Georgia linebacker on Mark Richt's firing: "It’s just messed up"
Jordan Jenkins believes Mark Richt got a raw deal from the University of Georgia. And he wasn’t afraid to express his opinion on Sunday night.
“It ain’t right. Ain’t no Georgia football without Coach Richt,” Jenkins told DawgNation. “Just the way he dealt with everybody up here. And the way it went down just don’t sit right. Just from what we’ve been hearing. We’re meeting with (athletics director Greg) McGarity tomorrow. But it’s just messed up.”
Richt was fired on Sunday after 15 years as Georgia’s head coach. He has a 145-51 record with the Bulldogs, and won two SEC championships.
Richt met with the team and most of the coaching staff on Sunday night at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, where Georgia’s football offices are located.
A photo of Richt, a devout Christian, praying with his team during the meeting was posted on Twitter.
This picture speaks a thousand words. This is more than a game and to his players, he was more than a coach. pic.twitter.com/L3C3r6F97s
— Hunter Long (@hlong73) November 30, 2015
Afterwards, most of the players left without speaking to the media, shielded by security that had been brought in by the school. But a few players chose to speak, including Jenkins, a four-year starter at outside linebacker for the Bulldogs.
“It just was jacked up. Not everybody on the team is sitting right with this,” Jenkins said. “But we’ll find out more stuff tomorrow.”
Fullback Quayvon Hicks spoke to DawgNation before the meeting. He said Richt is “a great man, as we all know,” but added that he understood that college football is a business.
“I guess it’s not my place to say a lot, but it’s a part of it,” Hicks said. “I’ve enjoyed my four years having him as a head coach. Thankful to be in this place. This G was here before me and will be with me after it. I guess you’ve just gotta understand it’s a part of the business. Do what you can to help the program. I think he’s done everything he can do. Obviously that decision is out of his hands, it’s out of our hands. As a team we’ve gotta make sure we stay together. Make sure that our minds are right. We understand it’s bigger than us.”
Like a lot of people, defensive end Josh Dawson was surprised that Richt was let go. He spoke highly of his coach.
“Yeah I was (surprised). Coach Richt’s a good guy. But Georgia’s doing what’s best for them,” Dawson said. “The guys will miss him. That’s the one thing. The guys will all miss him. He was a great coach to us.”
Richt will coach the Bulldogs in their bowl game. Dawson believes the team will try to send the coach out with a victory in his final game.
“I feel like they will fight, like they’ve always done. The older guys, the younger guys, we all love coach Richt,” Dawson said. “So I feel like we’ll fight for him.”