Looks like Kirby’s done one solid behind the scenes recruiting job this month:
It’s been nearly three weeks since Brian Kelly stunned college football and bolted from his Notre Dame program – with the Fighting Irish still in outside contention for a College Football Playoff berth or subsequent New Year’s Six bowl bid – to take over at Southeastern Conference power LSU.
Kelly has somewhat gradually, slowly, pieced together his initial Tigers’ coaching staff, and he’s likewise made some key off-the-field moves as well.
… Multiple sources likewise told FootballScoop that Kelly had discussed the offensive coordinator position with Georgia play-caller Todd Monken, though sources said Monken has expressed a desire to remain with the Bulldogs.
Either that, or he’s simply not interested in a lateral move. Fine by me.
Get The Picture 
Monken going to LSU would royally blow.
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Todd likes CKS’s stubbornness and the top down decision making that ties his hands. Monken especially likes the he’s made to do things, not borne of collective thought, mutual trust or engagement, based exclusively on CKS’s intransigence.
This is an exact transcription of the call:
“Kelly: you come here and you can play who you think is best.
Todd: that sounds awful.
Kelly: everyone knows you want to play JT.
Todd: yeah, but HE won’t let me….
Kelly: come here and we’ll let you play the qb you want to play.
Todd: (pauses) oh no he comin’… don’t call here again!!! (click)”
This above is absolutely the unvarnished and unquestioned truth, because I say so.
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Hmmm.. I guess Todd might not be completely happy with Kirby, but I can’t see Brian Kelly as being the Land of Oz as head coaches go. Plus, even with all their resources, LSU is going to be a mess for a year or two.
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There really have been a bunch of Kirby assistants running for the hills amirite?
I mean you’ve got ??? and ???? and ??? who, despite performing well, took parallel positions to get away from CKS right?
A three year guaranteed contract the way they’re throwing money around would be a pretty soft landing spot if the truth were that his hands are tied in Athens.
As a class, head football coaches tend to be difficult. Appearances suggest assistants are happy with Kirby and think that moving up is the only reason to leave. Or getting fired of course.
Weve seen two paths out of Athens: “you ain’t getting it done on the field on in recruiting so bye” and congrats you’re a head coach.” Thats been it.
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Meh. There’s one person who’s gotten a complete pass in all this Stetson/JT/Kirby/offensive woes and that is Coach Monken. I know he’s a solid coordinator and we’re not flashy or gimmicky or things that folks here have noted as being a flash in the pan kind of offense, but we’ve got a two year sample size now and it’s not exactly like we’re lighting it up against the best defenses we come up against.
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He gets a pass from me for two reasons:
1) watching the play designs convinces me that he’s doing his job, and
2) nobody thinks he gets to make the final decision about who the starting QB is
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Man if you want to see offensive woes go watch any game from 2019 again. It’s a testament to Monken that we’re as productive as we’ve been given our QB and receiver injuries.
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I’ve blocked that season from my mind.
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Followed the link to FootballScoop and found this jewel too:
College coaching veteran Brian VanGorder has landed a new gig… VanGorder, a finalist for the Broyles Award back in 2003, has accepted the head coaching job at American Heritage-Delray (FL), local reports share.
It will mark a return to his roots, as back in mid-80’s VanGorder led an American Heritage program (which currently has three different schools and locations from what I can tell) to the #1 ranking in the state of Florida. He spent from 1984-87 leading the program.
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This is horescrap all over it & likely Monken’s agent trying to leverage an extension. Monken has proven nothing to any other SEC west coach that can even compete with, or let alone beat Saban. He’ s only 1-1 vs Florida LSUs other nemesis. Kelly must beat those 2 in order to get to SEC champ game.
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Monken doesn’t need a lateral move. He doesn’t need a move to HC of a mediocre team either. His next move needs to be HC of a top level program.
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Damn we’re a miserable bunch if we can’t even celebrate keeping Monken.
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pumped he’s staying. DC by committee or not, losing both OC & DC in an off season, makes for a tough transition into next year.
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His play designs, alone, are worth the price of admission. As for lateral moves, OC Monken doesn’t strike me as someone who is unhappy where they are.
Hasn’t he already done the NFL OC and HC gigs? Some here with first-hand knowledge may disagree with this take. I think OC Monken is free to implement any game plan he sees fit. And the system does NOT require elite QB athleticism to put up points. It needs what all QBs must possess . . . The ability to extend plays and down and distance provides, and no one is open, the willingness to tuck the ball and run upfield and not get hit hard.
For more reasons than can be listed in this post, the best way to keep an opponent’s elite offenses from scoring points is to keep them off the field.
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His play designs, alone, are worth the price of admission. As for lateral moves, OC Monken doesn’t strike me as someone who is unhappy where they are.
Hasn’t he already done the NFL OC and HC gigs? Some here with first-hand knowledge may disagree with this take. I think OC Monken is free to implement any game plan he sees fit. And the system does NOT require elite QB athleticism to put up points. It needs what all QBs must possess . . . The ability to extend plays and, when down and distance provides when no one is open, the willingness to tuck the ball and run upfield without getting hit hard.
For more reasons than can be listed in this post, the best way to keep an opponent’s elite offenses from scoring points is to keep them off the field.
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