Georgia AD Greg McGarity blew chance to regain fan support

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity had a chance to quell the fears and anger that erupted over Mark Richt’s dismissal, but in one single press conference he blew that chance.

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When Georgia AD Greg McGarity made the decision to part ways with longtime head coach Mark Richt, the backlash was swift, expected and somewhat justified. So instead of taking the time during the joint press conference with the now former head coach to eloquently explain to fans and the media the reasoning behind this decision, he hid behind empty rhetoric and a microphone.

Everyone who viewed this press conference knew what Mark Richt was going to say. He was going to be gracious, and humble. He was going to be the same Mark Richt that he’d been for 15 years, and take everything with kind of humility everyone has come to expect.

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“It’s part of the business. It’s not all that shocking to think that it could happen,” Richt said as he sat alongside McGarity at the press conference. “My focus was always on moving forward and recruiting and bringing in the best class we could bring in and continue to build a future team that would be able to win a championship. But it didn’t work out that way.”

Vintage Mark Richt.

But beyond knowing how obviously grounded Mark Richt was going to be, everyone had the same question on their lips, laptops and pencils for Greg McGarity…

Why?

Why fire arguably the most successful football coach in your school’s history after a 9-win regular season capped off by a victory on the road against the program’s biggest rival? Why now, of all times?

The answer, to those waiting for the breakdown of McGarity’s thought process, was stunning.

“That remains to be between Mark and myself. We had a good, mature, adult conversation on Sunday morning, an hour, hour-and-a-half or so. Those things will remain between Mark and myself.”

That’s it? That’s his explanation?

Why not just skip through the building chanting “I’ve got a se-cret, I’ve got a se-cret”…it would have been just as effective at making the Georgia fan base feel completely out of the loop and in the dark. McGarity pulled the rug from under millions of Mark Richt and Georgia supporters, and then threw it over their heads.

The people who ultimately pay McGarity’s salary deserved better.

Obviously not every detail of the conversation between McGarity and Richt was for public ears, but the thought process…the reasoning…the “here’s what ultimately decided this matter” statement are still important to those who follow and financially support that program.

Oct 31, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt looks on against the Florida Gators during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This was Greg McGarity’s chance to save face, and to let fans know that he had things well under control. To show that the ship was not sinking. Instead he stumbled around as if under a puppeteer’s control and made himself out to be the biggest UGA athletics villain since Jan Kemp.

Mark Richt will coach again, he even alluded to that during the press conference. Some school is going to snatch him up and put him on display as a shining example of what you can find if you just wait for some impatient football program to toss away someone valuable.

The same may not be said for McGarity. He is under pressure to deliver like Mark Richt has been for the last decade.

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This coaching search will be his legacy. If Georgia turns into another version of Tennessee or Nebraska, and finds years of middling to bad seasons, McGarity will be at his own dismissal press conference. Fire Mark Richt, and bring in the next Ray Goff, and your athletics administrative career is looking pretty bleak.

McGarity had his chance with the fans, and he blew it. The Georgia faithful had best hope he’s better at finding coaches than he is at firing them.