Brian VanGorder leaving Falcons for Auburn
FLOWERY BRANCH — Brian VanGorder, the Falcons defensive coordinator for the last four
These two have to get the pass defense figured out. Here, Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder emphasies a point with head coach Mike Smith during defensive drills with players in the first padded practice at training camp in Flowery Branch on Monday, August 1, 2011. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com
seasons, resigned to accept the same post at Auburn on Monday.
“Coach Brian VanGorder has accepted the position of defensive coordinator at Auburn University,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Brian has been an integral part of our success here over the last four years. I want to thank Brian and his family for all that they’ve done for our organization. I want to personally thank Brian for all of his hard work and all the work that he’s done to make us successful here in Atlanta.”
Smith was a defensive coordinator under former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio. He would not say if Del Rio, who was fired in Jacksonville, would be a candidate for the vacant defensive coordinator position.
“I’m not going to comment on that position at this point in time,” Smith said. “It’s something that just came about. We’ll go through the due process of getting the best defensive coordinator for our football team.”
Van Gorder joined Falcons coach Bobby Petrino’s staff as the linebacker’s coach in 2007. After Petrino left, he accepted the defensive coordinator’s position at South Carolina.
Smith, who coached with VanGorder at Jacksonville, hired him to be the Falcons’ defensive coordinator.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me and my family at this point in my career, both professionally and personally, to become the defensive coordinator at Auburn,” said VanGorder, who served as the defensive coordinator at Georgia from 2001 to 2004. “I’m looking forward to working at a school with the success and tradition of Auburn, and for a coach like Gene Chizik, who has led the program to a national championship. I’m very appreciative to the Atlanta Falcons and Coach Mike Smith for the experience of the last four years. It’s a great organization and will have continued success in the future.”
VanGorder’s defense finished the regular season second in the NFL in red zone defense, sixth in rushing defense (97.0 ypg), and 12th in total defense (333.6 ypg). But they struggled rushing the passer and playing the pass. In college at Georgia, he had a penchant for blitzing. But during his Falcons tenure, his unit played mostly zone coverage.
“I’m very excited to have a coach like Brian VanGorder join our staff at Auburn,” said Auburn coach Gene Chizik. ”From the beginning of this process, I had one person in mind, and that was Brian. He has achieved success at every level, both professionally and collegiately, which is a testament to his ability as a coach. He has been one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, has won a Broyles Award at the college level, and understands what it takes to succeed in the Southeastern Conference. We’re pleased to welcome Brian and his family to Auburn.”
VANGORDER’S COACHING BACKGROUND
2008-11 Defensive Coordinator // Falcons
2007 Linebackers // Falcons
2006 Head Coach // Georgia Southern
2005 Linebackers// Jaguars
2001-04 Def. Coor./Linebackers // Georgia
2000 Def. Coor./Linebackers // W. Illinois
1998-99 Def. Coordinator // C. Michigan
1997 Asst. H. Coach/Def. Coor. // C. Florida
1995-96 Linebackers/Sp. Tm. Coor. // C. Florida
1992-94 Head Coach // Wayne State
1989-91 Def. Coor./Linebackers // Gr. Valley St.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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563 comments Add your comment
Trade 4 Tim Teabow
January 9th, 2012
3:53 pm
May Be they should get Jessie Tugle for DC
Al Davis' Jump Suit
January 9th, 2012
3:53 pm
I’m a Falcons fan and an Auburn fan….This one move is great for both teams!
Concrete Pete
January 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
It wasn’t the coordinator people, it was the poor excuse for a defense that Dimitroff put around him. Terrible D front, terrible secondary. Bad FS signings, Edwards, Robinson, The safey position signings, Poor draft on D (Chevis Jackson, DeCoud, Jerry etc.) Dimitroff has screwed this franchize not only for the present but for the future
wishful thinking
January 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
Del Rio for the defense and Martz for the offense.
Florida Guy
January 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
Again, DEFENSE outscores OFFENSE in a PLAYOFF GAME!!!!!!! Do we really need to “evaluate” the performance of the OC????
It Doesn't Matter
January 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
Falcons embarrassed themselves time after time on national tv on the Big Stage….there’s no leadership on this team to take them to next level…Tony G, Matt Ryan and Roddy White are not leaders…as bad of a qb Tim Tebow is…he’s a leader and inspires his team to win…DC and OC were interviewing for new jobs during playoffs which is senseless to do and the blame starts with Mike Smith for allowing it to happen…Fans are all excited about BVG leaving…Falcons will get a new DC and it’s not a guarantee grass will be greener with same players on defense and very little cap money to get impact players…Falcons gave up a lot in draft to get julio…It’s a lot deeper than just getting a new DC..some of those players may not adapt well to a new scheme…just a lot of uncertainty to think about.
Einstein
January 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
THIS JUST IN!!!! Mularkey is taking the Miami Job!!!!!!!!!! Falcons should have another coordinator in the coming days!!!!
jeoy563
January 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
Trade 4 Tim Teabow
January 9th, 2012
3:53 pm
May Be they should get Jessie Tugle for DC
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Sounds interesting
Trade 4 Tim Teabow
January 9th, 2012
3:54 pm
@ Stevo
What R U tlaking about? Who is Joe?
Dee
January 9th, 2012
3:55 pm
Auburn better hope to God they have a good secondary coach because when their defense can’t get off the field on 3rd downs and the middle of the field is wide open…well.
KAT
January 9th, 2012
3:55 pm
An Inconvenient Truth
US News Ranking
GT: 36
UGA: 62
Endowment Size
GT: $1.5 BILLION
UGA: $600 million
Avg. Starting Salary
GT: $59,000
UGA: $44,000
Football
GT: 4 National Titles (1990) Calvin Johnson, Demaryious Thomas
UGA: 2 National Titles (1980) John Kasey, Kevin Butler
Basketball
GT: 2 Final Fours, Chris Bosh, Derrick Favors, Thaddeus Young, Jarrett Jack
UGA: 1 Final Four.
Baseball
GT: Mark Teixeira, Nomar Garciaparra, Kevin Brown, Matt Weiters
UGA: Gordon Beachem.
Golf
GT: Matt Kuchar, Stewart Cink, David Duval, Bryce Molder
UGA: Bubba Watzon.
GT is a GLOBAL brand. UGA is a regional brand.
Wal Mart CEO = GT grad
Wal Mart Checkout person = UGA fan
Skitty Fritty
January 9th, 2012
3:55 pm
This is a great hire for Auburn and this is coming from a UGA fan.
DC
January 9th, 2012
3:55 pm
I will say this…glad to see him leave the Falcons and Glad to see him join AU! People can question him all they want at the pro level..but his college DC skills cannot be denied…but haters will hate..smart fans of the game will respect it.
Einstein
January 9th, 2012
3:56 pm
@ Concrete Pete, ask Houston how it worked out for them getting a new DC IN ONE YEAR. They went from having one of the worst defenses in the NFL, to one of the best under Wade Phillips.
Goosedog
January 9th, 2012
3:57 pm
Good-bye 3 man rush, Goodbye soft-zone, Good-bye 3rd and 15, first down conversions.
jerry
January 9th, 2012
3:57 pm
What I want to know is, who hired these incompetents, Mularkey and van Gorder?
Chubbyboy
January 9th, 2012
3:57 pm
Great hire for Auburn and an even better loss for the Falcons!!!!
It Doesn't Matter...Doesn't Matter
January 9th, 2012
3:58 pm
Quit yer cryin’ and celebrate, punk! It’s a new day!
Saint Hater
January 9th, 2012
3:58 pm
Preston, the correct term is dreadlock, not wormy-headed. And yeah, if your SAFETY is afraid to hit a running back, and I’m talking to Thomas DeCoud here, that is a problem that his boss, the DC, needs to address. If you sign someone for their lockdown coverage prowess and then ask them to play soft zone, that is a problem from the DC. BVG’s Schemes work well with his players, just ask David Pollak or Greg Blue. He’ll do fine in the old cow-town, and we’ll be better off with fresh blood. RISE UP!!!
Thoughtful
January 9th, 2012
3:59 pm
Martz would be an absolutely horrible hire for the Falcons. First, he hates TEs. The Bears gave Carolina a top-notch TE just because Martz had no use for him. Second, Martz doesn’t believe in blocking for his QB. Martz almost left Kurt Warner eating out of a straw after years of taking unnecessary hits. There are better choices out there than Mularkey and Martz.
Joe Tess Fish House
January 9th, 2012
3:59 pm
@ Jerry
I tell U who hired them it was Demetrof. The same guy that drafted looser Perrier Jerry and sighed both Donta Roberson and Ray Edmunds.
It Doesn't Matter...Doesn't Matter
January 9th, 2012
3:59 pm
but his college DC skills cannot be denied…but haters will hate..smart fans of the game will respect it.
Evidently, you aren’t too smart. I’d hire a guy too who can fool a bunch of dumb college kids from Alabama into playing defense.
TRUTH TO THE TROLLS
January 9th, 2012
4:00 pm
KAT=A virgin douchebag who can’t get laid.
KAT-A nerd who uses the same lines over and over.
KAT-A nerd who tries the same lines on girls and constantly gets laughed at.
Dwayne
January 9th, 2012
4:00 pm
If you were a DC and you had Dumpta will Robinson at a corner and hand me down safetys, would you blitz?
War Eagle
January 9th, 2012
4:00 pm
Great hire. Tommy boy didn’t give him enough picks in the draft. For those Falcons fans that think this is a good move for the Falcons are a bunch of morons. Heck the only points scored on Sunday was by his defense. He kept you in that game and you should have been in it. The SEC West just got a bunch stronger today.
Smokewagon
January 9th, 2012
4:01 pm
The only reason Tech grads get high positions is people are too cheap for a MIT grad. and GT offers a discounted version. Doesn’t take them long to figure out they made a mistake. I have worked w/ several of them.
evil empire
January 9th, 2012
4:01 pm
great…another dc that bobo can’t out think…hahahaha….
joebrave
January 9th, 2012
4:03 pm
glory thank god and greyhound! Now get Tom Clements for O.C. and Reggie Herring for D.C.
BigTimeTECHFan
January 9th, 2012
4:03 pm
Also Falcons are already talking to Todd Grantham about being DC. wseet in more ways then 1
Thoughtful
January 9th, 2012
4:03 pm
Guys, Peria Jerry and Ray Edwards are coming off serious injuries. Dunta Robinson has been miscast in the wrong defense (soft zone). Get a real DC to deploy these guys properly along with the past year under Jerry and Edwards to heal and the defense could be a strength.
Joe Tess Fish House
January 9th, 2012
4:05 pm
Perrier Jerrys injruy was over 3 years ago if he cant heel by now he should not be playin football
GSU Alum
January 9th, 2012
4:05 pm
On behalf of all Georgia Southern alumni…see ya! Now we can start cheering for the falcons again.
Mike Bobo
January 9th, 2012
4:05 pm
Is anyone out there wanting to hire me away…..
The Truth
January 9th, 2012
4:05 pm
Hallelujah!!!!
BCC0224
January 9th, 2012
4:05 pm
After watching on YouTube the Falcons-Eagles 1978 wildcard game (worth the watch if you can stomach Hank Stramm’s color commentary), I want THAT Falcon defense. Gritz Blitz Mach II.
And we all know who the defensive coordinator was for head coach Leeman Bennett… Jerry Glanville.
Not saying I want Glanville back, but that ‘78 defense was a monster. Plus who, besides Glanville, would BLITZ two to three guys when you got a one-point lead with less than a minute and a future hall of fame QB throwing the ball?
D.A.
January 9th, 2012
4:06 pm
Anyone know the spread on the LSU/Alabama game?
YEAHRIGHTCLOWN
January 9th, 2012
4:07 pm
A tremendous opportunity my ass, LOL, these coaches are hilarious.
Keeping it Real
January 9th, 2012
4:08 pm
There is no chance Spagnola comes here unless the Eagles decide they don’t want him (which is highly unlikely.) Would be surprised if it isn’t Del Rio.
Joe Tess Fish House
January 9th, 2012
4:10 pm
Brain Billeck like the Falcona a lot. He is awlays sayin good thinks about them on TV Maybe he could come in and be DC.
PerPlexed
January 9th, 2012
4:12 pm
Keeping it Real – I’m with you, Spagnola would be great hire for the falcons. I believe Spagnola might go back to New York……………
Can BVG take the entire Falcon’s team with him.
Tommy
January 9th, 2012
4:12 pm
I think the headline ‘Falcons LOSE Van Gorder’ is a bit charitable. ‘Falcons outgrew VanGorder’s scheme’ is more appropriate. The soft zone was a necessity in ‘08 when we had Coy Wire and the rotted husk of Keith Brooking running around. Since then we’ve added guys like Weatherspoon, Moore, Edwards (let’s see what he does when healthy) and Grimes and Lofton have developed into upper-level players. What we saw the last couple weeks with more blitzing gives some hope. Go get a hard-charger that’s not afraid to go after the QB on 3rd and long.
Already the clouds are lifting. . . .
Opie
January 9th, 2012
4:12 pm
Enter your comments here
nique
January 9th, 2012
4:13 pm
With this new DC, we need someone who sepcializes in the D-line & has a strong record of producing, strong, nasty D’s, i.e. Spags, as I said weeks ago!!! But also a DC who understands the strengths of his players, i.e. D. Robinson, who is a press corner back, isn’t gonna flourish in a zone scheme! So everyone one who has knocked him the whole time he’s been he has to understand he’s not a zone cb, Grimes is, he’s a press corner & Grimes isn’t, so the success & failure of them as a cb tandum is directly connect to the scheme implamented here. We need to get a better FS with better hands & more rang. I’d be intrigied by the possibility of bringing in brandon meriweather at that position.
fish2774
January 9th, 2012
4:13 pm
Well now that BVG is gone! Smitty is going to use the buddy system again and burn us for another four years by hiring Jack Del Rio… It’s time for Arthur to chose the coaches of choice if he really want to get his monies worth hire Mooch and Mangini as coordinators..
nique
January 9th, 2012
4:14 pm
we also need a new D-line & O-line coach, not just cordinators!!!!
pink slips
January 9th, 2012
4:14 pm
He left before he got the slip. The rest of the coaches better get their pink slips this week. Glad he went to Auburn—- Great news for the Tide. RTR
Jerry
January 9th, 2012
4:15 pm
Auburn just got em a 5 star DC. Kudos to Chizik. VanGorder’s college numbers as a DC outstanding!!!
http://coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-profile/?coach=Brian+VanGorder
JB
January 9th, 2012
4:15 pm
FANTASTIC!!!! This sorry excuse for a coach should’ve been fired awhile ago. One down and three to go. Mike Smith, Mularkey and Dimitroff are next on clearance. This is an everything must go sale. I’m sick of loser mentality in Atlanta. Stop bringing underrated, overhyped play it safe coaching to get the job done to town! And that goes for the Hawk and Braves as well. Why are these clubs content on mediocrity? Why are they so excited about about putting up banners for division crowns? Nobody cares! So spend the money Blank. You should’ve gotten Lovie Smith when you had the chance. We upgrades in the secondary and offensive line on D. Then we get rid of these overpaid idiots on the offensive line. How do you have a 1,000+ yard rusher in the backfield and he cant average more than 41 years in the previous two playoff starts? O and D lines win championships!!! Ask Emmitt Smith. Talk about rise up Atlanta, haha no sir its time to wise up Atlanta! Spend to win or otherwise don’t ask us to pay for these overpriced tickets.
Falcon in DC
January 9th, 2012
4:16 pm
Wow….How long was engaged in the interviewing process with Auburn and disengaged with coaching the Falcons Defense. Water under the bridge now, but just interesting timing.
Smokewagon
January 9th, 2012
4:16 pm
We have reached a plateau.