In what has already been an offseason full of the unexpected, this may be the most intriguing development yet:
The day after Georgia lost its inside linebackers coach to the NFL, the school posted a replacement job listing on the university website for a defensive ends coach.
That would seem to indicate that someone already on staff will handle coaching the inside linebackers. Warren Belin coached that position before taking a job as linebackers coach with the Carolina Panthers. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham already is coaching the outside linebackers.
Defensive line coach Rodney Garner coached both the nose guards and defensive ends in the first year of the 3-4 defense this year. He also serves as recruiting coordinator and is assistant head coach. Garner has held the title of defensive line coach since 1998, but Jon Fabris served as defensive ends coach from 2001-2009.
I’m curious about one thing. How many teams running 3-4 schemes employ two defensive line coaches?
It sure would be interesting to pick Mark Richt’s brain these days. Apparently, going 6-7 has had a liberating effect on the man. Say what you will, but lately he hasn’t been the complacent coach we’ve known the previous three seasons.
It may be time to dub a new Richt persona.
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I’ve expressed the view on here for sometime that I really think firing Willie turned a corner for the man. Willie deserved to be fired years before he ultimately was, like a lot of people would Richt had difficulty pulling the trigger on his best friend, now that he’s done it, it is much easier for him to do it on others. Think about it, after firing your best friend for not getting the job done there are no sacred cows.
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Richt still needs to prove he can be an SOB in practice.
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I’ve been hearing for a couple of weeks now that Garner would be departing after NSD. Also hear that Bobo will be placed in charge of recruiting and will continue to coach qb’s. The new OL coach will be offensive coordinator.
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OR RG is moving to coach OL as we have also heard? I think that is a big possibility. Much more than CMR downgrading Bobo.
Jeez Bobo, just stop being utterly predictable accept when it matter to go with what we do best, and STOP sending 150lb RBs up the middle except on the occasional change of pace surprise. When I predict it every time — yelling at the screen to please NOT do it, I think the Saban’s of the world may have picked up on it also???
However with Belin and Searels moving , so much for the “no one wants CMR’s assistants, so they must be bad” folks as well. Can’t have it both ways critics.
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But CMB wasn’t the “Running Game Coordinator” was he?
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Unless Garner becomes the full time recruiting coordinator (or OL coach since we haven’t hired one)
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Searles and Belin did not fall into the category of “good buddy” or “ex-player”. They actually had resumes’ that would make you think they could match wits with their counterpart on the other sideline….not the case with Bobo, Martinez, McClendon.
As for the linebackers coach, I imagine those stud LB.recruits we signed were upset about Belin leaving..unless Grantham had already told them that he’d have responsibility for both inside and outside LB’s going forward. I’d like to think we weren’t completely dishonest with them.
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I’ve heard that our top OL coach candidate is Will Friend at UAB. If that’s the case, I really hope we’re not making the new OL coach OC as well, and moving Bobo to recruiting coordinator/QB coach. Nothing against Will Friend, I just would feel so much more nervous with an unproven guy at that position than I would with another season of Bobo calling plays.
I hope it’s nothing more than Richt and Grantham moving some things around on defense. Maybe Garner coaches ILBs, Grantham coaches OLBs and NT, and we bring in someone new for DEs. Seems like OLB and NT are the positions where we most need production on defense, so it’d make sense for Grantham to want to focus on them himself, right?
I don’t know. I think I’ve just about had my fill of shaking things up on staff. Just get John Jenkins in Athens, and start working this team into a championship contender.
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I like that, “Championship Contender”, very positive.
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This only makes sense. Last season the D responsiblities were Gardner on the NG and DEs; Grantham on the O/S LBs; and Belin on the I/S LBs. With Belin leaving this puts Grantham with all the LBs. That is very good. Now that frees up someone on the DEs. From my view I thought the DEs were the least improved unit on D side. This where TG and CMR are going because the DE s are huge in the 3-4. Plus look at the DEs coming in. If they get a solid DE position coach, this will be a lights out D.
Do not think those two guys on the S&C staff will not have some input on the O side either.
Personally I think CMR is fine tuning a D staff and his overall staff. I’d say open up the check book along with the playbooks that will come in. Remember CMR said he wants to keep the same O line technique but with some minor changes. If you go back and look at when the Dawgs ran the ball well it was when the current UAB head coach was here along with Friend as a g-assistant. I watched the UAB -UT game. I thought UAB did a good job on the O side in that game. These two hires on the line of scrimmage will be big. Just bring in some young go-getters Dawgs.
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who’s Gardner?
what “input” do you expect the S&C guys to have on our offense? Are you talking about JoeT2 and TBrown?
I don’t see how Coach Richt could be any clearer about being satisfied with Bobo . . . .
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“Say what you will, but lately he hasn’t been the complacent coach we’ve known the previous three seasons.”
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I’m all for this “change in attitude” as long as it produces results on the field. Otherwise, it’s just fake juice. Like those black helmets.
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Richt is doing what needs to be done. I think UGA’s program is in good hands and I expect we will see the results next year. The biggest game of Richt’s career is against Boise St. in the Dome. With our insane fan base and AJC hack writers, that game will be built up as a Super Bowl must win situation. Richt knows this and is doing everything he can to ensure we have the best players on the field, in the best condition they can be in and finally have the right staff to coach’em up!
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What you are seeing is the result of the influence of our new AD, not Mark Richt.
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I think you’re right!
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In all fairness, DE (a lousy AD as we now know) was not on the same page as CMR. What you are seeing, for the first time since VD left as AD, is an AD giving full backing to CMR so the Dawgs now will have their best opportunity for success. Thank goodness for red panties!
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Also, wouldn’t want to futz with the NG coach just ahead of Jenkins’ announcement.
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I thought Grantham would coach the ILB’s & the Nose. Thay need to work together. Can Garner coach the OLB’s.? I thought he would be the DE coach & Richt woud hire an OLB coach. ? Strange things are happening in Athens.
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So who takes over the kick-coverage duties (way better last year)?
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BBJ Is A Dawg.. Completes a great class.
Bobo is in line for national recruiter of the year. I hope Richt turns Bobo loose to continue recruiting South Georgia in the future. A fertile but under recruited area for the Dawgs before this year.
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+1 Seay is the first UGA recruit in the history of Lee County HS. Of course LCHS has always sucked at football in the past. There are so many good athletes that play at A and AA schools in South Ga and never get noticed. Don’t go by the recruiting services when you look at players down here because they don’t get the recognition that players in Metro Atlanta get. Speaking of LCHS, ther is another Posey coming along, are you listening, Diamond Dawgs?
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