McGarity opens contract extension talks with Richt; again denies A&M rumors
Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity met with football coach Mark Richt on Friday to formally open discussions about a contract extension.
McGarity said further talks will be held, perhaps next week, but that UGA and Richt are in agreement on the central point: “He wants to be our coach. We want him to be our coach.”
McGarity added: “There’s really no need to speed through anything right now because he and I are in a good place.”
Richt has two years left on his existing contract, but his job appeared in peril when the Bulldogs opened this season with back-to-back losses to Boise State and South Carolina. A 10-game winning streak and SEC East championship removed Richt from the much-discussed “hot seat” and all but ensured a contract extension.
The McGarity-Richt meeting came on the morning after rumors and reports surfaced that Texas A&M was targeting Richt for its coaching opening. McGarity said the timing of the meeting was unrelated to that speculation, in which he said he put no credence.
McGarity said Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne had not contacted him and would have done so if he were pursuing Richt.
“You don’t waste your time on [rumors] that have no legs,” said McGarity, who added that he has no doubt Richt will be the Bulldogs’ coach next season and beyond.
“We just know Mark is going to be our ‘ball coach,” McGarity said.
Friday morning’s meeting, held in McGarity’s office, was the athletic director’s first with Richt regarding a contract extension. The two had planned since last week to meet at some point late this week, McGarity said.
“This is the first time we’ve had a chance to get together and start discussing the process,” McGarity said. “You sit down when things are calm, talk through things on his list, things on your list, soak that information in.
“I need to review certain things with [UGA president Michael Adams] and review some ideas and thoughts I may have now that we have had a discussion, and at some point in time we can get back together. . . . We are moving forward on discussions on the future.”
McGarity would not disclose details such as potential contract parameters.
“We discussed several things, but I’m not ready to say what those things are,” McGarity said.
Richt’s contract, most recently amended in 2008, is a complicated document. Variables to be discussed could include how many years are added to the deal, whether Richt gets a raise from his current income of about $3 million annually and how provisions such as buyouts would be affected.
Richt didn’t publicly address the contract-extension matter or the Texas A&M speculation on Friday. He also didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Richt has said frequently over the years, including as recently as last week, that he wants to complete his coaching career at Georgia.
“It’s too hard emotionally for me to recruit guys and look them in the eye and say, ‘I’m going to be your coach,’ and knowing deep down, maybe, if something better comes along I’m leaving,” Richt said last week. “I just didn’t ever want to operate that way.
“So Georgia’s my home and my family’s home.”
McGarity noted that Richt has a busy schedule this weekend, with many recruits visiting campus.
“I’m sure we’ll meet a couple other times after he gets through this weekend and things settle down,” McGarity said.
McGarity said Texas A&M was not mentioned in his meeting with Richt on Friday or in his trip to Tampa with Richt on Thursday for an Outback Bowl contract-signing party.
“I didn’t even ask,” McGarity said.”He’d tell me [if anything were going on]. . . . Nothing came up other than Georgia.”
Richt, Georgia’s coach since 2001, has a 106-37 record with the Bulldogs. His team reached the SEC Championship game this season for the fourth time, the first time since 2005.
The Bulldogs’ 10-3 record this year followed their two worst seasons under Richt, 8-5 in 2009 and 6-7 in 2010.
McGarity said discussions about possible changes in the contracts of Richt’s assistant coaches will come later.
— Tim Tucker
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685 comments Add your comment
Joey
December 10th, 2011
9:50 am
Scout.com compiled the last decade’s worth of programs and recruits. USC was #1. UGA #2. Announced it two or three months ago.
I agree he can recruit. He needs badly to get some O-Linemen. We got Theus, but need at least 3 more just to keep up with graduation losses.
4.29 GPA
December 10th, 2011
9:51 am
We’re not going to beat Michigan State the way we’ve played this season.
Ok ?
Let’s move on to next season, get Keith Marshall out there and move on.
This season featured no loss to a bad team for the 1st time in 11 years.
Now, if we can beat some top teams, we can have some pride.
Extend Mark Richt, but not because he is BETTER than Nick Saban and Les Miles among others. He ain’t. He is young. He can recruit. He is going to figure this out. You let him go, he will not make these same mistakes with staff and players he has made here. It is all too obvious, to you, to me, to everyone.
He isn’t going on a Mission Trip for the next 50 years. He is entering his prime. I want it here.
ok?
4.29 GPA
December 10th, 2011
9:54 am
Joey, they can rank them all they want.
11 years in a row now 12, you can see what his rank in recruiting every season is in both Scout and Rivals.
Add them up.
Divide by 12.
# 7.
Is # 7 the 2nd best in the nation ? Who cares. We average # 7 every single year for 12 years in a row. We recruit well. Mark Richt’s strength.
I like it. It is what I go to the games to see. Our guys play football. I have players to watch for the next 3 years now today. That is wonderful. And, Mark Richt is going to figure this out. Here or somewhere else.
Might as well be here.
I like him and always have.
Now, I want the EXTENSION now.
Joey
December 10th, 2011
9:59 am
Don’t waste keystrokes, 4.29 GPA.
They are blinded by the “good man” that is Mark Richt. And he is. Richt “walks the walk.”
It’s just unfortunate that his “goodness” spills over to his coaching. Too big-hearted to dismiss underproducing assistant. Too nice to beat-down another coach when he has them down (see Huston Nutt, Paul Johnson), when, if the situation was reversed, they would try to beat him by 50.
If a man can be too good, it’s Richt.
CEPH
December 10th, 2011
10:01 am
Why would Richt ever leave UGA? He has the fans so brainwashed with his mediocrity that they will never expect anything else and he can just lie on the couch and win his 8 or 9 games, teach Sunday school and be at peace in his own little world. UGA fans have become happy with this and they don’t expect to play for national titles!!!!!!! He does not have the will to win like other great coaches. He has sucked McGarity into his web so he has nothing to worry about. This thing about A&M is nothing but a ruse by his agent to get even more money (as if he is earning what he already makes) He is a joke and you never hear anyone on the national stage talk about how good he is and have you noticed that no one ever tries to hire any of his assistants, WONDER WHY??????
dap01
December 10th, 2011
10:06 am
CMR is great, CTG is great, we now need an identity on offense. We need a more physical style to go with our great receivers and good QB. We are skitzo on offense with no real identity!
Georgia fans don’t deserve coach Mark Richt | Southern Prose
December 10th, 2011
10:07 am
[...] According to the AJC, as recently as last week he said, It’s too hard emotionally for me to recruit guys and look them in the eye and say, ‘I’m going to be your coach,’ and knowing deep down, maybe, if something better comes along I’m leaving. I just didn’t ever want to operate that way. So Georgia’s my home and my family’s home. [...]
CEPH == skid mark in toilet I just left
December 10th, 2011
10:13 am
nuff said
ToddA
December 10th, 2011
10:14 am
Only at UGA would they want to fire the coach after going 0-2 versus decent teams. But wait, reel off 10 straight wins against (wait) a BAD sec east, coastal carolina, new mexico state, and a bad auburn team. Only TWO of those teams has a winning record and one of those is GaTech.
Your signature win is against GT and don’t say the gaturds because they are baaaaad.
THEN get the doors blown off in the seccg, wow – let’s reward with a contract extension.
Jborodawg
December 10th, 2011
10:23 am
4.29
I didn’t say CMR is better than Saban or Miles.
Idiot Dawg
December 10th, 2011
10:23 am
Don’t know when or how, but at some point all that ‘goodness’ will be an asset that we will be thankful for.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 10th, 2011
10:28 am
Lets see now
We are on year 3 without beating a top 25 team and we are talking contract extension
Could someone tell me where they are sellng the 10 win national champions T-shirt
Thats is good as its going to get here with this logic
Techster
December 10th, 2011
10:29 am
All week long people at the office still talked about the LSU game and how they made the dogs, in comparison, look like your average high school team.
It was a fun week at work! Thanks to the bulldogs and their whining fans!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 10th, 2011
10:35 am
Techster
I guess since UGA looks like the average high school team now.
Tech looks like a pee-wee football team then with that comparison; since you got beat down by that average high school team LOL!!!!
Thanks Tech
Joey
December 10th, 2011
10:46 am
Richt got his butt saved by Todd Grantham, and a schedule of average teams, Flat Tire. Yet, who is the first coach to get a raise and extension?
If Richt was smart, he would come out right now and tell McGarity to extend his DC’s contract. Without Grantham, we’re just 7-5 this season and next.
Preacherskid
December 10th, 2011
10:47 am
Glad to hear it, I hope they lock him up for a while because I think he deserves it. He’s a good coach and a good man. Question is will we be able to hold onto Grantham? Not so sure about that.
Bob
December 10th, 2011
10:52 am
What is Richt’s bowl record and in how many of those games were we underdogs? When was the last time we beat a favored team? Just asking…..
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 10th, 2011
10:52 am
Joey
Yep without Grantham we would have lost to Vandy FL again, Ole Miss and possibly KY
But all we are worried about is securing someone who cant win a big game to $3 million a year
Boy I wish I worked for a company like that, that accepts mediocre results
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
December 10th, 2011
11:05 am
Gee, do you think the tkt prices will go up again with the new contracts!
Jordan
December 10th, 2011
11:29 am
http://isportsweb.com/2011/12/10/richt-turns-down-aggies/
Big Dawg
December 10th, 2011
12:21 pm
The only advice I would give McGarity concerns assistants— Coach Bobo demoted back down to QB Coach only with a search for a real OC and a contract extension and very big raise for Coach Grantham and each of his assistants..
Go Dawgs
dawggirl
December 10th, 2011
12:26 pm
I wonder if the morons that actually believed the Richt to A&M rumors are feeling really stupid right now?
So my question to the people that want Richt out, who do you want in his place? And don’t bother giving names that we can’t get. I’m curious to see how long this wish list is.
7576DAWG
December 10th, 2011
12:32 pm
CEPH
Richt does not have an agent , he negotiates his own contract. That is important because Richt is more interested in getting an extension now that he is not on the hot seat than a raise but a raise usually comes with an extension so I’m sure that will be taken care of also.
It is more important that McGarity make’s Grantham an offer he can’t turn down and get him locked in for three additional years. I for one would like to see just how far Georgia can go with their defense. Now Grantham does have an agent and he won’t even talk extension without him present. Even though we got killed in the second half of the LSU game , the first half was the most dominate I have ever seen against a top five team ever. We shut them COMPLETLY down. As long as we thought we could beat LSU we were but the turnover’s changed that mind set because they were way too good and then their depth took over the game. I do want to see if we can get to that kind od dominance for an entire game.
Big Dawg
December 10th, 2011
12:35 pm
ToddA,
Did you even watch the SECCG or are you one of those who saw the final score and read that whacked out headline on the AJC and assumed that the Dawgs just got trounced. Because if you had watched the game you would have known that the Dawgs actually dominated the LSU Tigers for all of the first half and with a few guys holding onto the ball the Dawgs would have been further ahead than 10-7 at the half. Also if the officials had called those CLEAR CUT clips on those 2 punt returns LSU would have been hard pressed to have gotten the momentum. But it is what it is and Georgia lost but LSU is not that much better than the Dawgs. And the Dawgs will only get better as some of those dream teamers mature a little more and assume starting and crucial back-up positions on a very talented team. Now only have to get more of the big ugglies to build depth on the OL and DL. But the future for next 2 years does look bright for Georgia.
Go Dawgs
junkyarddawg
December 10th, 2011
12:39 pm
So called True Bulldog Fan – what a dumba$$ you are. “give us a difficult schedule that means something… Schedules are confirmed 2 years in advance which makes it a little difficult to plan your wins against either ranked or unreanked opponents. Oops, who knew FL, AU, TN & GT would all be down in the same year? If we’d played SC later in the season we’d have been 11-1 instead of 10-2. Bottom line is you play who is on the schedule regardless of whether they are ranked or not. All this record vs. ranked teams and “quality” wins don’t really mean beans. Just ask OK State.
SSIgator
December 10th, 2011
12:50 pm
autotrader @ 9:27 -
How ironic you would post that. This morning I saw my neighbor working on the back of his car and asked if he was having troubles. He said, “Yeah, I am having trouble getting these UGA stickers off.” I asked him why he was taking them off since he has been a UGA fan all of his life. He said, “Giving Richt a contract extension is the last straw. Until UGA starts making business decisions about the football program coaches instead of making it a popularity contest, I am through with them.” Suffice to say he is not pleased. Now if his daughter would only get rid of her FSU stickers . . .
7576DAWG
December 10th, 2011
12:57 pm
The most important part of McGarity’s contract talks with Richt will be what will make Georgia better and expand on a great 2011. McGarity will take care of CMR next week and hopefully Grantham. The question is can a coaching change be made so that we will still be able to do as good at that position plus the new coach has got to have an excellent history with special team’s. It will be very interesting to see how our special team’s failures this year will be addressed. Georgia is not far from being a great SEC team again.
It all start’s in January with Strength and Conditioning . Georgia does not need to relax any on their S&C or their nutritional changes. These two thing’s made a huge difference in 2011 and if continued will have even more of an impact in 2012.
7576DAWG
December 10th, 2011
1:00 pm
S Slgator
The stickers will be back on before the 2012 season is over.
oneolddawg
December 10th, 2011
1:01 pm
Please stay CMR, sign your contract extension, and keep doing what you are doing.
I truly appreciate the constant 8 and 4 and 7 and 5 seasons….being an old dawg fan it keeps me from getting my hopes to high…from getting to excited you know..
Thank you for the 10 win streak this year…though Saint Mark you and I both know Georgia Southern wins at least 7 of those games if they played that schedule……
And next year should be more of the same..I mean the SEC east will be even weaker….plus Buffalo, Florida Atlantic, and Georgia Southern (BEWARE), plus again no LSU, Arkansas and probably no Alabama…WOW Saint Mark…your prayers must be working
SSIgator
December 10th, 2011
1:03 pm
7576DAWG -
Knowing my neighbor, I highly doubt that. He is a very black & white guy. There is no middle ground with him, but you may be correct.
junkyarddawg
December 10th, 2011
1:07 pm
Mr. AD please keep M. Adams out of any contract talks unless he is ready to talk about ending his. Great Universities need a great president and we unfortunately lacking in that department.
Let’s start a grass roots movement to get rid of Adams and get a president who loves our university. Call you legislator and the Board of Regents requesting that Vince Dooley become the president of The University of Georgia. $upport for our university will go through the roof.
CEPH
December 10th, 2011
3:22 pm
7576DAWG Know before you speak, because Richt does have an agent!!!!!
Red Stick
December 10th, 2011
7:41 pm
Preston
December 10th, 2011
5:54 am
“Red Stick, and keep in mind the ‘09 game vs LSU was given to you guys by a referee crew that was ultimately fired.”
You lost because Charles Scott busted through the line on 3rd and short for the winning TD. Then he was flagged for celebration, which you conveniently left out. You got the ball back and you threw an interception. That was the game.
I was there and we simply made the plays.
Geaux Tigers
SEC Champions
DeCeDawg
December 13th, 2011
4:04 pm
I’d like to see Richt signed to a 7 year contract. Grantham needs to be signed for a 5 year.
McGarity served at Florida while both the B-Ball & F-Ball coaches had long term contracts, and both got National Championships. Hopefully, McGarity will learn from that, that great coaches perform well when when you show confidence in them.
DeCeDawg
December 13th, 2011
4:30 pm
McGarity is a reactive manager.
Why has he waited so long to get this deal done? Why so indecisive?
South Carolina just signed up Spurrier, beat McGarity to punch again while he was caught sleeping at the wheel.
South Carolina continues to outmanuvuer UGA, now with an edge for recruiting pointing to SPurrier’s signed new deal.
Meanwhile, McGarity lethargically moves along….
like a snail.