Grantham shoots down rumors, wants to ‘be at UGA a very long time’
Todd Grantham, who led the Bulldogs' defense to a No. 3 overall national ranking this past season, shot down rumors Wednesday he might be heading to the Falcons. (UGA photo)
It’s that time of year where rumors swirl constantly regarding coaching jobs and transfers and the like. On cue, no sooner had Brian VanGorder left the Atlanta Falcons to take the defensive coordinator’s job at Auburn this week than rumors began to circulate that the Falcons may come after Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
Kind of funny when you think about it, especially with all the arguments that developed this season between Bulldogs’ fans about which DC was better at UGA, VanGorder or Grantham.
Anyway, those rumors must have made their way to Grantham on Wednesday because the Bulldogs’ second-year coordinator issued a statement through the UGA athletic department reiterating that he isn’t looking to leave Georgia and/or return to the NFL. Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity confirmed to the AJC last week and again Wednesday that he and Grantham have already agreed in principle to a new three-year contract. They’re in the process of finalizing the paperwork, which may drag out another week or more. But it’s effectively a done deal and Grantham’s statement underscores as much.
Here’s what Grantham sent via email:
“This time of year there are a lot of rumors involving coaching openings. Because of the terrific recruiting class we are assembling and the juniors that have communicated to me their desire to come back to Georgia I felt it important to address some of these current and any future rumors. I’ve had discussions with Coach Richt and (AD) Greg McGarity and we are on track to finalizing details on a contract extension. My family enjoys Athens very much. I love the passion and excitement of our fans. We have the program headed in the right direction and I want to be a part of bringing Georgia a championship. My desire is to be at UGA for a very long time. Go Dawgs!”
Todd Grantham
Jan. 11, 2012
I suppose you could split hairs about the semantics and, of course, some folks already are. But that seems pretty cut-and-dried to me.
Grantham — who exited the season as the nation’s second highest-paid defensive coordinator at $750,000 a year — led the Bulldogs’ defense to a No. 5 overall national ranking this past season. He has nine of 11 starters due to come back and is making some hay on the recruiting trail. Most recently he nailed down a commitment from defensive end/outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, the state’s No. 1 prospect.
Most of the time these rumors are generated by opposing teams just trying to blunt recruiting momentum. Just to be certain, the sooner UGA gets Grantham’s contract finalized the better. With just one year left on the current deal, Grantham’s buyout is relatively miniscule. But the one included in the first year of a new three-year agreement will have considerably more bite to it.
In any case, McGarity doesn’t seem in a rush.
“We have talked about what we are going to do, so we are all on the same page,” he said.
That’s definitely a good thing for Georgia.
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302 comments Add your comment
How do you Motivate our Players and Coaches ? Tell them they're great ? Or, put EXCUSES aside and tell them what they actually are so they can work on it ?
January 12th, 2012
7:59 am
RedandBlackDAWG, Mr. Negative on our Offense. Nothing about Special Teams.
Mo money
January 12th, 2012
8:02 am
Grantham’s agent keeps floating these rumors to get UGA to give him more money. It’s a common contract trick—UGA falls for it, and will pay grantham even more cash than his current obscene salary.
Jeff
January 12th, 2012
8:06 am
If we can just figure out a way to keep Murray and special teams for giving 14, 21, 28 points to the other team…we might just be onto something………HMMMM……Murray- perhaps you can “study the film” and figure it out?
How do you Motivate our Players and Coaches ? Tell them they're great ? Or, put EXCUSES aside and tell them what they actually are so they can work on it ?
January 12th, 2012
8:09 am
He studies the film. What he doesn’t do is go to the weight room, or run. He’s a wimp.
ole yeller
January 12th, 2012
8:15 am
Cut the “DC” pie anyway you like. Coach “TC” and Coach “BVG” are tops in their field, COACHING “D”. It will be fun to see two top “DC” going after each other. “TG” at UGA and “BVG” at Auburn. Coach “TG” is happy at UGA, not going anywhere. Coach “BVG” is looking for security at Auburn. He is like Coach “TG” he’s fed up with the poltics of the NFL. Good “DC” in collage ranks are hard to find and keep. SOOOOO if the $$$$$$$$ is right you will see both men after each other for a while, and I’m not sure either one is looking for a head job at this time. Coach “BVG” has already given it a try at Ga. Southern, lasted one year. Coach “TG” getting experence at the college level so if the right thing happens he coulf go but not right away.
Joe
January 12th, 2012
8:29 am
Wow, if Aaron Murray is so bad thank goodness we had Joe Cox his freshman year to start so we could have an 8-5 record. So he went 6-7 as a red shirt freshman, we won 10 games with him this year. Oh yes since we were the worst 10 win team this year the only reason for the fourth loss was we played the NO.1 TEAM IN THE NATION AT THE TIME for the conference chamionship…One reason that we did not beat anyone in the top 11 is we did not play but four of them..Three were close games. If they are not on your schedule you cannot play them… From 6-7 as a starter to 16-11 is a fairly good improvement…Maybe it was the defense who knows…We were 10-4 and except not being prepared for the first game and not thinking they could beat SC the year turned our good.
JY
January 12th, 2012
8:32 am
Do not get your hopes up too fast about the Grantham Vangorder matchup..He has not been there two weeks yet.
EllenDawgwood
January 12th, 2012
8:32 am
We are headed back to the Glory days when teams feared our defense! GO DAWGS!!!!!!
DawginLex
January 12th, 2012
8:33 am
Tampa
you were not watching or paying attention, AGAIN
We gave SC 28 points from a Murray pick 6, a murray fumble returned for a TD, a Crowell fumble and a fake punt for a TD.
layinlow
January 12th, 2012
8:34 am
Grantham’s done a terrific job not only recruiting but bringing the UGA defense back to prominence. Too bad our offense is the 1990’s florida state version.
Joe
January 12th, 2012
8:36 am
GA was loaded on defense when Van Gorder arrived and he was a poor recruiter. Left the cubbard bare for Martinez. Changing the defense and recruiting shows how good TG is. VG should never ever attempt to be a Head Coach again. He destroyed two programs as a Head Coach and basically slapped the tradition of Erk Russell in the face at Ga Southern.
JT
January 12th, 2012
8:40 am
I wonder if Bobo knows the technique to coach the QB to hit the ground on a run before he gets hit as the Alabama QB did Monday night. He slid five yards before the defender was even close. Murray has to be coached to get on the ground before he gets hit and fumbles the ball when he has to run. Was he coached to do so or just stubborn?
RedandBlackDAWG
January 12th, 2012
8:40 am
So many tech fans and so little substance when it comes to real football.
Dawg Fud
January 12th, 2012
8:41 am
Grantham is a helluva coach and so in Van Gorder.
This will fuel the fire of an already intense rivalry.
GO DAWGS!
GT/GS
January 12th, 2012
8:46 am
Georgia Tech will never get the recruits that Georgia does because their recruits can’t pass the entrance exam….next year will be no different,Crow-l will go back to Columbus for the summer and work at the piggly wiggly and either get arrested or hurt. He’ll be on the sideline by the second game. And as far as running the state, you were no better than #2 this year. Luckily it was Alabama’s turn with Georgia Southern and no the dogs, or it would probably have been another Central Florida melt down…
nerd
January 12th, 2012
8:47 am
I wish paul johnson would shut the hell up.My nose can smell my own farts.
WDE
January 12th, 2012
8:50 am
Good news here, and with most of the D back we should be an even stronger unit. Rambo and JJ back as well as most of the D line…this could be a really good unit.
Big Points
January 12th, 2012
8:50 am
what gives–grantham gets a huge raise but his D gives up big points in big games. What a country!
SJJ
January 12th, 2012
8:51 am
LOL to the comment that anyone in NFL or College Football could pay him more than $750,000. Maybe NFL but the article clearly states that he was the second highest paid DC in the nation. So obviously only one other school is willing to pay more for a DC. Good call my friend.
VADAWG
January 12th, 2012
8:56 am
He wants a championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can deal with that…….at least he has a big picture attitude!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg4
January 12th, 2012
8:57 am
If Aaron Murray is so bad why can Bobo not coach him up. I though he was the greatest QB coach of all times. Why has he made so many errors in the two years he has started. Is it coaching or lack thereof? Can Bobo coach QB’s or does he have to have stars like Greene, Shockley, or Stafford? Why are we in such dire situations with our qbs every year. Why have we lost them to other teams in the past. Why did he not coach up the likes of Cox, Tereshinski, Gray and others.
Joey
January 12th, 2012
8:57 am
Techies ripping Grantham is beyond hilarious. TG made the brilliant PJ look like a middle school PE teacher, and makes Groh look 3rd-rate.
tony
January 12th, 2012
9:04 am
What a breath of fresh air because the last thing the dawgs need is losing this guy. You can tell the way the defense plays that it is a much better defense compared to Martinez defense. Good job coach Grantham.
Joey
January 12th, 2012
9:08 am
Techies pretending to be Tide fans now. Last week the littles sissies were Tiger fans . . .
BulldogBen
January 12th, 2012
9:10 am
CHIP, I’m not sure where to go for this info so maybe you can help if you read this. Had Bobo or Richt ever moved a player from his natural position, put him on offense, and had success?
ie- Donnan moving Robert Edwards to RB.
Evansdawg
January 12th, 2012
9:13 am
Coach Todd Grantham for ‘Head Coach In Waiting.’ Pay the man!
CTG's Hand
January 12th, 2012
9:18 am
Is Todd Grantham gonna have to choke a beeotch?
UGA Insider
January 12th, 2012
9:22 am
I told you guys this exact same thing YESTERDAY.
Karl
January 12th, 2012
9:26 am
I think his players love Grantham. Going after the Vanderbilt coach like he did showed them he is going to stick up for them and support them all the way. In hindsight, it’s probably the best thing he could have done for recruiting.
BigTimeTechFan
January 12th, 2012
9:39 am
I think Grantham has done a pretty good job at UGA. I would rank him as one of the top up and comeing DC’s in all of football.
I think he need to do away with the trash talk to other teams players, most of the time you see fired up DC’s they are yelling at their own players, yet Grantham seem to yell and cuss out other teams players.
Sparty
January 12th, 2012
9:43 am
Grantham’s defense did not attack MSU in that game-tying drive in the last two minutes.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
January 12th, 2012
9:46 am
WOW… how long ago was my last post lol
TGRBs way too early top ten
1. Alabama
2. USC
3. Oregon
4. LSU
5. Oklahoma
6. Michigan
7.Virginia Tech
8. Arkansas
9. Georgia
10. Clemson
Thank God for Reggie Ball
January 12th, 2012
9:51 am
this defense is going to be nasty!
Rambo, Jenkins, Jones, Smith, Williams, Ogletree, Gilliard, Washington….
there’s 8 NFL players on this defense
Thank God for Reggie Ball
January 12th, 2012
9:52 am
@VADAWG
I applaud you good sir…
sonny
January 12th, 2012
9:53 am
Grantham took a 1959 Renault and made a 2011 Mercedes out of it, now pay the man his worth and let him take the Mercedes and make a 2012 Rolls out of it!!!!!
You Ain't-Know Gaily Whacker
January 12th, 2012
9:56 am
A lot of you guys are Funny Bunnies. With Georgia’s 2012 schedule they will be equal to Boise State.
Missouri might win the East.
Thank God for Reggie Ball
January 12th, 2012
9:58 am
@YAKGW
we whacked Gaily, we are in the process of whacking Johnson, and we’ll quickly whack any other coach you bring.
CPJ’s offense is the only reason you have been even competitive the last 3 years. but we’ll soon send him out
concern
January 12th, 2012
10:02 am
Kirby is looking for a job. Lets send him to the Falcons.
BigTimeTechFan
January 12th, 2012
10:13 am
@Thank God for Reggie Ball
Washington is the best of that list
RiffRaff
January 12th, 2012
10:15 am
Great news on Grantham. Now go after a proven OC. Go Dawgs!
Grantham dispels rumors, wants “to be at UGA for a very long time”
January 12th, 2012
10:18 am
[...] department stating his desire to remain at Georgia. UGA athletic director Greg McGarity also told the AJC that he and Grantham have agreed in principle on a new three-year [...]
Simply Dustin
January 12th, 2012
10:18 am
Here in about 3 years after his contract expires, someone will be getting on heck of a head coach.
Mike Porterfield
January 12th, 2012
10:18 am
Send Bobo to the Falcons and we’ll throw in a signing bonus!!!
TOO TOUGH44
January 12th, 2012
10:31 am
Coach G! All right! Go DAWGS!
Why Georgia is nicely positioned to make real hay in 2012 | Mark Bradley
January 12th, 2012
10:31 am
[...] They could have lost Jarvis Jones, who’s their best player, and also Bacarri Rambo, who’s one of their five best, but both have said they’ll return to school. And coordinator Todd Grantham, whose name has already surfaced as an Atlanta Falcons’ possibility, e-mailed esteemed colleague Chip Towers and confessed a desire “to be at UGA for a very long time.” [...]
jonkdawg
January 12th, 2012
10:53 am
Mel Kiper just predicted Uga is 5th, top 5 teams for 2012.
aw
January 12th, 2012
10:55 am
He needs to leave. He is freaking CRAZY!!!! I predict Grantham is fired at some point for either striking a player or at least an opposing coach!
JDawg1785
January 12th, 2012
10:58 am
Definitely a good thing for UGA. Coach Grantham is a tremendous asset to the program and should be given everything he wants to stay in Athens for a long time.
Bo Duke
January 12th, 2012
10:58 am
Georgia Put your money where your mouth is!! Let’s just see you play Alabama!!! But you droped that game!!!!
Stewart G. Griffin
January 12th, 2012
11:11 am
This is great news. They are moving in the right direction. Couldn’t be happier with Rambo’s decision, the guy will be the best Safety in college football next year. Cut back on some key turnovers and a BCS game could be in the cards.