Dear President Morehead,
I only have one football team I care about — the Georgia Bulldogs. I’ve been a fan for more than forty years, as long as I’ve cared about the game.
I’m a member of a Facebook group called “Georgia Fans Who Support Mark Richt,” which has more than 13,000 members.
I’m going to ask these friends of mine also voice their objections to the ridiculous, ill-conceived decision by Greg McGarity to fire Mark Richt.
I’m fairly certain that Greg McGarity has destroyed the future of our football team by firing Coach Richt at this moment in time and set our program back for years to come.
There just aren’t that many coaches of the caliber and with the character of Coach Richt. When the coach who finishes the season at 9-3 is fired and the coach who finishes 3-9 keeps his job, something is really screwed up. If somebody needed to go, it was Greg McGarity.
As long as Mr. McGarity remains as your athletic director, I cannot in good conscience continue to support Georgia football until he’s gone. Neither shall I wear Georgia gear, attend games, wear the UGA apparel that I already own, or donate money to the school.
Mr. McGarity has been the problem, and now he just fired the solution. No Georgia fan is dumb enough to believe the reports claiming this decision was mutual. Greg McGarity fired Mark Richt, and now you need to fire Greg McGarity.
Please. Today. Get rid of him before he can do any more harm.
I am asking my fellow members of the Bulldog Nation and UGA alumni to consider joining my boycott of UGA until Greg McGarity either resigns or has been fired, and to let President Morehead know how you feel. Mr. McGarity hasn’t been willing to spend the money necessary to build the premier football program in the SEC, and punished Coach Richt for his own incompetence. We’re never going to compete for national championships while Mr. McGarity controls the funds for the program.
Our football program has now been destroyed. I am devastated, a very sad Bulldog today.
Sincerely,
John Leonard
[My brief message to the Bulldog Nation:]
You may express your displeasure with this boneheaded decision to Greg McGarity’s office by calling 706-542-9037, the direct number into the Athletic Director’s office.
To ask Mr. McGarity to offer his resignation to President Morehead, you may contact him with those requests by emailing him at the following address: gmcgarity@sports.uga.edu.
To encourage President Morehead to accept McGarity’s resignation, you may reach him by calling the president’s office at 706-542-1214, or by email: president@uga.edu.
Please, make your voices heard!
I have been a fan and supporter for 50 plus years. Today I am ashamed to be a fan. I can’t understand how you can look yourselves in the mirror after doing this horrible deed. Not only was this man coaching these young men to play football but giving them a good foundation for handling life. How can you look at his record and do this. Has greed and winning become so important above morals and values. I feel like a family member died today. I say fire the AD and let Mark Right have that job. Karma has a way of coming back around with a vengeance. Good luck Mark Right and thank you for all the wonderful memories. I live you and highly respect you and your values.
Not to mention Mark Richt never had back to back losses to Georgia Tech. If this new coach comes in and has consecutive losses to Georgia Tech then that would be an epic failure. I will no longer be buying anymore Georgia gear as well. I can’t support a team that with an athletic director like McGarity. He doesn’t care about class or loyalty. Karma is going to hit Georgia Bulldogs hard, and it will be a direct result of McGarity’s ego.
Very sad day to be a Dawg…this Ga fan of over 30 years couldn’t agree more with John. I just can’t believe this is how you treat the Man that did so much for the Dawgs.The AD needs to go. Do this before he causes any more damage!! PLEASE!!!!!
I graduated from UGA in 1963 making me a TRUE BULLDOG for 52 years. Never in those years have I felt as devastated as I feel today. Greg McGarity needs to be FIRED NOW. He has made the entire Bulldawg Nation ashamed to be associated with a university whose President would allow ONE INEPT INDIVIDUAL to fire a winning coach. Who, in his right mind, would fire a coach who has/and has had winning seasons. CMR is much more that a great coach–he is a Christian teacher who loves UGA and all the team. Whey fix something that isn’t broken–STUPIDITY..
Sad to see CMR being Fired when it was the Wrong Mark being Fired! Fire Mark McGarity Morehead!
Very well put, John. McGarity has never shown any real support for the Ga athletics. He has never put money into the football program or any of the other sporting programs. It is in fact the athletic programs, especially the football program that brings in the most money into the university. McGraity needs to be replaced and someone put in that knows what it is going to take to to make not only the football team, butt he other athletic teams compete for championships. In My opinion, Mcgarity has to go
Today I speak with a sad heart…Coach Richt not only cared about our football program he cared for the young men that were entrusted to him…I have been a Dawg fan for over 53 years and I can honestly say this is the first time I have been ashamed to wear my Red & Black……I’ve always told people that big G stood for God and Georgia football …..But today I feel it stands for neither….I agree McGarity should be fired and Coach Richt reinstated …..Until something is done to slove this problem I will no longer support or wear anything from UGA…..and in closing I would like to say Coach Richt is a DGD and this is what I want representing my school .
I have been a season ticket holder (read Contributor) for 46 years. I am seriously thinking of not buying season tickets any longer (read not contributing). I really think the Hartman Fund will take a large hit this year with all the unsatisfied fans over the loss of CMR. The best % of games won, ever by a UGA coach. The greatest positive impact on his players lives of any UGA coach. I enjoy winning, but I want it done the right way, the RICHT way.
I was dumbfounded when I read on Sports Center that Mark Richt had been fired. In a time where character, leadership, and positive role modeling is in short supply, Mark Richt showed the athletic world that the University of Georgia had such a leader in Coach Richt. Now? Well, perhaps I misjudged the values of the University. Now I’m simply saddened that UGA has such a person as Coach Richt, with an excellent record is not good enough. Shame on UGA.
You’re upset and disappointed. I understand. I understand liking the head coach and supporting the team. I get ALL of that.
However.
“Neither shall I wear Georgia gear, attend games, wear the UGA apparel that I already own, or donate money to the school.”
You are showing your loyalty to an individual, not the school. I DON’T get that. I am a fan of the red jerseys and the red helmets with the “G” on the side of them. I’ll NEVER withhold my support for that. NEVER.
No matter what . . . always a DAWG!
Go DAWGS!!!! Sic ’em!!
I would like to ask one question that I’ve not seen yet but yet has to be on the back of everyone’s mind. It not to the best coach in my opinion that the Georgia bulldogs have ever been graced with ( love you mark) and to me you are Georgia football to me it will never ever be the same to me without you on the sidelines. I know my next comment may not get so much love as the first comment but here it goes anyways. My question is to Lambert son how does it feel to tear down an empire. Granted it was his decision to recruit you. In that sense I put the up most confidence in mark. But son you blew it I think.
In my latest article, I explained why this became inevitable in 2014. In my opinion, Greyson Lambert had very little, if anything to do with this decision…it was the Todd Gurley suspension that cost Richt his job.
Every so often, Greg McGarity lets a hint of the truth slip out in his public statements. He wanted to fire Richt last year.
CMR had a 9-3 season also last year and the gurley thing if mcgarity wanted to fire him then he would have. I love Georgia bulldogs all the way but grason Lambert sucks!!!! Look at his completions this season its horrible I put the Tennessee game on him and the Mizzou game they get the ball in the red zone ( on the ground) and he can’t get it in the in zone. HORRIBLE!! !!! he needs to find a nice high school team to play with.