Mark Richt: “Jeremy Pruitt is our Defensive Coordinator”

If Schottenheimer were to be let go after just one season, it’d cost the athletic department almost $2 million to buy out the last two years of his contract.

“Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports has a more generalized report, stating that his sources say “…Richt is dealing with lots of friction inside the Georgia football program, a few of it stemming from the old guard Bulldog staff versus the new guard regarding numerous changes in how the Dawgs program is run”.

Among those reported changes: Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is out, and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, viewed as a liability, could be, too. USA Today’s Dan Wolken took it a step further Thursday, writing that “the intense and brash Pruitt has butted heads with the laid-back Richt, who has never been a fan of the idea that Alabama influence has become pervasive in his program”.

Georgia boosters have voiced their displeasure with Richt, indicating that they are losing faith in him and that Richt’s 15-year tenure at Georgia could be in jeopardy.

Whereas many Georgia fans are wavering in their faith in Richt, its players aren’t. Names like Jimbo Fisher, Dabo Swinney, Mark Dantonio, David Shaw, Jim Mora, Gary Patterson and James Franklin would all come up initially with other potentially available big names like Bill O’Brien certain to be linked with Georgia. The man who Grantham replaced, Willie Martinez, began as a secondary coach with the program in 2001 and worked his way into the defensive coordinator role.

Wolken notes that Pruitt is likely gone at the end of this season, but Richt is also closer to being out the door than in any previous year.

I think he has come over and been very boisterous, been very loud. I imagine Mark is evaluating things, but this is not a good situation. He personally has hired four of the assistant coaches over there including the weight guy. But he hasn’t been able to fix the Bulldogs defense and has “butted heads” with Richt.