3-year deal in works for Georgia D-coordinator Todd Grantham
Georgia's defense has flourished under the guidance of second-year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity confirmed Friday he is in the midst of working on a contract extension for defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
Grantham’s California-based attorney, Michael Harrison, told the AJC in November he was was seeking an extension for his client. Grantham signed a three-year contract that pays him $750,000 annually when he was hired by coach Mark Richt from the Dallas Cowboys in January of 2010. Grantham has 13 months remaining on that contract.
Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity never had an assistant coach under a multi-year agreement in 18 years while he was at Florida. But he is making an exception for Grantham.
“That’s what we’re working to right now,” McGarity said Friday. “We’re discussing it. Mark and I have discussed it and we’re trying to work through that right now. It’s just tough to get everybody together because of coaching conventions and recruiting and things like that. But we’re moving along in that direction.”
McGarity indicated that any new deal with Grantham would likely resemble the old deal. In other words, two years would be added to the existing agreement to get Grantham back to three years. But negotiations are ongoing.
That said, don’t expect a tremendous pay raise for Grantham, if any. He is currently the second highest-paid defensive coordinator in FBS. Alabama’s Kirby Smart is first at $850,000.
“The most important thing is the longevity piece,” McGarity said. “From a compensation standpoint it’s hard to argue that we’re not being fair to him. My whole thing is being fair to people and I think we’re being fair.”
As is his practice, McGarity is dealing with Grantham directly and not his attorney or other representation.
Georgia’s defense has definitely improved under Grantham’s leadership. The Bulldogs finished the 2011 season ranked in the Top 20 nationally in all seven primary statistical categories, including No. 3 in total defense (268.5 ypg), 4th in pass efficiency (98.27), 7th in passing yards allowed (165.9) and 11th in rushing (103.4). Nine starters are currently slated to return to that unit and recruiting prospects are starting to line up to play for Grantham.
The question now is whether McGarity will relax his stance on multi-year contracts for coordinators. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is working on a one-year contract, as are Georgia’s other assistants.
“We have not had those discussions,” McGarity said of a multi-year for Bobo. “I’m focused on Mark’s and we’ve talked a little bit about Todd’s. That’s what we’re working on right now.”
– Chip Towers
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349 comments Add your comment
25 LOSSES last 6 seasons
January 7th, 2012
8:42 am
Anyone watch Tyler Wilson last night ?
Right, Aaron Murray would have beat Arkansas this year.
cough cough
Tyler Wilson is an NFL QB.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
January 7th, 2012
8:43 am
We lose to whom ?
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
January 7th, 2012
8:45 am
There is a solid opportunity that 2012 schedule has no game against any team finishing in the top 25, maybe one at MOST. Then, we will be like we were this year, over-ranked playing great teams in The SEC Championship with our hats in our hands and the same in the bowl game.
ONLY SEC BOWL GAMES LOST : Vandie and us
Evansdawg
January 7th, 2012
8:53 am
I do not want to hear any inkling that Bobo might be back next year. If he is back in any capacity at all, it better not be as OC. They need to lock Grantham down simply for the fire he possesses. Its a counter-weight to Richt’s stoic nature and we badly need that fire. I want Richt as our HC but when he decides that he is finished, I would not mind TG as HC at all. I believe he would get a real a-kicking SOB OC if he were the HC.
Joey
January 7th, 2012
9:04 am
Don’t believe we get to the Dome this year. Those road games to SC and Mizzu will almost certainly both be losses, but we should take care of UF and AU, thanks to Grantham’s D.
Our QB is too nervous in national TV games like Mizzu, SC and any bowl game to lead us to victory.
Probably our 3rd bowl loss in a row at the Capital One or Outback.
So 10-3.
I’ve read a couple of places where Hutson Mason will probably leave soon to go play for the Evil Genius. Looks like Hutson will finally, finally get a chance to put on a show in Sanford Stadium, in ‘13.
bubba4dawgs
January 7th, 2012
9:05 am
Total points allowed can’t be credited to Grantham. You can put a lot of it in the hands of Sir Murray and his picks as well as his fumbles. Grantham is most deserving! I hate to see where the DAWGS would be without him this year! Boo Boo could help him out a lot by calling better plays! Grantham does his job! The DAWGS need a Coordinator who can do theirs!!
Bubba Davason...KA wannabe, Class of 2014
January 7th, 2012
9:27 am
Diddy and Mamma say all will be good with futbah in 2012….much better than when I started at UGA in 2001….Hey who took my crayons?
Joey
January 7th, 2012
9:27 am
Right, bubba4, not to mention fake punts for TDs, punts returned for TDs, etc. Also not accounted for is the number of times the fumbles, returns and fakes, and INTs are run back deep inside our own 20 yd line. SC, UF and LSU come to mind.
Rich
January 7th, 2012
9:33 am
In the Outback Bowl, UGA was up 27-20 with 2 minutes left ! The defense allowed an approx 95 yard drive for a TD ! My complaint for this year (offense) was lack of a running game. UGA’s defense was very good, but not great. They had one good game of running the ball and that was Auburn ! To me this falls on Mark Richt ! If he is convinced he has right personel then he needs to fix running game.
CRO-MAGNON MAN
January 7th, 2012
9:34 am
Jalex49
January 7th, 2012
8:38 am
YEA GET RID OF BOBO AND HIRE RAHEEM MORRIS???? What you smoking’ man?? AND WILL AGREE THAT CTG HAS DONE A GOOD JOB WITH DEFENSE, BUT DON’T UNDERSTAND 85 EASY YARDS TO WIN THE GAME BY MICH. STATE OFFENSE THAT COULDN’T GET A 1st DOWN IN THE FIRST HALF.
RedandBlackDAWG
January 7th, 2012
9:34 am
Irving at 07:52,
I am not sure you get how a conference runs as far as scheduling goes. The UGA AD doesn’t control who UGA plays in the SEC. The SEC decides who is paired up with each other. The Alabama switch out was determined to be the best way of preventing Missouri from having to travel so much in the first year in the league. UGA didn’t have anything to do with it, anymore than the rest of the conference schedule. If you can’t understand about the schedule, I think perhaps you need to brush up on it.
CRO-MAGNON MAN
January 7th, 2012
9:35 am
Defense could have closed the game out for a dawg win just as the field goal kicker could have….
Rich
January 7th, 2012
9:35 am
If I was Hutson Mason, I would transfer to an SEC School and Show UGA what consistent accuracy can do !
Summit Dawg
January 7th, 2012
9:38 am
Grantham and his defense saved Richts butt and job this year…..Defense would have been even better if we had an offense to keep them off the field!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bo Bo has to Go Go!!
CRO-MAGNON MAN
January 7th, 2012
9:38 am
DEFENSE STILL GOT WORK TO DO ALSO…EPIC 2nd HALF COLLAPSES VS. LSU AND MICHIGAN STATE…
TOO TOUGH44
January 7th, 2012
9:39 am
Hey check out the band STEREOMONSTER video on YOUTUBE song WHAT A DAY!
GO DAWGS! GO FALCONS!
B'dawg
January 7th, 2012
9:41 am
Bobo and extention in the same sentence. Doesnt that sound encouraging!
CRO-MAGNON MAN
January 7th, 2012
9:42 am
QB THAT WAS DISMISSED AND WENT TO JC AND THEN TO LSU WAS THE REAL DEAL QB…SHAME THAT POLITICS GOT HIM GONE…BEEN MANY WHO HAVE STAYED AROUND AT UGA WHO DID MUCH WORSE THAN HIM…WATCH HIM AT LSU NEXT YEAR…
CRO-MAGNON MAN
January 7th, 2012
9:50 am
Irving Johansen
January 7th, 2012
8:42 am
THE AD HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHEDULING OF SEC GAMES….UTTER STUPIDITY TO SUGGEST THE SEC COMMISSIONER SLIVE LET THE UGA AD MAGARITY FIX UGA’S SEC SCHEDULE…AS DEION SANDERS SAYS “COME ON, MAN”.
E-from Riverdale
January 7th, 2012
9:50 am
Bob, I think you said it best. UGA basically beat no one this season and we are congraulating Ga.’s AD for extending TG’s contract. The fact is Ga. will struggle next season under CMR, due to CMR’s refusal to upgrade the program by getting rid of BoBo and hiring a special teams coach. CMR should have seen as early as last season he had a problem (no field goal kicker) but he did nothing about it.
Ga beat the teams that were not very good this past season and look terrible against teams that were good. Another bowl lost. Watching the bowl game was horrible. Ga. only up by one score ran dumb offensive plays and went to a prevent defense with over two minutes left in the game. MS went right down the field and was at Ga’s eight yard line with a minute left in the game.
Is this smart coaching? or an example of a team that will be playing for the National Championship this year?
Snoop dawg
January 7th, 2012
10:00 am
Why don’t we save some money and make GRantham the head coach? Keep the RIcht lovers happy by making this good man the team chaplain and hand holder…
Snoop dawg
January 7th, 2012
10:03 am
mettenberger will embarrass dimwit Richt next year if Uga lucks up into the SEC championship game while we have Choke Man Murray…
GADIEHARD
January 7th, 2012
10:16 am
I can’t believe that in the same article regarding Grantham’s extenion, they were discussing a one year extenion for Bobo, really! Why is it so hard to realize college football management should be ran like a business and not a buddy, buddy system.
douglas
January 7th, 2012
10:19 am
It’s amazing to me how people always point out how many points UGA averages with Bobo as OC. That doesn’t mean anything if you don’t score enough points at the right time to beat teams. Our offense has never been consistent since Bobo has been the OC — it will start runnning the ball well at one point and then Bobo decides to throw it three times and we have to punt. Our DC deserves a longterm contract and a raise — he is better than Kirby Smart and he has coached in the NFL. If it had not been for the defense this year, do you think UGA really would have won 10 games in spite of Bobo?
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 7th, 2012
10:31 am
If the teams we play next year are not ranked in the top 20 I believe we will win the National Title next year
Richt and Bobo do not run and hide against teams outside the top 20
Lakedawg
January 7th, 2012
10:47 am
Grantham definitely deserves extension on contracr, Dawgs do not win 10 this season without him. Yes the turnover and special team mistakes impacted total points given up
Comments on Murray, do not believe ever hearing him say “my fault, I screwed up”. Seems to just shrug off mistakes and not own up.
Not sure how big changes coming , but count on it there will be some changes on O side of ball for next year.
this dawg want hunt!!
January 7th, 2012
10:56 am
McGarity is the problem now. If he gives Richt and Bobo extentions, then he is accepting mediocrity at UGA. Richt and Bobo have shown their offense is the most predictable offense in the SEC now. All the coordinators in the SEC know what Bobo is going to run in the red zone, they have been seeing it for 5 years now. That is why UGA is so pathetic in the red zone as it relates to scoring T.D’s, especially against the better defenses in the conference. If McGarity thinks Richt is going to take this program to the top 5 or 10 in the country, then he isn’t looking at the same games as everyone else. The play calling in the first qtr of the bowl game after the safety was the most pitiful calls i have ever seen UGA had a chance to put the game away early, but failed as usual. And for the 50th time, why run Thomas up the gut. On the first drive when UGA was inside the redzone, bobo ran Brandon Smith to the outside, he got 9 yards, then UGA gets stuffed on 3 plays running up the middle. Didn’t see Smith run outside with his speed the rest of the game. That is all you need to know about Bobo. UGA had a superior advantage with speed at receiver and with Smith and Boykin in the back field, but Bobo didn’t realize it. Hell even Herbstreet on Espn was talking about UGA’s superior speed at the skill positions. One last thing about bobo and richt. All these pathetic clowns talked about after Cox left, was that the next q.b. would have to prove he can protect the football, that was the priority in deciding who would get the starting job. What happened to that mentality???? Typical B.S. from these losers. Murray is the worst Q.B. in the RIcht era when it comes to protecting the football, and he will wind up with the best stats of any of the Q.B’s under Richt. It proves that all Richt and Bobo care about are stats, and so do the UGA fans. All they talk about are Murray’s yards and T.D’s. Proves that STATS are for losers. that includes RIcht, Bobo, and any UGA fan that drink their cool-aid
Nom Nom Nom Chucks Taylor, or Norris if he is avaliable
January 7th, 2012
11:08 am
Amen, to all of you.
SteveDallasDogfan
January 7th, 2012
11:14 am
So let me get this straight. You go out and hire a proven talent, pay him the 2nd best contract in FBS and your defense climbs to the 3rd best in the country in two years. On the other side of the ball you hire a 2nd string QB, from the grad assistant pool, pay him peanuts and your offense has sucked hind teet ever since. Now I have to ask. Is there a Sandusky event going on or are you (we) just stupid?
Facts Rebuttal
January 7th, 2012
11:15 am
Facts
January 6th, 2012
4:03 pm
Who cares!
SawThat1nce
January 7th, 2012
11:19 am
How does the writer of this blog assume that the reworking of this contract will result in another three year contract and not an extension of three more years to the present contract, making it four more years, altogether.
I don’t believe that I would extend Bobo’s contract more than 1 year at a time. If another highly qualified OC, were to become available, I would strongly consider replacing him.
major
January 7th, 2012
11:24 am
Love all the excuses, qb, rb, depth, no fullback, lemay is better.
The facts that MSU drove the ball 90 yards with no timeouts in 2 minutes pretty much sums up the entire bulldog program.
Folds like an average team usually does against a good opponent.
SawThat1nce
January 7th, 2012
11:25 am
Irving @8:42am……..Georgia will go to the SEC Championship game undefeated, in 2012. No way, any of those 4 teams will beat them.
Buzz 2011
January 7th, 2012
11:26 am
The Dawgs are a joke!! The schedule luck has ran out as Arkansas is too good for the Dawgs.. The Dawgs may wish Arkansas was scratched instead of Bama for 2012..
SteveDallasDogfan
January 7th, 2012
11:27 am
Oh and one more thing…how is that whole ” I don’t need a Special teams coach” thing working out for us now? Is UGA hurting for money. Why so damn cheap. SPEND the money we send you. Or did you guys screen “Money Ball” at movie night? Spend the money or we will spend it else where.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
January 7th, 2012
11:28 am
Well, no CRO-MAGNON MAN,
Zach Mettenberger plead GUILTY to MULTIPLE COUNTS of SEXUAL ABUSE – so, there isn’t anyone who has GOT AWAY with MORE still here. That’s just wrong.
You could say that he SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST TAKEN SOME SNAPS vs Okie State with the chronic sore shoulder Joe Cox when he had to FLY PRIVATE CHARTER with the FLU in ADDITION, however.
Isaiah Crowell has GOT AWAY WITH A LOT MORE than and Caleb King GOT AWAY WITH A LOT MORE than a whole host of players kicked-off the team, however. That part is true.
Buzz 2011
January 7th, 2012
11:29 am
Dawgs lose to GT, SC , Vandy, Florida, Kentucky & Missouri in 2012. They stand a good chance to win balance of games and it will be a good year for them, Go Dogs…..
michael
January 7th, 2012
11:30 am
If Bobo gets an extension, I will jump off a cliff!
SawThat1nce
January 7th, 2012
11:32 am
Bad play calling and poor coaching decisions are the reasons that GA. did not win that bowl game, at the end of it(their QB’s ints. helped get the game to that point, though).
major
January 7th, 2012
11:38 am
even more excuses..keep them coming
SawThat1nce
January 7th, 2012
11:38 am
Buzz 2011, what are you buzzing on?
You need to put whatever it is down, and get your head back on(back to reality)
Please don’t operate a motor vehicle or any heavy equipment until you come down.
SawThat1nce
January 7th, 2012
11:38 am
facts
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
January 7th, 2012
11:39 am
Georgia Tech must be a school for idiots, morons, and garbage pickers with no high school degree
I find it funny that a school that is suppose to have smart people; come on this blog talking about UGA being a joke and then proceed to talk about UGA’s schedule
Yea the mighty ACC is 2-13 in BCS bowls; looked really impressive in the Orange bowl and Tech continues to lose to UGA
The ACC is really a tough schedule loaded with middle school and high school level teams
SawThat1nce
January 7th, 2012
11:39 am
over and out.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
January 7th, 2012
11:45 am
Montez Robinson got away with a whole lot more, beating up his girlfriend the 1st time, than should have been allowed, and far less worse offenses by other players Mark Richt kicked them off the team for. When Montez Robinson then beat up her car, again, Mark Richt did not kick him off the team. The 3rd offense, picking her up and repeatedly slamming her into the floor at McWhorter Hall, beating her or her car up for the 3rd time he was arrested for, finally then Mike Bobo and Mark Richt went to the jail and visited Montez Robinson. After that, they did throw him off the team. Way too late, in my humble opinion as it was all going on, and showed NO DISCIPLINE that it was ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR each and every time. She was a itty-bitty student in good standing at The University of Georgia he did this to.
This one stands out to me, at contract negotiation time, as well.
What doesn’t stand out in my mind is what Todd Grantham did after the Vandie game. What stands out about that, is what MARK RICHT DID calling his own player, a Scholarship player in GOOD STANDING at The University of Georgia a DUMB___, AND THEN APOLOGIZING for the ____curse word, leaving still today the DUMB portion of his statement – multiple statements by Mark Richt DURING and AFTER the incident caused by the fiery Vandie coach.
DISCIPLINE must be PART OF THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
I am not saying the choke sign by Todd Grantham was not incorrect on his part, but it was in the heat of the moment and about on-par with the Florida players have done in THAT GAME IN JAX EVERY SINGLE YEAR FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS. I am not excusing it, but it doesn’t need to be brought up by Chip Towers in my opinion at ALL in EITHER case while we tack on 3 years to Todd Grantham at what better be as much as Alabama pays their DC about $ 850,000 for Kirby Smart.
We send all the wrong kind of signals, in my opinion. Todd didn’t do anything wrong in my opinion. Slight hiccup on choke, and NOT WORTH MENTIONING on that, either.
Why don’t we say something in contract negotiations for Todd Grantham about the Florida players DOING THEIR GATOR CHOMP ON THE FIELD AFTER A POSITIVE PLAY, or their POLITE LADY-LIKE HAND-CLAPPING when Matthew Stafford got YANKED and the back-up finally scored in 2008 ?
duronimo
January 7th, 2012
11:45 am
The Arkansas-KState game just ended and the announcers wound up the broadcast by saying the difference in the teams was toughness. That’s SEC football in a nutshell. When KState made their run, the Arkansas defense stiffened. When Michigan State, Boise, and LSU made their run, the UGA defense caved. If you can play great defense in the first half, you can play it in the second half … if you’re tough enough. Yes there is improvement, but the jury is still out on Grantham. What we need is a tough minded coach as head coach. Richt’s mild manner seems to make the team docile.
Don't Do It...!!!!!
January 7th, 2012
11:51 am
Nooooooooooooooo to Bobo…….!!!!!!!!!
duronimo
January 7th, 2012
11:58 am
Chris is right about the offensive game plan executed by Auburn in the Chick-Filet bowl. It was a beautiful thing to watch. I would be careful about a long term contract for Grantham. I think it’s premature. Truth is that in every game we lost, we did score enough points to win True the offensive ineptness especially in the second half contribute to this the other side’s points … but a tough SEC defense should hold up whenever and for how long they are on the field. Arkansas’s defense won their game by blunting the run KState made at them. At UGA we did do that against the teams that beat us.
Greg from Marietta
January 7th, 2012
12:02 pm
I’m Sorry but any defensive coordinator that blows coverage calls in the second half of a Bowl Game allowing a Big-10 team to come back and tie an SEC Team does not deserve to keep his job much less have it extended. I am still at a loss for the stupidity of ‘Man’ coverage being called when MSU was being forced to throw to get back in the game. I have never been so embarrassed and humiliated as when UGA allowed an inferior team to defeat them like that on national TV. If I had my way about it they would clean out the entire coaching staff and find one that knew how to coach and win in true SEC fashion. To be the only SEC team to lose to a Big-10 school is unforgivable!!!
ugab
January 7th, 2012
12:04 pm
I can not believe anyone would ever think about extending Bobo’s stay at Uga. I wouldn’t sign CMR until after next season. WE SUK. BOTTOM FKN LINE