It occurred to me that Sunday's despairriffic post on the Mississippi State game, combined with comments made on Twitter and elsewhere, might be interpreted as me taking a harder line toward Mark Richt than I intended -- or, alternatively, talking out of both sides of my mouth. So let me clear things up a bit.
First: No, I don't think Mark Richt should be fired. Certainly not now -- midseason firings should be saved for coaches who have engaged in egregiously bad off-field conduct, not for coaches who dared to lose games, no matter how winnable they were; when a program unloads a coach midseason for the latter "offense," it's basically an empty, symbolic gesture to the fan base that OOOOOOOHHHH you guys we're just so mad at this guy!, and generally a sign that said fan base has entirely more influence over the athletic department than they deserve. Nor am I going to sit here right now, just four games into the season, and say he should be fired at year's end. There's still a chance for things to be turned around -- minuscule though it may seem at the moment -- and particularly if that does happen, Richt deserves at least one more year to demonstrate whether he can continue the progress from that turnaround, or if it was just a mirage.
However. If we were to assemble an Absolute Scale of Coaching Confidence (Or Lack of Same), where 1 is "Any aspersions cast on Richt's suitability for his job is ridiculous, and makes us look like assholes" and 5 is "Greg McGarity needs to hand Richt his walking papers before close of business "to-day," I was once a 1, but now I'd say I'm a 3, maybe a 3.5. If I had to sum up that attitude in a single sentence, I guess it'd be "I still want Mark Richt to turn this around but I'm running out of reasons to think he'll do so." After hitting a high point with the Sugar Bowl run in 2007, we've been on a downward trajectory ever since, and we're working on our third consecutive season of not living up to the talent we've supposedly put on the field, of ending up with a final record that's a considerable disappointment relative to our expectations. And even as a fervent Richt backer, my patience with that kind of backslide only has a finite life span.
As I said in my comment to the preceding post, I don't think McGarity unloads Richt after this season, and it's kind of silly to think blog posts or message-board rants are going to influence that decision one way or the other. But if he does keep Richt on, particularly after the kind of 6-6 or 5-7 finish it looks like we might be heading toward, that puts Richt on an undisputable, no-excuses hot seat in 2011 -- a "Glengarry Glen Ross" sales contest where there are no steak knives, the only options are "have a Cadillac season" or "you're fired."
And as of right now, what are our reasons to hope that things will get substantially better? We'll get most of our defense back, and they should improve with another year of Todd Grantham's training in the 3-4, but an already confounding situation with the offensive line will only get murkier once three of our starters (and both top fullbacks) graduate, and A.J. Green is all but assured of following Kris Durham out the door, leaving Aaron Murray with a dearth of proven options in the passing game. Obviously there are going to be tons of people who will call for another adrenaline shot in the form of a housecleaning of the offensive coaching staff, but that, too, is probably a short-term red-meat-to-the-fan-base thing at best -- the "Georgia's program is in total upheaval" stories the media would draw out of it, to say nothing of the doubt it would create in the minds of potential recruits, means Richt wouldn't be on any surer footing, job-wise. It'd end up being one of those situations like radiation therapy for cancer, where the patient's life is prolonged but their hair falls out, they're weakened, they feel like shit -- and end up dying anyway.
If it sounds like I'm already shoveling dirt on Richt's grave, I don't mean to be. Like I said, I won't entertain any talk of an immediate firing, and since I'd be willing to bet that he remains the coach for the 2011 season, it's pointless for anyone to start drawing up fanciful shortlists of people they'd like to hire to replace him. (Especially if those lists include Kirby Smart, Chris Peterson, or Mike Leach. Seriously, I'm at a point where I'm almost ready to do an entire post about how if you think any of those people should be our next coach, you should just kill yourself.) At the same time, though, I've also come to the conclusion that harping on Richt's 91 wins as a reason for retaining him in perpetuity just doesn't hold as much water as it used to, either. As much as we all love and respect Richt for what he accomplished in 2002, you just can't make the case that it has greater bearing on the program's future than what happened in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
So all this is basically a long way of saying: No, I don't think Richt should be fired straight away, and I'm not going to make any definite declarations to that effect until we see how the rest of this season plays out at the very earliest. It has become much easier, however, to envision scenarios under which we're looking for a new head coach sometime in the next 18 months. Once, I wouldn't have dared put Richt under that kind of scrutiny, but now it seems entirely fair. And if I seem strangely matter-of-fact about it for a guy who very recently was defending Richt to the death, then maybe that's the saddest comment of all -- whereas Richt was once the very embodiment of what it meant to be a Georgia Bulldog, the value he and his coaching staff have added to the program and to Bulldog Nation in general seems to have dwindled, at least outwardly, to the point where it can be thought of as dispensable. I still feel kind of like a heel for uttering that out loud, but I also know the responsibility for turning the situation around doesn't rest with me.
Showing posts with label coaching follies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coaching follies. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 28
Friday, January 22
The Friday Random Ten+5 ponders life after Kiffykins.
Earlier this week I managed to establish, in quantitative terms, that former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin was actually a dumber hire for USC than Chan "Beige Alert" Gailey was for the Buffalo Bills. No need to thank me; I do it for the kids. But simply making a determination like that is only of so much use if it doesn't come with any suggestions as to who might be better. When Kiffykins inevitably gets shown the door in L.A. after three or four seasons of not coming within 100 miles of the Rose Bowl (metaphorically speaking, of course -- the stadium itself is actually just a quick drive up the 110 from the USC campus), they're gonna need some names, stat.
Well, guess who's got 'em? OK, yeah, Jimmy Sexton, but guess who else? That's right, I do. Don't ever say I never gave you anything, Trojans, because somewhere in this post is your next football coach -- today's +5 is Five People Who Would Make A Better Head Coach Of The USC Trojans Than Lane Kiffin.
Tom Selleck
Kiffykins fancies himself a badass, but he's not even in the same badass solar system as Magnum, P.I., who attended USC on a basketball scholarship in the 1960s. (According to Wikipedia, while in college he made two appearances on "The Dating Game" and lost both times, which is bullshit -- what kind of woman turns down The Selleck?) Based on his experience in films such as "Three Men and a Baby," we know he responds well to high-stress situations; based on his time as Magnum, we know he can restore the swagger to what was, until recently, the invincible hope-crusher of the Pac-10.
Ruffin McNeill
Came within an eyelash of getting Texas Tech's head-coaching position after leading them to a 10-point win in the Alamo Bowl as the interim coach. Turned around the languishing Red Raider defense almost singlehandedly. And don't tell me he's not a leader of men -- if he can train a shrimpy little white guy like Little Mac into a Mike-Tyson-beater, he can coach the shit out of the Trojans.
Song Girl Erin
Young. Energetic. Motivated. Loyal as all-get-out to the Trojans. And let's be honest here: As much credit as Kiffin gets for being a balls-out recruiter, if Lane Kiffin asked you to do something and Erin asked you to do something, whose request would you be more likely to fulfill?
Dave Wannstedt
If all the Trojans are looking for is a guy who tanked in the NFL but has been so-so as a college head coach, why not go with a more proven quantity in the Wannstache, who at least managed to win 10 games this season? Kiffin's barely won 10 games in his career.
Rick Neuheisel
They'd never get him, of course, 'cause Slick Rick's a UCLA man born and raised, but Neuheisel was perfecting the cheeky-young-douchebag-coach shtick when Lane Kiffin was still begging his dad to let him take the Buick out on Friday nights. No angel as far as NCAA sanctions are concerned, but let's be real here, if USC gave a rat's ass about that then they wouldn't have hired Kiffin in the first place. Won a Cotton Bowl at Colorado and a Rose Bowl at Washington, both of which have mostly stunk on ice since he left; UCLA may still be paddling its way back to respectability at the moment, but don't be surprised if, a few years from now, the Trojans are casting envious glances up I-5 at what Neuheisel's been able to put together in Westwood.
No, no, USC, this one's on the house -- as is the Random Ten:
1. Paul Simon, "You Can Call Me Al"
2. When in Rome, "The Promise"
3. Gnarls Barkley, "Open Book"
4. General Public, "Taking the Day Off"
5. Nouvelle Vague, "The Killing Moon"
6. Pet Shop Boys, "One More Chance"
7. Nouvelle Vague, "Fade to Grey"
8. Billy Joel, "Uptown Girl"
9. Lou Reed, "Walk on the Wild Side"
10. A Tribe Called Quest, "Go Ahead in the Rain"
Happy Friday, folks -- your Random Tens and/or suggestions for better options than Kiffykins are welcome in the comments.
Well, guess who's got 'em? OK, yeah, Jimmy Sexton, but guess who else? That's right, I do. Don't ever say I never gave you anything, Trojans, because somewhere in this post is your next football coach -- today's +5 is Five People Who Would Make A Better Head Coach Of The USC Trojans Than Lane Kiffin.
Tom Selleck
Kiffykins fancies himself a badass, but he's not even in the same badass solar system as Magnum, P.I., who attended USC on a basketball scholarship in the 1960s. (According to Wikipedia, while in college he made two appearances on "The Dating Game" and lost both times, which is bullshit -- what kind of woman turns down The Selleck?) Based on his experience in films such as "Three Men and a Baby," we know he responds well to high-stress situations; based on his time as Magnum, we know he can restore the swagger to what was, until recently, the invincible hope-crusher of the Pac-10.
Ruffin McNeill
Came within an eyelash of getting Texas Tech's head-coaching position after leading them to a 10-point win in the Alamo Bowl as the interim coach. Turned around the languishing Red Raider defense almost singlehandedly. And don't tell me he's not a leader of men -- if he can train a shrimpy little white guy like Little Mac into a Mike-Tyson-beater, he can coach the shit out of the Trojans.
Song Girl Erin
Young. Energetic. Motivated. Loyal as all-get-out to the Trojans. And let's be honest here: As much credit as Kiffin gets for being a balls-out recruiter, if Lane Kiffin asked you to do something and Erin asked you to do something, whose request would you be more likely to fulfill?
Dave Wannstedt
If all the Trojans are looking for is a guy who tanked in the NFL but has been so-so as a college head coach, why not go with a more proven quantity in the Wannstache, who at least managed to win 10 games this season? Kiffin's barely won 10 games in his career.
Rick Neuheisel
They'd never get him, of course, 'cause Slick Rick's a UCLA man born and raised, but Neuheisel was perfecting the cheeky-young-douchebag-coach shtick when Lane Kiffin was still begging his dad to let him take the Buick out on Friday nights. No angel as far as NCAA sanctions are concerned, but let's be real here, if USC gave a rat's ass about that then they wouldn't have hired Kiffin in the first place. Won a Cotton Bowl at Colorado and a Rose Bowl at Washington, both of which have mostly stunk on ice since he left; UCLA may still be paddling its way back to respectability at the moment, but don't be surprised if, a few years from now, the Trojans are casting envious glances up I-5 at what Neuheisel's been able to put together in Westwood.
No, no, USC, this one's on the house -- as is the Random Ten:
1. Paul Simon, "You Can Call Me Al"
2. When in Rome, "The Promise"
3. Gnarls Barkley, "Open Book"
4. General Public, "Taking the Day Off"
5. Nouvelle Vague, "The Killing Moon"
6. Pet Shop Boys, "One More Chance"
7. Nouvelle Vague, "Fade to Grey"
8. Billy Joel, "Uptown Girl"
9. Lou Reed, "Walk on the Wild Side"
10. A Tribe Called Quest, "Go Ahead in the Rain"
Happy Friday, folks -- your Random Tens and/or suggestions for better options than Kiffykins are welcome in the comments.
Wednesday, January 20
Profiles in just not giving a crap anymore.
I assure you this is real:
That's right: Chan Gailey, whitest man in America, innovative architect of "Chan Gailey Equilibrium," and offensive coordinator who was fired last year after three preseason games -- that's right, not even regular-season games, preseason games -- with the Kansas City Chiefs, has been hired to be the head coach of something. In this case, "something" is the Buffalo Bills, a New York-based charitable organization that provides work opportunities for mediocre, washed-up football coaches, in addition to frequently fielding a professional football team.
I have conflicted emotions about this. On the one hand, I am bitterly disappointed to see that Gailey didn't return to the college level and end up at any of Georgia's arch-rivals who were hunting for head or assistant coaches over the past few weeks. (Gailey attended the University of Florida and was a grad assistant there in the mid-'70s; why, oh why did they not see fit to bring him home?) On the other hand, it put a lot of things in perspective for me, as a lifelong Washington Redskins fan, vis-á-vis Daniel Snyder's almost uniformly atrocious ownership. The guy's an idiot, no doubt, but at least he never seriously (to my knowledge) considered hiring Chan Gailey.
So even though I stopped doing the Monday Morning Cage Match a couple months back just because I got kind of bored with it, it seems like the perfect way of determining which coaching hire was more inexplicable: the Chanster to the Bills, or Lane Kiffin to the USC Trojans. Both decisions are redolent with apathy, the actions of managers who for whatever reason lost all hope of being able to hire someone good and were content to simply throw a contract through the car window of the first guy who actually expressed any interest in the job -- actually, in Gailey's case, the hiring was so surrender-riffic that they probably just text-messaged him a contract, but whatever. Using an expanded version of the Cage Match, we shall determine which of the two hires was more embarrassing: Let the Gailey-Kiffin battle royale begin!
CONCLUSION: USC's hiring of Lane Kiffin is actually more embarrassing than the Bills' hiring of Chan Gailey. Congratulations, USC: Buffalo hired a coach whose very name has become synonymous with mediocrity and the bare minimum in terms of acceptable achievement -- the "wearing only 15 pieces of flair" of football coaches, if you will -- and yet all available evidence indicates that it was still a smarter move than bringing Lane Kiffin back to Los Angeles. This may seem hard to fathom right now, but in three years, when the Bills are patting themselves on the back for another 8-8 season while the Trojans anxiously fret over whether recruiting violations will keep them from accepting the EagleBank Bowl bid that's otherwise rightfully theirs, you will see that I was right.
That's right: Chan Gailey, whitest man in America, innovative architect of "Chan Gailey Equilibrium," and offensive coordinator who was fired last year after three preseason games -- that's right, not even regular-season games, preseason games -- with the Kansas City Chiefs, has been hired to be the head coach of something. In this case, "something" is the Buffalo Bills, a New York-based charitable organization that provides work opportunities for mediocre, washed-up football coaches, in addition to frequently fielding a professional football team.
I have conflicted emotions about this. On the one hand, I am bitterly disappointed to see that Gailey didn't return to the college level and end up at any of Georgia's arch-rivals who were hunting for head or assistant coaches over the past few weeks. (Gailey attended the University of Florida and was a grad assistant there in the mid-'70s; why, oh why did they not see fit to bring him home?) On the other hand, it put a lot of things in perspective for me, as a lifelong Washington Redskins fan, vis-á-vis Daniel Snyder's almost uniformly atrocious ownership. The guy's an idiot, no doubt, but at least he never seriously (to my knowledge) considered hiring Chan Gailey.
So even though I stopped doing the Monday Morning Cage Match a couple months back just because I got kind of bored with it, it seems like the perfect way of determining which coaching hire was more inexplicable: the Chanster to the Bills, or Lane Kiffin to the USC Trojans. Both decisions are redolent with apathy, the actions of managers who for whatever reason lost all hope of being able to hire someone good and were content to simply throw a contract through the car window of the first guy who actually expressed any interest in the job -- actually, in Gailey's case, the hiring was so surrender-riffic that they probably just text-messaged him a contract, but whatever. Using an expanded version of the Cage Match, we shall determine which of the two hires was more embarrassing: Let the Gailey-Kiffin battle royale begin!
| EXPERIENCE | |
 You name it, Chan Gailey has coached it, from the lower college divisions to DI-A to the NFL to the World League of American Football, whatever the hell that was. He's only spent two years as an NFL head coach, but he does have 13 years as an offensive assistant, including four Super Bowl appearances. |  Thirteen years total as a coach at any level -- well, make that 12.25: He was fired a quarter of the way through his second season with the Oakland Raiders. And actually, you might want to scale that back even further, because I think one of those years was as a grad assistant, and another was a year spent as a "quality control assistant" with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yeah, ha-ha, very funny, you got coffee for Tom Coughlin. Stop trying to make it something it wasn't, Lane. Then again, he was the offensive coordinator for Southern Cal during the 2005 season, when the Trojans averaged 49 points and 579 yards per game, so there's that. |
| MORE EMBARRASSING: Kiffin | |
| RECORD | |
| That "Chan Gailey Equilibrium" thing? Oh, it's real. In 13 years as a head coach at various levels, Gailey has assembled an aggregate record of 98-63-1, which averages out to 7.54 wins and 4.85 losses per season. (And 0.08 ties, but come on, you just know he's gonna find a way to tie someone at least once in the NFL.) He is the Toyota Camry of head coaches: satisfactory, dependable, he'll get you from point A to point B ("point B" in this case being the Humanitarian Bowl), but you will never, ever be remotely enthused or invigorated while he does so. | In 20 games with the Raiders and 13 with the Vols, Kiffin is 12-21. Yes, the USC Trojans just hired a guy who's nine games under .500, lifetime. He'll have to go at least 11-2 with the Trojans this season just to get to .500. And as much derision as has been heaped on his UT successor, Derek Dooley, in various corners of the blogosphere, not only is Dooley's 17-20 record better than Kiffin's was when Kiffin first came to Knoxville, it's better than Kiffin's now. |
| MORE EMBARRASSING: Kiffin | |
| PERFORMANCE AT MOST RECENT JOB | |
| In 2007, the Kansas City Chiefs were 19th in the NFL in passing, dead last in rushing, and next-to-last in total offense; they finished 4-12. In 2008, Gailey's first year as offensive coordinator, they were 18th in passing, 16th in rushing, and . . . seventh-worst in total offense. And they went 2-14. Progress! At any rate, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was unimpressed enough with Gailey's performance that he saw fit to fire him after just three preseason games the following year. Yeah, I'm gonna repeat that as many times as it takes to sink in. | Went 7-6 at Tennessee, which is considerably less than what most Vol fans expect but better than the team's 5-7 record the season before he arrived. The Vols blew Georgia and South Carolina off the field, got jackhammered by Ole Miss and Virginia Tech, and played agonizingly close games against top-five Florida and Alabama teams that they had no real business staying within three touchdowns of; an average season in pretty much every respect. |
| MORE EMBARRASSING: Gailey | |
| RECOMMENDED BY | |
| Bill Cowher. Wait, what? Yeah, apparently the Bills went to Cowher to try to lure him to Buffalo, and he said no but suggested his former offensive coordinator from the Steelers. Wow. Cowher is a guy that at least 30 NFL teams would sell their mothers into white slavery to get, so his word means a lot here. So much that it actually counteracts a recommendation from Jerry Jones, who reportedly said he "regretted" having fired Gailey back in 1999. (Actually, since Jer-bear ended up replacing Gailey with Dave Campo, perhaps his regret is sincere.) | Ummm . . . his dad? |
| MORE EMBARRASSING: Kiffin | |
| GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT | |
| Took the Cowboys to the playoffs in both of his years in Dallas, including his first year as the NFC East champions. (Even if he did proceed to lose in the first round of the playoffs that year and hand the Arizona Cardinals their first playoff victory in 50 years.) | We could say the moral victory against Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators, the equally moral victory against eventual national champion Alabama, but those aren't actual wins. We know what the biggest win of Tennessee's 2009 season was, and it was the prison-shower cornholing they gave to my Georgia Bulldogs up in Knoxville. In retrospect, that might have been the best humiliating beatdown we ever had -- I have to think it accelerated the dismissal of defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and two other defensive assistants who hadn't been getting anything done -- but that doesn't change the fact that, at the time, I wanted to disembowel myself and strangle myself with my own entrails. |
| MORE EMBARRASSING: Kiffin | |
| WORST FAILURE | |
| Aside from getting shitcanned in the preseason, it'd have to be losing to Georgia all six years of his tenure at Georgia Tech. That losing streak was arguably set into motion by the loss he suffered in his first year with the Yellow Jackets, a 51-7 napalming in which the intimidation was visible in his team's eyes almost from the moment the Dawgs put their first points on the board. From then on, you could almost set your watch by the point Gailey's Jackets would crap their pants against the Bulldogs (though, in his defense, Reggie Ball obviously had a lot to do with that). | Probably getting curb-stomped by Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which closed out Kiffin's first and only season. A Hokie offense that struggled to score on East Carolina a couple months earlier went apeshit on the Volunteer defense, winning 37-14 and handing the Vols their sixth straight loss in the Georgia Dome. (Seriously, y'all, just don't play there anymore. You're like the character in the horror movie who goes back upstairs even though it's obvious to anyone with half a brain that they're about to be sliced up like prosciutto.) |
| MORE EMBARRASSING: Gailey | |
| SPECIAL SKILLS AND/OR QUALIFICATIONS | |
| Well, if Chan Gailey Equilibrium continues to hold in Buffalo, a 7-5 season in college should equate to, oh, let's say a 9-7 season in the NFL. Since the league went to 32 teams in 2002, nine wins gives you just under a 40% chance of making the playoffs -- which, actually, is probably an improvement for the Bills, now that I think about it. | Ruthless recruiter. Also has a fairly hot wife. |
| MORE EMBARRASSING: Gailey | |
CONCLUSION: USC's hiring of Lane Kiffin is actually more embarrassing than the Bills' hiring of Chan Gailey. Congratulations, USC: Buffalo hired a coach whose very name has become synonymous with mediocrity and the bare minimum in terms of acceptable achievement -- the "wearing only 15 pieces of flair" of football coaches, if you will -- and yet all available evidence indicates that it was still a smarter move than bringing Lane Kiffin back to Los Angeles. This may seem hard to fathom right now, but in three years, when the Bills are patting themselves on the back for another 8-8 season while the Trojans anxiously fret over whether recruiting violations will keep them from accepting the EagleBank Bowl bid that's otherwise rightfully theirs, you will see that I was right.
Friday, January 15
I realize I'm the guy who threw a toaster, but . . .
So the longest and most frustrating wait in the history of Athens, Georgia (other than the wait for a table at The Grill after a night game), has come to an end -- Georgia has a defensive coordinator again, one Todd Grantham, late of the still-alive-in-the-playoffs Dallas Cowboys. Now that that's over with, we can get to the more important business: kibitzing this selection to within an inch of its life.
I'm joking, of course, but I'll be candid: When Grantham's name first started surfacing as a candidate for the DC position, I didn't get particularly excited. The myth has long since been busted that success in the NFL automatically equates to success at the college level, and it's been a long time since Grantham had to get involved in the grunt work of college-specific tasks such as recruiting. But the more I read about him -- and the more praise I hear about him from sources that I trust, David Hale chief among them -- the more comfortable I feel. For one thing, you can't deny that his NFL experience is likely to be a big draw for recruits. He's also a hell of a coach, as evidenced by the Cowboys' excellent defensive line this year. (Consider, if you will, what high praise that is coming from a diehard Redskins fan.) No, his stint as DC of the Cleveland Browns wasn't especially memorable, but name me anyone who's been successful as part of that franchise recently. In the end, he comes to Athens with substantially more experience than Kirby Smart, whom we were all panicking over just a few days ago.
Do I know for a fact that Grantham will succeed brilliantly at UGA? No -- but neither does anyone else. Naturally, I'd like to think that he'll be a noticeable improvement over Willie Martinez regardless, but at this point all we can do is wind him up and let him go. All I ask from Bulldog Nation is this: Let us give him time do his job. I know we all want to see the Georgia defense instantly transformed into the Steel Curtain of the 1970s, but between our personnel losses on defense and the time it takes to adjust to any new scheme -- particularly one as dramatic as the switch from Martinez's scheme to one that, say, places defenders within five yards of an opposing team's receivers on a regular basis -- there are going to be some growing pains in Grantham's first year. Please, please, please, Bulldog Nation, let's recognize the circumstances and show some frickin' confidence through these challenges and hiccups, rather than being like these guys, who want to fire someone the minute something goes wrong. Whether you're jazzed about the hire or not, there is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, to be gained by melting down and proclaiming the Georgia program to be already dead and buried.
Look at it this way: Even the AJC's Mark Bradley -- who just a few days ago was proclaiming Georgia's DC search a Titanic-caliber failure if it brought in anyone other than Kirby Smart -- now says that Georgia's hiring of Grantham will ultimately do more for its program than that other Georgia team's search for a defensive coordinator, the one that today brought former Virginia coach Al Groh to Georgia Tech. I don't think either hire was a monstrously bad one, certainly, but I concur with Bradley that in the long run, Grantham has more upside for UGA than Groh does for GT.
And I'm not saying this just because I desire to see everything Georgia Tech does athletically, from their football team to their basketball team down to how clean they keep the pool for their swimming and diving teams, to be an abject failure. Groh's been a defensive guy throughout his career, and served as his own DC at Virginia -- but while his defenses there were frequently good (given the state of the Cavs' offense over the past few years, they'd have to be for UVA to have won any games at all), they weren't necessarily great; Virginia was sixth in the ACC in total defense last year, eighth the year before that. Groh, like Grantham (from what I'm hearing), plans to switch the Jackets' defensive alignment from a 4-3 to a 3-4, which is certain to entail those same growing pains I mentioned earlier -- the difference is that Grantham is only 43, while Groh is 65, and it's reasonable to wonder how many more years Groh is going to feel like coaching. By the time he gets the team performing to his satisfaction in the 3-4, is he going to be ready to just hang it up? Groh's also a legendarily stubborn guy, cranky even, and it's going to be very interesting to see how his personality meshes with the also stubborn-and-cranky Paul Johnson, particularly with Groh being a former head coach himself now having to work under someone else.
Ordinarily this would be the part where I point out that Tech just hired a defensive coordinator whose defense they hung 34 points and 447 yards on earlier in the season. But I'm trying to be a nicer guy in 2010, so I won't.
The last bit of coaching news on the docket today is the report that Tennessee is interested in Louisiana Tech's Derek Dooley for their still-vacant head-coaching position. Derek, of course, being the son of our legendary Vince Dooley, and a UGA Law grad to boot. I've heard a number of reports saying that Derek has already accepted the job, others saying it hasn't even been officially offered to him yet, with UT still wanting to take a crack at another candidate such as Houston's Kevin Sumlin. But it still looks like Derek has a pretty good shot at being the next head man on Rocky Top.
On the surface, at least, I think it's a huge credit to Derek's talents that he'd be considered for such a high-profile job. But I kind of hope he turns it down, and not even because I'm all that worried about the Vince's-son-coaching-against-his-dad's-old-team storylines that are sure to blow up as a result. Here's why: Tennessee's program is in a very bad spot right now -- Lane Kiffin left a real mess behind by jumping ship when he did, and at the rate things are going, the Vols' athletic director may take some of the fall for that as well -- and I've heard a couple suggestions from Big Orange country that they might as well just write off the 2010 season (which, given personnel turnover, was going to be dicey even if Kiffin had stuck around) and focus on 2011. I'm worried that Derek Dooley, a young up-and-comer who clearly has many, many years ahead of him with which to build a coaching career, will end up being only a sacrificial lamb tasked with coaching the Vols for a few difficult years, and then fired once Tennessee has its sights on a "name" coach and are in a position to make a much easier transition than the one they're having to make now.
I'm not saying that UT would hire Dooley right now with that kind of plan in mind (although given the terrible judgment AD Mike Hamilton has displayed with regard to the football program over the past couple years, I can't say I'd put it past him, either). But completely independent of any assessment of Dooley's actual abilities -- which I think are considerable -- the next few years are going to be very rough in Knoxville no matter who's coaching. Consider, too, that Hamilton himself might not last much longer in his job; he's the one who made the controversial decision to fire Phil Fulmer, took what turned out to be a very bad risk in hiring Kiffin to replace him, and is now generally seen as having made a mess of the search to replace Kiffin. If I was a betting man, I'd say Tennessee will have a new AD before the end of the year. And we all know how new ADs like to put their "stamp" on a new program by installing their own hand-picked coach, even if that means having to get rid of the old one for only the most arbitrary of reasons; in theory, a new AD at Tennessee would be all the more likely to do that if Dooley (or whoever) were to lead the Vols to a string of 5-7 or 6-6 seasons. Looking at the landscape at UT now, one starts to understand a little better why so many presumably workable candidates have turned the job down.
Of course, if Dooley does end up taking the job, then between that and my, um, romantic connection to Rocky Top, then I guess I'd have to dramatically reassess my hate level for the Vols. (I certainly wouldn't put them above UGA in my rooting interests, of course; at best it'd be one of those root-for-them-unless-they're-playing-the-Dawgs kind of deals.) But for the Dooley family's sake, I kinda hope he doesn't. We all know Bobby Petrino is going to leave Arkansas in the lurch sometime in the next three or four years; for all we know, Les Miles might be skating on thin ice at LSU, too. I'm pretty sure there will be SEC coaching opportunities for Dooley before too long if he wants 'em. Just don't make me have to burn with hatred for your team every year, guy.
As for Tennessee, know this: If you do decide to hire Derek, then you damn sure better be prepared for the awesome power of . . . DOOLEY FACE.
(Seriously, he yells a lot on the sidelines. A lot. Even for the WAC, it's kind of terrifying.)
Wednesday, January 13
He ran through the T . . . and kept on going.
Lane Kiffin seemed like a weird hire to me even back in December of '08 when he was first announced as Phil Fulmer's replacement at Tennessee. There were a few things that made sense about hiring Kiffin from a UT perspective -- as I pointed out over at Dr. Saturday in an article about the big Kiffykins-Urban Meyer battle royale earlier this season, UT is a place that's used to long-tenured coaches, and if you're looking for someone with the potential to be a "lifer," you might as well start with a young up-and-comer -- but otherwise he hardly seemed to fit the mold of either Tennessee or the SEC in general. His southeastern ties were minimal; he didn't have any trace of a Southern accent unless he affected one; and after a series of crusty, older guys in Knoxville such as General Neyland, Johnny Majors, and good ol' Phil Fulmer, Kiffykins definitely looked like the odd man out.
I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being provincial here, and making it sound like Southern-ness is the be-all, end-all of someone's coaching cred. You could just as easily look at it from the other side, because it seemed equally strange (to me, anyway) that Kiffin would go to a place like Knoxville. Tennessee is a relatively high-profile job, and they can certainly write big checks to bring a coach to town, but there are any number of programs on the west coast -- where Kiffin has spent the vast majority of his playing and coaching career -- that could say the same thing. After having played in Fresno, been an assistant in Los Angeles, and reached the supposed pinnacle of his industry (i.e. a head-coaching job in the NFL) in the Bay Area, what possible appeal could a place like little ol' Knoxville hold for a guy like Kiffin? And I don't even mean that as a slight against eastern Tennessee; it would be just as difficult to picture Kiffykins staying entertained in a place like Athens, Oxford, or Tuscaloosa.
Well, now we know just how little Kiffykins was actually engaged in his job at UT -- disengaged enough to bounce for supposedly greener pastures after only one year. And if this rather astonishing report from Clay Travis is remotely grounded in truth, it looks like Kiffin never had any interest in or respect for SEC traditions to begin with. Not only that, but he had one eye on L.A. the entire time. Those doubts I had about Kiffin being a good fit for Big Orange were justified, but not for the reasons I thought: Tennessee seemed to get along just fine with him; Kiffin, on the other hand, just wasn't that into Tennessee.So while I'm just as inclined as any SEC fan to gloat about the UT football program receiving the administrative equivalent of a late helmet-to-helmet hit just three weeks before National Signing Day, there are a couple things about the whole situation that make me mad -- and not just mad on behalf of my diehard-Vol-fan girlfriend, I mean legitimately personally mad. For one thing, Kiffin bolted Knoxville before Georgia could get a chance to exact revenge for this past season's blowout loss to the Vols, meaning that Lane Kiffin will more than likely end his coaching career undefeated against the Dawgs. Words can't describe how frustrating that is.
But in a larger sense, I feel like Kiffykins just hocked a loogie in the face of the entire SEC. Matt Hinton perfectly summed up the ice-cold truth about the situation when he said that the Vols have been "treated like a Bowling Green-level steppingstone." Look, nobody is less inclined to say nice things about the UT football program than I am, but at the end of the day, even their most hated rivals have to admit that it's a program with a lot of wins, a lot of tradition, and a lot of pride to its credit. Did any of us ever think that a program like that would ever be used as the "fluffer" for a Pac-10 coaching job? And what would we think if it happened to our school? As much as I'm tempted to chortle at the shambles the UT program is in right now, or at the near-riots that erupted in Knoxville last night once the announcement is made, I can't imagine I'd be any less pissed if UGA had been treated similarly by a head coach. Georgia fans, think back to how incensed we all were when Glen Mason turned down our head-coaching job back in '95, only to bolt for the friggin' Minnesota Golden Gophers one season later; imagine if Mason had taken the UGA job, coached there for one so-so year, then left us in the lurch to head up to Minneapolis. (And then imagine if all the new "traditions" for which he'd tossed out Georgia's proud old rituals turned out to be bogarted from Minnesota, and that he went out the door in Athens trying to take our top recruits with him.) Think you would've been ready to pick up a torch and/or pitchfork then? I know I probably would have.
Or to look at it another way, in my lifetime, 13 SEC football coaches have resigned or retired; two have died while still under contract; three have gone to the NFL; and thirty-four have been fired. Only nine, counting Kiffin, have voluntarily left for other college coaching jobs, and four of those guys left for other jobs in the SEC. Clearly, the Southeastern Conference is seen as a destination, not a waystation, in coaching circles; what makes Kiffin think he's so fuckin' special? (Actually, I guess that's a question better left to USC folks to answer, but if their initial reaction to the hire is any indication, they don't have any more idea than the rest of us do.)
So while I have no particular desire to see Tennessee field an elite, or even competitive, football program in the indeterminate future, I stand in some degree of solidarity with the UT students and fans who feel like they've been royally played this morning. Even if it was a dick move that screwed over one of my most hated rivals, it was still a dick move, and what it says about Kiffin's respect (or lack of same) for the winning traditions of the best and most heritage-laden conference in the country is something we should all take offense at. Kiffin is clearly a slimeball of the highest order, to the extent that he and his assistants appear intent on leaving that trail of slime all the way to Los Angeles.
Again, maybe I'm just being more sensitive to this than I ordinarily would be because I've got a UT-alum girlfriend to console. (Holly, to her credit, didn't need as much coddling as you might think; she raged about it for a few minutes, collected herself, then got right to the task of making a list of replacements. This shit's a business, son.) But the fact that it happened to one of my most hated rivals doesn't make this situation any less outrageous. I'll still hope Tennessee loses, for the most part, but at this point I think I'll be rooting just as hard for Kiffin to lose big wherever he goes, just like I'll continue to root for, say, Spurrier, Urban Meyer, and/or Paul Johnson to lose should their careers take them anywhere beyond where they are today. Once a shitbag, always a shitbag, and shitbags like Kiffin need to learn a little humility. They may never learn it in the end, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world should quit trying to teach them.
Monday, January 4
Georgia's DC search, the Saban lesson, and good things coming to those who wait.
The Independence Bowl has come and gone, the year has changed over, and Georgia still doesn't have a defensive coordinator. To hear some portions of the UGA fan base tell it, it's time to panic.
Well, the AJC's Mark Bradley appears to be the main one reaching for the panic button, actually. And while a substantial portion of his commenters appear to agree with him, the comments threads in AJC.com's sports section on any given day can be counted on to be dumber than Lindsay Lohan and wronger than Bill Kristol. The people who actually know what they're talking about -- and here I'm thinking about your humble Georgia blogosphere, people like Paul Westerdawg and Kyle King and Senator Blutarsky, not to mention a few mainstream-media guys such as the Macon Telegraph's David Hale -- have appeared blessedly calm over the course of this search. But for those among you who are tempted to take Bradley's cue and start getting antsy, let me make a couple of points.
Think back to Alabama's last head-coaching search, one of the highest-profile, if not the highest-profile, such search in the last decade. Mike Shula was informed he would not be retained on November 26, 2006, just over a week after the Crimson Tide concluded their regular season with a loss to Auburn. Nick Saban was not announced as his replacement until January 3, 2007. Thirty-eight days. Willie Martinez was fired this past December 2, so if we use Bama as a model, we don't really get to start panicking until this coming Saturday, January 9.That's semi-tongue-in-cheek, of course. There's no set date by which point fans should automatically get the green light to begin melting down over a protracted hiring process. But the point is that a lengthy coaching search does not automatically guarantee failure; if anything, moving too quickly is the more dangerous path. Alabama took 38 days and ended up with Nick Saban; Florida took only five days and ended up with Ron Zook. That's how it works sometimes.
And consider what a gigantic clusterfuck the Alabama hiring process looked like at times. Alabama AD Mal Moore, god love him, offered then-West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez the job before knowing whether he'd say yes; announced that he'd taken the job before he said yes; and then looked like a complete fool when Rodriguez said no, he was staying in Morgantown after all. Know what that means? When Alabama hired Nick Saban, they got their second choice. OK, so that's kind of a mischaracterization of how things played out, but Alabama had already been told by Saban that he wasn't interested, and it was obvious that it would take a whole truckload of cash to move him from that position. Saban might have been their preferred choice, but taking a $4-million flier that he'd actually come to Tuscaloosa was a definite Plan B, strategically, in comparison to finding an established college coach much more likely to view Tuscaloosa as an upgrade (i.e. Rodriguez). Alabama botched Plan A and only then went double-or-nothing on Plan B -- to wit, crossing their fingers and using the nation's highest salary as an opener in the hopes of luring one of the nation's highest-profile coaches. It was by luck (and Saban's growing disgust with the Dolphins' front office), not skill, that Alabama pulled that off.
Contrast that to the deliberateness and discretion with which Georgia has handled their DC search. By all reports, we did make a more-or-less official offer to Bud Foster, which was turned down only when Virginia Tech bumped up his salary. And while we apparently expressed interest in talking to LSU's John Chavis, there's no evidence that we actually offered him the position before LSU bumped up his salary as well. So in spite of what Mark Bradley implies, we're not down to Plan C or worse at this point, and we're not at a point where not getting Kirby Smart from Alabama automatically = failure.Bradley seems to think that what's most important here is getting the biggest name. I hope I've already made a pretty solid case that having patience and finding the right guy is more important than moving hastily just so that we can find someone with a name that guys like Bradley will find suitably noteworthy. Again, by the criteria Bradley appears to be using, we would never have even sniffed Brian VanGorder back in the early months of 2001.
I think Westerdawg absolutely hits the nail on the head with his take: "I'd lose a recruit or three to get the right guy." To me, that brief comment really offers some perspective on just how little there is to be gained by making speed the top priority in this search. So let's all squelch whatever urge to panic we may be feeling in the moment, and instead take a moment to be glad that Mark Richt, not Mark Bradley, is leading this process.
Wednesday, December 16
Strong advice.
OK, it seems a few people may have missed the point of the thought exercise I posted yesterday (and yes, the Mystery Defensive Coordinator I described was indeed Charlie Strong). The point wasn't to compare Charlie Strong unfavorably to Bud Foster (or to any of the people who've been talked up as candidates for our vacant DC position), and it definitely wasn't to make any comment one way or another on Strong's race. The point really wasn't about Charlie Strong at all; mainly, it was to show just how easy it is to twist facts a certain way when you're talking about a given coach's suitability for a given job. "Facts," as Ronald Reagan once may or may not have meant to say, "are stupid things."With every candidate who's been mentioned for our DC position, Bud Foster being only the latest, there are any number of members of Bulldog Nation who will step forward to voice their dissatisfaction by picking out bad individual games that candidate had or a less-than-sterling record against a certain opponent. I realize that no candidate is going to satisfy everybody, but at the same time, no candidate is going to be perfect, either. Any coach or coordinator can be selectively portrayed as deficient or downright incompetent if you pick out the right info to tar him with; hell, Charlie Strong is a guy for whom I think any one of us would've been willing to auction off one of our nieces or nephews, yet if all you knew about him was what I told you in yesterday's post, you'd think he was a borderline mental defective best suited for Division III, if that.
By the same token, if all I told you about Willie Martinez was this, this, this, this, and this, you'd be begging us to not only hire Willie Martinez back but give him a raise and a ten-year contract extension. But as David Hale makes clear, Mark Richt didn't let his knee jerk based on individual games when making the (very difficult) decision to fire his longtime assistant and friend. Rather, he did what many of us bloggers have done -- he looked at Martinez's overall body of work over five years, saw the consistently negative trends in terms of yards and points, and did what needed to be done. It was a hard-fought, well-thought-through decision, and I have every confidence that the hiring of Martinez's replacement will be just as thoroughly considered (even more so after reading Hale's post). I hope the rest of Bulldog Nation will be, too.
That includes considering every candidate's body of work as a whole, rather than just deciding "I don't like the look of that guy" and then cherry-picking individual performances to show what a schmuck he is. Everett Withers's UNC defense got clocked by FSU and N.C. State? He still directs the sixth-ranked defense in the country (and managed to help the Tarheels to eight wins despite an offense barely averaging 310 yards a game). Vic Koenning got 66 points dropped on him by Texas Tech earlier this year? He still pulled K-State's wretched defense from 117th in the nation last year to 40th this year (and if never getting unloaded on by Texas Tech is a criterion for being a good DC, Dick Bumpas and Will Muschamp would both be off the list).
It also includes having some faith that Richt is going to make the right decision and not just throw a contract at the first DC who bats his eyes at us. Whether or not you think he's the absolute best choice out there, the fact that we've reached out to (and come so close to snagging) a guy like Bud Foster -- one of the most respected names in the business and a guy whose professional relationship with Frank Beamer stretches back more than 30 years -- shows that we're very serious about this hire and are prepared to spare no expense or effort in finding the top guy. We can debate the pros and cons of individual candidates or suggestions to our hearts' content, but there's no point in panicking or bringing the wrath of god down on any of them (particularly when three out of any four rumored candidates circulated in the mainstream media or blogosphere were probably pulled right out of some writer's ass to begin with).
I leave you with one more thought exercise: Would you be happy with a defensive-coordinator hire whose only previous DC jobs had been at Central Florida, Central Michigan, and DI-AA Western Illinois, and who was rumored to be a job-hopper we might not be able to keep more than three or four years anyway? I'm just saying, it might not be as bad as you think.
Tuesday, December 15
Thought exercise.
While I work on a playoff-related post, and while Georgia continues to hunt down a defensive coordinator, I've got a thought experiment I'd like to try out on y'all, particularly if you're of the Dawg persuasion. This was inspired by the recent news (since put to rest) that highly respected Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster was officially in the mix for Georgia's DC job, and more specifically the reaction of one of my friends to the news. I'll explain the point of this in a subsequent post later on this week, but for now I just want y'all to ponder one question.
It's December 2, we've just fired Willie Martinez, we're casting about for a new DC, and there's a guy who's been bandied about as a prospect for the job. He's coached in the SEC for the vast majority of his career, including the last 10 years straight. In his first defensive-coordinator job, his team didn't win a game all season long. At the second program where he served as DC, his team won two conference titles in seven years, but they lost to LSU four times, Auburn twice, Tennessee twice, and Ole Miss three times; he's even managed to lose to Mississippi State. (Just for good measure, he's also lost to Georgia twice.) In one season, his defense gave up 30 or more points in five different games, including a bowl-game loss to a Big 10 team; he's 2-3 against the Big 10 and a so-so 7-5 against the ACC. Every year he's talked about for a number of head-coaching openings at DI-A programs, but he never seems to get any of them. And the last game he coached for his current program was a three-TD loss to an SEC rival in which his team gave up more than 30 points.
I don't want you to guess the identity of this coach. All I want you to do is answer the question, Do you want this guy to be our next defensive coordinator?
It's December 2, we've just fired Willie Martinez, we're casting about for a new DC, and there's a guy who's been bandied about as a prospect for the job. He's coached in the SEC for the vast majority of his career, including the last 10 years straight. In his first defensive-coordinator job, his team didn't win a game all season long. At the second program where he served as DC, his team won two conference titles in seven years, but they lost to LSU four times, Auburn twice, Tennessee twice, and Ole Miss three times; he's even managed to lose to Mississippi State. (Just for good measure, he's also lost to Georgia twice.) In one season, his defense gave up 30 or more points in five different games, including a bowl-game loss to a Big 10 team; he's 2-3 against the Big 10 and a so-so 7-5 against the ACC. Every year he's talked about for a number of head-coaching openings at DI-A programs, but he never seems to get any of them. And the last game he coached for his current program was a three-TD loss to an SEC rival in which his team gave up more than 30 points.I don't want you to guess the identity of this coach. All I want you to do is answer the question, Do you want this guy to be our next defensive coordinator?
Wednesday, December 9
Better know a defensive-coordinator candidate, part II: the wild-cards.
After last week's initial rundown of defensive-coordinator candidates ranging from the exciting to the unrealistic to the just plain suicidal, I perused the resulting comments thread, along with a few other blogs that have been speculating on the coaching search. And I came across enough new names that it seemed like a good time for a second round of DC candidates. Most of these guys are unknown-enough quantities (to me, anyway) that I didn't feel confident slotting them into the "want"/"don't want" categories from last time, though, so instead I'm just throwing them all out there as possibilities and letting y'all fill in the blanks in the comments, if you've got any enlightening info or strong opinions one way or the other.
I can, however, take two names I've seen thrown around and strike them off the list post-haste. First, Virginia Tech DC Bud Foster has no Georgia ties that I'm aware of and has been a Frank Beamer disciple for basically his entire career; he's a virtual lock to at least be interviewed for the VT head-coaching job whenever Beamer retires, and even if he doesn't get it, there will be plenty of HC offers coming his way, enough that he doesn't have to worry about making a lateral move. Sorry, but he ain't comin' to Athens. I've also seen people mention Ron Zook, who is, against all conceivable logic, still employed by Illinois, and was mediocre enough as Florida's DC that Steve Spurrier -- whose disinterest in anything other than offense was already well-known -- saw fit to demote him to special teams. I am quite relieved to say we don't need to expend much mental energy hashing out the chances that he'll be coming to Athens, either.
But here are some guys who might yet be on the table:
Manny Diaz
I heard a rumor today that Diaz, the DC at Middle Tennessee State, was on our list of candidates for secondary coach but possibly even for DC. Diaz is currently in his first year as a coordinator after having coached some excellent defensive units at N.C. State under both Chuck Amato and Tom O'Brien.
Pros: He's young and energetic, the kind of guy who could stay at Georgia a long time (assuming someone else didn't try to snap him up first, either for a DC job or a head-coaching position). He's done well in his first year in Murfreesboro, taking a Blue Raider defense that had been frequently awful over the last few seasons and fashioning it into a squad that finished first in the Sun Belt in passing yards allowed, pass efficiency, and scoring D. Not a big name yet, but consider that Brian VanGorder's last three DC jobs before coming to Athens were at Central Florida, Central Michigan, and DI-AA Western Illinois.
Cons: A "diamond in the rough" though he may be, he still doesn't have much experience under his belt, which would make him a puzzling choice for a brand-name program supposedly capable of opening up the checkbook and bringing in a well-established coach. It's a long way from the Sun Belt to the complex schemes and elite-level talent that the offenses of guys like Urban Meyer, Gus Malzahn, and Bobby Petrino would be throwing at him.
Ellis Johnson
Johnson was brought in two seasons ago to turn around a South Carolina defense that had started to sputter. He's also served as the DC at Mississippi State (2004-07, during which time his defenses were about the only thing the Bizarro Bulldogs had going for them) and Alabama (1997-2000).
Pros: With all due respect to Dawgsports' MaconDawg, I think he underestimates Johnson's body of work at South Carolina a little. The Gamecocks were 110th in the country in run defense the year before he arrived -- remember Darren McFadden going over three bills against them in November '07? -- and were all the way back up to 43d after one year of his coaching. Both of his first two South Carolina defenses finished in the top 15 nationally in yards allowed.
Cons: Johnson's defenses may have been the brightest spot on the field for Sylvester Croom's Mississippi State program, but that's not saying much; his best finish in the SEC was fifth overall in terms of yards allowed. And as many good games as he's had at South Carolina, he's also had some real clunkers (56 points allowed to Florida last year; 41 this year to a Georgia team operating at nowhere near full efficiency).
Travis Jones
You may remember Jones as a four-year letter-winner as a defensive lineman for the Bulldogs during the Ray Goff era; he graduated in 1995 and returned two years later as a grad assistant, where he coached future superstars Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud as freshmen. Currently the assistant defensive line coach for the (undefeated) New Orleans Saints.
Pros: Well, there's the pull of the ol' alma mater, for one. Jones also worked as the DL coach and recruiting coordinator for LSU in 2003 and '04, during which time he coached guys like Chad Lavalais and Marcus Spears on the way to a national title. His recruiting chops would be a huge benefit if, as many people predict, we lose Rodney Garner over the course of this defensive reorganization.
Cons: Would the pull of the alma mater be enough to tear a guy away from a Saints team that's 12-0 and has every reason to think it'll be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl? He may not be interested in even talking to us until mid-January, and that's a long time to be leaving our recruiting efforts twisting in the wind. Has been in the NFL ever since joining Nick Saban's jump from LSU to the Miami Dolphins in '05 and may have his eye on an upward path through the pro, rather than college, ranks at this point.
Vic Koenning
Currently the co-defensive coordinator and DBs coach at Kansas State, Koenning's experience on the defensive side of the ball stretches back nearly 20 years and includes stops at Wyoming, Troy, and Clemson.
Pros: Koenning's defenses at Troy, Clemson, and K-State have all been terrific. Only twice have his squads finished outside the top 20 nationally in total defense -- his first year at Troy, which was only the program's third year in DI-A, and this year at KSU, in which he still managed to haul the Wildcats from 117th in the country in total D up to 39th. Has probably gained at least a passing familiarity with our recruiting area from four seasons at Clemson.
Cons: Supposedly he bolted Clemson for KSU because Clemson wouldn't give him the head-coaching job; that and his three years of experience as Wyoming's head coach (even though he only went 5-29) lead me to believe he'd only be interested in upward moves from here on out -- particularly now that he's coaching at his alma mater and thus has a good shot at the Wildcats' top job once Bill Snyder, who just turned 70, retires.
Mike MacIntyre
Second-year defensive coordinator at Duke University and, as of November 18, your reigning National Assistant Coach of the Year. Was a grad assistant at UGA while earning his master's here in 1990 and '91.
Pros: Well, the National Assistant Coach of the Year thing is a pretty big one. Duke's national ranking of 66th in total yards allowed isn't spectacular, but it's not bad considering the paucity of talent on the Blue Devils' roster, and it's a damn sight better than where they were before he arrived (92d in the nation, giving up 424 yards per game; that figure is down by more than 50 yards for '09). Also coached under Bill Parcells for four years with the Dallas Cowboys.
Cons: Do we really want to hire a guy who only has two years of experience as a coordinator? Do we really want to go poaching anyone off of Duke's coaching staff at all? And grad degree notwithstanding, do we want to hire a guy who got his bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech (and played there as a free safety and punt returner in '87 and '88)?
Bob Sanders
Presently serving as defensive coordinator (though who knows for how long, now that Dick Jauron has been fired) with the Buffalo Bills; before that, he was defensive coordinator and DEs coach for the Green Bay Packers. Before that, he spent 11 seasons on Steve Spurrier's staff at Florida, where his defensive lines ground us into hamburger on a regular basis.
Pros: In his capacity as a DL coach, his lines have been almost uniformly terrific; mentored a trio of NFL first-rounders (Jevon Kearse, Kevin Carter, and Huey Richardson) with the Gators. Soon to be available, too, given the state of flux in Buffalo.
Cons: Hasn't coached college ball since 2000, and as we've seen, success in the NFL doesn't necessarily translate into (and has been, in some cases, a hindrance to) success at the college level. Less consistent as a coordinator than he was as a DLs or LBs coach; the Bills, for instance, are dead last in the NFL in run defense at the moment and only midpack in QB sacks. Also has the taint of a stint at Georgia Tech on his record, even if it was a long time ago (heh, "taint"), and at 56 years old he may not be the kind of energetic firebrand we're looking for.
So there are a few more names for you to toss around -- I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on them in the comments, along with, as always, any new suggestions you might have. With recruiting heating up and ratcheting up the importance of getting a name locked down, I expect we'll be hearing rumors ramp up accordingly over the next couple weeks.
I can, however, take two names I've seen thrown around and strike them off the list post-haste. First, Virginia Tech DC Bud Foster has no Georgia ties that I'm aware of and has been a Frank Beamer disciple for basically his entire career; he's a virtual lock to at least be interviewed for the VT head-coaching job whenever Beamer retires, and even if he doesn't get it, there will be plenty of HC offers coming his way, enough that he doesn't have to worry about making a lateral move. Sorry, but he ain't comin' to Athens. I've also seen people mention Ron Zook, who is, against all conceivable logic, still employed by Illinois, and was mediocre enough as Florida's DC that Steve Spurrier -- whose disinterest in anything other than offense was already well-known -- saw fit to demote him to special teams. I am quite relieved to say we don't need to expend much mental energy hashing out the chances that he'll be coming to Athens, either.
But here are some guys who might yet be on the table:
Manny DiazI heard a rumor today that Diaz, the DC at Middle Tennessee State, was on our list of candidates for secondary coach but possibly even for DC. Diaz is currently in his first year as a coordinator after having coached some excellent defensive units at N.C. State under both Chuck Amato and Tom O'Brien.
Pros: He's young and energetic, the kind of guy who could stay at Georgia a long time (assuming someone else didn't try to snap him up first, either for a DC job or a head-coaching position). He's done well in his first year in Murfreesboro, taking a Blue Raider defense that had been frequently awful over the last few seasons and fashioning it into a squad that finished first in the Sun Belt in passing yards allowed, pass efficiency, and scoring D. Not a big name yet, but consider that Brian VanGorder's last three DC jobs before coming to Athens were at Central Florida, Central Michigan, and DI-AA Western Illinois.
Cons: A "diamond in the rough" though he may be, he still doesn't have much experience under his belt, which would make him a puzzling choice for a brand-name program supposedly capable of opening up the checkbook and bringing in a well-established coach. It's a long way from the Sun Belt to the complex schemes and elite-level talent that the offenses of guys like Urban Meyer, Gus Malzahn, and Bobby Petrino would be throwing at him.
Ellis JohnsonJohnson was brought in two seasons ago to turn around a South Carolina defense that had started to sputter. He's also served as the DC at Mississippi State (2004-07, during which time his defenses were about the only thing the Bizarro Bulldogs had going for them) and Alabama (1997-2000).
Pros: With all due respect to Dawgsports' MaconDawg, I think he underestimates Johnson's body of work at South Carolina a little. The Gamecocks were 110th in the country in run defense the year before he arrived -- remember Darren McFadden going over three bills against them in November '07? -- and were all the way back up to 43d after one year of his coaching. Both of his first two South Carolina defenses finished in the top 15 nationally in yards allowed.
Cons: Johnson's defenses may have been the brightest spot on the field for Sylvester Croom's Mississippi State program, but that's not saying much; his best finish in the SEC was fifth overall in terms of yards allowed. And as many good games as he's had at South Carolina, he's also had some real clunkers (56 points allowed to Florida last year; 41 this year to a Georgia team operating at nowhere near full efficiency).
Travis JonesYou may remember Jones as a four-year letter-winner as a defensive lineman for the Bulldogs during the Ray Goff era; he graduated in 1995 and returned two years later as a grad assistant, where he coached future superstars Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud as freshmen. Currently the assistant defensive line coach for the (undefeated) New Orleans Saints.
Pros: Well, there's the pull of the ol' alma mater, for one. Jones also worked as the DL coach and recruiting coordinator for LSU in 2003 and '04, during which time he coached guys like Chad Lavalais and Marcus Spears on the way to a national title. His recruiting chops would be a huge benefit if, as many people predict, we lose Rodney Garner over the course of this defensive reorganization.
Cons: Would the pull of the alma mater be enough to tear a guy away from a Saints team that's 12-0 and has every reason to think it'll be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl? He may not be interested in even talking to us until mid-January, and that's a long time to be leaving our recruiting efforts twisting in the wind. Has been in the NFL ever since joining Nick Saban's jump from LSU to the Miami Dolphins in '05 and may have his eye on an upward path through the pro, rather than college, ranks at this point.
Vic KoenningCurrently the co-defensive coordinator and DBs coach at Kansas State, Koenning's experience on the defensive side of the ball stretches back nearly 20 years and includes stops at Wyoming, Troy, and Clemson.
Pros: Koenning's defenses at Troy, Clemson, and K-State have all been terrific. Only twice have his squads finished outside the top 20 nationally in total defense -- his first year at Troy, which was only the program's third year in DI-A, and this year at KSU, in which he still managed to haul the Wildcats from 117th in the country in total D up to 39th. Has probably gained at least a passing familiarity with our recruiting area from four seasons at Clemson.
Cons: Supposedly he bolted Clemson for KSU because Clemson wouldn't give him the head-coaching job; that and his three years of experience as Wyoming's head coach (even though he only went 5-29) lead me to believe he'd only be interested in upward moves from here on out -- particularly now that he's coaching at his alma mater and thus has a good shot at the Wildcats' top job once Bill Snyder, who just turned 70, retires.
Mike MacIntyreSecond-year defensive coordinator at Duke University and, as of November 18, your reigning National Assistant Coach of the Year. Was a grad assistant at UGA while earning his master's here in 1990 and '91.
Pros: Well, the National Assistant Coach of the Year thing is a pretty big one. Duke's national ranking of 66th in total yards allowed isn't spectacular, but it's not bad considering the paucity of talent on the Blue Devils' roster, and it's a damn sight better than where they were before he arrived (92d in the nation, giving up 424 yards per game; that figure is down by more than 50 yards for '09). Also coached under Bill Parcells for four years with the Dallas Cowboys.
Cons: Do we really want to hire a guy who only has two years of experience as a coordinator? Do we really want to go poaching anyone off of Duke's coaching staff at all? And grad degree notwithstanding, do we want to hire a guy who got his bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech (and played there as a free safety and punt returner in '87 and '88)?
Bob SandersPresently serving as defensive coordinator (though who knows for how long, now that Dick Jauron has been fired) with the Buffalo Bills; before that, he was defensive coordinator and DEs coach for the Green Bay Packers. Before that, he spent 11 seasons on Steve Spurrier's staff at Florida, where his defensive lines ground us into hamburger on a regular basis.
Pros: In his capacity as a DL coach, his lines have been almost uniformly terrific; mentored a trio of NFL first-rounders (Jevon Kearse, Kevin Carter, and Huey Richardson) with the Gators. Soon to be available, too, given the state of flux in Buffalo.
Cons: Hasn't coached college ball since 2000, and as we've seen, success in the NFL doesn't necessarily translate into (and has been, in some cases, a hindrance to) success at the college level. Less consistent as a coordinator than he was as a DLs or LBs coach; the Bills, for instance, are dead last in the NFL in run defense at the moment and only midpack in QB sacks. Also has the taint of a stint at Georgia Tech on his record, even if it was a long time ago (heh, "taint"), and at 56 years old he may not be the kind of energetic firebrand we're looking for.
So there are a few more names for you to toss around -- I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on them in the comments, along with, as always, any new suggestions you might have. With recruiting heating up and ratcheting up the importance of getting a name locked down, I expect we'll be hearing rumors ramp up accordingly over the next couple weeks.
Thursday, December 3
Better know a defensive-coordinator candidate.
All right, let's talk defensive coordinators for a minute. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the guys I've seen bandied about as guys to potentially go after to replace Willie Martinez, but it includes the names I've seen mentioned most frequently, and I've divided them into three categories: (1) Want, and Might Be Able to Get; (2) Want, but Can't Get; and (3) Don't Want, Period.
We'll start with the most relevant category first.
WANT
Dick Bumpas
Why we want him: His 30-year coaching career has been spent entirely on the defensive side of the ball, and includes an SEC-title run in the mid-'80s with Tennessee, a Southwest Conference run with Arkansas in 1990, and Navy's lone bowl run in the 20 years preceding Paul Johnson. In his current stint as Texas Christian's D-coordinator, he brought the Horned Frogs up from 99th nationally in total defense in his first year to 25th in his second; since then, they've finished 2d, 15th, 1st, and 2d nationally in that category. Has an awesome last name (one that would lend itself to any number of awesome nicknames for our defense) and an even awesomer mustache.
Why we might not be able to get him: He's worked with current TCU head coach Gary Patterson off and on for nearly 30 years now; between that loyalty and his age (61), he may not be in a huge hurry to make any kind of lateral move.
Kirby Smart
Why we want him: An All-SEC defensive back for Georgia in '98, Kirby did a fine job coaching our RBs in 2005 and supposedly would've been happy to stay at his alma mater but wanted a chance to coach defense, which Nick Saban offered him at Alabama. Currently coordinates the nation's third-ranked defense, which you'll be able to observe for yourself in the SEC title game this weekend.
Why we might not be able to get him: If the Tide win the SEC title and thus have to go straight into preparations for the national championship game, we might not even be able to talk to him until mid-January, and Richt may want to have some kind of decision made before then. Not that Smart would necessarily be a lock to come home anyway, given that he'd be going from an established powerhouse D in Tuscaloosa to a semi-rebuilding job in Athens. Needless to say, Bama can match or exceed any salary offer we'd make, too.
Mark Snyder
Why we want him: This is a prospect I haven't seen mentioned anywhere yet, but it should be: Snyder spent 13 years as a defensive coordinator before taking over head-coaching duties at Marshall (which he was relieved of earlier this week despite pulling the Thundering Herd to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2004). His most recent DC job was at Ohio State, where he worked on Jim Tressel's first four Buckeye squads, including the 2002 national-title team. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- the Buckeyes went 14-0 that year with Craig Krenzel as their quarterback. So somebody on that staff knew something about defense. And he's only 44, so he's got a lot of coaching/coordinating years left in him and is the kind of guy Georgia could keep around for a long time.
Why we might not be able to get him: His entire career has been spent in the Midwest, and with Notre Dame (and, potentially, Cincinnati) looking for a new coaching staff, it's not a given that he'd want to come all the way down to Athens.
Kevin Steele
Why we want him: Tanked as a head coach at Baylor but has been a big success pretty much everywhere he's been a defensive coach, including his last two jobs, at Alabama (2007-08) and Clemson (this year). The Tigers are currently ranked 14th nationally in total defense and 12th against the pass, and are second in the nation with 21 interceptions, so he could be a big boost for a Georgia secondary that languished this year despite returning plenty of upperclass experience. Has served time in the NFL, too, which could be a bonus from a recruiting perspective.
Why we might not be able to get him: Has only been at Clemson for a year and isn't necessarily looking to make a lateral move -- and even the SEC doesn't appear to be an especially big draw from his perspective, as he left Nick Saban's staff at Alabama to join Dabo Swinney's. Clemson's legendarily generous athletic boosters will probably be able to match any kind of offer we make, too.
Everett Withers
Why we want him: His coaching résumé includes stops with the Louisville Cardinals, Texas Longhorns (under Mack Brown), and Tennessee Titans, with each team excelling on defense and picking off boatloads of passes under his direction. In his current position as North Carolina's defensive coordinator/secondary coach, the Tarheels are ranked sixth in the nation in total defense, which is a major part of why they're 8-4 and bowl-bound despite only averaging 311 yards per game on offense. Another relatively young guy (46) who could put in a lot of good years with the Dawgs.
Why we might not be able to get him: He doesn't have any SEC ties that I know of. And while Butch Davis's name has been talked up for a number of recent head-coaching jobs (Notre Dame being one of the bigger and more recent), which have caused some people to speculate that Withers might be open to leaving a potentially unstable situation at UNC, there's probably an equal chance that Withers could be talked into following Davis wherever he goes, particularly if it's to a big-name school like ND.
Now for the pie-in-the-sky guys -- these fellas are all on numerous Dawg fans' wish lists, but there's no chance they'd actually come.
WANT BUT CAN'T GET
Monte Kiffin
Just kidding (sort of). Nobody's thrown his name out there even as a swing-for-the-fences candidate; I think Mark Richt should offer him $2 million a year to come to Georgia just to tweak Lane Kiffin the same way Kiffin's been tweaking just about everyone else in the SEC. "See, Kiffykins? You're not the only one who can be a douche just for the sake of being a douche. Oh, and we're also offering Layla the position of watergirl-in-waiting for whenever Kathryn decides to hang it up."
Will Muschamp
Seems like every Georgia fan I know has been clamoring for us to replace Willie with MC Boom MF for years, and I can see why -- he's both a Georgia alum and a terrific defensive coach. But the window for us being able to bring Muschamp home closed at the beginning of 2008 when Texas hired him to be their D-coordinator, then got permanently padlocked when they named him Mack Brown's "coach-in-waiting" 10 months later. I have no doubt that Muschamp loves his alma mater, but there's no way that loyalty is enough to overcome a sure-thing job as the head coach of one of the nation's top programs, particularly if all we're offering him is a lateral move.
Charlie Strong
This would be a double win for us, as we'd be getting one of the nation's top defensive coaches and giving a big fuck-you to Florida in the bargain. But Strong is another one of those guys who's been talked about as head-coaching material for what seems like forever (over the past couple years, his name has appeared next to the phrase "Why hasn't anyone offered this guy a head-coaching job yet?" more than any other assistant in the country), and it looks like he may finally get his shot at Louisville. Like Muschamp, his stock is way too high right now for him to have any serious interest in making a lateral move.
Tommy Tuberville
As much as I've dinged Tuberville in the past for his cocky smarm, it'd be an interesting counterpoint to Richt's dead-eyed calm, and I like the kind of defensive mind who allows you to be confident in your prospects for a win even when you've only scored three points. And if there was a way for us to hold Gene Chizik's Tigers to negative points when we go out to Auburn next year, I have no doubt Tubbs would find it. But this guy's been a head coach at one of the top programs in the SEC (and managed to go 13-0 there, no less); he's got a big enough ego that he's not going to snap up the first coordinator job someone dangles in front of his face. He can afford to wait around for someone to offer him a tasty head-coaching job, which may happen as soon as the next few weeks -- I've heard him mentioned for the Louisville and Virginia jobs, and he'll probably also be mentioned for the jobs at Cincinnati, North Carolina, or even Oklahoma should any of those coaches be lured away by a sweeter deal.
Brian VanGorder
Stipulated: Georgia's defense was awesome when BVG was the coordinator. Pass that petition around and I'll sign it twice. But VanGorder left a very secure position at Georgia for a reason -- he eventually wanted to wind up in the NFL (as you'll recall, he left Georgia to become the Jacksonville Jaguars' LBs coach), and now he's the defensive coordinator for a team with annual playoff expectations. (Yes, the Falcons have playoff expectations now. I'm as stunned as you are.) He's not going to leave the prestige of the NFL to take a job he's already held, and even if we somehow lured him back, his case of career ADD (five jobs in five years following his departure from Athens, including South Carolina, where he left after a month without ever having coached in an actual game) leads me to believe we'd only be doing this exact same job search again in a year or two.
And now the veto list -- people who will almost certainly be talked about (if they haven't been already) but from whom we should steer clear.
DON'T WANT
Chuck Amato
Chuck the Chest knows Richt from their Florida State days. The defenses Amato worked on in that first stint at Florida State were excellent; the ones he had a hand in during his second stint (starting in 2007), much less so. This year's FSU defense finished dead last in the conference in both rushing and overall yardage, and remember, this is the ACC we're talking about here. He as much as anyone symbolized a staff that had grown stale and sclerotic in the declining years of the Bobby Bowden regime, which is exactly the condition we're trying to avoid with this current shakeup in Athens. When you're known more for your wraparound shades, man-boobs, and Joe Pesci voice than your actual, you know, coaching ability, you're probably past your prime.
Al Groh
He took over the role of D-coordinator when Al Golden left to take the head-coaching job at Temple (where he's been excellent), and while Groh's defenses were decent -- they'd have to be, given UVA's decrepit offense, for the Cavs to win any games at all -- they weren't consistently great. His crankiness would probably bring back memories of Jim Donnan in all the wrong ways; he's probably more likely to take an NFL job than anything else, since that's really his wheelhouse to begin with, but at his age (65) he may simply be content to bide his time until he can go home and play golf. And everything points to Richt looking for a lot more fire and motivation than that in our next DC.
Jon Tenuta
Supposedly a complete asshole -- not that he's Mangino-bad, or even that being an asshole somehow disqualifies one from being a coach (clearly it doesn't), but he's an asshole to a degree that I don't think he'd be a good fit personality-wise with our program. Then there's the fact that his defenses at Notre Dame generally stunk, to the point where the Irish have only managed to go 6-6 this year even with their offense having its best season since Brady Quinn left. Runs a blitz-happy scheme that frequently leaves the secondary vulnerable, and pass defense is one of the biggest things we need to work on at the moment. And I just don't think it'd look good to bring in a member of the Chan Gailey staff we owned for six long years. If he never once figured out a way to beat us, what do we possibly have to gain by hiring him?
John Thompson
Ran some good defenses at Florida, a so-so one at South Carolina, and a godawful one at Ole Miss in 2007 (52d nationally against the pass, 101st against the run, 88th overall). If hiring someone from Chan Gailey's staff would look weird, hiring someone from Ed Orgeron's Ole Miss staff would look downright suicidal. Hasn't held the same job for more than two years in a row since 1998. And I think we can do better than poaching the DC from a brand-new program (Georgia State) that hasn't even played its first game yet. Again, he'd be a journeyman retread in a position where we're looking for someone with new energy and a long-term vision.
Obviously there are names out there that I haven't thought to include in any of these lists, so throw your suggestions in the comments and I'll use them in the next installment, assuming Richt doesn't pull the trigger first.
We'll start with the most relevant category first.
WANT
Dick BumpasWhy we want him: His 30-year coaching career has been spent entirely on the defensive side of the ball, and includes an SEC-title run in the mid-'80s with Tennessee, a Southwest Conference run with Arkansas in 1990, and Navy's lone bowl run in the 20 years preceding Paul Johnson. In his current stint as Texas Christian's D-coordinator, he brought the Horned Frogs up from 99th nationally in total defense in his first year to 25th in his second; since then, they've finished 2d, 15th, 1st, and 2d nationally in that category. Has an awesome last name (one that would lend itself to any number of awesome nicknames for our defense) and an even awesomer mustache.
Why we might not be able to get him: He's worked with current TCU head coach Gary Patterson off and on for nearly 30 years now; between that loyalty and his age (61), he may not be in a huge hurry to make any kind of lateral move.
Kirby SmartWhy we want him: An All-SEC defensive back for Georgia in '98, Kirby did a fine job coaching our RBs in 2005 and supposedly would've been happy to stay at his alma mater but wanted a chance to coach defense, which Nick Saban offered him at Alabama. Currently coordinates the nation's third-ranked defense, which you'll be able to observe for yourself in the SEC title game this weekend.
Why we might not be able to get him: If the Tide win the SEC title and thus have to go straight into preparations for the national championship game, we might not even be able to talk to him until mid-January, and Richt may want to have some kind of decision made before then. Not that Smart would necessarily be a lock to come home anyway, given that he'd be going from an established powerhouse D in Tuscaloosa to a semi-rebuilding job in Athens. Needless to say, Bama can match or exceed any salary offer we'd make, too.
Mark SnyderWhy we want him: This is a prospect I haven't seen mentioned anywhere yet, but it should be: Snyder spent 13 years as a defensive coordinator before taking over head-coaching duties at Marshall (which he was relieved of earlier this week despite pulling the Thundering Herd to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2004). His most recent DC job was at Ohio State, where he worked on Jim Tressel's first four Buckeye squads, including the 2002 national-title team. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- the Buckeyes went 14-0 that year with Craig Krenzel as their quarterback. So somebody on that staff knew something about defense. And he's only 44, so he's got a lot of coaching/coordinating years left in him and is the kind of guy Georgia could keep around for a long time.
Why we might not be able to get him: His entire career has been spent in the Midwest, and with Notre Dame (and, potentially, Cincinnati) looking for a new coaching staff, it's not a given that he'd want to come all the way down to Athens.
Kevin SteeleWhy we want him: Tanked as a head coach at Baylor but has been a big success pretty much everywhere he's been a defensive coach, including his last two jobs, at Alabama (2007-08) and Clemson (this year). The Tigers are currently ranked 14th nationally in total defense and 12th against the pass, and are second in the nation with 21 interceptions, so he could be a big boost for a Georgia secondary that languished this year despite returning plenty of upperclass experience. Has served time in the NFL, too, which could be a bonus from a recruiting perspective.
Why we might not be able to get him: Has only been at Clemson for a year and isn't necessarily looking to make a lateral move -- and even the SEC doesn't appear to be an especially big draw from his perspective, as he left Nick Saban's staff at Alabama to join Dabo Swinney's. Clemson's legendarily generous athletic boosters will probably be able to match any kind of offer we make, too.
Everett WithersWhy we want him: His coaching résumé includes stops with the Louisville Cardinals, Texas Longhorns (under Mack Brown), and Tennessee Titans, with each team excelling on defense and picking off boatloads of passes under his direction. In his current position as North Carolina's defensive coordinator/secondary coach, the Tarheels are ranked sixth in the nation in total defense, which is a major part of why they're 8-4 and bowl-bound despite only averaging 311 yards per game on offense. Another relatively young guy (46) who could put in a lot of good years with the Dawgs.
Why we might not be able to get him: He doesn't have any SEC ties that I know of. And while Butch Davis's name has been talked up for a number of recent head-coaching jobs (Notre Dame being one of the bigger and more recent), which have caused some people to speculate that Withers might be open to leaving a potentially unstable situation at UNC, there's probably an equal chance that Withers could be talked into following Davis wherever he goes, particularly if it's to a big-name school like ND.
Now for the pie-in-the-sky guys -- these fellas are all on numerous Dawg fans' wish lists, but there's no chance they'd actually come.
WANT BUT CAN'T GET
Monte KiffinJust kidding (sort of). Nobody's thrown his name out there even as a swing-for-the-fences candidate; I think Mark Richt should offer him $2 million a year to come to Georgia just to tweak Lane Kiffin the same way Kiffin's been tweaking just about everyone else in the SEC. "See, Kiffykins? You're not the only one who can be a douche just for the sake of being a douche. Oh, and we're also offering Layla the position of watergirl-in-waiting for whenever Kathryn decides to hang it up."
Will MuschampSeems like every Georgia fan I know has been clamoring for us to replace Willie with MC Boom MF for years, and I can see why -- he's both a Georgia alum and a terrific defensive coach. But the window for us being able to bring Muschamp home closed at the beginning of 2008 when Texas hired him to be their D-coordinator, then got permanently padlocked when they named him Mack Brown's "coach-in-waiting" 10 months later. I have no doubt that Muschamp loves his alma mater, but there's no way that loyalty is enough to overcome a sure-thing job as the head coach of one of the nation's top programs, particularly if all we're offering him is a lateral move.
Charlie StrongThis would be a double win for us, as we'd be getting one of the nation's top defensive coaches and giving a big fuck-you to Florida in the bargain. But Strong is another one of those guys who's been talked about as head-coaching material for what seems like forever (over the past couple years, his name has appeared next to the phrase "Why hasn't anyone offered this guy a head-coaching job yet?" more than any other assistant in the country), and it looks like he may finally get his shot at Louisville. Like Muschamp, his stock is way too high right now for him to have any serious interest in making a lateral move.
Tommy TubervilleAs much as I've dinged Tuberville in the past for his cocky smarm, it'd be an interesting counterpoint to Richt's dead-eyed calm, and I like the kind of defensive mind who allows you to be confident in your prospects for a win even when you've only scored three points. And if there was a way for us to hold Gene Chizik's Tigers to negative points when we go out to Auburn next year, I have no doubt Tubbs would find it. But this guy's been a head coach at one of the top programs in the SEC (and managed to go 13-0 there, no less); he's got a big enough ego that he's not going to snap up the first coordinator job someone dangles in front of his face. He can afford to wait around for someone to offer him a tasty head-coaching job, which may happen as soon as the next few weeks -- I've heard him mentioned for the Louisville and Virginia jobs, and he'll probably also be mentioned for the jobs at Cincinnati, North Carolina, or even Oklahoma should any of those coaches be lured away by a sweeter deal.
Brian VanGorderStipulated: Georgia's defense was awesome when BVG was the coordinator. Pass that petition around and I'll sign it twice. But VanGorder left a very secure position at Georgia for a reason -- he eventually wanted to wind up in the NFL (as you'll recall, he left Georgia to become the Jacksonville Jaguars' LBs coach), and now he's the defensive coordinator for a team with annual playoff expectations. (Yes, the Falcons have playoff expectations now. I'm as stunned as you are.) He's not going to leave the prestige of the NFL to take a job he's already held, and even if we somehow lured him back, his case of career ADD (five jobs in five years following his departure from Athens, including South Carolina, where he left after a month without ever having coached in an actual game) leads me to believe we'd only be doing this exact same job search again in a year or two.
And now the veto list -- people who will almost certainly be talked about (if they haven't been already) but from whom we should steer clear.
DON'T WANT
Chuck Amato
Chuck the Chest knows Richt from their Florida State days. The defenses Amato worked on in that first stint at Florida State were excellent; the ones he had a hand in during his second stint (starting in 2007), much less so. This year's FSU defense finished dead last in the conference in both rushing and overall yardage, and remember, this is the ACC we're talking about here. He as much as anyone symbolized a staff that had grown stale and sclerotic in the declining years of the Bobby Bowden regime, which is exactly the condition we're trying to avoid with this current shakeup in Athens. When you're known more for your wraparound shades, man-boobs, and Joe Pesci voice than your actual, you know, coaching ability, you're probably past your prime.
Al Groh
He took over the role of D-coordinator when Al Golden left to take the head-coaching job at Temple (where he's been excellent), and while Groh's defenses were decent -- they'd have to be, given UVA's decrepit offense, for the Cavs to win any games at all -- they weren't consistently great. His crankiness would probably bring back memories of Jim Donnan in all the wrong ways; he's probably more likely to take an NFL job than anything else, since that's really his wheelhouse to begin with, but at his age (65) he may simply be content to bide his time until he can go home and play golf. And everything points to Richt looking for a lot more fire and motivation than that in our next DC.
Jon Tenuta
Supposedly a complete asshole -- not that he's Mangino-bad, or even that being an asshole somehow disqualifies one from being a coach (clearly it doesn't), but he's an asshole to a degree that I don't think he'd be a good fit personality-wise with our program. Then there's the fact that his defenses at Notre Dame generally stunk, to the point where the Irish have only managed to go 6-6 this year even with their offense having its best season since Brady Quinn left. Runs a blitz-happy scheme that frequently leaves the secondary vulnerable, and pass defense is one of the biggest things we need to work on at the moment. And I just don't think it'd look good to bring in a member of the Chan Gailey staff we owned for six long years. If he never once figured out a way to beat us, what do we possibly have to gain by hiring him?
John Thompson
Ran some good defenses at Florida, a so-so one at South Carolina, and a godawful one at Ole Miss in 2007 (52d nationally against the pass, 101st against the run, 88th overall). If hiring someone from Chan Gailey's staff would look weird, hiring someone from Ed Orgeron's Ole Miss staff would look downright suicidal. Hasn't held the same job for more than two years in a row since 1998. And I think we can do better than poaching the DC from a brand-new program (Georgia State) that hasn't even played its first game yet. Again, he'd be a journeyman retread in a position where we're looking for someone with new energy and a long-term vision.
Obviously there are names out there that I haven't thought to include in any of these lists, so throw your suggestions in the comments and I'll use them in the next installment, assuming Richt doesn't pull the trigger first.
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