the season.
But there’s another contract matter with which the 15th-ranked Bulldogs are going to have to deal if the season continues to progress as it has.
The three-year contract that Todd Grantham signed to come to Georgia to coach its defense expires on Jan. 31, 2013. And while that’s still 14 months away, what the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator has done on his side of the ball in Year Two has made him a pretty hot commodity.
So says Grantham’s agent, at least. Michael Harrison, an attorney out of Stevenson Ranch, Calif., said he has already “gotten inquiries” from some NFL teams about the possibility of his client returning to that league as a coordinator. Harrison also said he has “gotten feelers” indirectly from colleges gauging Grantham’s interest in becoming a head coach.
Grantham came to UGA from the Dallas Cowboys, where he coached linebackers, and he was a defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns before that. It’s Grantham’s stated desire to one day become a head coach — the buyout in his contract is waived if he does — and several college positions have already opened up. More will surely become available at the conclusion of the regular season, and Harrison expects Grantham to be a part of those conversations.
“Todd wants to be at Georgia, though,” Harrison insisted. “But we’d like to get an extension.”
Here’s the rub: McGarity is not likely to be keen on providing multi-year deals for assistant coaches. It’s something he never did in 18 years as Jeremy Foley’s right-hand man at Florida.
Georgia’s multi-year contract for Grantham was executed by former UGA Athletic Director Damon Evans, who previously also had not offered extended deals for assistants. Grantham is the among the top three highest-paid coordinators in college football at $750,000 a year, according to a survey by USA Today, and the only UGA assistant coach with a multi-year deal.
How McGarity might actually feel about the situation we have no way of knowing because he’s not willing to comment on it at this point.
“We don’t talk about anything like that during the season,” McGarity said Monday, referring to both Richt and Grantham. “Our full focus is on our players and our opponent and right now that is Kentucky. We’ll deal with all that after the season.”
Asked whether the decision on Grantham would ultimately be his, McGarity said, “the head coach makes decisions on his staff.” But you can be sure McGarity will have input.
This much is also certain: Georgia’s defense has looked a lot better under Grantham’s guidance. After Georgia’s 45-7 win over No. 20 Auburn this past Saturday, the Bulldogs (8-2, 6-1 SEC) moved up to No. 4 in the nation in total defense. They’re also No. 5 against the run, No. 5 against the pass and they lead the SEC in quarterback sacks and tackles for loss. The TD it allowed in the first quarter against the Tigers was just the ninth in the last eight games against the defense.
In fact, Georgia’s defense has improved significantly in national ranking in every category kept in Year Two of Grantham’s leadership.
2010—-Defensive category—–2011
24————-Total————-4
27————-Rush————-5
72———–Pass Eff. ———–5
34————Passing———-15
40————Scoring———-12
51————-TFLs———–10
52————-Sacks———–25
The improvement over 2009, before Grantham was defensive coordinator, is even more significant.
Of course, Grantham does not come without faults. He was roundly criticized for making choke signs at a Florida kicker as he prepared to make the game-winning kick against Georgia in overtime in 2010. And Grantham ended up in a shouting match with Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin at the end of the Vanderbilt game last month. Both incidents resulted in internal reprimands from UGA and certainly could be a factor in any job considerations going forward.
Harrison said he does not believe it will be an issue. “A lot of people want a coach with Todd’s fire and passion for the game,” he said.
Certainly it would be in Richt’s best interest to keep Grantham. Richt has spoken glowingly recently of his defense and its coordinator.
“It’s a lot more fun to coach when you’ve got a good defense and the guys are playing the way our guys are playing,” Richt said Saturday. “It makes up for a lot of deficiencies. It just kind of helps you iron some things out sometimes. . . . Todd studies defenses and offenses as well as anybody I’ve been around. He will have a plan and he will understand what needs to be done. But then he’ll try to make it as simple as possible for our guys. He understands tendencies, he understands formations and groups and when different guys are in the game. He knows the percentages and he’s got fire in his belly. He’s really doing a great job.”
So I put the question to you. Should the Bulldogs move to lock up Grantham as soon as they can for as long as they can? Or should Georgia remain guarded in their approach to long-term contracts?
– Chip Towers
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882 comments Add your comment
AltamahaDawg
November 14th, 2011
5:16 pm
Well who the F*&^%k asked you drink any kool-aid? NOBODY. Don’t. Great. I’m not either. Would be nice if you would just shut the hell up and let the rest of us be glad the team is winning though.
The ONLY folks who are talking anything unrealistic at this point, that we are world champions, or beating only top 5 teams, are you same 4 poster, who make that crap up, so you can pretend that’s what WE said, to manufacture a reason for telling us how wrong we are.
DawgInaTruck
November 14th, 2011
5:17 pm
The flatheads, unfortunately, are almost impossible to eradicate. I caught two on Lake Oconee last year that went about 3-4 pounds each. The minute I saw the first one I thought, “Oh no.” Yes, I put them in the live well immediately but that was just two small ones. I didn’t get to fish Oconee this year but I bet they are going nuts there too.
BIG DAWG
November 14th, 2011
5:17 pm
OK….I TOLD ALL YOU CLOWNS TO LEAVE RICHT ALONE …HE IS A WINNER…DO YOU STILL
WANT HIM FIRED? DIDNT THINK SO…
North Georgia Dawg
November 14th, 2011
5:18 pm
I hope Mcgarity doesn’t step on his pecker like we did when BVG left! Although, you can’t enitrely blame UGA for letting BVG get away. Van Gorder got a little over confident in himself and took a head coaching job (Georgia Southern was a disaster). However, heavy lies the crown! The fact is some people are just meant to be #2’s and some people are #1’s. BVG and Grantham are very good #2’s. Hopefully Grantham knows his role and that is a DC at UGA. Richt and Grantham have the ying & yang thing going and I hope that Mcagarity realizes this before the season is over… The bottom line is if we want to be top notch we have to pay top notch. Let’s not sit around and see what everybody else is doing… Again don’t step on your pecker Mcgarity!
kevin
November 14th, 2011
5:19 pm
Ofcourse u should b guarded in ur approach 2 assistants & it starts w/ the press leaving the ?’s 2 after the season. Both should get extensions if the we win out.
Not so fast
November 14th, 2011
5:20 pm
Contract extension? Why now? Let’s finish the season. A win against Kentucky, a loss to Georgia Tech, and a drubbing in the SEC Championship should have everyone back to reality. UGA is an average team this year who played a very below average schedule. They don’t have a single victory against a currently ranked team. Still 0-2 in that stat
Richt wasn’t fired after starting 0-2 so let’s not even think about an extension.
DawgInaTruck
November 14th, 2011
5:21 pm
Altamaha I see your point and I’ll add this to it: There is nothing ANYONE can say or write that will keep me from enjoying this season.
I love the way it feels after a win. I call it ‘the cool of the evening’, like when you’ve worked your tail off all day and accomplished something meaningful. When you are finished you can rleax and enjoy the cool of the evening.
That, in fact, is how my brother and I greet each other after each win, “The cool of the evening baby!” No one can ruin that.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 14th, 2011
5:24 pm
AltamahaDawg
This is the problem with you; just like earlier last year when you started calling me names
:”Well who the F*&^%k asked you drink any kool-aid?”
No one on here is allowed to make a statement unless it is in agreement with your bong smoking mind
Keep your day job of arm fishing on the altmaha you dope
me
November 14th, 2011
5:25 pm
Lets just get rid of all the couches, and let fans text in the plays to the players
AltamahaDawg
November 14th, 2011
5:25 pm
My opinion of the “contract” is the same as it was in the summer. Richt isn’t hoping to see what Mcgarity wants to do, and AD isn’t waiting to see or prove any point to Richt. These men have been on the same page all along with this contract and that will take care of itself when the timing is right.
UGA man here class of 71 & 73
November 14th, 2011
5:26 pm
In July, ANY UGA fan or grad would have been sooooooooooooooo happy to be a lock with SEC East Championship. Period. End of story.
WHY IS UGA A LOCK?? Coach T. Granthom made the UGA D in his second year act like a wild bunch of guys who love to hit and tackle and compete and attack the ball. THAT IS WHY UGA ought to pay the man his money and LOCK HIM UP !!!
I was wrong about canning the bunch fter SC and BS and we are winning. Whether we lose badly in the DOME or not, CMR WILL BE THE SEC COACH OF THE YEAR and if there is such an award for Assistant Head Coaches ……………Coach Granthom has that locked up too!
Gooooooooooo Dogs.
DawgInaTruck
November 14th, 2011
5:26 pm
Hmmm. bongs and fishing. Might not be a bad day.
UGA man here class of 71 & 73 II
November 14th, 2011
5:30 pm
To: NOT SO FAST
GT plays a BELOW AVERAGE SCHEDULE IN A BELOW AVERAGE GIRLY MAN LEAGUE AND their result is typical for GT. 7-3 has usually been their record in the wonder years under Dodd and that usually ended up like 6-3-1. GT will never be invited to a major bolw with that boring triple option middle school thing.
DawginTX
November 14th, 2011
5:30 pm
I am not nearly as bothered by a DC who has words with an opposing coach as by a DC whose defenses leave us in a position to lose when we score 30+. A great defense and a good offense is the combination that has put Georgia in contention for championships throughout our history. We have a great defensive coach. Give him a great contract or we’ll be where we were in 08 and 09.
AltamahaDawg
November 14th, 2011
5:32 pm
called you names?…childish or immature is not name calling, that’s simply descriptive. I assume you didnt’ take offense as it’s pretty clear that is the “persona” you have elected to act out in here.
Personally I realize that YOU aren’t as bad as this little character that you pretend to be in here, but unfortunetely “flat tire” is who we are forced to deal with.
UGAllday
November 14th, 2011
5:38 pm
Lock him up. How many solid defenses are there in FBS? The defense feeds off of his passion, similar to Andrews in his younger days at FSU. We need to keep him.
Festus
November 14th, 2011
5:41 pm
I hear there’s an opening at Penn State.
007
November 14th, 2011
5:43 pm
Howard Johnson was right. Write the Gov. & let him send in a DC on a horse.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
5:43 pm
GT will never be invited to a major bolw with that boring triple option middle school thing.
The only major bowls these days are BCS bowls and you win your way into those.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 14th, 2011
5:44 pm
AltamahaDawg
A moron was what you called me when I was complaining about losing to FL again last year
I guess when you say anything negative about Richt and Booboo it touches a nerve with you
They must charter your Arm fishing tour on the Altamaha every summer. Maybe thats why you get touchy.
Whats funny is I give Booboo a compliment on the game he called Saturday and like usual you have to go into your defense mode for some reason.
Why don’t you stay out of that hot sun during the summer time their Craw daddy, you might be less crabby and can comprehend things better
Joey
November 14th, 2011
5:48 pm
GTBob (5:43), and ACC teams usually lose their way out of them, don’t they?
WONDERING
November 14th, 2011
5:49 pm
A few weeks ago you guys were wnting to fire the whole staff, especially the OC, DC, and CMR. Oh how fickle we are. What happened? Still same coaches but they are winning. Just WONDERING
boohoo
November 14th, 2011
5:50 pm
Unbelievable, you pathetic bandwagon GA fans, First two games of season fire everybody now your sitting here debating on how much to pay em. Plz understand how weak the east is and how horrible you guys still are. With a very easy schedule The first time since 88 u beat a down FL and Tenn in same year and still wont be playing for nuttin but braggin rights. How long is too long for CMR and company. Thanks for the entertainment you ga fans are hiliarous
DawgInaTruck
November 14th, 2011
5:50 pm
Good Bob, you’re back. Did you ever get us that email address? We know you are gonna run and hide in two weeks. We’re gonna miss ya little buddy but you are still invited to our fish fry!
East TN Dawg Fan
November 14th, 2011
5:51 pm
Can we at least beat Kentucky/GATech/Whoever we get in a bowl, before we go crazy extending contracts? I wouldn’t be overly surprised to see us struggle against UK. I didn’t think the Vandy game would be as close as it was…We’re so up and down, i’m still not 100% bought in yet.
Bob
November 14th, 2011
5:52 pm
Wait until after next season. Victories over the most inept Tenn, Fla, and Auburn teams in decades do not warrant a knee jerk extention.
UGA76
November 14th, 2011
5:52 pm
Without CTG we would be in a lot of trouble. He is a tremendious fit in personality as CMR and Dodo are so quiet and passive.
DawgInaTruck
November 14th, 2011
5:53 pm
Joey, do folks put jugs out for the flatheads and/or will that work? Also, how in the heck do you get a 30 pound fish into a jon boat? I have a 16 footer and I’m not too sure about that.
Big D
November 14th, 2011
5:53 pm
McGarity is the difference…I read when he got to UGA that CMR was excited about coaching again similar to when he first got to UGA. CMR wanted a nutrition program like others but Evans would spend the money. Now he has it with a new S &C program and look what the results are. I don’t recall seeing the hands on the hips at the end of games anymore. The team is just getting stronger each week.
McGarity kept Charlie Strong when everyone or close to everyone wanted him fired and look at Strong now. Do you remember that SSIGator and TampaGator?
McGarity knows what he’s doing he will extend both and we will have plenty of success with them.
Tyler
November 14th, 2011
5:53 pm
Grantham is one of the best D-Coords in the country. He has proven this with the incredible improvement of the Dawg’s D in the past two years. He is good for recruiting as well. We might start to get 5 star recruits on Defense here pretty soon! With all of the young guys that Georgia has now and the ones that are coming in, I wouldn’t change anything on the coaching staff for at least the next 5 years. The only exception is Bobo, because I am still not impressed with Bobo’s play calling yet. Against Auburn, he really stepped up though. Extend Grantham for at least another 4 years, and the Dawgs could be headed to a national championship or two
! Go Dawgs!
Not so fast
November 14th, 2011
5:54 pm
To: UGA man here class of 71 & 73 II
I’m not sure what your point is but here is my point…
Georgia Tech’s offense statistically will be the second best offense we’ve played all year. Boise State being the best, which was a loss. South Carolina a distant second best, another loss. Vandy the next best, they rushed for 200 yards.
Let’s wait until the season is done before talking contract extension. Georgia has won 8 in a row against some mediocre teams. That is great and worthy of celebrating and being very happy about. However, we still have Georgia Tech, the SEC Championship, and probably a decent bowl opponent left. Let’s judge the season after all the games are in.
Columbus
November 14th, 2011
6:05 pm
Thats what Im talking about baby! he BETTER sign him to an extension! Take that all you so-called Bulldog fans who are young and dumb who havenet lived through a few coaches to know what you got when you got it!
SOme other coach would have came in this year and would NOT have made it to the SEC Championship or even if he did and you would have said how WONDERFUL he was and that Richt would NEVER have done it this year!
LOL suck on the contract extension all you little baby bulldog fans! Just a bunch of ignorant haters who spout off on the internet all the time but dont know jack squat!
Us fans with some wisdom LOVE you coach Richt! We know UGA did not do ANYTHING since 1982 before you came. We KNOW that we will be in the SEC championship the next 4 years!
We know we will be ranked in the top 10 the next 4 years and ALSO know that we will get a NC championship shot in the next 4 years also!
Take that all you hatin MINORITY who are just on the internet bashing ALL the time! Us fans who SEE THE BIG PICTURE, HAVE NO NEED TO VOICE OUR DISPLEASURE WITH UGA! We CAN DEAL WITH GROWING PAINS UNLIKE YOU LITTLE BITTY BABIES WHO VREATED ALL THE MEDIA HYPE OVER SOMETHIGN THAT WASNT GOIGN TO HAPPEN AND FRANKLY WAS HUGELY UNDESERVED!
LOL. LITTLE IMMATURE BABY FANS WHO CANT WIPE THEIR BUTTS YET….RICHT ISNT GOING ANYWHERE FOR 15 YEARS! TAKE THAT FROM A LIFELONG BULLDOG FAN IN HIS 40′S WHO HAS SEEN UGA PLAY LONGER THAN YOU HAVE BEEN ALIVE! THATS WHY YOU LISTEN TO YOUR ELDERS AND RESPECT THEM YOU LITTLE SELFISH BRATS WHO KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LOL. SPOKE WHEN SPOKEN TO YOU HEAR? LEAVE THE IMPORTANT TALK TO THE GROWN MEN LIKE MCGARRITY AND ADAMS AND STOP GIVING BRADLEY AND SCHULTZ SOMETHING TO WRITE ABOUT THAT IS NOT THE SENTIMENT OF THE PEOPLE OPIONION THAT COUNTS THE MOST…..YOUR ELDERS, THE BOOSTERS, THE ALUMNI, THE BOARD THE A.D. MCGARRITY!
GO DAWGS!
DawginTX
November 14th, 2011
6:08 pm
@Not So Fast, the reason Auburn is no longer ranked is because Georgia beat them. And that will be the same reason that Tech won’t be ranked after they play Georgia. Both of them are decent football teams. I wasn’t sure Georgia had beaten a decent football team until Saturday. Tech has one good win, but a couple of losses to mediocre teams.
fan
November 14th, 2011
6:09 pm
go ahead, reward both the coaches, so far their two biggest wins have been against the worst team UF has had in 15 years and an average Auburn team. Yes the talent is there but you still have to win some games against your better opponents. The defense is strong but again against who? would they stop OK State? Oregon? USC? Stanford? LSU? Arkansas? Alabama? I dont think so.
evil empire
November 14th, 2011
6:14 pm
columbus and calhoun…you can always count on those two to provide expert analysis…wow…dalton comes in a close third on the stupid meter…nice work columbus…
Joey
November 14th, 2011
6:16 pm
DawgInaTruck, “bush-hooks,” and in those tournaments, anchoring in deep holes with a dozen lines out is how I’ve seen it done.
The “bush-hookers” put a live, grown perch on a line, attached to a limber limb of an overhanging tree. I’ve seen 25 pounders on those while fishing. It’s legal in GA if you put your name and address on the line. Never seen jugs – maybe because the Altamaha is a big, swift river?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 14th, 2011
6:16 pm
evil empire
You forgot to add Altamaha Dawg and Mr. Krinkle to your list
AltamahaDawg
November 14th, 2011
6:17 pm
Nope, I didn’t get defensive at all. Why would I feel defensive about it? All I did was point out what I thought it was factually inaccurate about it. The idea that it obvious to anyone that it smelled more like a veiled insult more so than a compliment was just left to speak for itself.
dawgkicker
November 14th, 2011
6:18 pm
YEAH sign the man to an extension….. then when uga plays real compition next year and finishes with 6 losses you can call for his head and uga can buy him OUT! you havent played anyone this year except for your losses. And those were proven to not be great teams that you lost to…. and yes if you played them again now…. you would loose again…. but the arrogance at uga shows again…… they wont sign an extension because they will loose badly to LSU and then in their bowl game… probably badly also….
Big D
November 14th, 2011
6:20 pm
Sorry…correction…Evan’s wouldn’t spend the money.
JB
November 14th, 2011
6:21 pm
When you get a new job and raise sales or open a lot of new accounts or cut expenses or raise margins, you are usually rewarded…or you go somewhere that you can be. I say Grantham has done his job…. To #4 D in the country. Grantham didn’t make the schedule….he just had them ready to play every week. You reward the guy…or he moves on. Simple. He’s as hot as he’s ever been. Why hang for the same money for a year to year deal. Supply and demand. We snooze we lose.
Joey
November 14th, 2011
6:21 pm
DawgInaTruck, if you go, Jesup, Ga is where to start. Up or down for 20 miles. Don’t go so far down-river that you get into tidewater.
Good luck, and better keep your drag loose!
JB
November 14th, 2011
6:22 pm
dawgkicker has all the answers…………..geez, what a putz.
JB
November 14th, 2011
6:24 pm
Think Auburn would be loving a little Grantham about now. They are howling on the boards about Ted Roof.
Joey
November 14th, 2011
6:26 pm
I second that motion, JB.
I think Grantham is Richt’s job security now.
Pay the man . . .
Say What
November 14th, 2011
6:26 pm
A few weeks ago all you Georgia fans was calling to fire everybody. now the same ones are hugging Richt,Bobo and Grantham’s nutzs keep everybody.
Realist
November 14th, 2011
6:26 pm
McGarity would be a fool to give Richt more than a two year contract extension. McGarity needs to remember what happened to Fullmer and Tennessee. Tennessee is still paying the price for that stupidity. Two years is OK but nothing more. Richt has lost to the only good team he’s played, Boise State, and beat a sorry FL team with a gimpy QB by only 4 points. Auburn has lost big to both ARK and LSU. Two of the eight straight wins were against glorified high school programs. The rest of the wins have been against teams that are not very good…see Ole Miss, MS State & Tenn. McGarity needs to see what happens with LSU and the bowl game before he makes a final decision. If he extends Richt two more years, Richt will have time to prove that he has learned his lesson and is taking his job seriously again and proving he is worth $3 million a year. Next year Saban will be on the schedule and McGarity can see what Richt can do in Tuscaloosa. A win there and things might look different. But for now, the body of work with this year’s soft schedule does not justify a long term extension at season’s end.
AltamahaDawg
November 14th, 2011
6:27 pm
BTW, I have read dozens of comments straight out accusing you “fire sombody” guys as everything from lairs to bandwagoners. Try, try, as you have to paint me as somebody saying things like that, you know full well, I haven’t taken that path. And yet, you seem to care more about my fairly low key words than ALLL of those (pointing in your face,flat out calling you a TECH fan)combined…why so?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
November 14th, 2011
6:27 pm
I dipped out for three hours and the same argument is still ongoing and no football is being talked about. Typical blog.
I will add this though with three freshman at WR, a freshman at RB, at Sophomore at QB the future is bright for the Dawgs and no matter what you think about CMR and Bobo they simply cannot screw it up. This is just the type of the iceberg with what this offense is capable of.
JB
November 14th, 2011
6:28 pm
Let’s see, MSU was gonna kick our butt. We were not physical enough to play them. Hum, Nutt playing for his job in Oxford, look for the Dawgs to go down. Hum, Tenn at home at night is prime upset material. Boy, Auburn has 2 weeks to rest and prepare for Dawgs. They finally go up against some real SEC talent…and coaching……………………….Ok, what else ya’ll got?