McGarity: Outback Bowl loss won’t impact negotiations with Richt
Georgia’s loss to Michigan State in the Outback Bowl will have no impact on contract negotiations between UGA and football coach Mark Richt, which remain at least “three to four weeks” away from completion, according to Athletic Director Greg McGarity.
Georgia AD Greg McGarity said the Bulldogs' overtime loss to Michigan State did nothing to change his opinion on the direction of the football program under coach Mark Richt. (UGA photo)
“We plan to meet as soon as we can get together,” McGarity said Wednesday. “But I don’t see anything, certainly not a signed document, anytime soon. We’ll start the process of digging into the details of our extension and it will be determined in the near future.”
McGarity also urged fans upset over the Bulldogs’ 33-30, triple-overtime loss to the Spartans to keep the defeat in perspective.
“Blair Walsh kicks a 42-yard field goal and we’re sitting here feeling great about ourselves,” McGarity said. “But would we have solved our running game problem? No. Would that have solved them being able to go on an 85-yard drive with no timeouts? No. So, I mean, the dynamics haven’t changed. It’s not going to matter diddly-squat when we start lifting weights in three weeks. If anything it’ll add more incentive for next year.”
Georgia lost back-to-back games — including a loss to LSU in the SEC Championship game — to finish the 2011 season 10-4. Richt, 51, is 106-38 heading into his 12th year as the Bulldogs’ coach.
McGarity said there is no rush to complete a new deal with Richt, who has two years remaining on an employment agreement that pays him $2.81 million annually. Including bonuses and outside income from endorsements, Richt earns more than $3 million a year.
Richt is expected to receive an extension of at least three years, which would keep him as the Bulldogs’ coach through December of 2016. McGarity said he and Richt already agreed in principle when they met last month.
“This is an important recruiting time and I told Mark after the SEC Championship game that he could go to these high school kids and tell them he’s going to be their head coach,” McGarity said. “We felt it was very important to send out the message that we haven’t worked everything out but Mark’s going to be our coach. That was the immediate need, to go ahead and address the future of our program. But we didn’t get into any details or anything like that that’s kind of where we left it. He wants to be here and we want him to be here.”
Any renegotiation is unlikely to include a significant pay raise for Richt, however. Richt is sixth among SEC coaches in compensation but that ranks No. 11 nationally. Alabama’s Nick Saban ($4.8 million), LSU’s Les Miles ($3.75), Auburn’s Gene Chizik ($3.5), Arkansas’s Bobby Petrino ($3.1) and South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier ($2.88) currently make more than Richt.
“Longevity is the first priority and then compensation would follow,” McGarity said.
McGarity said he has received about 50 emails in the wake of Georgia’s loss this past Monday. He said “about half” of those fans complained about coaching decisions made as the Bulldogs let a 16-0 at halftime lead slip away. Michigan State scored a touchdown with 14 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 27-all and send it into overtime.
Walsh missed a 42-yard field goal attempt that would have won the game in the first overtime, then had a 47-yard attempt blocked in the third OT.
“Any time you lose a game, especially one as gut-wrenching as that one was, people get frustrated and they vent in various ways,” McGarity said. “If the game was lopsided, if we had lost 42-0 or something, then there would be some concerns. But to point the finger at a player or a coach or offense or defense or special teams is a waste of time. That was a true team loss. There are plenty of second guessers out there, but there are so many what-ifs on either side it could have gone either way.”
What McGarity hasn’t heard is enough credit being given to the Spartans, who recorded back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in school history.
“What I have not seen in one email is anyone giving any credit to the Michigan State team, and that’s very unfortunate because they made the plays they needed to win the game,” McGarity said. “The first thing you should do when you get beat is give the other team credit, because they’re working just as hard as you are. Kirk Cousins, look what he did in the last two minutes of the game with no timeouts. That was pretty impressive, as was the way they defended us in the second half. Unfortunately people never give the opponent any credit.”
McGarity said it’s important that Georgia fans rally behind the team, which he thinks has a chance to do some great things next season.
“We go from 6-7 to 10-4 and we’re looking forward to 2012,” McGarity said. “We’ve got a lot of kids coming back, a great nucleus and a great group of leaders. There’s a segment of our fans that want to play the blame game. But when you have a loss like that, everybody shares in it. I’m sure everybody on that field felt like they if they could have done something differently, coaches and players, we might not have lost the game. But that’s just part of the deal.
“What is important is for people to know that Mark Richt is our football coach, and he and his staff and these players spend so much time in an effort to bring championship football to Georgia. . . . The more negative people become, the more it distracts you from being successful.”
NOTES: Georgia’s annual G-Day spring football game has been set for April 14. No other spring practice dates have been set. . . . Junior noseguard John Jenkins sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder late in the Outback Bowl. However, the injury is not expected to require surgery and he will be available for spring practice. . . . Freshman wide receiver Chris Conley will undergo wrist surgery this month. . . .Redshirt freshman tailback Ken Malcome suffered a concussion early in the fourth quarter against Michigan State and did not play the rest of the game.
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962 comments Add your comment
chattanooga chowhound
January 5th, 2012
1:43 pm
No way Richt is a better coach than Petrino. And i’m not an Arkansas fan. Just a fan of college football. The game has passed Richt by. Time for new blood in Athens.
GATiger
January 5th, 2012
1:44 pm
True Dawg Fan:
Given your response, I assume you conclude that UGA isn’t recruiting as well as the star ratings would indicate. How does that impact your evaluation of Richt? Is he recruiting the wrong kids? Is he just not coaching them?
daggone
January 5th, 2012
1:45 pm
Bobo needs F550 crew cab for all his babies…that boy knows how run the splits.
Tony Turbo
January 5th, 2012
1:46 pm
you tha man evil one!!
A person SMART enough to know......
January 5th, 2012
1:46 pm
True Tool funny you don’t have to have a license to have kids either, but your parents should be in jail for reproducing you.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
1:46 pm
Only 1 team outscored Bobo’s offense by a large margin to put up @30 points on Mich St is pretty amazing. Bobo should get a raise.
daggone
January 5th, 2012
1:46 pm
Petrino is crap..give me Richt anyday over Petrino
matt
January 5th, 2012
1:46 pm
Yeah i want to know where u get his email i want to email him hey i watched that game the dawgs gave it away i ‘ll admit that much with bobo playing calling and murrey interceptions but I ve watched michigian state this year a little bit i like Kirt Cousins when he not playing the dawgs they didn t win their division by being a bad team they are a good football team and they took advange of every one of our mistakes Kirt doesn t know what the word quit means he got a lot of heart so i give state a lot of credit for that win as well
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
1:47 pm
thanks tony…hope you have a happy new year…
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
1:47 pm
tape worm
January 5th, 2012
1:43 pm
True Dawg Fan – What has Bobo done with talent or anyone else at Georgia? Grantham is another matter all together. Georgia plays for a Title next year or they can get the heck out! They have the talent to at least play for one.
Reread my commetns I by no means stick up for him unless someone is handcuffing him with what he can and cannot call.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
1:47 pm
Bobo’s offense was pretty much the only offense t put up 42 on South Carolina, Ark put up 44.
Give the man a raise!
daggone
January 5th, 2012
1:47 pm
Love Bobo..he’s a man..needs big raise…his wife said.
TampaDawg
January 5th, 2012
1:48 pm
tony
January 5th, 2012
1:39 pm
I’m at the point where I could careless who will replace Fraud Richt just as long as I won’t have to see him walking the sidelines next season.
——————————————–
Ok troll, you don’t have to at all actually. Just turn the tv off.
jabootie taker
January 5th, 2012
1:48 pm
Tony Turbo how fast are you? Fast nuff to catch Evil in a bottle and sent it to TDF?
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
1:48 pm
A person SMART enough to know……
January 5th, 2012
1:46 pm
True Tool funny you don’t have to have a license to have kids either, but your parents should be in jail for reproducing you.
wow how do you go from what we were talking about to this??? You are a joke kid. Just run along and go play in traffic or something.
OldFan
January 5th, 2012
1:49 pm
I have no problem with anything McGarity has said. The problem for me, and I believe many UGA fans, is that with all the University and the football program have going for them, we still can’t reach the elite level. Everything about our program points to that aspiration except the play on the field. Something’s missing, and it seems to be that it’s both the same thing and a new thing whenever we believe the push to the top is about to happen. It may be that there’s a kind of obsession with winning at an elite level that’s not in our program’s DNA. And maybe in the end that’s a good thing for the University. But if the University desires to have an elite football program and to be held in that esteem nationally, then let’s make our pact with the devil and get it done.
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
1:49 pm
enjoy patting yourself on the back got another cal lto jump on
7576DAWG
January 5th, 2012
1:49 pm
I have been very critical of Bobo this year because he won’t change anything. This year it was obvious that when King and Ealey did not work out and Crowell was not tough enough. yet, to handle SEC football as a Freshman , Georgia was not going to have the running game to allow us to have a balanced offense. When that happen’s if your Quarterback can not run the ball or can not run without fumbling , you have no choice but to throw the ball more. I am the first one to say that it is not the Georgia Way if we can’t run the ball but THIS YEAR WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PLAY TOWARD OUR ONE STRENGTH ON OFFENSE AND THAT WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF GREAT RECEIVER’S. BOBO SHOULD HAVE THROWN THE BALL AT LEAST 50 TIME’S A GAME IF NOT 60 TIME’S. YOU GO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE and Bobo tried to force an offensive scheme that just wasn’t possible with the player’s that we had.
TampaDawg
January 5th, 2012
1:50 pm
Tony Turbo
January 5th, 2012
1:46 pm
you tha man evil one!!
————————
evil is talking to himself again. “Tony Turbo”??? Really? Like an action star from a bad 70s movie.
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
1:50 pm
guess gilles is the only o-lineman in nfl from uga…that is sad my friends…lsu and bama have plenty…florida and auburn too…they also have plenty of crystal footballs…see the connection…
DawgInaTruck
January 5th, 2012
1:50 pm
@ Smart: No really nice to have fresh meat for True Dawg Fan to copy & paste comments about.
What?
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
1:51 pm
We went from 0-4 vs. top 20 teams in 2010,
to 0-4 vs. top 20 teams in 2011.
No improvement in win totals against real competition.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
1:51 pm
McGarity needs to man up for the Boise loss.
He was the “genius” who dropped Louisville, and inserted a top 5 team in Boise.
matt
January 5th, 2012
1:52 pm
ANd i remember last year coming off a loss to ucf being 6-7 thinking man these are not my dawgs we don t lose to ufc we asre better than these guys we don t go 6-7 at UGA hearing nothing but fire richt when i beleived he didn t deserve to be and than we lost our first two games this year than we won one and than another and another and than the east and 10 games so it ends on a soar note im thrilled at this season if u told me last year on january first that the dawgs would go from 6-7 to 10-4 and win the east i take it I love how all these people want to forget these things and start complaining because we let one game againist a good team slip away we re young we still got to mature a little bit next year we will be better keep the faith guys
Allison.Derek'swife
January 5th, 2012
1:53 pm
My Hubby needs to be the new HC at UGA. he has the Name and Bloodlines. He will keep Cousin Bobo on staff as the QB coach.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
1:54 pm
To hand in there, against South Carolina and Michigan State, when your QB is turning the ball over right and left and won’t execute your gameplan, pretty amazing Bobo figured out a way to put up 30 & 42 points on two of the best defenses in the country in South Carolina and Michigan State.
Give Bobo a raise!
Tony Turbo
January 5th, 2012
1:54 pm
hey TampaDawg, you got a problem with my name. You don’t want no kinda problem with Tony.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
1:55 pm
McGarity is hurting recruiting, if Richt’s your man, get a deal done TODAY, quit playing games with recruits, have your coach’s back.
A person SMART enough to know......
January 5th, 2012
1:56 pm
DawgIna Truck True Dawg Fan has been going crazy trying to Copy & Paste every bodies post and answer them individually. It seems his Boss doesn’t know what the company is actually paying TRUE to do at work.
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
1:56 pm
settle down tony…everyone takes shots at everyone else on this blog…he didn’t mean no disrespect…
TampaDawg
January 5th, 2012
1:56 pm
chattanooga chowhound
January 5th, 2012
1:43 pm
No way Richt is a better coach than Petrino. And i’m not an Arkansas fan. Just a fan of college football. The game has passed Richt by. Time for new blood in Athens.
——————-
Again (evil empire) based on what? What has Petrino done that puts him in such high esteem? Won the Big Yeast with Louisville and went on to beat Weak Forest from the All Cupcake Conference in the Orange Bowl. Is that the crowning achievement? Or is it how when he realized the NFL was too much for him he quit on the Falcons mid-season to take the Arkansas job? I’ll take the latter.
AthensDawg
January 5th, 2012
1:57 pm
Greg McGarity needs to shut his freaking mouth. I am telling you this is not going to be a good move if they do sign him to a contract extension. Why don’t they just let him coach for his job next year. It makes the most since.
dee
January 5th, 2012
1:57 pm
walsch & murray 2gether lost the game!
Hairy Dawg
January 5th, 2012
1:57 pm
McGarity brought up two major points in the loss: no running game and crappy D on the Spartans’ final drive in regulation. Elite teams find a way to run the ball. They also find a way to stop teams late in the game. We’re not elite yet. I think every Georgia fan knew this after the LSU loss, but if you needed reminding, the loss to Michigan State provided it. We have to get better. As long as our AD understands and wants this, then I think we’ll be alright.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
1:57 pm
Team seemed really tired in the 2nd halfs of last 2 games.
McGarity’s suggestions didn’t help strength & conditioning.
And McGarity’s scheduling of Boise didn’t help the win totals or early confidence.
I’d give mcGarity an F- for 2011.
TampaDawg
January 5th, 2012
1:57 pm
Tony Turbo
January 5th, 2012
1:54 pm
hey TampaDawg, you got a problem with my name. You don’t want no kinda problem with Tony.
————————-
It’s another dose of bad comedy around here. No problem with your name, just change it back to evil empire under the name block so where not playing name that split personality.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
2:00 pm
Walsh didn’t lose any games this season.
Walsh didn’t have 3 turnovers against Michgan State, 3 more against LSU, and 3 more against South Carolina.
That would be Murray vosting the team 104 points, not Walsh costing the team 6 points.
Each turnover is a 14 point swing potentially from a missed chance to score, to a score for the other team.
Joey
January 5th, 2012
2:00 pm
“Next year, the Dawgs will be loaded and may win the SEC!!!!”
**********************************
And, next year, I may win the lottery . . .
A person SMART enough to know......
January 5th, 2012
2:01 pm
The TRUTH is by April 14th the G-Day game this will be settled to somebodies satisfaction.
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
2:01 pm
wasn’t me tampa…tony is a friend…
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
2:01 pm
McGarity scheduled the Boise game to make more money.
Even though it cost the team the season. The team never got their confidence going by getting off to fast start.
7576DAWG
January 5th, 2012
2:01 pm
I agree with McGarity on most of what he said. I like CMR and want him to get an extension but WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT CHANGES ARE GOING TO BE MADE. Surely CMR can’t think that huge changes need to be made on SPECIAL TEAM’S and if LeMay tear’s up spring training will CMR play him . If LeMay is bigger and stronger his running ability without fumbling and his accurate passing should not be ignored just because Murray will be considered the best QB in the SEC. If LeMay can help us win then use him.
Bobo need’s to burn the old play book and write a new one each year based on what the current player’s, that he and the other coaches recruited , have to offer. PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTH’S.
Joey
January 5th, 2012
2:02 pm
“I BET TRUE DAWG FAN IS ACTUALY A WOMAN.”
***********************************
Kathryn Richt.
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
2:03 pm
If this recruiting class isn’t top 10, McGarity will get the blame because he dragged Richt’s contract signing out.
Yet another COLLASAL error by McGarity.
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
2:03 pm
nostradamous says: louisville 33 uga 20…dawgs start 0-2 anyways…
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
2:04 pm
Florida used to schedule 2 cream puffs to start out the year to get the confidence going.
McGarity didn’t learn anything at Florida, he goes and schedules No. 5 Boise State? What?
A person SMART enough to know......
January 5th, 2012
2:05 pm
LariotRider would you rather have played BSU in the Dome or the games McGarity canceled with Oregon? Do you think Oregon Home & home would have helped the Win totals? NO and that is why McGarity RAN from that game.
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
2:05 pm
If this recruiting class isn’t top 10, McGarity will get the blame because he dragged Richt’s contract signing out.
you have a top 10 class EVERY YEAR…what is this class gonna change…uga is what it is…a mid-tier, underacheiving mess under cmr…face facts…
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
2:07 pm
how funny would it have been if uga had kept the oregon series…the ducks would have humiliated uga twice on nat tv…
LariotRider
January 5th, 2012
2:07 pm
McGarity is in over his head. Some guys just are better VP’s than leaders. I don’t like anything I’ve seen in Greg McGarity so far, he’s the worst AD in the SEC, by a mile.