Mark Richt gets new 5-year contract, Grantham extended 2 years
ATHENS — So much for a nice, slow Monday.
Last week, Georgia scheduled a press conference for football coach Mark Richt for today to discuss the relatively mundane details surrounding next week’s start to spring football practice. As it turned out, news came pouring in from multiple directions.
- The day started with news breaking of starting cornerback Branden Smith’s arrest in South Alabama for marijuana possession. Richt confirmed that was the case and that he had spoken briefly with Smith. Later, AD Greg McGarity confirmed that the arrest would mean a mandatory suspension of up to two games at the discretion of the head coach.
- UGA also released the news that it had reached agreements on new contracts for Richt and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Richt received a new five-year deal that will extend him through the 2016 season. Financial details are “still being tweaked,” according to McGarity, but Richt is expected to receive a slight raise from the $2.81 million salary he currently receives. That does not include annual longevity bonuses that boost his earnings to more than $3 million annually. Grantham received a two-year contract extension that will guarantee his salary of at least $750,000 through the 2014 season.
- As for on-the-field football business, Richt confirmed his decision to move wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell to cornerback for spring practice. Mitchell had said he was going to try to play both positions next fall. But because of position meeting conflicts and the challenge of learning the Bulldogs’ defensive system, Richt said he made the decision to have Mitchell work with the secondary full time when spring practice begins March 20. A decision for where Mitchell will line up in the fall has not been made.
- Richt also confirmed the completion of the Bulldogs’ strength and conditioning staff. UGA hired Penn State’s head strength coach John Thomas as senior associate director under Joe Tereshinski and “speed specialist” Sherman Armstrong of Tampa as associate director.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
303 comments Add your comment
Phil
March 13th, 2012
7:45 am
Another 5 years with Richt, and won’t sniff a National Championship game. Might make it back to the SECC championship game, only to get mauled by Bama or LSU. If medicore is what you all want, then you got 5 more years of it coming.
Phil
March 13th, 2012
7:53 am
And moving Malcom Mitchell to cornerback is about as crazy as sending Blair Walsh out on 3rd down to kick a 42 yard field goal in the bowl game. What is he thinking? Our best offensive weapon to defense? Would anybody move AJ Green to defense? Of course not. I don’t care how short handed we are on defense, you don’t move your Number 1 weapon on offense to defense! Only Richt would do something this insane.
Travis McGee
March 13th, 2012
7:54 am
Five years? Wow! That’s a bold decision that may come back to haunt the AD.
DocC
March 13th, 2012
7:55 am
Tech fans are always more interested in UGA’s program than their own because they truly realize the irrelevancy of their program over the last two decades and they can gloat only through anything that is bad news about UGA. My best golfing friend is a Tech man and even he understands this.
Jorge O'leary
March 13th, 2012
8:19 am
Another 5 years of 8 to 9 wins. I’m loving it. Ya’ll do less with more talent than anybody I’ve ever seen. Quite frankly, CMR and his family can thank Grantham for bailing his sorry a$$ out and sucking off the university for another 5 years. Loserville
Just Saying....
March 13th, 2012
8:38 am
@ DocC- I’m not a Tech fan, but I also do not see the point of your comment. It appears that most ppl comment are UGA fans expressing their disappointment in the AD’s decision to keep a coach that doesn’t strive to ensure his players are playing the best they can every single game. Bashing Tech’s football program is just pointing fingers and only makes you look like a hypocrite.
Thomas Brown
March 13th, 2012
8:39 am
And, he kept Mike Bobo who does such a great job teaching our Quarterbacks that Aaron Murray for all 2011 is the # 72 Quarterback in Pass Completion Percentage (not to mention 1 yards a carry on 6.4 carries a game his career, with 23 fumbles, with 22 interceptions, with 56 sacks, 11 games to-date where the best quarterback in the 27 games to-date is the QB for the other team.)
johnnywad
March 13th, 2012
8:42 am
Those good ole boy’s are a piece of work…..
Thomas Brown
March 13th, 2012
8:44 am
“Maybe one day big money will get fed up with this nonsense and do something about it.”
_____________________________________________________
Maybe one day they won’t get fed up with having a nice guy whose Calling is Head Coach, who as a direct result of being a nice guy, never gets after it against the top teams, takes it easy on punishment especially of his Starters while kicking back-ups off the team for lesser infractions, and loses to teams we should beat – all the while racking up Recruits of his he has to kick-off the team because he cannot teach them Discipline and be a nice guy at the same time.
Thomas Brown
March 13th, 2012
8:47 am
Especially since Georgia tek’s Won/Lost Record over the Current 4-Year Period is EXACTLY the same as Mark Richt’s Won/Lost Record.
SEC!!
March 13th, 2012
8:52 am
5 more years!!! YES!!!
Signed,
Rest of the SEC
Calliope
March 13th, 2012
9:00 am
Looks like UGA will not be a contender for the SEC championship for the next five years!
Real Problem
March 13th, 2012
9:09 am
Mitchell to play both ways…..very good move
Richt signed for 5 more years…..just plain stupid
When the bad guys are excited (SEC teams) about our coach it does make you wonder.
dawginduluth
March 13th, 2012
9:09 am
Hmmmm.
“Coaches can’t be held accountable for players’ actions off the field”
“Coaches can only be held accountable for maximizing players’ performance on the field”
OK, I’ll give on the first comment but Richt should be long gone by now if you are holding him to the second.
gaherd
March 13th, 2012
9:20 am
Everyone gets excited about UGA football and we all want UGA to win EVERY game but it is still a game for us to enjoy. I continue to question those of you who want to bash CMR for every decision he makes. If I were coaching, I am sure I would make some different decisions but wouldn’t every coach? I asked the question last year when CMR was criticized so greatly in the press, who else would you want to coach UGA. The established coaches that do win consistently are not necessarily the charater guys I would want coaching my kid. It is a game, kids make mistakes, it is easy to be an armchair quarterback, but I don’t know of another quality person that I would rather have than CMR. As far as Mitchell is concerned, wouldn’t you want your play makers to have as much time on the field as possible.
URnotUA
March 13th, 2012
9:30 am
What a shame. Malcolm Mitchell is a game-changer at receiver and this move will take away much of UGA’s explosiveness on offense. It’s sad that CMR recruits these kids by telling them they can “play early and at every position” and then pulls reality out on them once the whistle blows. Say what you want about Saban, but he makes clear what position he’s recruiting them for from the onset.
URnotUA
March 13th, 2012
9:40 am
This is not the Sunbelt Conference! If you people think a player can effectively play both ways in the SEC, than I’ve got a lakefront condo on Peachtree to sell you. He is basically getting a position change!
CMR
March 13th, 2012
9:51 am
Thank you Lord for that easy schedule last year!!!
Joey
March 13th, 2012
9:52 am
“So what’s going to happen if we go 10 & 4 again with our upcoming light schedule.”
***************************************************
1) Lots of UGA fans (not this one), and all Richt-fanboys will be giddy about another, magical, 10-Win Season.
2) There will be the usual, post-game excuse for the losses – “the problem wasn’t the preparation or game planning, it was the execution (it was the players’ fault).”
3) Mark Richt will get another raise and extension.
GTBob
March 13th, 2012
10:10 am
Sorry guys; I couldn’t get on here last night because my mom and dad had to use the computer. And, well, I like to be in my Incredible Hulk PJ’s by the time they come around to read me “Bambi” at bedtime.
Matt
March 13th, 2012
10:10 am
If Les Miles or Nick Saban got blown out by Boise St. and followed that up with losses to South Carolina, LSU, and Michigan St., they’d be too embarrassed to sign a contract extension. Some places obviously set the bar a little higher than UGA. It’s too bad that unacceptable performance at LSU or BAMA is rewarded in Athens.
AVikingFan
March 13th, 2012
10:38 am
I just hope CMR tells the team AND Brandon Smith how much money dumb, stupid things like Smith did will cost them if they get to the next level. It could result in slipping several rounds in the draft for great athletes. And Brandon Smith is NOT great.
RNB
March 13th, 2012
10:39 am
WHAT HAPPENED TO PAY FOR PERFORMANCE? THIS WAS A STUPID MOVE.
RxDawg
March 13th, 2012
10:48 am
“our starting 2 corners just got suspended, what did you expect richt to do? Guys this wasn’t just the right move, this was the only move.”
This. What else can you say?
Frank Furter
March 13th, 2012
10:49 am
YIPPIE !!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Not-Quite-Devils/189460134436969
Frank Furter
March 13th, 2012
10:49 am
YIPPIE !!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Not-Quite-Devils/189460134436969
George
March 13th, 2012
10:55 am
Go Dogs player get your degree it all free.
Tom Ace
March 13th, 2012
10:58 am
UGA will never get over the hump as long as Richt is running the show. For the life of me, I can’t understand why all of the blindly-loyal GA people will never understand that. It’s the absolute truth.
Tucker
March 13th, 2012
11:17 am
On behalf of the rest of the SEC, thank you, thank you!
sapelodawg
March 13th, 2012
11:19 am
Is Georgia using Richt’s salary as a write-off on their income taxes? He sure isn’t any kind of a coach in even the broadest sense of the word.
vladamir sonovabitch
March 13th, 2012
11:25 am
Get the facts straight…I’ve heard two other news sources say it’s a 3 year extension that goes through the 2015/16 year. Fox and WSB
beebee
March 13th, 2012
12:06 pm
5 more years of 4/5/6-loss seasons and “Fire Richt!” from you dawgs fans!
beebee
March 13th, 2012
12:15 pm
UGA football is officially third tier in the SEC.
KBB
March 13th, 2012
12:15 pm
The state of Georgia’s new slogan should be
“We celebrate mediocrity!”
Dawg '88
March 13th, 2012
12:15 pm
Uh….the photos listed with this story have a huge error:
Greg Schiano is NOT the coach at Rutgers anymore.
He is the new head coach of Tampa Bay in the NFL.
Correction needed…he is not signed through 2016 any
longer. He left the school.
Dawg '88
March 13th, 2012
12:30 pm
5 SEC Division Titles in 11 years….before?….ZERO!
2 SEC Championships!….Before Richt….ZERO in 30 years!
7-10 Win Seasons….Before Richt…ZERO in 15 years or so!
3-11 or more Win Seasons!
7 New Years Day Bowls….5-2 in those games!
6 Top 10 Finishes in the Polls!
2 Top 3 Finishes!
2-2 vs the Genius Les Miles….including laying 50 on them in Baton Rogue!
1-1 in SEC title games.
2-3 vs the Genius Nick Satan…if he so great why not 5-0 vs Richt?
Before mentioning the Bama loss a few years back…easy to forget the thrashing that UGA/Richt put on Nick and LSU at home in 2004. Thought Nick was just so far ahead of Richt?
National Championships?….In 2002 and 2007, UGA wasn’t “given” the opportunity. Would have possibly won both! Bama and LSU were “given” 2nd chances with similar teams. Its a Mythical NC….Not based on Reality!
10-1 vs Yech!
Georgia Bulldogs….2011 SEC East Champions!
Perpetual State Champions!
Yep….this is all medocrity….Jealous Stupid Naysayers and Irrational So Called Fans.
Dawg '88
March 13th, 2012
12:35 pm
First post of the day…”he hasn’t really done much” for UGA?
REALLY!!! What a stupid ignorant statement!
Read above…uninformed/irrational folks!
Plus forgot…he has something that Saban never will!
Integrity!
Others find ways around the rules….Richt does not…he lives what he preaches!
daddo
March 13th, 2012
12:37 pm
Alabama fans are rejoicing: FIVE more years of Richt. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……………
SoCal_GT_Fan
March 13th, 2012
12:54 pm
Congrats to Coach Richt and Coach Grantham. They deserve to get extension if this yellow jacket is allowed to give his honest opinion. All I have to say with Richt is that WE (GaTech) is 1-10 against him. An upgrade for dawg fans when compared to the previous regime. The D-Coord Grantham did seem to upgrade the Defense.
I know there are detractors but all I gotta say is that Richt has been able to have a winning record in the toughest conference in the country. He’s the longest tenured coach in the conference and that says A LOT about how hard it is to win and win consistently in the SEC. Of course he’s had his down years but ya know talent and execution alone won’t get ya to the top of this conference. Injuries, luck, and other things also play a factor.
As for Malcolm Mitchell, it sounds like the coaching staff is trying to get him the max number of reps possible at CB during the spring practices so he can play both ways when the season begins. So, I wouldn’t worry about MM switching completely to CB.
Should Earn It
March 13th, 2012
1:04 pm
You better watch this guy from Penn State!!!!
6-18 Against Ranked Teams Since '05
March 13th, 2012
1:15 pm
@Dawg ‘88…..my name says it all. He hasn’t done squat since ‘05. As much as it pains me to say this as a UGA fan, I’ve really come to believe he’s become a con artist. As for his “turnaround” 10 win season last year….he went 1-4 against ranked teams….and now he gets a fat new contract!
….go sell it someplace else, no one’s buyin’ it here….
Matt
March 13th, 2012
1:16 pm
Dawg ‘88 = the definition of a Richt apologist!! BCS Championships: Tennessee (1), Auburn (1), Florida (2), LSU (2), Alabama (2). Georgia hasn’t even played in THE game. And don’t cry about being left out until you go undefeated and get left out like Auburn did in 2004. Richt lost 4 games last year and 7 the year before. That’s the definition of mediocrity!!
Shorty
March 13th, 2012
1:23 pm
Don’t forget Richt’s 5 losses in 2009 and his humiliating losses to Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Tech in 2008 (his “#1″ team).
Patrick
March 13th, 2012
3:14 pm
5 more years for CMR = misery.
Joey
March 13th, 2012
3:30 pm
Dawg ‘88, Richt got beat by underdogs in both ‘02 and ‘07, and that kept UGA out of the Big Game.
Not bad luck or conspiracies.
DawgNole
March 13th, 2012
4:49 pm
GTBob
March 13th, 2012
10:10 am
Sorry guys; I couldn’t get on here last night because my mom and dad had to use the computer. And, well, I like to be in my Incredible Hulk PJ’s by the time they come around to read me “Bambi” at bedtime.
________________________
I’m sure the rest of the bloggers are delighted to have you back.
barneyfife
March 13th, 2012
6:19 pm
Was it Albert Einstein who said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result”? Well, insanity reigns supreme in Athens. For a great read, get “Behind the Hedges”, written by an ex-AJC reporter. For those of who who are still drinking the UGA kool-aod, it will life the scales off your eyes. I am a UGA grad, and embarrassed by my Alma Mater’s comittmentto mediocrity at its finest.
Lakedawg
March 13th, 2012
6:48 pm
Man the trolls and couch potato fans awake today.Hope to Hades thata few of these did have season tickets and gave them. Trying to increase my 6 to 8 and then when Dawgs going undefeated will consider selling you a couple for a premiom.
Take a look at Tannessee, somebody want dooley/
Have complete confidence in McGarity and Coach Richt. Best recruiting class yet coming this year and yeah we do beat LSU in Atlanta this year. By the way may have a couple extra for that game also.
Both men are easily accessible just give them a call for appointment and have a face if you are man enough.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
March 14th, 2012
11:43 am
@ Barney Fife:
You certainly aren’t any more embarassed about UGA than we, the Huge Majority of Real Dawg Nation(aka RDN) are embarrassed over having you as a DFINO(Dog fan in name only). Do Real Dawg Nation a favor. There are over 100 D-1 teams out there. Pick one and remember, in the words of Lewis Grizzard “Delta is ready when you are”.
@ Lakedawg: (6:48 pm post)
You said it best brother. Fortunately we have many more folks like you in Real Dawg Nation than we have like Barney Fife and his ilk.
The 5 year and 2 year extensions for CMR and CTG, respectively, will hopefully, drive the DFINOs off this blog although they have right to their opinions but it is hard to understand some of those single digit IQs who know less about more than anybody else.
Kudos to you and the rest of Real Dawg Nation(RDN)
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
March 14th, 2012
11:54 am
@ Dawg 88:
Sorry I didn’t read your post sooner!!!
Please refer back to my 11:43 am post to Barney Fife and Lake Dawg.
You sir are a DGD and all my acolades to Lakedawg apply to you also.
Have a nice life and GOOOOOOOOO DAWGSSSSSSSSSS.
CMR for President and CTG for Secretary of Defense……………….After they retire from UGA in about 15 years from now.