Todd Grantham has dreams, man.
“First of all, I like the job I have; I enjoy being the defensive coordinator at Georgia,” Grantham told me in an interview earlier this week. “I enjoy coordinating and I enjoy football in general. But I think any time you’re in a profession, you’re always looking to take on the next challenge. What’s the next challenge? Being a head coach is obviously a challenge. It’s something I would like to do in time. But I’m not looking to do it right now. Those things kind of come. I think it’s important you do a good job with the job that you have and, if you do that, that creates opportunities.”
If he gets his shot, I hope he’s better at it than VanGorder was.
Get The Picture 
Sometimes guys are HC material and sometimes not. The only way to find that out for sure is to give the person a chance. I am of the opinion that some that were thought to be HC material based on success as a coordinator really were not (read: Muschump) and some that are being touted as such really aren’t either (read:Kirby Smart).
LikeLike
I don’t know about Muschamp…although the floundering around hiring of Charlie Weiss (did he really do that?) is an indication of something along the lines of not being quite ready, nobody really knows about Smart, although at some point in the near future we may (Tennessee?).
The problem with most of these guys is that they get hired by people who really don’t know what THEY are doing, which compounds the issue.
There are a lot of new coaches in the SEC, none of them are really lighting up the world….then there’s Petrino, who clearly was not head coach material, but because he was good with offenses it took a while for his problems to surface, although there were hints.
All I know is that I have seen two head coaches who were in it for the long view and could handle almost anything that got shoveled into their offices, both of them work or worked at Georgia.
I am pretty sure Nick Saban is head coach material, and so is Steve Spurrier, so is Les Miles. The only way to know for sure is to look at what they have done ten years down the road. If they last that long, they probably are head coach material.
But then look how long it took Petrino to fall apart….unfortunately there is usually a lot of fan base suffering while these guys figure out if they are head coach material.
LikeLike
“…Pretty sure Nick Saban is head coach material…”
LOL– what might it take to convince you?
LikeLike
Erk Russell won a few NCs. Not shabby for an ole DC.
LikeLike
And if he gets his shot, I hope we can get Van Gorder back.
LikeLike
Not gonna happen.
LikeLike
It’s better that it doesn’t. Let BVG do his thing on his own terms.
LikeLike
Grantham is better than Van Gorder anyway, don’t ya think?
LikeLike
Better recruiter. Even on fundamentals. BVG was the best I’ve ever seen at Georgia on halftime adjustments.
LikeLike
Just a thought here. With the buy out clause being taken out of CMRs contract and TG talking about future HC position. What are the odds of CMR retiring soon and handing the reigns over to TG? TG did turn down a pro DC job last year that was gonna pay him more money.
LikeLike
What pro DC job did he turn down?
LikeLike
You know, there could be something to that. For all the ways that Richt is like Bobby Bowden, I don’t imagine that he’ll have the career longevity Bowden did–and that by Richt’s own choosing.
LikeLike
Perhaps some whisperings of CTG as a possibly Head Coach in waiting not made public yet? Just a question if anyone has heard any rumors.
LikeLike
Only if sunshine dreams and tear your head off wishes come true.
LikeLike
Some guys are just great coordinators, that’s just what they’re made for. They’re not really suited for Head Coach. They’re football guys primarily.
When VanGorder was at Georgia, I never worried much about losing him to a HC position. Never thought he was cut out to be a HC. I was right, but we ended up losing him anyway. FWIW, I feel the same about Grantham. He’s a great football guy, a great DC. That’s his thing. I don’t think he’d be a good HC.
Maybe I’m wrong. I just hope we don’t lose him. I hope Grantham takes a long, hard look at John Chavis and says, “hey, that’s a pretty good track to run on, and I won’t have all the non-football demands and headaches of a HC.”
~~~
LikeLike
Grantham is a much, much better recruiter than BVG could ever hope to be. Granted, there’s more to being a head coach than that, but I think he’s got a better skill set.
LikeLike
Yeah, I agree. It’s a lot closer call with Grantham. Shoot, he might be the next Erk Russell. But I don’t think so. The HC job is a lot different now from what it was in the 80’s.
I know I’d love to have him finish his career at Georgia, as DC until Richt retires, and it’d be fine for him to get his shot as HC then, if he wants it. I just want him coaching our Defense.
~~~
LikeLike
And, significantly, no crustache growing above his upper lip.
LikeLike
Please, please let Coach Grantham become our new head coach tomorrow?!?!?!? Goodby CMR. Goodby CMB. Can you imagine a staff filled with hungry and agressive coaches from top to bottom? An entire staff not affaird to put a boot in someone’s backside opposed to a staff that gives love and hugs. What wonderful world it would be!
LikeLike
You know, some people (me included) think the love and hugs approach is a great idea for representing the university and teaching and molding young people. It also has meant no scandals, i.e., red panties, tattoo parlors, or midnight motorcycle rides. Don’t underestimate that stuff…it’s damn hard to win games, stay clean, and do right when you’re hyper aggressive & hungry, always toeing the line of the rules because that’s how you get an edge, and have a capricious public AND governing body to reconcile.
Just ask Penn State how hard it is.
LikeLike
Love and hugs are great if you are coaching Upward football, not so much in the SEC. We all have seen firsthand that kids will run wild with this approach (not to say Georgia is the only school with discipline issues). I am not going to applaud Richt for playing by the rules. That is what he is supposed to do. The Penn State and Arkansas issues your mention did not gain them any advantage on the field. It is my opinion that Richt would make a much better AD than football coach. I would rather see his attributes in an administrative role than on the field. We have seen that his lackluster attitude can lead to flat and unprepared performances at times. It is simply to for a change. The AD and board have shown they lack faith in Richt.
LikeLike
Didn’t mention it before, but I think your turn of phrase for Richt’s approach is both inaccurate and unfair. I have not seen anyone “running wild” at UGA. What I do see is more consistent winning than ever in the program’s history, and quite honestly more successful student-athletes, i.e., studnets graduating, than ever in the program’s history. And no scandals a la Developmental Studies/Basketball 101/Cedric Henderson//Tony Cole/red panties/Wally Butts/you name it.
As far as playing by the rules, that may be what Richt is supposed to do, but it is something that a lot of uber-winning coaches can’t seem to manage (I could have referenced a lot more than PSU, Arky, tOSU, and Damon Evans, obviously). The program winning overall, representing the university, and the well-being of the students are more important than winning a title every year. That we win a lot with a coach who keeps his program’s and university’s noses clean and expects student achievement is near-unparallelled in the CFB universe.
LikeLike
In all fairness to Coach Butts, there was no truth to the story behind the so-called “scandal”. On his part or Bear Bryant’s. Butts was a man of character, as was Bryant.
LikeLike
True. Butts had other issues, supposedly, though.
LikeLike
You mean toward the end? But not while he was coaching, right?
~~~
LikeLike
Gastr1 made most of the points that I’d make, here.
Despite CMR’s rocking winning record that outperforms any other coach in our history, no Jan Kemp scandals, his love for your school and your town, etc, you are just determined to find the few things he does wrong on the field – and they are few, you just notice them because he does so many things right – and just drill down on them relentlessly.
But because of your one-note approach to loving your school, I can’t relate to your idea of what it means to you to be “Georgia”. To me, it means to win, but also to be the class of the country, to be the kind of people we know ought to be, and to reflect a beautiful light on the awesome school we got to attend. Win or lose. And that means CMR for as long as he wants the job.
For you, I have no idea – it’s a helmet or something.
LikeLike
It’s painfully obvious by now that if it ain’t a NC, it doesn’t mean shit to Skeptic Dawg.
LikeLike
Yep he would have been on the fire Tom Osbourne wagon. I mean it took him close to 25 years to win a national title. Of course his last 4 years he won 3 titles and in 1995 had the greatest team college football has ever seen but he should have been fired long before then.
LikeLike
Yes replace a proven head coach with an unknown commodity in a coordinator. Football is littered with good coordinators who weren’t good head coaches. Not saying Grantham wouldn’t be a good head coach but he’s a much safer bet after doing a successful head coaching stint somewhere even if it’s a not top level or even BCS program, as opposed to jumping from D Coordinator straight to big time head coach. Most of your successful big time college head coaches followed the smaller HC to bigger HC path: Saban (MSU to LSU), Spurrier (Duke to UF), Mack Brown (UNC to Texas) and Urban (Utah to Florida). Guys like Richt and Stoops tend to be exceptions not the rule. Guys like Zook, Weiss, VAN GORDER!!!!! tend to be the rule.
LikeLike
Skeptic, I get the feeling you were one of those guys who was yammering for UGA to fire Richt and bring in Muschamp. Now, you think Grantham is the next great thing.
We already have a great coach. You know, that guy who hired Van Gorder and Grantham.
And, yes he also hired and kept Martinez too long. Every coach makes mistakes. Saban hired Major Applewhite as his OC for example.
LikeLike
Lighten up Eeyore Dawg! It’s a beautiful world now!
LikeLike
Coach Grantham isThe best coach at any position since Erick Russell !
LikeLike
I doubt that most Georgia fans could stomach CTG aggressiveness off the field. Look at how many were willing to throw him under the bus after the James Franklin incident.
LikeLike
It’s a university– Rex Ryan types need not apply. Grantham does have room for growth in the public demeanor part of the job.
Love him otherwise, though.
LikeLike
There were also many ready to erect a statue to him after that. Can’t please everyone all the time.
LikeLike
Enjoy CTG while we got him.
LikeLike
I love Coach Grantham but being HC is new territory. Donnan recruited well. Richt is still a young man, let’s hope he cashes in even more with the incentives.
LikeLike
If that’s what Coach Grantham wants, then frankly, I want it for him. In a very short time, he’s done a whole lot for our football program. You should want the people working for you to achieve their goals, even if it means they have to leave, because then you can attract more good people. I just hope that Coach Richt’s next defensive coordinator after Coach Grantham gets a head coaching job (or whoever ends up making that hire) is as inspired as this hire was. There are a lot of talented defensive coaches out there. Georgia can certainly get one. It would just be tough to find someone who can breathe as much life into his defense and inspire such fierce loyalty out of his players and excited so many people in the recruiting world… but that’s why we’re lucky to have Grantham and why we should enjoy every minute of having him wearing the red and black of Georgia.
Personally, I hope that we continue to give Coach Grantham as much money as he wants to do the coordinator job for us so he won’t feel like he has to take the first head coaching job that comes along. I think that Grantham enjoys the job of coordinating the defense and working closely with schemes and players. There’s less time for that as a head coach, even if you want to be a coach that calls the plays. So, I hope he’ll enjoy the job here and stay a long time and get the right opportunity. I’m a Georgia Bulldog, but I’ll root for just about any team he coaches as long as they’re not playing Georgia.
LikeLike