I love the guy, but I’m not sure I see how this comes together.
“I’m dead serious. I want to coach at Georgia,” Ward told DawgNation. “I’ve expressed that to Kirby. I haven’t had any talk with him about what all goes into it, but I think I’ve put it out there. I’m serious. I want to give back to my alma mater.”
Ward first discussed the possibility of coaching for the Bulldogs in a December appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show. Speaking from the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday — he was in attendance for the Positive Athlete Georgia Scholarship Awards, an organization he helped found that promotes positivity in youth and high school sports — the former athlete went into more detail about what motivates him to want to be involved at UGA.
“Sometimes I get upset. I see kids leave the state of Georgia (during recruiting season) to go play for other teams. I knew if I walked into that room, there’s no way that kid’s leaving the state of Georgia,” Ward said.
Great sentiment, but recruiting is more than just walking into a room once to seal a deal. Especially the way Smart’s got things running these days. Hines has star power out the wazoo, but does he really have the desire to put the time in that it would take?
Get The Picture 
I’ve always liked the man’s charisma, but if he’s serious about his desire to coach, this is probably the absolute worst way to go about it.
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i’ve wondered the same thing. but if being a tough-as-nails over achiever is required, that box is checked. wherein i recall hines standing up jevon kearse vs. the swamp lizards:
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Gave me several emotions..chill bumps…esp. when Orlandis Gary just muscled his way into the endzone for that last TD.. and I remember the block Hines made on the sweep…Absolute certainty that Munson was the greatest caller of all time and will never be equaled…smugness when they kept showing the Old Ball Sack standing miserably on the sidelines..and hope that Georgia will once again play with that sort of determination..Thanks for posting that, sect!
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Ahh the feeling of that moment has been few and fleeting in my lifetime…
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A man who is the Steelers all time leading receiver. Has winning Superbowl bling on his hand. Who will be in the hall of fame. Who can teach receiving, and teach how to clean a DBs clock with devastating blocking. Who has a passion and drive to help his alma mater. IfI was Kirby, he would be on the payroll and recruiting trail RIGHT NOW!!!
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How do you know this?
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Senator, are you saying some people can do a certain thing and not be able to coach it? I am inclined to believe that is true in some instances but the knowledge he has to share is substantial. His record speaks for itself.
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I’m not sure that I buy the idea that just because you’re a Hall-of-Fame receiver that you’re automatically going to make a great dedicated receivers coach. (Not saying that this is exactly what you said…. just making a broader general point.)
Would it be great if he made appearances from time to time and helped gin up excitement for the program, especially among receivers? Probably. But as far as a coach? I don’t know. Especially since he apparently has zero coaching experience.
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Everybody had zero coaching experience at one time
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I’m saying I don’t know if Hines is prepared to put the time in that is demanded of a college football assistant coach these days.
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I agree but I do not see Hines as a normal or regular person. The guy has been enormously successful at pretty much whatever he decides to do. He is not looking to be a head coach tomorrow. He wants to help his Alma matter. He is looking to get involved and coach. Bring him on in a support role much like South Carolina was trying to do but couldn’t with Marcus Lattimore. Show him what is involved and watch how he does things. They will know pretty quickly if he is cut out to be a coach and begin to groom him. He may be outstanding and just need some mentoring. Regardless he is a helluva representative for the University. The guy has earned a look. I don’t see him hurting the university in any way. I think he is genuine in his desire to help make Georgia a juggernaut. Find a way to use his skill set. It is amazing how many people are poo pooing the idea who have 0 knowledge or qualifications about what he wants to do. WE don’t know what being an NFL player is like or what being a D1 P5 coach is like but we are going to say what Hines Ward is or is not capable of? What is the harm in looking?
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He can’t walk into a recruit’s house to close a deal unless he’s an assistant coach.
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Agreed but when the kids are on campus don’t think they wouldn’t love to spend some time with a 2 time super bowl champion, All Pro and future hall of fame NFL player whose Jersey has already been retired. He is also from THIS era. He doesn’t have to be a receivers coach. Schuman built relationships at Bama and he wasn’t an assistant coach. He was a main reason why we almost got DRob out of Savannah.
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I say if Hines Ward wants to be the College President, make him the college president. He has proven his intellect and ability to adjust and improvise when he played every skilled position with expertise.
He’s the man. Find a place for him.
When a HS coach in the hinterlands tells a kid, “Hines Ward is coming to visit you tomorrow”, it will make a great impression.
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I have eyes. Don’t you?
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My eyes have never seen him coach. Have yours?
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No, but my eyes have seen how kids in todays world can be swayed by a superbowl ring on the hand of a superstar, all pro, future hall all of famer. They used that tactic 10, 20, 30 and 40 yrs. ago. In todays world of spoiled brat kids being coddled and told they are sure fire starters straight outta high school. Using a proven NFL star and superbowl winner as a major attractant to sway the blue chippers is a good thing.
Can he coach? I don’t know, but being he was never the biggest, fastest, most atheletic receiver, but just the hardest working and most determined, my eyes tell me he can.
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Didn’t Ted Williams teach all of the players he managed to hit .340 just like he did? I’ve always wondered why Herschel never got into coaching. He could teach every kid how to be the best college football player ever.
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+1
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Yep. The best athletes rarely make great or even good coaches, whereas the best coaches typically were mediocre at best players.
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Bobby Cox
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How many championships did he win……….You and I could have coached a winner with that pitching staff.
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.406
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I understand the broader point about great players usually not being great coaches, but, in fact, after Ted Williams began managing the Washington Senators the team batting improved significantly. His players never hit .406, but they hit about their previous level of success.
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Beyond the fact that you said that the Senators’ batters did both better and the same under Williams, the point isn’t that great players can’t be great coaches. The point is that they are simply different functions requiring different skills. Hines awesomeness in every respect on the field does not necessarily translate to coaching players as suggested above.
It seems to me that Hines doesn’t want to pay the price to be what he says he wants to be. Does anybody think he couldn’t get a coaching job somewhere? Of course he could. The problem it appears is that he wants to start as a full time WR coach at Georgia. The coaching profession doesn’t work that way. He needs to go get one of those GA spots or a 16k assistant coaching job at some backwater and show everyone that he is capable and willing to do what it takes to be a coach. Pretty much everyone who is anyone in coaching started at the bottom. If Hines wants it, that’s where he’ll have to start too.
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I think he would probably make a great coach. I am not sure that he is willing to grind like college coaches have to. They are pretty much on call 24-7 texting tweeting, etc and then the actual coaching. I am sure his knowledge is vast and he obviously has great work ethic but it is a completely different kind of work. Man he has rings, records and a fantastic attitude though. Has there ever been a more versatile offensive player at UGA? I cant think of anyone that did what he did. WR, Running back, and QB in one college career.
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I love Hines and he is a DGD but it seems strange to me how he is going about this. It seems if he really wanted to be a coach he would be doing it already at some level. I am guessing there are not many examples of people (former NFL player or not) just jumping in as an SEC coach. Seems to me if he really wanted to do this he would already be a position coach at some other level first. It seems he wants to take a short cut.
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I doubt he has any great desire to be a coach in a general sense – what he has is an urge to help Georgia win. Because he misses playing and probably has fond memories of his college days he wants to be intimately involved in the game again.
We know he has no coaching experience. Does anyone know if he’s done much with camps, “coaching” up receivers in that kind of environment?
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I agree he wants to coach for his team not for any team. I have to believe there is a way to make him a part of the staff.
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Agreed. Everyone seems focused on why he can’t do it. Why not look for ways he can help?
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My sentiments exactly. Coaching is a laborious grind that never lets up. 80+ hour workweeks are the norm. Hines has millions in the bank with a new wife and son. Sure, he might go through the meat grinder for a few weeks or so, but I just don’t see him doing what it takes to be a valuable assistant week after week after week (but hey, I don’t know the guy personally, so I’m not saying this definitively.) But as he himself opined, he’s envisioning himself walking into a recruits home for an hour and closing the deal — there’s far more work that goes into coaching than just that.
This reminds me of retired NBA stars who now want to be a GM (Barkley, Shaq, etc.) What they fail to realize is the GM role is a miserable grind, with successful ones spending 250+ days on the road while scouting diamonds in the rough players in hot, grimy gyms domestically and abroad. Guys like Sir Charles would want no part of that life, and thus, would almost certainly not be successful in such a role.
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I love Hines Ward. Love him. There aren’t many Bulldogs that I hold in higher esteem than Hines Ward, if any.
That said, Hines wasn’t drafted into the NFL out of high school. He had to put in work in college to develop his game. If he truly wants to be a college coach at Georgia (and I tend to believe he would do well for us), then he needs to drop the public relations campaign and go coach receivers at Valdosta State, West Georgia or Georgia State or Savannah State or Mercer or somewhere for a couple of seasons. The stakes are too great at UGA for Kirby Smart to plug someone who has never coached before into one of our limited number of on-field coaching slots. There will absolutely be growing pains and a lot of rust to knock off before the man is coaching and recruiting at full speed. We frankly can’t afford the lapses at Georgia. We can really only afford to hire proven coaches.
Kirby Smart started at Valdosta State.
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I really respect Hines Ward….but this is just nucking futz.
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Between Kirby’s creativity and Hines’ passion for football and UGA, I bet they figure out a way to get him involved in the program. It might not be coaching or it might eventually be coaching, but I wouldn’t bet against it.
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I don’t see Hines driving to Camilla for cafeteria lunch and a visit with the coach, then over to Colquitt to watch a DB recruit at his basketball practice, then down to Dothan for supper with a kid and his fam at the Western Sizzler then over to Dafuniak Springs for an in-home.
That’s some shit he aint got time for.
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Should be handled out of the public eye, imo. Love his attitude about it but not sure why he would want to throw himself into that much of a time commitment. Also, no guarantee he can impart that much about technique that other coaches can’t but he brings a legit pedigree about giving max effort on every play which really helps sell it. If he is going to do this though, it needs to be now with the players that watched him perform growing up.
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I could see him starting as support staff. We seem to have room in that capacity. But given Kirby’s (albeit extremely limited) hiring record, I don’t see him hiring someone without coaching experience for feels. It’s also worth noting that until proven otherwise, Kirby doesn’t need much help recruiting.
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Add him as an analyst and see how he does, then move him to coaching if he can get it done, if not use him as a celebrity type when recruiting WRs during the season to hangs out with on the side lines
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I think a Hines Ward/Champ Bailey receivers vs DB camp held at UGA every summer would be genius.
He gets to coach kids on campus for a week and then he can go back to driving his Bentley and eating at Bones every night.
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Great idea.
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I’ve seen Coley coach and I would take Hines over him yesterday! Go Hines and Go Dawgs!
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Under all of this amazing logic then Peyton Manning should start out as the QB coach at slippery rock state before he becomes a D1 Quarterbacks coach. How can he teach anything about technique and progression reading when all he has done for the last 20+ years is eat breathe and sleep that shit at the highest level. Would you take Peyton as your QB coach right now for a guaranteed 5 years? I would. The last thing I am worried about Hines is whether or not he can teach it. I feel certain he can. My questions is can he deal with the monotonous day to day grind of being an assistant coach. We are not asking him to make every receiver as good as he was, that would be ridiculous. What you have to ask is can he make the receivers we recruit the best receivers they can be. I don’t know but he has a vast knowledge of offenses and technique.
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I understand your sentiment but I think you could be very wrong. It is very common for the best sales people in an organization to be the biggest failures as sales managers or teachers. Being very good at something doesn’t automatically translate into being able to coach or teach it.
Hines has no coaching experience. He may be a great coach, he may be a terrible coach, but being on the staff of a big time college program is not the place to find out. I’d love to see him in some position where he could visit practices, camps and games and interact with recruits if that is permitted under NCAA rules.
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Just curious: how great a D-1 receivers coach do you think Randy Moss would make today?
I’ll hang up and listen to your answer.
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I was gonna coach those wide receivers…but I got high
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B-Mac had zero coaching experience before he was hired as RB coach in 2009 (only 2 years as a GA before that). I would suggest that Hines Ward’s playing experience would more than outweigh B-Mac’s two years as a GA.
Now, whether Hines would have the desire to be an assistant who is on call 24x7x365 is a completely different question. I would suggest he knows plenty to coach wide receivers (and probably running backs) and his star power in a recruit’s living room would be unmatched.
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Actually, that was the question I was asking in my post.
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Still with the same question though. Would you take Manning as your QB coach? If he was sure he wanted the job.
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I know he’s a talented player. I have no idea if he’s fully invested in putting in the time to be an assistant coach. And you have no idea about that, either.
That doesn’t mean he couldn’t succeed. It just means I can’t take a blind pass based on somebody’s playing career. Your mileage obviously varies, but I would point out it’s not like the college football coaching ranks are littered with former superstars. Why do you think that is?
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They don’t need the money.
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Not necessarily based again on previous comments on how committed he would be to the job itself. Manning never has to work another day in his life, and could earn far more in endorsements or breezy work as a TV analyst than he could grinding out 80-90+ hour weeks as a QB coach.
This is again just one of the reasons why the overwhelmingly share of top coaches, historically or otherwise, generally were mediocre at best athletes in their respective sport. On the flip side, top athletes often made for poor coaches, GM’s, and the like — just take MJ, Magic, and Gretzky as examples. Its been theorized that top athletes generally make for bad coaches as they relied on God-given, extremely unique talent that isn’t transferable to others, whereas average athletes had to do all the little things correctly just to have a punchers chance at success. These ‘little things’ are what can be taught or coached, hence Belichick and Saban being captains of their profession.
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I guess my response should have been to those who say Hines needs to go get coaching experience first. I think that objection is completely bogus.
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I don’t know about that, but he seems to lead a pretty tough boot camp.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/catching-up-with-randy-moss-still-isn-t-easy-231954092.html
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I don’t know. ask these guys.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000502572/article/pryor-getting-help-from-randy-moss-mike-evans
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Supposedly, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Senator, you just proved there is. That’s just a stupid comparison.
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Dude. It was a rhetorical question. Nice dodge, though.
By the way, here’s another one. Since you’re so sure Hines would be a slam dunk hire, which current assistant would you have Kirby fire to make room for him on the staff?
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Kirby and Hines were teammates so they know each other well.
If Hines was Kirby’s best option right now, the decision would have already been made. Hines would do well to get some coaching experience at the college level if the University of Georgia is his goal. Short term, he could do a lot to raise the level of interest in Georgia State’s or Kennesaw’s program while picking up valuable experience.
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I’m with Uglydawg make Hines President or let him take McGarity’s job. He ‘ll have one job keep the school off Kirby’s ass. Next job fire Williamson.
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Make him Asst Coach of the UGA Ballroom Dancing team and he won’t count against the football coaching numbers and can go into any recruits home. There…problem solved.
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I like the way you think but I would have said,” he could just waltz into the recruits home”
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Every four years, Hines wants to build a wall and make Florida and Alabama pay for it.
2016 – “Sometimes I get upset. I see kids leave the state of Georgia (during recruiting season) to go play for other teams. I knew if I walked into that room, there’s no way that kid’s leaving the state of Georgia,” Ward said.
2012 – “It irks me that talent goes to the University of Florida and Alabama and stuff like that. We need to keep our top recruits here in the state of Georgia,” Ward said.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-georgia/bulldogs-blog/article29229526.html
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Goooooooooo Hines.
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