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
"I believe, lowcountry...
November 14th, 2011
12:48 pm
…he was referring to the BCS MNC, not just the BCS games – and he was asking, I believe, tongue in cheek since all UGA fans believe that UGA always belongs in the MNC no matter how many losses they have or how many better teams there are out there…
"I believe, lowcountry...
November 14th, 2011
12:48 pm
…he was referring to the BCS MNC, not just the BCS games – and he was asking, I believe, tongue in cheek since all UGA fans believe that UGA always belongs in the MNC no matter how many losses they have or how many better teams there are out there…
JB
November 14th, 2011
12:49 pm
Be careful my Dawg friends…. you guys remember when Tech was going to beat Iowa in that BCS Orange bowl…..Let’s just take care of Kentucky and keep getting better every week as we have all year……And Yes, the East is way down….. But, we are playing well.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
12:50 pm
Non UGA SEC fans are going to be rooting for LSU in the SEC championship. If UGA wins then the SEC’s run of MNC’s is probably over.
Dontavius Supremo
November 14th, 2011
12:50 pm
God himself couldn’t please some of you people. Richt is a fine head coach who has done a remarkable job this year, so just shut the hill up.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 14th, 2011
12:50 pm
give Richt 3 more years to see how last years recruiting class can do under this staff.
Old Dawg
November 14th, 2011
12:51 pm
Show him the money – and a contract extension!
Wishful Thinking
November 14th, 2011
12:51 pm
I would not extend that contract just yet. UGA will lose three out of their last four games. Tech, SEC West opponent and bowl opponent will all beat UGA, leavinf Kentucky as their only W. This so called turn around has come against really weak opponents. They have beaten no one this season as the SEC East is down right lousy this year. Had they played even one of the top 3 from the West they would be looking at another loss.
JB
November 14th, 2011
12:51 pm
GTBob…………..That’s the only thing you have ever said I agree with…..Nobody wants to see LSU stump their toe.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
November 14th, 2011
12:52 pm
Hey may have been but I hope he has more sense than that!
Rob
November 14th, 2011
12:52 pm
Please resign Grantham. It will be great TV when he blows a gasket again and goes off on another opposing player 1/2 his age! He’s the best reality series in a while.
Now on SEC TV, another episode of “Grantham goes Gonzo”.
Alphare
November 14th, 2011
12:53 pm
Man, UGA is shaking up to be the best team at the end of this season, just like 2007.
ATL Sports Fan
November 14th, 2011
12:53 pm
GTBob, didn’t your fan base start acting delusional win you beat a BAD Clemson team?
Why are you even posting on here? Getting ready to make excuses when UGA beats Tech again?
TampaDawg
November 14th, 2011
12:54 pm
GTBob, I find it amazing that a GT fan is calling UGA’s fans delusional when all we heard at 6-0 is about GT’s awesome offense, their ACC title upcoming, some calling for them to have a shot at the NC. It’s actually kind of funny to be honest.
JB
November 14th, 2011
12:54 pm
Tech’s Johnson at .663% after 4 years and they love him at Tech…..That say’s a lot.
ATL Sports Fan
November 14th, 2011
12:55 pm
Alphare, it must tear you up inside to have to give credit where credit is do. Thanks for taking off your Auburn Tiger glasses.
However you are still going to do what do and that’s make excuses.
Ben
November 14th, 2011
12:56 pm
I think UGA as a program is capable of winning the east every year. No national program better than UGA is going to scoop up Mark Richt or Todd Grantham. He’s a great guy and all but he hasn’t played for the National Championship once. He hasn’t won the SEC with Urban or Saban in the league.
John Chavis and Nick Saban call outstanding defensive schemes.
I think UGA has enough talent to pull from in the Atlanta area alone to win multiple national titles down the road. He just changed his juco philosphy this year while his behind was on the line.
I don’t go to sleep at night and think Richt and Grantham is better than LSU or Bama. And I never will.
He doesn’t have the blood in the water mentality. I think those guys should prove themselves next year. If Grantham wants to leave so be it. There’s 100 guys out there who would love to coach a program as good as UGA.
Atlanta87
November 14th, 2011
12:57 pm
@ DawginLex, you write this or NOT, sir ? He won’t answer your question. He will just follow it up with another question or say don’t bring up the past.
JB
November 14th, 2011
12:58 pm
And don’t forgot him and the AD thumbing their nose at the NCAA and landing on 4 years probation over 300 dollars worth of clothes………………and it wasn’t the clothes that got them that, it was that ” we got bigger fish to fry”attitude Johnson has
Atlanta87
November 14th, 2011
12:59 pm
A bad Clemson team? I think they are ranked ahead of the Dawgs.
DawgDays in AThens
November 14th, 2011
1:00 pm
Lock him down ASAP! Pay him on par with Kirby Smart and he won’t leave unless int’s a primo head coaching position.
GADawg59
November 14th, 2011
1:00 pm
This team is on the verge of being very special. They feed off of each other. Fan support is there. It was as loud as I can ever remember it being Saturday. Grantham is a fiery coach that players respond to. I think the other coaches benefit from it as well. He has the defense playing as good as any defense we have ever had. They are big, fast and attack. Both sides of the scrimmage were totally controlled. Lets give out some to Coach Joe T as well. There is a remarkable difference this year. We are wearing the opposing team down. Coach Richt has stood tall and took a lot of abuse. I think he has shown some fire in him and we all him respect. Give the extension. This team could contend for the National title next year. We have the foundation and we just need to keep working and building.
Go Dawgs!!!!
Alphare
November 14th, 2011
1:00 pm
ATL Sports Fan,
I can give credit where credit is due: UGA beats a single ranked team this season, which is Auburn. Otherwise, they lose to every other ranked team.
ATL Sports Fan
November 14th, 2011
1:01 pm
Ben, what about 2002? Saban was the coach at LSU, not sure where you get your information.
Matthews Dawg
November 14th, 2011
1:01 pm
JB….I was looking forward to seeing you be positive through out your one entire post at 12:22 today. You just couldn’t help it could you? You had to take that last little dig at CMR. You may be exactly correct and he doesn’t care, but IMO, you are wrong! I think CMR cares much more than any of us on here know! The guy is a competitor and he loves UGA. I agree with you about locking up CTG. The defense has been stellar! I do like your other comments on here though. There are only a few on here that I will take the time to read and you are one of them. But, I do get tired of all the crap that is written about on here! CMR and CTG need to be extended. I also think that CMB has done well too. Go Dawgs and put UK away early!! That I know we both agree on!! Keep blogging JB!!
JB
November 14th, 2011
1:02 pm
Atlanta87……………Tech was ranked like 13th 3-4 weeks ago…and pretty much stink…..I don’t think rankings mean much after the first 5 teams or so. It’s a beauty contest.
TampaDawg
November 14th, 2011
1:02 pm
Atlanta87
November 14th, 2011
12:59 pm
A bad Clemson team? I think they are ranked ahead of the Dawgs.
—————————
That may be, but pretty sure UGA would have to slip past Wake Forest. Give Clemson time, they will keep falling back.
UGA77
November 14th, 2011
1:02 pm
Grantham will likely be offered a head coaching position after THIS season. Extension or not, there is really nothing we can do to keep him when that happens. Better be lining up potential replacements now!
Wishful Thinking
November 14th, 2011
1:03 pm
Yes, UGA will no doubt be the best team in the land during the off season. Just like 2008.
Hairy Dawg
November 14th, 2011
1:03 pm
We needs to extends contract on Coach Richt and staff. We doing table running like I said and now it time to lock up Coach Richt and Coach Grantham for showing loyalty and knowing how to winning. We got best staff in East and better than Judas Muschumps and Schematic Flabbage Wies, better than long in tooth Visor Boy, and better than Squashed Pumpkin Head Dooley Boy. Then we got best of West to such as Midnight Escaping Artist Peturdo, Got No Nuts, Dan Mullethead, Les Nessman the Jerk, Satan, and Cheeze Whez.
Dawgs got a bright futures with the sorry other teams coaching and we just got to lock in dominants with staff. I knew Coach Richt being Christian would help eose talents once we casts out the bad attitudes of Ealy and King.
Now we reloading for Dream Team II and got to have coaches to seal the deal in recruitings. Then once we lock up state talents we run ownership of SEC and BCS like we suppose to do as Big Dawgs!
Let the Big Dawg Eat!
Go Dawgs!
ATL Sports Fan
November 14th, 2011
1:04 pm
Alphare, you ran your mouth about how Auburn was going to destroy UGA’s hopes of winning the East. I wouldn’t say UGA beat Auburn. I would say they man handled Auburn.
WDE
November 14th, 2011
1:04 pm
@GTBob we are delusional ?? dDd you stop by the Bug blogs the week after the Clemson week there Bunky??
MARK
November 14th, 2011
1:04 pm
hopefully we will make the sec championship and a good bowl with hopefully a good team, so then we could judge what kind of team and coaching job, so far we have played 2 decent teams,lets see what they do against the next 2 before we hand out new contracts!please look at who we have beaten
JB
November 14th, 2011
1:06 pm
Matthews Dawg….. I think you missed my point…………….I know Richt cares……………For some reason, don’t ask me why, I don’t think he cares much for Grantham…………….My theory is he had to replace his best friend Willie with him…. And Todd is showing us just how bad Willie was….And he’s just not Richt’s type guy…..kind of crusty…loud…..uses a lot of profanity….etc……That’s just my opinion….
Hairy Dawg
November 14th, 2011
1:06 pm
help expose that talents
DawginLex
November 14th, 2011
1:06 pm
Yeah, I wrote it.
And I would have been right, dead on right if richt had not righted the ship.
anyone really think we would win 8 in a row after 0-2?
I was correct in what I wrote if Richt didn’t turn things around, he would get fired.
DawginLex
November 14th, 2011
1:08 pm
Atlanta87
November 14th, 2011
12:57 pm
@ DawginLex, you write this or NOT, sir ? He won’t answer your question. He will just follow it up with another question or say don’t bring up the past.
**********************************
Really?
Look up a few posts.
DawginLex
November 14th, 2011
1:08 pm
or maybe just 1
Bulldawgman49
November 14th, 2011
1:08 pm
Give him a 10 yr contract . The Defense will only get better and that will bring better players in . So I say sign on the dotted line ,
JB
November 14th, 2011
1:10 pm
If Grantham leaves Next year, Muschamp might be available, just say’n.
Hairy Dawg
November 14th, 2011
1:10 pm
Us good fans knew we do the table running after lucky wins for Boys Eez and Visor Boy. Bad fans with no loyal supporting of Dawgs and lack of faith Doubting Thomas in Coach Richt is the ones not expecting us to table running like I said.
TampaDawg
November 14th, 2011
1:10 pm
I remember hearing the calls to fire CMR at the beginning of the year. Then after the 0-2 start, more were calling for the firing. Then as the team got momentum, some said, well if he doesn’t beat UF, he should still be fired. Now that he has gotten past UT in Knoxville, UF and AU, soon to be GT also, the whole staff should get contract extensions.
Old Dog
November 14th, 2011
1:11 pm
Just go ahead and give Richt his 10-year extension. Just don’t then complain about lackluster seasons and the stadium not being sold out. Fans support their TEAM, not necessarily their coaches.
Wishful Thinking
November 14th, 2011
1:12 pm
UF, UT and Auburn are not very good this year. I would not be celebrating just yet.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
November 14th, 2011
1:13 pm
Many of us should have receserved our judgement till after the season. To many went to the trend of the past 3 years after the 0-2 start when they should have seen how this team and coaching staff handled this entire season.
Bulldawgman49
November 14th, 2011
1:14 pm
GT BOB needs a Drink !!!!
DawgInaTruck
November 14th, 2011
1:14 pm
GTBo(o)b, you need to man up and provide your email address now. Everyone (including you) knows you are going to disappear in a couple of weeks. We are really going to want to talk to chicky-baby.
JB
November 14th, 2011
1:14 pm
Lex, we all said a lot of things on here we regret, including me… But, after all the hype of righting the ship and things are better and the new S&C deal blah blah blah……..we were all disappointed…..It’s for our Love of Georgia, not personal with Richt…..And most bashes on here never attacked Richt as a person…..Look at Bama….have paid Saban over 10 million the last two years ans he can’t even get them to the Dome…and ESPN keeps a camera on him 24/7 knowing he’ll walk on water any second………Go Dawgs.
He Hate Gator
November 14th, 2011
1:16 pm
Good comments JB…
DawgInaTruck
November 14th, 2011
1:16 pm
“anyone really think we would win 8 in a row after 0-2?”
Actually I still have a grand riding on us winning the last two. I bet a friend of mine that we would run the table after the 0-2 start. We’re just about best of friends but nobody’s getting out of this one!