Georgia players react to Mark Richt's job status

ATLANTA -- After the end of a stressful regular season, Georgia head coach Mark Richt knew exactly what he was going to do when he got back to Athens after the Bulldogs' 13-7 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday.

"I could look at (the film Saturday), but I'll probably be a college football fan and watch a bunch of other coaches sweat it out," Richt said.

There's a certain irony in that statement. Given all of the heat that Richt has endured throughout this season, his sweating might just be beginning. Rumors have swirled around the program about staff infighting and a potential Richt ouster following a disappointing three-loss October. With the regular season just ending, the coaching carousel is just beginning to spin.

For the team, it has been another potential distraction in an up-and-down season. As senior outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins pointed out, it's becoming harder to ignore outside noise with social media. But plenty of Georgia players said that hasn't been a problem.

"It's been difficult, but we all had the right mindset to block all the clutter out, all the outside stuff going on, social media, the coaches and all that," sophomore safety Dominick Sanders said. "We've all blocked that out and told ourselves we've got to continue doing what we're doing."

Following the game, Richt seemed pretty adamant that he had no indication that he would be going anywhere and he was looking forward to getting out on the recruiting trail before bowl preparation kicks up.

Likewise, Jenkins expressed some faith in Richt's status with the program.

"I don't feel like they'll be changing," Jenkins said. "Richt will probably live out his contract, and then whatever happens after that is up to the program and Coach Richt."

That being said, Richt is not athletics director Greg McGarity, and neither is Jenkins. McGarity, along with a host of others in the football offices, will have to make a decision on Richt's future.

The players have little say about what happens next, but they can comment on what has happened thus far. Sanders, James DeLoach and several others took the middle ground, saying they weren't going to comment on whether the criticism around Richt was fair.

"I really don't want to get into that," Sanders said. "I really have no idea with that. The outside people are going to say whatever."

Jenkins and senior receiver Malcolm Mitchell were more outgoing in their responses, saying that the criticism is unfair. As several players pointed out, there is only so much a coach can control, and ultimately, the blame should fall on the players, not the coaches, when things don't go well.

"It's an SEC school, so you're going to face some adversity throughout the season," Mitchell said. "I just think it's football. You win some, you lose some."

"Some of the weight has to be carried by the players, not just solely on the coaches," Jenkins said. "We've had great plays made, great plays left on the field and, I mean, ultimately the coaches can draw up the best scheme, but, at the same time, the players have to perform and listen to the coaches to execute that. I think it's slightly unfair."

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Georgia players react to Mark Richt's job status ."