ATHENS — Mark Richt smiled and chuckled, though behind it there certainly seemed an edge to him: He did not want to go there.

Early in Richt’s standard Tuesday press conference an Atlanta Journal-Constitution beat writer asked Georgia’s coach whether he felt he was coaching for his professional life on Saturday at Georgia Tech?

“Who made you ask that question?” Richt said, chuckling. “I know you didn’t think of that one. My focus is beating Georgia Tech right now. That’s my answer to you.”

When the microphone was handed to another beat writer, from the Athens Banner-Herald, he prefaced it with saying he had a “similar-type question.”

“Then I probably won’t answer it, I can tell you that,” Richt said, still smiling. “So go ahead.”

Does he expect to be coaching at Georgia next year?

“My focus right now is Georgia Tech,” Richt said again, adding again: “Who made you ask that one?”

Then the microphone was handed to this reporter, who wanted to ask a question about the offensive line, but Richt did not know that yet.

“You’re gonna ask the same one? We  can end this thing as fast as you want,” Richt said. “I’m here to talk about the game.”