The day after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 13-7, the University of Georgia announced that head football coach Mark Richt was stepping down. Richt, whose Bulldogs had finished the regular season 9-3, has been one of the most successful head coaches in college football over the last decade and a half. However, many felt that Richt had underperformed in big games, and losses to Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee this season ensured that the Bulldogs would once again be on the outside looking in as far as the SEC championship was concerned.
Ousting Richt was a controversial move, one that has had the Bulldog Nation divided since the news became public. Whether or not you agree with Richt’s dismissal, the simple fact is that he’s gone. In his place is former Alabama defensive coordinator (and former Bulldogs defensive back) Kirby Smart. Georgia moved quickly, hiring Smart immediately after Alabama won the SEC championship in early December. As soon as he was hired, Smart began contacting Georgia’s recruits. He knew most of them; he had recruited many of the same players for Alabama. His primary goal was to make sure that the recruits, many of whom were some of the top-ranked high school players in the country, remained committed to Georgia.
Among those recruits were two from South Georgia: Lee County offensive lineman Chris Barnes and Clinch County defensive lineman Chauncey Manac. Both players have been featured on the pages of this magazine as Player Spotlight athletes. And both have committed to Georgia. But would they be staying now that Richt is gone?
Barnes says he isn’t leaving. He committed to Georgia and he’s going to remain a Bulldog. “At first, I was kind of sad about Coach Richt,” he says. “I’ve talked to Coach Smart a couple of times. I don’t have a problem with it. Smart called Monday night after the Tech game. I talked to him for 15 or 20 minutes.”
Barnes had a few concerns about the changes to the Georgia staff. He wasn’t sure who Smart would keep and who would be leaving. Barnes also wanted to make sure Smart would still honor his scholarship. Once he had that initial conversation with Coach Smart, Barnes was more at ease with the changes. “Everything was good. My scholarship was still in place. He said he wanted to me to come up there ready to play. He wants a fast, strong, hard-hitting offensive line,” says Barnes.
That’s not to say that Barnes didn’t consider going somewhere else. He spoke with his coaches and his parents but in the end, he felt like Georgia was still the place for him. “Coach Smart is really motivated. I’m no stranger to him at all. I spoke with him three or four times when he was with Alabama. I know what Coach Richt had in mind for me. I’m not exactly sure what Coach Smart has for me but I will still be on the offensive line,” says Barnes.
In the Game reached out to Manac but was unable to speak with him before press time. On Friday, Dec. 11, Manac, the top-ranked high school player in South Georgia, helped lead his Clinch County Panthers to the Class A Public state championship. According to multiple recruiting sites, including 247sports.com, Manac remains 100 percent committed to the University of Georgia.
Special Feature/South Georgia/January 2016
Barnes, Manac to stay with Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
