Coaching rumors, episode two

Had planned to look at Herman today. But that ship has been tethered closer to Houston. And really, truly, this is all about Kirby Smart.

Reading the tea leaves a little more closely, Pruitt, Rocker, and others joined Thomas Brown and Bryan McLendon on the recruiting trail yesterday afternoon. Our defensive coordinator appears to have been a sticking point for Smart and UGA. Again, that's just the way I'm reading things. But suddenly Pruitt leaves to recruit just after Herman agrees in principle with Houston and just before news of Muschamp and South Carolina getting cozier grains national attention.

Pruitt and McGarity don't get along. Hell, sounds like my dear, sweet grandmother Rosalie might not have enjoyed spending time with Jeremy Pruitt. But if you've fired the most successful coach in the program's history just to put all your eggs in Kirby's basket, you better find a way to iron some shit out.

So yeh, my best guess is we'll have something definitive in the hours after the SECCG. And perhaps by then we might even have a better idea of other assistants coming with Smart. Sure, there's always a chance this turns sideways. I mean, it was our own athletic director who couldn't answer the simple question yesterday of who was on the road recruiting. So UGA can definitely screw this up. But it certainly appears as if Smart is satisfied with the details and UGA is all in on bringing him home.

Richt says goodbye

Press conference is over. Sounds like the one most thankful it's over is the one most responsible for it happening in the first place.

Coach Richt on the other hand looked and sounded like he had a good night's sleep.

LISTEN | @MarkRicht says "thank you" to #BulldogNation in today's press conference... @IMGAudio ---> https://t.co/5HqGtSbDzq

— Scott Howard (@UGAVoice) November 30, 2015

Coaching rumors, episode one

I know. I’m just not there yet with a Richt reflective piece. Gonna need a little more time to get it right. The man deserves that much.

For now, let’s delve into the rumor. Prevailing thought is that a deal is imminent with Kirby Smart to succeed Mark Richt as the head football coach at the University of Georgia. There’s some factors that make this more than just message bored fodder, namely the South Carolina coaching search.

Tom Herman (former Ohio State offensive coordinator and now the head coach at Houston) backed off of the Gamecocks’ overtures (as well as some others I would imagine) a couple weeks ago and that’s when AD Ray Tanner made a push for Smart. From what I’ve read, things progressed quickly, but naturally the Alabama defensive coordinator and UGA alum wanted to see what would happen in Athens before making a decision.

And it appears as if Athens was more than ready to open up backdoor communications.

From there we get that certain coaches like McClendon, Brown and Rocker are being retained and Smart is bringing specific coordinators with him. Muschamp has been mentioned as the potential defensive coordinator and I’ve read where Clay Helton (USC interim head coach)*, Bill Napier (Tide receivers coach) and several others as the possible offensive coordinator.

(At this point I don’t put much credence into assistant rumors. I only mention it as I’m sure a big factor in a coach like Smart’s decision to take his first head gig would be who he could retain and who he could bring with him. Given the recent connections between the Alabama coaching tree and UGA, I would think there is a lot for Smart to sort through.)

Last night after the team meeting there was loud noise, mostly from the defensive players, to #keepPruitt. I doubt Muschamp’s hissy fit on the sideline (and the field, twice) during the Iron Bowl helped his case to “come back home”. But in my opinion, his track record of mediocrity in the SEC as a coordinator speaks even louder than his F-bombs. If Pruitt can be retained along with Rocker, it would be a big plus for me as we played a lot of young players on defense this year.

Anyway, the main point here is that if the Kirby Smart rumor is true it appears to be a counter-move to step in the way of South Carolina getting him instead of us. I’ll be honest, I’m intrigued by Smart. That would win the press conference for sure. What worries me is we have at least a week before any kind of announcement is made as Kirby is a little busy this week continuing as Saban’s minion.

A lot can happen in a week. And most of it is not good considering the traction the story will get. Traction leads to more and more questions which adds more and more pressure. That’s where a confident and poised administration steps in and seizes control.

Unfortunately, everything we saw and heard outside of Butts-Mehre last night speaks to the opposite of confident and poised. Therefore today’s press conference needs to restore order, at an absolute minimum.

*Helton has been promoted from interim to USC's new head coach

McGarity's way, the power play

As I try to put some thoughts and words together to honor the end of an era, I keep coming back to this moment of complete douchebaggery that was made public today:

By the way, Richt had to know he was in trouble when McGarity made him fly commercial to Washington to visit Jacob Eason

— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) November 29, 2015

This is the man we're trusting to find our next coach. And now that the cat's out of that bag, what coach would want to work for this asshat? If he treats his long-tenured head coach like this, unless your only offer is to replace Richt, why not look elsewhere?

This may be a quick search. Most tend to agree that McGarity had to have a plan in place before he fired Richt. If we don't know soon who the next coach is, things have backfired on our bean counting, dipshit of an Athletic Director and things will start to spiral into back up plans.

Like Coach Inman said, I'm not worried about Coach Richt. I'm worried about Georgia football.

Richt fired.

Welp, I asked. And McGarity has responded.

Georgia has fired Mark Richt, a source told https://t.co/IUb98wmtlA

— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) November 29, 2015

I agree with Fletcher, both opposing views are right. I don't agree with this move. But if they were going to make it, it was important to make it now and not in January.

I'll have more later. For now, glad Richt will get to coach in the bowl game. Hope he goes out on top. Go Dawgs!

The deafening silence from Butts-Mehre

Watching the post-game after LSU's win - Les singing before finishing his interview, carried off the field, and then using his press conference as a big ol' "take that chumps" - I could only think about what Butts-Mehre is thinking. Hours later, still no vote of confidence and nary a pink slip.

The coaches will hit the recruiting road soon. Sure would be nice to have something said. Something.

Don't get me wrong. Joe Alleva handled this week about as poorly as an athletic director could. But he and the boosters with knives in their hands knew when it was (finally) time to put them down and allow Miles to enjoy the moment and continue to run the football program.

Seems to me like Richt deserves that much, at a minimum. He just beat Tech for the 13th time in his 15 year career. As MaconDawg pointed out, that's as many times as Tech has won the game in my lifetime.

Don't let the cloud linger through the bowl season. Put on your big boy pants and step in with your alternate plan, or pat Richt on the back and give him a vote of confidence his recruits can have faith in.

Friday Misery - "propelled by some mysterious drive"

A few things before I call an audible.
1. This was a hectic travel week.
B. The several paragraphs for this post I did manage to write were chop blocked garbage.
4. Y'all know already I want to win this game.
And C. I've grown tired of being that guy standing on his lawn yelling into a tornado to get of my lawn.

So today, something different. I mean, only two of you are actually at home instead of in a line at a Wal-Mart to save $50 on a 27" flat screen, and have internet connectivity, and aren't in a food coma. Meanwhile, the family and I have about 500 miles to cover between my in-laws and my birthday bourbon. So, let's chat! Most of I-85 has decent cell signal.

To participate you must be over eighteen years of age, you have to watch the video (NSFW) below as it is today's theme song, and you have to have already read every single #FridayMisery in its entirety. Or, at least a half of one.

And please, send in your qualified comments/questions. Preferably in the comments below, but you can also tweet one to me with #FridayMisery tagged (for disclosure and publication approval) and I'll find a way to add it.

Now, some narcissism, some OCD. (again, NSFW)

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What? You need inspiration? C'mon man. Let's beat the enginerds! Go Dawgs!

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Don't let a gobbler get the drop on ya!

             h/t AHD

Discussions on the table

Repeat after me..."Program first. Always."

So much temptation to spout off about "December decisions". So much gravy there y'all. But, there's a game this week. I don't care if it's Richt last game, next to last, or the next of a hundred more. Let's join hands and focus together.

They beat us last year. That was awful. Remember?

The AJC's Mark Bradley, Jeff Shultz, and Paul
Johnson celebrate 'tween the hedges.

Discussions not on the table until at least supper time Saturday:

1. Schoddy gotta go! Sure, I was just talking about how this is Richt's worst hire since he promoted fourth and Willie. But we can talk about this later. Trust me. TRUST ME! Refocus point: how can we move the ball against this terrible defense? Is Keith Marshall finally healthy? Does our schoddy OC have the stones to bend ol' turkey neck over and make him gobble?
2. Pruitt is done. Defense has played lights out of late. Let's just turn our heads away from whatever it was he may or may not have done last month and focus on stopping this vaunted option offense. Refocus point: how can we create turnovers for our schoddy offense? How can Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins improve upon what they did last week?
3. Richt is done. He owns these bastards. Whether you like the man or not, you owe him the support of rooting and cheering and believing and barking and kicking their ass yet again at Historic Mark Richt Field. Refocus point: get your head out of your ass.
4. We're going to lose anyway. Refocus point: 1) you're at the wrong blog again dumbass. 2) you're getting real late for your jump onto the Auburn bandwagon. 3) you're tater tots are burning and Michael Wilbon's mom would like a word at the top of the stairs.

Discussions that are on the table with the stuffing and the gravy and the turkey leg(s) and the pumpkin pie and the handle of bourbon and the sweet potatoes and the stuffing again and the fork you forgot to use at the in-laws' table and your wife is glaring at you again:

1. Why we should always beat Tech and why this is an important game despite what you just read on twitter and the dawgvent and your second cousin that took 12 semester hours of classes on North Avenue's facebook feed.

We beat Tech. We do it TOGETHER!! Because if we don't, we're no better than they are.

Not much left to say, except y'all enjoy some family and friends the next couple days, don't patron any business that forces employees to work during a God honest Holiday, and I'll see you back here Friday morning. And also, don't be a dipshit. Go Dawgs! 

Oh, and repeat after me again...Program first, always. ALWAYS. Beating tech is good for Georgia. Period!

Monday's thoughts on Georgia Southern

A day late and a dollar short, but...

- The Eagles were exactly who we thought they were. Those that thought Georgia would pull away and cover either underestimated GSU harshly or have a lot more faith in Schottenheimer than I do. (And maybe his boss as well...hmmm...)
- What a great game for our defense though. My Eagle friends were explaining to us at the tailgate how their offense is a little different than what we see from Tech. Hard argue that this wasn't a good "tune-up" for Clean Old Fashioned Hate, but glad Pruitt's guys didn't treat it that way.
- They also said that Ellison is pretty banged up after a season of wear and tear. So when GSU put Upshaw in they took some shots down field to loosen things up. I thought they had as much momentum late in the game and in overtime as we could claim. If Fritz had decided to play overtime conservative, no telling how things would have played out. They were trusting a kicker who hasn't been on the job that long. And Marshall had already missed one and banked in an extra point.
- Was especially worried when Trent Thompson didn't trot out there, but Mayes had a whale of a game in the middle. Our linebackers were free to roam most of the night and as a result we were able to hold Breida to a season low in yards.
- All in all, a decent game for Lambert. If he hits some open receivers it's probably a little easier to breath towards the end.
- Michel carries the load again. Marshall still not healthy evidently and Douglas only had two carries. If Marshall is limited at all this week I hope we use McKenzie more on those sweeps.
- Speaking of which, can that little guy throw the ball?

It was a great game. Great way for the seniors to go out and a fine evening to be in Sanford to close out the home schedule. Let's eat some turkey, get to Atlanta and then remind Tech why we own their ass.

Go Dawgs!

Picture of the night right there.