Skip to main content

Report: Georgia AD wanted to fire Mark Richt, was overruled

Georgia coach Mark Richt's reportedly dysfunctional relationship with second-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt isn't the only sign of a possible coaching change at yet another major college program.

It's also not the first sign that change could be in the offing for the Bulldogs.

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity wanted to terminate Richt after last season, according to USA Today, but school president Jere Morehead prevented the move. The Bulldogs finished with a 10-3 record last season, but an embarrassing blowout loss to a rival Florida team facing upheaval of its own kept the Bulldogs out of the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs also lost to in-state rival Georgia Tech and they were relegated to the Belk Bowl.

According to multiple media reports Thursday, Richt's working relationship with Pruitt isn't good at all, with the USA Today report describing it as "toxic."

Richt issued a tweet that really didn't address reports of strife within the staff:

The Bulldogs have lost three of their last four games to fall out of the SEC East race for the third consecutive season, and will be mathematically eliminated if Florida beats Vanderbilt on Saturday.



Richt has been a consistent winner at Georgia, going 141-51 over 15 seasons. But 2015 will almost certainly be his 10th consecutive year without an SEC title, a lengthy wait even for a Georgia fan base and administration that is known to be more patient than some of the SEC's other powerhouse programs.

There are already 10 open college coaching jobs at the FBS level.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *@ChaseGoodbread*.