Georgia dismisses defensive coaches

Georgia football coach Mark Richt said for several weeks that he would do what it takes to get the Bulldogs back among the Southeastern Conference elite.

On Wednesday he acted by scalping his defensive staff, firing coordinator Willie Martinez, ends coach Jon Fabris and linebackers coach John Jancek. Only line coach Rodney Garner remains on that side of the ball following Richt's first forced departures since running backs coach Tony Pierce left midway through the 2002 season.

"I did not take any pleasure in the decision," Richt said. "It was a very difficult thing to do, but after painstaking reflection and time to think about the whole situation, I felt like this is the best decision for Georgia right now."

All three coaches have been offered the chance to coach the 7-5 Bulldogs in the Independence Bowl but no longer will be involved in recruiting.

Martinez and Fabris, the son of the late Rossville High coach Frank Fabris, were members of Richt's inaugural staff in 2001. When defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left after the '04 season, Martinez was elevated from secondary coach and Jancek was hired to assume linebacker duties.

Of the three greatest seasons under Richt -- the 2002 SEC title, the '05 SEC title and finishing No. 2 in '07 -- Martinez was defensive coordinator for two of them. Yet most numbers recently haven't worked in his favor, as the Bulldogs went from allowing 16.4 points a game in '05 to 17.1, 20.2 and 25.6 the next three years to 26.4 this season.

The Bulldogs have given up 37 or more points 11 times under Martinez, including nine times the past two seasons, after never doing so under VanGorder.

"It definitely wasn't a one-year, knee-jerk reaction to this situation," Richt said. "I can promise you that."

Martinez, a former University of Miami teammate of Richt, interviewed for the head-coaching vacancy at Florida International late in 2007 before withdrawing. He had three safeties consecutively earn All-America status with Sean Jones (2003), Thomas Davis (2004) and Greg Blue (2005).

"I am very thankful to Mark Richt and the University of Georgia for nine great years in Athens," Martinez said in a statement. "I am proud to have been an integral part of two SEC championships, three BCS bowl bids, four top-10 rankings and 89 victories since 2001. I look forward to my next coaching opportunity."

Fabris was responsible for the development of David Pollack, Georgia's only three-time All-American other than Herschel Walker.

Richt does not have a timetable for hiring a defensive coordinator, who will have the ability to suggest the other two hires. He added that the remaining six assistants are in good shape.

"We want to get back to the top of the Eastern Division and the top of the SEC," he said. "Those are the goals, and that's what we're going after. We want to bring in the finest coaches that we can."