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
tony
January 5th, 2012
9:39 am
Maybe they need to do an investigation on McGarity to make sure he isn’t still on the gators payroll.
bitter QB
January 5th, 2012
9:39 am
our 4 losse included a QB that had 9 interceptions—4 fumbles
——————————–MURRAY IS HORRIBLE——————————-
6 TDS dont matter against new mexico st
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:42 am
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
9:30 am
True Dawg Fan how many NC’s Ritch led you to? You will have a chance to see a real football team with real coaches on Monday night. Come to think of it you can see 2 teams. It will be a great game. To bad you Dawg walkers only get to watch. Maybe you can learn something, nah!
ahahahahah you mean one real team and then a twam that was placed there by ESPN????? Yea I figured thats what you meant.
enjoy 4th place in the west next year.
Bama Mike
January 5th, 2012
9:42 am
If I am Blair Walsh and I read McGarity’s comment basically shoving him under the bus. I calmly accept my degree during graduation and then my next place kick would be up his rear-end. Last time I checked it still took 11 players to execute a successful field goal. To individualize it reflects a lack of leadership on the part of McGarity.
TampaDawg
January 5th, 2012
9:42 am
PMC, “If it were ONLY one game, that would be one thing. People are frustrated, because this group DOES NOT win games against good teams anymore.”
That can only be said for the last two years.
And Lowcountry, I think it’s ok to be excited about a 4 game improvement when you beat each of your 4 biggest rivals in one season.
dawgman
January 5th, 2012
9:43 am
Thanks for the history lesson TampaDawg. The LSU fan in hinding eventually went to the convenient my dad is bigger than your dad comment. That day yes they were a little better UGA
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:43 am
bitter QB
January 5th, 2012
9:39 am
our 4 losse included a QB that had 9 interceptions—4 fumbles
——————————–MURRAY IS HORRIBLE——————————-
6 TDS dont matter against new mexico st
for the love of god STFU. No one cares about your crying. Go cry in the corner
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2012
9:43 am
True Dawg Fan-
Hung with Bama, they have no offense?
Arkansas overrated, beat them easily?
—————————————————-
What planet are you on? UGA proved all season long if playing a team with even or better talent they lose.
I love the program but this team won 10 games against mediocore teams. Lost 4 games to every quality opponent faced.
So why in the hades would any sane person think we would beat Bama or Arkansas? Illogical!
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
9:44 am
Unfortunately, in football there are 4 quarters. We do have better coaches and we are able to adjust as the game progresses. I think Ritch is a very nice person. Bobo is in over his head and McGarity is “gutless”. You always have a top ten recruting class, what happens?
Dap01
January 5th, 2012
9:45 am
It should affect CMR if he continues to allow Bobo to be a horrible offensive game manager. Tell Bobo and CMR to watch LSU and Alabama (or any high school) to find out how a running game is suppose to look.
Bobo (or CMR) is horrible at game management. They lost the game for UGA
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:45 am
LSU fan in hiding
January 5th, 2012
9:37 am
Tampa Dawg I stand corrected. Apparently, it was not a penalty. Regardless, how about the last drive? You have to admit this our team is better than yours.
Not in that game you werent. The crap call was inforced on the kickoff and gave you tremendous field position.
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:46 am
Bama Mike
January 5th, 2012
9:42 am
If I am Blair Walsh and I read McGarity’s comment basically shoving him under the bus. I calmly accept my degree during graduation and then my next place kick would be up his rear-end. Last time I checked it still took 11 players to execute a successful field goal. To individualize it reflects a lack of leadership on the part of McGarity.
practice reading comp DA. He cleary states you cant blame one player.
Trivia Man
January 5th, 2012
9:46 am
The answer is 0!
Question: The number of teams that have contacted UGA requesting permission to speak with Mike Bobo about a job. That includes all levels of college and high school teams. That means the only 2 people who think he is doing a good job is Mark Richt and Buck Belue. The other football people in the country see him like most UGA fans do as a failure. Time to make tough decisions and let Bobo go and find some fresh thinking.
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
9:47 am
True Dawg Fan. In your heart you know we will not be in 4th place ever as long as we have Saban as coach. Enjoy the game Monday night!
layinlow
January 5th, 2012
9:48 am
It’s official, no national championships for this football program in the foreseeable future. I have told people all along that DR. Adams would be the one making the decision on richt. McGarity has zero power in this situation. Richt has known all along that Adams wasn’t going to fire him as long as the money continues to flow. The easy schedule combined with UT, UF, and auburn all having down years this season has allowed this decision to go thru without much of an uproar. Expect the same results going forward, richt will beat most of the mediocre to bad teams but will lose to top competition. Another easy schedule next season means 9 or 10 wins without a signature victory. McGarity is nothing more than Adams errand boy.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2012
9:48 am
TampaDawg—-
So that is how we are rationalizing the season now? At least we beat our four biggest rivals in one season?
7-17—The combined conference record of UF,UT and Auburn. So what are we really bragging about?
Also its Ga. Tech. We beat them every year.
Tell it like it is.
January 5th, 2012
9:49 am
Bamawama—enjoy your NC game,cause it won’t last long! come september the dawgs will embark on a NC run of thier own.
LSU fan in hiding
January 5th, 2012
9:49 am
True Dawg Fan they could have given us the ball at the 1. We still had to get it in. We won ya’ll lost. Game over!
dawgfan
January 5th, 2012
9:49 am
Enter your comments here
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:50 am
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2012
9:43 am
True Dawg Fan-
Hung with Bama, they have no offense?
Arkansas overrated, beat them easily?
—————————————————-
What planet are you on? UGA proved all season long if playing a team with even or better talent they lose.
I love the program but this team won 10 games against mediocore teams. Lost 4 games to every quality opponent faced.
So why in the hades would any sane person think we would beat Bama or Arkansas? Illogical!
hahahahahahaha. BAMA HAS NO OFFENSE. NO offense translates to not very many points. We have proven we can score the ball. All we would have to do is hold them on special teams.
Arky- ZERO DEFENSE and a completely overrated team that was blown out bby UA and LSU. Dont see that being too hard.
You ppl are crying over a loss and all of the sudden think that we just cant beat anyone anymore. its been 2 fricken years ppl. You know a slump??? every team has them. Bama was fourth place in the west a few years back and lost to almost every good team they played. It happens people. Stop crying its pathetic.
UGA Insider
January 5th, 2012
9:50 am
Rumors are everywhere that CMR intentionally tanked the last drive so Blair Walsh could go out a hero. Is anyone else hearing this? I watched the last series again last night and it is so strange how it ended… When MSU called timeout to ice Walsh it was still just third down and MSU was out of time-outs. CMR could have run another play then sent Walsh out on 4th down. I just don’t understand the logic I guess.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
January 5th, 2012
9:51 am
How many other schools try to hire Any of our coaches!
Remember the SEC is all about speed, ha…did you see WVU..wow.
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
9:51 am
Tell It Like It Is – What you smoking? Mike Bobo will lead the offense to a NC! The Dawgs would be hard pressed to win the FCS.
25 LOSSES last 6 seasons
January 5th, 2012
9:52 am
Will 25 LOSSES last 6 seasons impact the negotiations ?
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:52 am
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
9:47 am
True Dawg Fan. In your heart you know we will not be in 4th place ever as long as we have Saban as coach. Enjoy the game Monday night!
ahahahhahaha did I say anything about him being there??? Kirby the traitor will go to Tenn next year, and then Satan will bolt for Texas. And if that happens your battling for 5th place most likely.
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:53 am
UGA Insider
January 5th, 2012
9:50 am
Rumors are everywhere that CMR intentionally tanked the last drive so Blair Walsh could go out a hero. Is anyone else hearing this? I watched the last series again last night and it is so strange how it ended… When MSU called timeout to ice Walsh it was still just third down and MSU was out of time-outs. CMR could have run another play then sent Walsh out on 4th down. I just don’t understand the logic I guess.
STFU with your garbage inside info. This one isnt even logical
Bazooka Joe
January 5th, 2012
9:53 am
Hey Evil – first I cannot believe I am even responding to your idiotic ramblings. The gators were horrible this year, pretty bad last year, will be bad next year (and maybe year after that – depends). It looks to me like a mid tier bowl is the BEST ypu can hope for iver the next couple of years…
Riding the SEC’s coatails ? hahahaha thats a good one evil !! Coming from a program that has been totally irrelevant throughout its history until the last 20 years… hahaha how many SEC championships do you have ? UGA has 12, which is more than you, whats the record in the Georgia/Florida series ? UGA is on top of that too. In fact, overall who do you have a winning record against ??? so if anyone is riding coatails, its the gators.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2012
9:54 am
True Dawg fan—–
Bama held LSU to 9 points. How many did they score on us?
How many points did we give up combined to MSU,BSU,USC and LSU?
Arkansas would put up just as many…..
It is not crying it is actually looking at the evidence at hand. The track record. Rather than you just tossing crap at a wall and hoping it sticks. Your delusion is pathetic.
1eyedJack
January 5th, 2012
9:55 am
“It’s going to take someone else …..to get us to the next level.”
That’s a pretty famous phrase.
Rankin Smith: I am firing Leeman Bennett because the team has reached a “plateau”. Let us all give a big round of applause for the new head coach Dan Henning!
Reporter:Who is on your short list for manager?
Ted Turner:”It would be Bobby Cox if I hadn’t just fired him. We need someone like him around here.”
Braves hire Joe Torre.
Ted Turner: I just fired Joe Torre because he can’t get us over the top. Let us all give a big round of applause for the new manager, Eddie Haas!
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
9:56 am
True Dawg Fan – Texas just re-uped Mack Brown. He is not going anywhere.
Macclenny_dawg
January 5th, 2012
9:56 am
Looks like he needs some more E-mails since he said he received some. I think he needs a pile telling him to make Richt demote Bobo. Let Bobo keep his pay so Richt should be happy with that. What kills me with this staff is when your team can’t do something against a opponent you change what you are doing. For those that think the team should just execute better need to watch the mad hatter he sees something is not working so he then will try anything to get the team fired up!!! Unlike our staff that will keep trying to be balanced. Our staff continually puts Murray in 3rd and long situations therefore making Murray feel like he has to make a play. As soon as we get behind we seem to throw more on 1st and 2nd down. If we can’t run the ball then a quick pass out to a wr is just as good. But we didn’t run that near enough this year since AJ left. Stacked at te we could have lined up a TE behind Murray and run some screens. No creativity out of our offense. Other coaches love to face us because everybody knows what we will do. Les Miles along with everybody thought they were in trouble in the SECCG. Then late in the 2nd quarter we let our foot of the gas and went back to trying to do what we think we have to be a balanced attack. Please Mcgarity ask someone who you respect outside of Georgia with coaching experience about what they think about our offense. Their is a reason nobody has tried to hire Bobo!!!
tide roll
January 5th, 2012
9:56 am
Hire JOHN GRUDEN as your Athletic Director. Can you imagine his first meeting with Mike Cavan, Charlie Whittemore, and John Kasay? “Now, once again, who are you people?” And tell me again, exactly, what do you do?”
Gene
January 5th, 2012
9:57 am
Richt will continue to win eight or so games a year, aided by selective scheduling of teams like Coastal Carolina and TN Tech. He will continue his infatuation with “divas” like Crowell at the expense of good, solid students and athletes, who learn and grow and stick around for four years. McGarity is right about the field-goal attempt against MSU. If it had been good, Richt is the hero, and these blogs would be overflowing with praise and predictions of finding the Holy Grail. But Richt has a track record of bad and unsuccessful decisions, like the field goal in last year’s bowl disaster and the failure against MSU. Richt is a predictable and unimaginative coach who has surrounded himself with similar underlings, with the exception of Grantham, who is borderline crazy and seems contemptuous of Richt at times. Many schools would be happy to have a generally successful program like UGA. But considering the talent in GA and the facilities at Richt’s disposal, he is underperforming and certainly poses no threat to Saban, Miles, or even pig man.
dawgfan
January 5th, 2012
9:58 am
funny… who do you think pays hard earned money for season tickets and donations. ah,..I think that would be the fans. so they really do have a say. They may not be able to fire anybody but they can sure stop coming to games. money talks.
25 LOSSES last 6 seasons
January 5th, 2012
9:58 am
The loss doesn’t matter.
Nice photo of the tennis player, and not a good tennis player at that, who says that the
LOSS DOESN’T MATTER
wouldn’t change anything, either way.
STILL HAVE ALL THE ISSUES, but wouldn’t change ANYTHING.
That is why this guy, see photo above (hint hint), wasn’t any good as a tennis player.
SURE it matters we’ve LOST 25 GAMES the last 6 seasons.
SURE it matters there are 25 teams this season alone in 1-A who have BETTER RECORDS
than
10-4
25 BETTER.
We are not in the top 25 records at 10-4 for this season, NOT.
We are tied with OHIO (that’s all OHIO -think it is called Ohio University) at 10-4 BOTH OF US OUTSIDE THE TOP 25 FOR this season.
And, the LOSS MEANS NOTHING.
Great googly-woogly Greg McGarity. Top that ? Contract on or about AFTER the signing date.
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
9:58 am
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2012
9:54 am
True Dawg fan—–
Bama held LSU to 9 points. How many did they score on us?
How many points did we give up combined to MSU,BSU,USC and LSU?
Arkansas would put up just as many…..
It is not crying it is actually looking at the evidence at hand. The track record. Rather than you just tossing crap at a wall and hoping it sticks. Your delusion is pathetic.
ahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahaha I always thought you were a whinny little baby like flat tire.
Wow im glad you can read the score!!! We have a much better passing attack than LSU and would be able to move the ball down field on bama through the air.
And all those games you mentioned, take out the touchdowns scored against special teams and the offense along with the ones where murray fumbled in our red zone and not very many points given up.
Arkansas wouldnt put up that many, did you even watch them play the only 2 defenses in the country that were better than ours???? They would possibly put up 21 and that wont beat us.
Call it crap all you want, but its an analysis of how would would face off vs both teams. Both are more favorable than playing LSU.
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
10:00 am
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
9:56 am
True Dawg Fan – Texas just re-uped Mack Brown. He is not going anywhere.
ahahahaha Satan wont be there for long. The sanctions for the free suits and junk should be coming out soon and then he is as good as gone!
UGA Insider
January 5th, 2012
10:01 am
$89,000,000
The only thing Adams cares about.
ChompChomp
January 5th, 2012
10:01 am
I agree with BamaWama and Lsu Fan in Hiding – maybe Georgia should consider changing conferences since Missouri has joined the SEC and in the east just another team Ga cannot beat. Maybe conference USA would be a good one, nah’, couldn’t compete there either.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2012
10:02 am
True Dawg fan—–
Take out the points scored off Special Teams and Turnovers in those games?
So after a track record of allowing those points in our 4 loses we are somehow just going to magically play perfect games against Alabama and Arkansas?
If that is whiney then so be it….
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
10:03 am
ChompChomp
January 5th, 2012
10:01 am
I agree with BamaWama and Lsu Fan in Hiding – maybe Georgia should consider changing conferences since Missouri has joined the SEC and in the east just another team Ga cannot beat. Maybe conference USA would be a good one, nah’, couldn’t compete there either.
ahahaha you mean another team that will beat the gaytors this year???? enjoy fighting vandy for 3rd place next year (Again)
layinlow
January 5th, 2012
10:04 am
The most oxymoronic statement I hear on these boards is ” Richt needs to fire bobo”. Think about this statement for a second, bobo was just a lowly assistant when he started under richt. Who trained bobo? Who came to UGA from FSU with a supposed great offensive mind? Nick Saban’s defenses perform at a high level no matter who he has as his defensive coordinator. Shouldn’t Richt’s offenses do the same? Even Richt’s most ardent supporters must examine and admit if Richt is such a great offensive mind then our offense should perform at a high level because bobo would be doing what Richt wants on that side of the ball. Look at West Virginia last night, was their performance because of who they hired as offensive coordinator or because of dana Holgrosen a great offensive mind who is the head coach. The Richt cheerleaders need to quit living in denial. Bobo is doing exactly what his head coach and mentor trained him to do. Now draw your own conclusions.
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
10:04 am
True Dawg Fan, Mark Ritch is a very nice guy but even he has committed some violations. His only problem is he can’t win!!
evil empire
January 5th, 2012
10:04 am
hey bazooka joe…i could care less about florida…not a fan…
hey true dawg fan…you actually typed this:BAMA HAS NO OFFENSE. NO offense translates to not very many points. We have proven we can score the ball. All we would have to do is hold them on special teams.
you scored a whopping 10 points against lsu, a defense equal to bama’s…and special teams contributed to your loss to lsu…honey badger?…bama wouldn’t need alot of offense top beat uga…11 points probably does the trick…dummy…
Alphare
January 5th, 2012
10:05 am
True Dawg Fan,
“We have a much better passing attack than LSU”.
I like your enthusiasm. If dawgs have a rematch with LSU, I have no doubt dawgs will win.
Unfortunately, the rematch is with big Al.
BamaWama
January 5th, 2012
10:05 am
layinlow – i agree with you. Please, please keep all your coaches.
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
10:05 am
Lowcountry Bulldawg
January 5th, 2012
10:02 am
True Dawg fan—–
Take out the points scored off Special Teams and Turnovers in those games?
So after a track record of allowing those points in our 4 loses we are somehow just going to magically play perfect games against Alabama and Arkansas?
If that is whiney then so be it….
You were talking about points scored, just figured you meant against our D. But ARk has NO DEFENSE so you can take away the average points given up by our offense in those games. They do have a good returner so a kick return wouldnt be out of the question. but in the end we would still win, bc our defense would hold their offense to 21 or less and our offense shouldnt have trouble putting up 35-42 on their crap defense.
True Dawg
January 5th, 2012
10:07 am
Just my opinion. Just so we read the same article, he did state ” Blair Walsh kicks a 42 yard field goal and we are sitting here feeling great about ourselves”. Maybe your AD should be a little more savy and politically correct and rephrase by simply stating ” If we excute on a 42 yard field goal” It is the simple things that seperate mediocrity from dominance.
True Dawg Fan
January 5th, 2012
10:07 am
Alphare
January 5th, 2012
10:05 am
True Dawg Fan,
“We have a much better passing attack than LSU”.
I like your enthusiasm. If dawgs have a rematch with LSU, I have no doubt dawgs will win.
Unfortunately, the rematch is with big Al.
Yea the ESPN MNC game???? Since ESPN gets to decide who goes and who doesnt (Bama in Ok St out bc they said so)
JB
January 5th, 2012
10:08 am
maybe a pay cut is in order. middle of the pack money…..for middle of the pack results………We are life long brides maids.