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
TampaDawg
December 9th, 2011
5:27 pm
The Ol’ Ball Coach
December 9th, 2011
5:21 pm
Hope he stays. I’m beginning to redevelop my ownage of UGA at SC.
—————————————
Easily one of the dumbest statements on here. Even Spurrier knows SC got very lucky this year.
In fact, CMR is 7-4 against SC. Ownage? Making up your own words there buddy?
AltamahaDawg
December 9th, 2011
5:30 pm
Preston, MAYBE folks think Richt IS in the best interest of the program so they think wanting to fire him IS a bad decision. Is that also possible? Why do only the fire Richt guys get to wave the “I want whats best for UGA” banner.
Personally I think that worn out claim that folks question the fandom of folks for simply expressing legit concerns is pretty made up. In most cases, it is fair to question hypernegative comments as being an actual fan of some other school.
Tech Fund member GT 69 ME
December 9th, 2011
5:30 pm
We expect a ACC title soon but so far nothing like that for GT and CPJ. He is now entering in his 4th season and since 1967 and counting Bobby Dodd, GT has replaced a football coach every 4.8 years and that bench mark is fast approaching.
Coach Bobby Dodd, Lewis, Curry, Carson, Fulmer, Ross, O’Leary,CPJ, Rodgers and frankly too many more to name since Dodd was run off by Vince Dooley.
Count em ………… in 44 years and only TWO MAJOR BOWLS IN THIS SAD ERA …………………67 and 09 Urange Bowl LOSSES.
Cherry Picker
December 9th, 2011
5:31 pm
Two undefeated teams competed for the NC in 2002.
One loss teams didn’t get a “sniff” that year – not even Iowa.
Why?
December 9th, 2011
5:31 pm
In the six straight years that the SEC has won the National title, all Richt could muster was a East title when all the other division rivals were having a down streak and the Dawgs did not play any of the Top 3 teams in the West. With the talent of Georgia high school players, would it be that hard to to find a coach to out perform Richt’s accomplishments?
DawgInaTruck
December 9th, 2011
5:33 pm
At his age the Ol’ Ball Coach doesn’t even have “ownage” of his own bowel movements.
ArkieAg
December 9th, 2011
5:33 pm
TampaDawg
December 9th, 2011
5:11 pm
“There’s your top 10. Richt looks like a bargain compared to some of the names on there. Like Hoke, Muschimp, Petrino and Ferentz. And before the Arky fans spout off, no guarantees Arky beats UGA this year. They had an offense, but no defense. And a worse UGA team hung with a better Arky team (remember Ryan Mallet) all the way to the end last year.”
I’m spouting!
While Mallet was truly a star on the Arkansas roster, I contend that this 2011 team is much better than last year.
Cherry Picker
December 9th, 2011
5:34 pm
No, but you can’t overcome your fear of failure – so you’re stuck.
Washon
December 9th, 2011
5:34 pm
Fire CMR Now
Cherry Picker
December 9th, 2011
5:35 pm
@ArkieAg
How dare you? Georgia came close. In their book, that’s a win.
Joey
December 9th, 2011
5:39 pm
AD, Richt didn’t get a pay after cut last season’s debacle, right. Why should he get a raise for having one good, not great, season after a mediocre one, then a losing one?
I was all for his raise (like it matters what I think) after ‘07. Richt lost a couple he shouldn’t have then came within a gnat’s ass of getting in the big game. The gnat’s ass being the missed Vandy chip shot FG that would have put UT out of their misery, and put UGA in the SECCG.
He has done nothing since ‘07 however, to deserve a pay raise. He has repeatedly lost to equally talented teams, usually by ugly scores, and just did it again.
Doesn’t failure to beat a Top-10 team in several years (Tech ‘09 doesn’t count) NOT “send a signal about stability?”
Giving Mark Richt a raise, instead of an extension, with big, big, incentives is just ludicrous.
Sorry.
War Dang Dawg
December 9th, 2011
5:44 pm
Auburn didn’t get a “sniff” in ‘04 despite running the table. The so called national title is a phony mythical title, it amazes me that fans even waste energy on a popularity contest.
AlI I want is a coach who competes for and wins SEC titles. If that happens and some stupid computer one day decides that we are worthy of going to the BCS Championship game over 2 or 3 equally deserving teams from other conferences, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it as much as the next Georgia fan. Until then I won’t measure any coach over how many fictional “titles” his school claims.
I haven’t been the biggest Richt supporter in recent years, but our appearance in the SEC Championship game this season and his past history of championships should buy him a couple more seasons at UGA. I can’t get too upset with a coach who beats Tenn., Florida, Auburn and Tech in the same season.
Pay Up
December 9th, 2011
5:44 pm
The fatcat oil barons in Texas will pay Richt whatever he wants. Ga will have to up the salary to $4-$5 million plus a boatload of benefits and incentives to keep him. time to pay the piper!!
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
5:45 pm
To you people ragging on the Gators…….
Outside of losing to LSU and Bama (and Georgia lost by a bigger score to LSU than Florida did…..while basically playing a home game and at the peak of their performance this year)…….Florida lost to SEC opponents by 6.6 points per game….including being dominated by the Dawgs by 4 points in their best season in a long time and in Florida’s worst season in a long time). That is less that one TD per game…..and that can be turned around next season….easily. Florida’s defense is as good and maybe better than the Dawg’s defense, and I have no doubt that the Florida offense will be significantly better next year. So enjoy your childlike posts about the Gators and continue to dig a big hole for your heads to fit into……the Gators are just a few pieces from winning the East once again…..and those pieces are already committed this year (and they aren’t going anywhere……as clearly stated by every major recruit commit to the Gators last night in the Gainesville Sun. And plenty more big time recruits are on their way….including two of the top WRs in the country……The Swamp will be crawling with very hungry and mean Gators again….very, very soon. And they will make their way over to JAX for dinner as well.
……and the Gainesville Sun just profiled the top 5 OC candidates for the Gators…..and they are all big time OCs from the top programs in the country…..other than Kerwin Bell…..who is considered to have a brilliant offensive mind…..and will not take an assistant coaching position anywhere else but Florida.
So keep digging that hole….and keep posting childish comments (and ill-informed as well) on here. You gotta laugh out loud.
Go Gators!
IL Jacket
December 9th, 2011
5:45 pm
Kirby Smart is a more likely choice for the A&M job. CMR and his wife are not going to be interested in moving even further into the sticks.
Nashville4UGA
December 9th, 2011
5:46 pm
Joey, it’s not about a raise…it’s about an extended contract….you know so top recruits will have some stability while they are in college? Why would top talent sign with a school if that coach is going to be gone by the time they see the field? answer: they won’t. As soon as a new contract extension is in place watch the commitments start happening.
IL Jacket
December 9th, 2011
5:47 pm
TampaGator, how are you doing? Have you recovered from your health scare?
coondawg69
December 9th, 2011
5:48 pm
love these idiots….. Next year, next year, next year: What???
Bobby Bowden, Joe Pa, and Vince Dooley all took many years to win a championship. I guess they just had a smarter fan base
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
5:49 pm
Cherry Picker & ArkieAg……
To read some posts on here…..you would think Georgia crushed LSU in the SEC Championship….right? Crushed them by a score of 10 to 42…….big win for Georgia. Sets them on the national championship road to summer glory…..as usual. Reality really sucks when you dream all the time.
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
5:51 pm
IL Jacket…..
Doing much better and up and around. Doctor visit today and they gave me good reason to keep on getting better. Thanks for asking.
War Dang Dawg
December 9th, 2011
5:52 pm
Kansas will now join Florida and Notre Dame in the elite ranks of schools who, in recent years, have enjoyed “a decided schematic advantage” over their opponents. Unfortunately, Kansas will need to overcome the decided executional disadvantage that plagued Florida and Notre Dame during Weis’ tenures at those schools. Stay tuned.
War Dang Dawg
December 9th, 2011
5:54 pm
“To read some posts on here…..you would think Georgia crushed LSU in the SEC Championship….right?”
And to read some of the other posts on here, you would think that Georgia fell to Florida and Tech this year.
“Reality really sucks when you dream all the time.”
Indeed.
SEC Fans for Richt
December 9th, 2011
5:55 pm
Please, please give him an extension today! SEC fans for Richt. We want him to stay at UGa.
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
5:55 pm
I would think, if the former Georgia QB plays well for LSU next year…..they will be 12-0 and win a second straight NC….easily…..or Bama will. The rest of the SEC will just have to keep working hard for a couple of years…..including Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, etc. etc. etc…..it is just the way it is right now…..but I suspect it is going to even out in about 2 or 3 years…..again.
Laughing Out Loud
December 9th, 2011
5:55 pm
@Shine…Hey Bubba, you don’t have to associate with UGA Bulldawgs. Disassociate and then you will not need to be embarressed by a winning tradition, excellent coaching and a program that excells and is respected nationally.. @Uncle Hershel, Hey Dude, posters need not pay you know mind. You never attended UGA nor played football anywhere. To claim to be “Uncle Hershel” reflects on your own stupidity. Dawgs are just fine and will do just fine in the future in the hands of Coach Richt and AD McGarity. “Book’um Dano!” LOL! Go Dawgs !!!!
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
5:57 pm
War Dang…..
I have not read one single post like you say…..but plenty like I say. Florida sucked this year. Tech was OK. Georgia…..when they played LSU……sucked……as Florida did. Just saying there isn’t much difference between Georgia, SC, and Florida right now……just a few pieces one way or the other.
IL Jacket
December 9th, 2011
5:57 pm
Good to hear, TampaGator. Keep following doctor’s orders, you are our insight into all things Gator.
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
6:00 pm
War Dang….
Notre Dame has a very good offense under Weis…..they just couldn’t play any defense.
Weis did not have all the pro style pieces he needed at Florida this year…..and no QB to help.
I think Weis will improve Kansas and their offense will improve. But expectations there will be a little less than at Notre Dame and Florida.
EX-HartmanFund
December 9th, 2011
6:02 pm
Let McGarity give Richt a big extension. A couple years from now, McGarity will look like a fool like that UT athletic director who gave Fullmer a big contract and then got rid of him a year or so later. Wonder where he is now? At least Fullmer won a national championship. Something Richt will never do. In fact, I would be willing to bet that Richt will never win an SEC championship while Saban and Miles hang around. What was last week’s LSU score? 42-10, right? Well, if that’s what UGA fans want, fine. Not with my money.
War Dang Dawg
December 9th, 2011
6:04 pm
TampaGator, Tech fans and Gator fans are constantly posting on here, ragging Georgia about how bad they suck and how soft the schedule is. Look for an early post by SSIgator as one example. It amuses me when fans of teams that lost to Georgia complain about us not beating one decent team all season. I even had one Gator fan come back at me with a statement to the effect of “we were terrible this year and you only beat us by 4!” My reply was that I hope he had the same critique a year from now, and the year after that…
I mean, when you can’t insult another team without (by implication) insulting yours even worse, maybe you shouldn’t be talking smack in the first place.
AceDawg
December 9th, 2011
6:04 pm
We should PAY A&M to take Bobo. We’d be better off with an Eric Zeier calling plays for the Dawgs if he wanted to do so.
War Dang Dawg
December 9th, 2011
6:05 pm
TampaGator: “I think Weis will improve Kansas and their offense will improve. But expectations there will be a little less than at Notre Dame and Florida.”
That sir, we can agree on.
IL Jacket
December 9th, 2011
6:07 pm
SECEast should be interesting next year, early on USC will not have Lattimore undoubtedly, Shaw however has shown a fair amount of improvment in my eyes. I am sure the Gators will be better in Muschamp’s second year, I do worry a little about the change in OC, the third one in three years, but the defense I think will be stout. As the defending champ of the East, I would think UGA would have to be favored with their schedule, particularly if there proves to be truth to switching Mizzou for Bama. It is hard to know how the RB situation will settle itself out, however.
daddo
December 9th, 2011
6:10 pm
I can honestly say on behalf of all Alabama fans we are THRILLED that you are keeping your coach. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA. Funny, isn’t it? You Georgia fans are praying, hoping that Alabama loses our coach and Alabama fans are praying you keep yours. One more fact that shows the difference between our team of champions and your 5th in the conference outstanding year.
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
6:12 pm
War Dang…..
That is different than what you said in your reply to me. You said Florida fans were saying Georgia fell to Florida…….that is different than saying Florida only lost by 4 in a down year for the Gators…..that is the truth….they did only lose by 4 in a very down year. But…Georgia only lost by a few in a down year a year ago.
…….all supporting my comment that there isn’t much difference between Georgia, Florida, and SC…..but many, many Dawg fans are on here saying Florida is down for the count………that is plain…..well…..biased and ignorant of details of what is on the Florida roster talent wise….and what is coming to join that roster.
TampaGator
December 9th, 2011
6:13 pm
Gotta go now….have a nice evening.
He :Hate Gator
December 9th, 2011
6:25 pm
It scares me that I agree with TampaGator….
War Dang Dawg
December 9th, 2011
6:26 pm
I didn’t say they weren’t different TampaGator, just giving you examples of some of the silly and ironic things Florida and Tech fans say on these boards…after a season in which both lost to Georgia.
As for Florida being down, I’m not so sure the program hasn’t been in a downward trend for some time now. The glorious Tebow years (and this guy even makes Denver a winner) have masked the fact that the last 10 seasons have seen quite a drop from the glory days of the 90s. Florida has had 5 seasons with five or more losses since the 90s – ‘02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘10, and ‘11. ‘05 was a good but not great 9-3, and of course we have the Tebow years (’06-’09) where Florida seemed to be picking up where they left off after Spurrier. That four year stretch is starting to look more and more like an aberration.
I’m not sure it’s all that ignorant to say that Florida may be returning to their traditional place as a middle-tier SEC program. If you look at the entire history of the program, including the 59 years without a conference championship, that seems more likely than this (and 2010) being written off as a mere “down year.”
DanTheDawgfan
December 9th, 2011
6:32 pm
Three Cheers for Coach Richt. To hell with all you haters!!!
Icedawg
December 9th, 2011
6:34 pm
I like the fact that in 2012 the dawgs have scheduled Georgia Southern ahead of the Tech game. The defense will have two weeks in a row to work against the triple option. I like it!! Smart!!!
AltamahaDawg
December 9th, 2011
6:37 pm
Didn’t take a pay cut last year? come on man. You know I am not going to buy that emotional argument.
Either they want him or they don’t. But they are not going to go cheesy on such a public deal.
Richter Scale
December 9th, 2011
6:40 pm
@NCDawgs Fan, the assistant raises were begun by McGarity last year after he pulled salary comps with others and got approval from the athletic board to begin adjusting.
Coach Ray Goff
December 9th, 2011
6:43 pm
Ok. I’m back from Wal-Mart with my beer and cigarettes. I’m ready to hunker down on the computer.
Seriously though, I don’t understand why Mark Richt would want to stay at Georgia. He’s a winner and the stupid fans want him gone. The kids like him and he gets ridiculed for it. President Adams needs to show Coach the money or he will be gone to TAMU.
Joey
December 9th, 2011
6:45 pm
Nashville4UGA , you got to read all of my posts. I am for Richt’s extension. I love him. I teared up when he kissed the water-girl after the Tech game! Richt deserves the contract extension for winning the East, and for his recruiting success.
I just don’t think he deserves a RAISE in pay.
Extend the contract, fill it with bonuses and incentives. Just make him EARN a raise.
Coach Ray Goff
December 9th, 2011
6:47 pm
Extend the contract, fill it with bonuses and incentives. Just make him EARN a raise.
Taking a young team to the SECCG does not earn a raise? What goals would you set for CMR to achieve to earn a raise?
Coach Ray Goff
December 9th, 2011
7:02 pm
DawgInaTruck
December 9th, 2011
5:33 pm
At his age the Ol’ Ball Coach doesn’t even have “ownage” of his own bowel movements.
Funniest post of the day, by far!
7576DAWG
December 9th, 2011
7:04 pm
Give CMR an extension but McGarity has got to demand that someone be hired that has a great track record coaching special team’s. If Belin had stayed at Georgia one more year I think we would have beat South Carolina and we would have beaten LSU in the Championship game.
Arx Ferrum
December 9th, 2011
7:08 pm
Confession: After last season and the opening losses to Boyzee State and Mouth Carolina, I was afraid that Richt’s time at UGA had run its course.
I mean, I knew I still liked him… even after disliking losing Jim Donnan to get him. But, all good things, ya know? What goes up?
Like that.
Well, I was wrong. By the time we wrapped the regular season, I felt I knew these three things:
*I liked Grantham’s D.
*I dsliked Bobo’s O.
*Richt wasn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
As of right now, the future is beginning to look less like dusk and more like dawn.
Joey
December 9th, 2011
7:10 pm
“Didn’t take a pay cut last year? come on man. You know I am not going to buy that emotional argument. ”
**************************************************
Emotional? What is emotional about this? Here’s the Q & A.
Did Richt get a raise after the ‘07 season, in which he finished 2nd in the national rankings? Yes, a big one.
Has he met that standard since then? No.
Has he even been close to ‘07 standards? No.
AD, what is the (new) standard, then? 1) Beat teams you are favored over?, 2) Just be proud to get invited to play awesome teams like Boise?, 3) Try not to lose in the SECCG by more than 40?
Again, I am for a contract extension, but if you think Mark Richt deserves a pay raise, please buy a company, and hire me as CEO.
kb
December 9th, 2011
7:13 pm
Only time will tell but WM at Florida looks to be in over his head, didn’t see much coaching up or brilliant strategy on the Gator sidelines, all that talent and a 6-7 season,( they will embarrass the SEC and lose to Ohio State).Everything is the SEC has always run in cycles, no repeat champ since 1998 and LSU will not repeat next year. Seriously Richt is getting a raise either from UGA or A&M, I would prefer it be UGA.