Millard Grimes: Who really fired Mark Richt?

Georgia has moved on and designated a new head football coach, but the question remains: Who really decided that Mark Richt must be fired?

The hatchet man was Greg McGarity, the athletic director, but he could not have made that decision on his own. Jere Morehead, UGA's president, surely had to be in on the verdict, and there must have been additional individuals.

An Atlanta newspaper reported that "serious discussion (about Richt's position) had been going on since Georgia's loss to Florida on Oct. 31" and that many state decision-makers and influential alumni made their feelings known to McGarity and Morehead. According to the university's official statement Sunday morning, "The two parties (presumably McGarity and Richt) mutually agreed to part ways."

But obviously McGarity had been planning this course for several weeks, while Richt had declared as recently as Saturday night that he planned to be Georgia's coach and would start recruiting the next day.

Even for Richt's detractors - and there are quite a few despite his impressive record as a coach and as a good representative of the University and football - the sudden dismissal or "firing" was a shock and there has been little cheering from Bulldog fans, even "influential alumni and opinion makers." In fact, McGarity and Morehead are now on the hot seat themselves. The fallout has not been good for the university or for college football. I daresay there are more "disgruntled" Georgia supporters today than last Saturday.

Mark Richt played the game the way a coach is supposed to play, by the rules and as a man who cared about his players as individuals. He was respected as a citizen of Athens - and as a coach; his record over 15 years is 145-51, the best percentage of any coach in Georgia's history, and in the toughest conference in the nation.

At worst, Richt deserved another season at Georgia. That would not only have been fairer to him, but it would also have been better for the football program. As it is now, many recruits for next season appear unsure. Some current players who will have the option of going to the pros next year may also leave.

Then there is the coaching staff, which is essential to any strong program, and also commands an increasing amount of salary expense. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruett, a controversial figure in recent weeks although the defense obviously won the late games this season after the offense virtually disappeared, is surely gone.

The final record was still impressive, despite rumors of discord, not to mention losing the team's outstanding player, Nick Chubb, during the sixth game of the season. Chubb was really something, the best running back since Herschel Walker and the irreplaceable leader of the team. His absence can't be measured, but would surely have made the difference in the narrow winning margins.

The next coach will be Kirby Smart and, as a Georgia alumnus and longtime resident of Athens, I wish him luck. He'll certainly need it. The 2016 Bulldogs will face an early test against North Carolina, once a regular opponent, but not seen by the Bulldogs since since 1970. Next year's schedule also includes Ole Miss and the usual slate of SEC opponents. That would be a formidable challenge even for a seasoned coaching staff. Florida's new coach this past year was an exception to the rule that new coaches usually need several years to produce a good record, but Florida had gone through the dismal years with Will Muschamp, Auburn's current defensive coordinator, who climaxed his season by drawing a 15-yard penalty which killed a late drive for Auburn against Alabama. For several years Muschamp and Smart, both former UGA players, were assistants under Nick Saban, and were considered sure successes as head coaches. For Muschamp, it hasn't worked. Smart is only 39, and has never been a head coach at any level. Uncertainty at quarterback this year contributed to the criticism of Richt, along with his choice of an offensive coordinator. But that wasn't enough to overlook his record of 15 years. He should have gotten another year. He deserved it and so did the Bulldog Nation, which is now divided and faced with a major rebuilding project.

And the question remains: who really decided Richt had to go?

Millard Grimes, editor of the Columbus Enquirer from 1961-69 and founder of the Phenix Citizen. is author of "The Last Linotype: The Story of Georgia and Its Newspapers Since World War II." A profile of Grimes can be found in the Georgia Encyclopedia, www.georgiaencyclopedia.org.

This story was originally published December 7, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Millard Grimes: Who really fired Mark Richt? ."