https://twitter.com/#!/marcweiszer/status/27831330486091776
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UPDATE: Here’s Weiszer’s follow up. It’s kind of funny, given Searels’ long standing reluctance to speak with the media, that reporters showed up at the airport expecting him to say anything substantive about the rumor.
Get The Picture 
Athens has a direct flight to Austin?
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If that were true, my weekend plans would be a hell of a lot different.
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Athens has a flight to Austin when you charter a hawker(read: huge airplane) to fly you. They didnt actually fly straight to Austin though. They stopped in Addison. And there were not any reporters that i saw at the airport
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All I’ve ever heard is how Stacey was such a great OL coach. He certainly worked wonders in 2008. After this past year, I’m not sure if I care if he stays or goes, but I’ll ask this question again – Was our problem the players or strength and conditioning?
As to why he’d leave UGA for a lateral move to Texas… is he in the camp that things don’t look good for next year? Food for thought.
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I agree. After the past two years, really, this is more of a meh thing. Perhaps he’s one of those guys who does a great job with young guys but reaches a ceiling quickly.
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I suspect this is a move about money more than anything else.
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In that case, I guess Richt figured it might be best to start anew rather than try to bump up his salary… then again, maybe it was McGarity who wouldn’t bite. Interesting.
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I also think that he doesn’t like working for a guy who he thinks may have the job simply because he and the former AD’s niece have 12 kids together.
It seems to me that communication among the offensive staff is poor, at best, and Searles was used to working with professionals in his previous stops. Probably just tired of working for a guy that he feels is not as smart as he is.
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Dude, he’s going to a school that’s rebuilding its entire offensive staff from scratch after a more disappointing season than Georgia’s. It’s not exactly going to be smooth sailing in Austin, at least early on.
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Exactly, he is looking for anyone who would take him, and compensate him well, before his coaching reputation is totally ruined.
I still find it hard to believe that the only proven coach on the offensive staff suddenly was the only one who forgot how to coach last year.
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If that’s the case, he could have left for Auburn.
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…or maybe he figured he’d look for a new job now on his terms rather than next year when we clean house?
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Astute observation as usual General.
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Money and security. Searles has been rightfully concerned with his standing on the staff and it’s been going on a while. It’s not been smooth sailing with Searles and this could be a win/win. I know this from up close.
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If this was really about money and UGA thought he had the talent would they not pony-up to keep him?
Don’t let the door hit you in the ass……
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Let’s see, veteran offensive line that was supposed to be the greatest source of strength underperformed all year long and was instead a glaring weakness for our first losing team since 1996? Peace out, Coach.
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Didn’t he come to Georgia in a lateral move? Maybe he’s plateaued.
Whatever the reason, the OL stunk it up last season, and injuries weren’t a major part of that.
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Not exactly. Miles let Searels go at LSU and then Richt and Saban duked it out for his services.
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please Senator didn’t you go to school same time I did GRAD79 Hugh Nall is an ERK Russell disciple on the OL thought you knew him lb 4 lb toughest dog of all time omg if we could get him would fix a lot of problems-he had a relationship with ERK that was like father and son-Senator do whatyou can to help get HUGH
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Is that you Coach Orgeron?
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This could be a great thing for UGA, gives us a chance to go hire Art Kehoe.
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Meh… don’t forget your Jonas Brothers t-shirt on your way out. It was decent while it lasted, but I ain’t gonna lose sleep over it. Reminds me of some old girlfriends.
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I have no opinion on whether he stays or goes. But if he leaves PLEASE God make CMR hire someone from outside the program.
With all the coaching changes in the NFL, theres gotta be a NFL caliber OL coach thats unemployeed.
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I’ll bet that McGarity would have a lot of input into who got hired as a replacement and that would bode well for an improvement in personnel.
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Hear hear. No sleepless nights over Searels leaving, but no more nepotism……. please!
Coach T may have been a good idea, we’ll see soon enough, but we need fresh talent with a blood lust for an o-line coach.
Go Dawgs.
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Back the Brinks truck up and get Rick Tricket at FSU. Former Marine, no BS. DOES NOT tolerate loafing. Exactly what we need.
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Trickett’s son in on FSU’s roster. He committed as a QB last year so that would be a tough trick…ett. See what I did there?
I was thinking about Stanford’s OL coach. They played pretty well.
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Not a big loss if he leaves. The line has not performed and he has not recruited well. Our OLine recruits this year will not help. Move Garner to OLine coach.
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Maybe Searels is tired of the Pillsbury Doughboy strength and condition program that has produced a group of O-Lineman that look more like the models from a Krispy Kreme calender shoot.
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Searels is probably kicking himself for turning Saban down and hooking up with CMR & his gang of unqualified hangers-on. Can’t blame him for salvaging his career and moving to greener pastures.
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Searles is showing professional competence by listening to Mack Brown who represents a major school, with money, with other intangibles…one of the best recruiting states around where Texas is usually the top draw for high schoolers. Great climate, good people (fanbase) without the instant experts that abound on these blogs. Texas has needs and they know how to fill them. Georgia will be late in the game for a quality replacement. But then again, Searls is a Georgia boy with family still around Trion..counts for something!!??
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1 for mentioning Trion. Shout out to my dads hometown
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True about Trion, but my fiancé grew up in the same county and went to school with his niece, and they were really gung ho about LSU while he worked there; to the point where they gave her crap when he came to UGA. So I don’t know if those Georgia ties are very strong. He’s a man that needs a job.
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OldDawg, I agree with just about everything you said except the part about the instant experts. I live out here and Texas is as bad or worse than Georgia ever thought about being. These people wanted to fire Mack Brown after he lost the MNC game last year! Before VY came to town, he was constantly on the “hot seat” despite winning 10-11 games each year. Texas fans are just as loony as the rest of us. In fact, I’ve yet to find a fanbase at any major school that wasn’t loony. It’s just that the internet has given everyone a platform.
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Are you kidding me-this is the best thing that could happen-DO you know HUGH NALL? he is what we have needed-I am afraid I am dreaming-THere will be no half ass crap with HUGH back in ATHENS ask Scott Woerner ask Herschel – McGarity what ever it takes get HUGH back
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The program needs a shake up, kind of wish it was Bobo, but u have to start somewhere!! Time to get some fresh coaching in there, Searels hasnt done much for the program anyways
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I was so pissed about this I called up 680 today just so I could tell you all what I thought in stereo FM.
I’m not pissed that he’s leaving, the mediocre performance of our talented and veteran O-line this year has really made me cool on him. I’m pissed he’s doing this 2 weeks before NSD, in a pivotal time for us. He knows how much this recruiting class means to us, and he knows what happens when coaches leave this close to signing day.
Fuck Searels, and the horse he rode in on.
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We aren’t exactly tearing up the O-Line recruiting. It isn’t quite Tommy Gainous bad, but it’s bad. Hell, the best OL in the state, we told him we would “grayshirt.” How ridiculous is that?
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They much be slipping at Alabama, then, because word is that Saban made the same type of offer.
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Why would you compare anything that UGA is doing right now to Alabama? I thought you didn’t keep up with recruiting?
Bama has Fluker, Barrett Jones, Kouandijo, Love and Warmack, all Jr’s and sophomores.
UGA has Burnett and Gates. Benedict and Austin Long may never recover from their injuries. We need a strong OL class this year, Bama doesn’t.
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The kid isn’t going to start in 2011, no matter which school he goes to. So what’s so offensive about a greyshirt?
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The problem with the grayshirt is that Auburn is offering him the chance to come in this fall. It’s also ridiculous to tell him that he has to wait while Quintavious Harrow and John Theus don’t.
I doubt anyone thought Kenarious Gates was going to play this year.
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You know what Harrow’s and Theus’ offers are about.
Gates only got in last year because of Rogers’ last minute decommitment. For all we know, the same thing could happen with Ward.
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Seems to me Searles is 1. tired of his O coordinator, 2. Tired of fighting for an S&C coach that can stop the shoulder injuries once and for all, 3. Getting ahead of the curve in case Mark is out after next year. Texas retired Mac McWhorter a UGA guy who never got a chance to coach at UGA. We will find someone who is merely mediocre so he won’t threaten the O coordinator. I grant you the Oline under performed but they got better once they played themselves into shape at the end of the season. No Oline is ever going to be a stud run blocking Oline as long as the HC and O coordinator are all about protecting the QB to the exclusion of ever other aspect of the offense.
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One more time: Chris Low is reporting that Searles will make in excess of $400K/year at Texas. That’s crazy money for an o-line coach.
I know it’s fun to wallow in conspiracy theory talk right now and Richt certainly deserves his share of shots. But sometimes a move is just a smart business decision. There’s no way Searels gets paid like that in Athens.
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Don’t cloud the issue with facts!
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