Tuesday Tidbits: Wednesday Edition

Instead of Mark Richt's usual Tuesday media session, we're doing it Wednesday. Here are the highlights:

-- Richt obviously wasn't thrilled about discussing the coaching hire at length, but that's the majority of the questions he got. He didn't reveal a ton of new info, but there were some highlights.

-- As for a timetable, he's not making any guarantees, but here's what he said: "I'd hate to think it goes much past the first week in January because you're back on the road recruiting. ... You'd like to hit the ground running at that point with your staff, but even then I'm not going to say 100 percent because we're not sure what will happen. But I wouldn't imagine it will go much past that."

-- On whether a hire could come before the bowl game: "I just don't know. I think I'll know when the time is right, and it's just so hard to predict."

-- Again, Richt was quick to keep from saying Rodney Garner would have too much control of the defense during the bowl. When asked about who would handle the defensive playcalling against A&M, Richt said his blanket statement on the subject would be that it will be a group effort.

-- Barring any setbacks, A.J. Green will definitely play in the bowl game. He practiced last weekend and will be practicing in a green non-contact jersey the rest of the way.

-- Montez Robinson will not make the trip to Shreveport.

-- Richt said he has been more involved in the defense, but it hasn't been much hands-on stuff in terms of playcalling or scheme. Rennie Curran said Richt's main job has been providing oversight and motivation.

-- GAs Todd Hartley and Mitch Doolittle will oversea kickoffs in the bowl game, while John Lilly will take over duties on punt return and block -- jobs that formerly belonged to Jon Fabris.

-- I asked Richt about Logan Gray's potential for a position change, and while he didn't officially commit to it, it sounds like it's definitely happening, and not because the coaches wanted it to: "Have we talked to Logan? Yes. And Logan wants to play. Logan is the one who's going to decide what he wants to do this spring. If he wants to stay strictly at QB and compete in that area, I'm all for it. If he wants to try another position and see if he can get more playing time in that role, I'm fine with that. I know that Logan is not going to forget what to do at quarterback, so even if he does something this spring at another position doesn't mean he won't be back at QB in the fall. We love Logan, we think he's a heck of a player, and we want him to feel like he's getting his best opportunity to make a contribution to his team. At this point, nothing's changing. He's not going to slip out there and play another position during the bowl practice."

-- I followed up by questioning his comfort level about potentially opening the 2010 season without a QB on the roster that has ever run a single play in a game: "I guess the bottom line is, I don't want to get into hypothetical things, but I will say that we think (Murray and Mettenberger) are outstanding quarterbacks."

-- Richt said the coaching staff has not discussed moving Richard Samuel to linebacker at this point.

-- Richt reiterated that he wants to hire the DC first and that person will have a say in who is hired at the other assistant positions, but made clear that the final decision will be Richt's.

-- "I would consider it. It has to start with the D coordinator and just see what that gentleman feels he needs to succeed and then move from there. We'll definitely have our special teams covered but will there be a special teams coordinator? I wouldn't predict that right now. But to say I haven't thought that as a possibility, I've thought about that."

-- As to what type of coordinator he's looking for in terms of scheme, Richt went the cat-skinning route (which has always seemed like a rather traumatic analogy to me): "I guess I'd have to say I'm open to championship-level defense. I'm not going to say I will not consider this scheme or that scheme or I have to have this scheme. I won't do that. There's different ways of skinning it, and if you're really good at skinning it the way you do it, that's OK with me."