ATHENS - There has been scuttlebutt on Texas A&M web sites for a few days that the new SEC school may be targeting Mark Richt for its football head coaching vacancy. Then on Sunday night Brent Zwenerman, who covers Texas A&M for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express, reported that Richt was indeed a candidate.
Here's what I can tell you at the moment:
- Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity texted me (and several other colleagues) to say the following: "No truth whatsoever."
- Why would McGarity know? For one thing, he and Richt spent practically all of Thursday together, attending the Outback Bowl signing party in Tampa.
- Richt has not been acting like a coach who's going somewhere. He made an in-person visit to Keith Marshall on Sunday night, and a couple days later Marshall, the nation's top-rated tailback, committed to Georgia.
All this isn't to say there may not have been some contact. I don't have enough information to confirm that. But it's important to remember that Richt has two years left on his contract, and from what I've heard has begun talks with Georgia on an extension. It wouldn't be unheard of for a coach or his agent to be allowing his name to float at another school for leverage purposes.
Then again, Texas A&M is a pretty good job. There's a reason the SEC wanted the school to join. But a source I spoke to on Sunday night also questioned whether Richt would want to "uproot his family" and start over now.
I should have some more tangible information later this morning. Stay tuned.
10:00 a.m. update
Nothing too much new, although I think it's fair to say this: We are at the point where Richt and Georgia are playing the game, so to speak, the kind that normally ends with a new contract being signed. But until something is announced, you never know.
Noon update
Full disclosure here: I had a 9 a.m. appointment today with McGarity, but it had to be rescheduled for this afternoon ... because McGarity - according to colleague Gentry Estes at Dawgs247.com - was busy opening up contract talks with Richt.
After I have my sit-down, assuming this one isn't rescheduled too, I'll pass along more information.
The person we haven't heard from yet is Richt himself. I suspect he won't maintain radio silence for too much longer.
