Chavis-to-Georgia rumors still alive — and why not Garner? (UPDATE II)
Rodney Garner has been getting raises. But he never has been given a shot at the defensive coordinator's job. (Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@AJC.com)
(UPDATED BELOW WITH CHAVIS COMMENT)
(SECOND UPDATE WITH RICHT SAYING GARNER IS NOT A CANDIDATE)
When I posted a blog Tuesday morning about LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis telling one of his players that he was not interested in the Georgia job, contrary to rumors, the last thing I expected was that it would unravel into some inane and profane race debate. After becoming aware of it last night from a reader (while I was covering the Hawks’ dreadful performance), I had to close commenting and eventually deleted about 60 comments.
It’s with that, and some trepidation, that I inform you of one thing and ask another this morning:
♦ Chris Low, the respected SEC football writer at ESPN.com, posted a blog this morning with the headline, “Chavis on Richt’s radar at Georgia.”
♦ If Bulldogs coach Mark Richt doesn’t get the coordinator he wants to replace Willie Martinez, would it be so awful if he promoted Rodney Garner?
First on the Chavis thing. I wouldn’t have brought it up a second day in a row if somebody like Low didn’t report it. (Notice I wrote Low, not ESPN in general). An excerpt from the blog:
In talking to several people close to the situation, Richt has serious interest in Chavis and is prepared to throw some serious money at the veteran defensive coordinator, who headed up Tennessee’s defense for 14 seasons prior to joining Les Miles’ staff at LSU for this past season.
Chavis makes a lot of sense. He’s a proven commodity and knows the SEC well. The Tigers were 12th nationally this season in scoring defense, allowing 16 points per game. They gave up just 18 touchdowns in 12 games. Only five teams nationally yielded fewer touchdowns this season.
Low also pointed out this interesting stat:
Since his promotion to defensive coordinator at Tennessee in 1995, he’s 7-3 against the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium. That includes LSU’s 20-13 win over Georgia this season.
If Richt has some super secret candidate on his radar that nobody has mentioned, he deserves kudos for being so stealth. There has been nothing to indicate that, however. Chavis obviously would be a strong hire. But the likelihood of him leaving LSU after only one season — when he stayed at his previous school for 20 — would be surprising. If nothing else, Chavis — like so many others — might just get a raise out of this.
Now, about Garner. He is not a coordinator. But the case can be made he is the second most important football coach at Georgia after Richt. Why? Because he’s the recruiting coordinator. He keeps getting raises because other schools keep coming after him because he keeps landing all of those 37-star recruits we obsess about.
After Martinez’s firing, there were a flurry of unsubstantiated rumors, mostly on Twitter, that Garner resigned after learning he was not a serious candidate for the defensive coordinator’s position. Garner shot down those rumors, obviously. He stayed for the Independence Bowl game and, with the aid of only two grad assistants, he directed a strong defensive performance in Georgia’s win over Texas A&M.
The fact Garner has never been the defensive coordinator — or presumably has received a strong offer to call plays for another school — has led to this perception that he is not worthy of that position. If that’s true, here’s my question: Why not? Doesn’t he deserve the chance? It’s a topic that I don’t know has been given the attention it deserves.
(UPDATE: Chavis says nothing to quell speculation)
Our Tim Tucker has blogged about Chavis’s non-denial/denial at a Capital One Bowl press conference when asked about the Georgia job. You can click the link above, but here’s an excerpt:
Asked at a Capital One Bowl news conference in Orlando about his possible interest in the Georgia defensive coordinator job, Chavis said: “Well, we’re excited about what we’re doing at LSU, and my focus has been on LSU and will continue to be on LSU. We have an opportunity to win 10 ballgames, and certainly that is what we want to do. We’ve got an opportunity to be the third team in the SEC to win 100 ballgames in a decade, and certainly that is what we want to do.
“So that is where our focus is going to be. I’ll talk as long as you want to about LSU and about our players. I’ll be happy to do that.”
In other words: no comment about the Georgia job.
Didn’t exactly put that rumor to rest, did he?
(SECOND UPDATE)
Richt told Tucker this morning that Garner is not a candidate for the coaching job. That confirms what most of us thought — that if he was going to get the job, it would’ve happened by now. Richt also said the job search could take longer than expected.
Richt sidestepped a question on Chavis. An excerpt:
Richt would not comment today on his interest in LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis or any other candidates. But he did say that Rodney Garner, the only holdover on Georgia’s defensive staff, is not under consideration for the DC job.
“No, Rodney is not a candidate for the job. He knows that,” Richt said. “We’re just still in the search.”
As for all the rumors swirling throughout Bulldog Nation about the search, Richt said: “I’m not taking any pleasure at all in what people might be going through out there. All I can say is . . . when I do have that decision made and it’s ready for public consumption, I’ll let everybody know. My goal is to get the right man for the job.”
Asked specifically about Chavis, Richt said: “I’m not going to make any comment on these things until we’ve got our man.”
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492 comments Add your comment
PT
December 30th, 2009
4:47 pm
Thats all we need, Jeff Schultz telling us who UGA needs as a DC. I’m sure Richt reads your column on a daily basis.
ugadawg30
December 30th, 2009
4:47 pm
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!
Richt has to hire someone who has lots of experience and can get the job done…Rodney Garner has never been a DC…not saying that he will not be a good one one day, but He is not the man for the DC position this year. Richt needs to hire a sure thing it is a must this time….I have spent too much money and too much time watching the Martinez “bend and break” defense for the past few seasons….We the fans deserve the best…and We can pay for it…that is for sure…
UGA 2
December 30th, 2009
4:49 pm
Dawg Master
December 30th, 2009
2:30 pm
Pay Kirby Smart whatever he wants—he’s the best D coordinator in the US.
What makes him so great? Is he actually the best D.C. in College ball or does a lot of his success have to do with being loaded with talent at Bama. Its the talent, 100%. Give him that 09 UGA defense and see if you believe he is the best.
AltamahaDawg
December 30th, 2009
4:55 pm
Unfortunetely Richt doesnt have the benefit of your “football instinct”. Would be very helpful cutting throught the clutter from that 9 yrs of working with the guy.
And by your time line, we understand your obsession with UGA now. I believe they call it O-fer.
Chavis-to-Georgia rumors still alive — and why not Garner? | Jeff … | Georgia Today
December 30th, 2009
4:56 pm
[...] Read the original here: Chavis-to-Georgia rumors still alive — and why not Garner? | Jeff … [...]
KDAWG
December 30th, 2009
4:56 pm
OK Cherokee, then why did this Koenning guy go to Illinois? Why would he choose Zook over Richt? Yes he was offered the job, why the HELL would he interview? Anyway, I’m not saying hire someone just to be hiring, but, come on….. this is UGA people! Coaches should be jumping at the chance to be DC at an SEC school! Look what happened to Bob Stoops after he went to Florida…… he got a Head Coaching job! He proved his worth against the BEST competition. All I’m saying is UGA shouldn’t have to solicit for the job, Coaches should be begging to intervieiw and they are NOT!
Coach Paul Johnson
December 30th, 2009
4:56 pm
I really like it down here on South Beach. I picked up a couple of really cute sports bras at one of the boutiques.
I found a nice hot dog stand too.
Cherokee
December 30th, 2009
5:04 pm
KDAWG He DID NOT interview for the job, CMR has said that as did Koenning. How do you know that coaches are begging to interview. Only time will tell. You have to trust CMR will hire the right guy or go cheer for another team.
M Leach's Agent
December 30th, 2009
5:05 pm
If you give Mike the UGA job, instead of having pretty boy, you’ll have buckets of TD’s. Your QB’s will throw so much their arms will be sore so you will have to play 4 or 5 QBs. That would solve your QB train wreck at UGA since you have 12 ready for the NFL. Also, Mike would’nt hire a defensive coach since defense isn’t needed in his system. So with money saved on a defensive coach ($ 1 million) plus a huge reduction in pretty boy’s salary ($ 5 million) you may be able to start building that indoor practice stadium. Also we could recruit more QB’s which UGA fans drool over. Think about it.
michael
December 30th, 2009
5:05 pm
The best man for the DC job is David Pollock. We have seen what experience can bring to our team with Martinez. I want this guy because no one was more intense and focused when he played the game. Our players would feed of this guy, and I know he would be a favorite in Dawg Nation if offered the job. Think about it!
Go Dawgs
December 30th, 2009
5:13 pm
Why does Garner stay with GA.? Cant he see the writing on the wall, he’ll never be considered a “big-time” coach, he’ll always be picking up the players jocks in the locker room—time to wake up Garner–you’ll never make it at GA.
SOUTHGADAWG88
December 30th, 2009
5:17 pm
I don’t care who the DC turns about to be as much as some folks…I’m more of the school of thought that it’s the “Jimmies and the Joe’s not the X’s and O’s”.Smart,Chavis,Herring ETC…you guys can get all worked up if you want.. but running a 3-4 as opposed to 4-3 scheme is the only thing that separates the candidates much in my book.Almost every team plays the same defense against certain offensive schemes.Against the spread attack for example there is not much difference between BAMA,LSU and UGA in how they defend it.I know some of you think some “name guy” is what we need…as if by the sheer force of his personality he’s going to “turn it around” yeah whatever …if he can recruit…put together a staff around himself and Garner and “connect” with his players ie..have them buy into his system he will be successful..regardless of his “name”.Hell we could hire Jones and Diaz as LB and secondary coach and call it a day IMO.Upgrade the size and talent at LB and secondary and we will be solid on Defense.No the previous staff did not recruit well outside of the DL…LB play has been terrible for last 4 years some of it could be coaching but to me championship caliber players have not been on the roster in years.We crow about our top ranked recruiting classes overlooking the fact that most of the highly regarded prospects have been Offensive players.That’s what ironic about firing the coaches now…it’s the best job of recruiting they had accomplished in the 4 years they were together.Richt will find the guy he wants eventually and if he keeps the recruits intact he will have success.
Johnny Test
December 30th, 2009
5:25 pm
$1.4 to $14.. Who played 5 patsies to win 11 games… who is the champion of the worst conference in the country…. who lost to the worst UGA team in 13 years….who will lost their 5th bowl game in a row…who has pimple faced nerdy D&D playing fans who don’t show up for games… I think we all know
Ole Yeller Dawg
December 30th, 2009
5:31 pm
KDAWG:
Koenning sent in a resume to Coach Richt interested in the job, he was then told by Coach Richt the job would not be filled until the 1st week in January, he could not afford to wait that long, so he took the Illinois job instead. Koenning was NEVER offered the job! Other qualified coaches have also let it be known they too are interested in the job but can not interview until after their present teams are finished playing their bowl/NFL playoff games.
Is this not easy to understand?
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:33 pm
ATTENTION: For those who haven’t seen the update, Chavis said nothing to quell speculation about the Georgia job. I’ve added an excerpt on this blog with a link to Tim Tucker’s job. This rumor is gaining a lot of speed.
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 30th, 2009
5:51 pm
Hello? Hellow?
Knock knock knock on your thick heads
HELLO?
3 simple Questions continue to go unanswered by the Blog-DOG Nation. O you’re foaming at the mouth but you’re not answering these 3 simple questions. Helo? Anybody?
1. WHO will play in a BCS Bowl and who won’t?
2. WHO won THEIR conference Championship and who didn’t come remotely close to even playing in theirs?
3. WHO is currently ranked in the top 10 and who had to receive a charity vote from Bobby Bowden to avoid being tied with 85 other teams for dead last!
Made famous by Hershel
December 30th, 2009
5:58 pm
Q1 Tech will UGA wont
Q2 Tech did, UGA didn’t come close
Q3 Tech does, CMR got the vote
Enuff said
Wreckmaniac
December 30th, 2009
6:09 pm
Enter your comments here
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 30th, 2009
6:10 pm
Good answer Hershal
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 30th, 2009
6:12 pm
AS OF 5 MINUTES AGO
1 Alabama (58)
2 Texas (2)
3 TCU
4 Cincinnati
5 Florida
6 Boise State
7 Oregon
8 Ohio State
9 Georgia Tech
10 Iowa
11 Penn State
12 Virginia Tech
13 LSU
14 Miami (FL)
15 Brigham Young
16 Oregon State
17 Pittsburgh
18 West Virginia
19 Stanford
20 Nebraska
21 Oklahoma State
22 Arizona
23 Utah
24 Wisconsin
25 Central Michigan
Others receiving votes:
26 East Carolina 53,
27 Houston 50,
28 Texas Tech 44,
29 USC 38,
30 Northwestern 35,
31 Clemson 31,
32 California 14,
33 Mississippi 14,
34 Oklahoma 7,
35 North Carolina 7,
36 Tennessee 6,
37 Missouri 4,
38 Montana 1,
39 Kentucky 1,
40 U of Shreveport 1
41 Eighty-Five Teams Tied with 0 points
Rambo
December 30th, 2009
6:13 pm
WHO lost to UGA this year?
WHO gave up 339 yards in their own high school stadium?
WHO envies UGA?
Rambo
December 30th, 2009
6:15 pm
1.4, you are obviously envious of UGA. Why is that?
Rambo
December 30th, 2009
6:16 pm
GT Joe, techies know nothing about women. Nice try. Now back to the slide rule.
Denver Dog
December 30th, 2009
6:26 pm
Techies good luck, get off our blog
I wonder if the coach in waiting may be on his way to Lubbock, now that Leach is out of the way? Just a thought
Tron Carter
December 30th, 2009
6:30 pm
I liked the article above about Coach Susan Boyle Johnson. What a sore loser gynecomastic greaseball, to not even let his kids win at Candyland. He is not competitive. He is a douche.
It makes me laugh when I think about that sissy talking about punching people in the face because they got humiliated on the field (what we left of it).
It almost makes me laugh as much as when I drive by the joke by coke and look at the sub-human douche-a-palooza in their stands.
30-24
8-1
60-39-5
We run this State yellow bee(yatche)s
Todd - Dacula
December 30th, 2009
6:33 pm
Here we go… its seems obvious with the Garner for DC or (not for DC) comments… I CAN SEE, WE ARE STILL IN THE DEEP SOUTH. A Black man in a leadership coaching position at the Great UGA would offend a lot of white folks; some woould offer that the UGA DAWG line (UGA, i, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII) would all turn over in their canine cripts
.
You people (and I mean you people) should be shamed of not wanting to give Rodney a chance. There are no guarantees with even the coach that you think would be the best ever.
I am just glad its not your (you peolpe) choice.
Big Orange
December 30th, 2009
6:37 pm
From everything I have heard Chavis and Garner are pretty close friends from their time together in Knoxville. I wouldn’t see where that would ever be an issue.
Tron Carter
December 30th, 2009
6:37 pm
Why does coach Johnson always look like he’s gone several weeks without bathing. He makes Michael Moore (the Farenheit 9-11 director) look clean.
David Granger
December 30th, 2009
6:39 pm
Coach Richt is in a bit of a predicament here, I think. I don’t believe that there’s a DC out there who can really fire up the fan base who would actually come to Georgia. Muschamp is going to be the next head coach at Texas…but he is a UGA alum, so I’d definitely give him the first call. (In fact, I’d offer him the head coaching job here RIGHT NOW.) But he’s not coming.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Garner get a chance to show what he can do as DC. You might want to talk with him, and see if he’ll go year-to-year in the position….that way, if he doesn’t work out (or if a top-notch DC becomes available), then you’ve got an out. Plus, you’d get kudos if Garner turns out to be a good one (as I think he might), and you’d also get props for giving a Black assistant a chance to show what he can do.
Enough
December 30th, 2009
6:39 pm
Give it a rest guys. Tech hates Georgia. Georgia hates Tech. Everybody gets it. Must y’all continue to go back and forth like school kids? You would think it really mattered.
DogGoneGaDawg
December 30th, 2009
6:45 pm
Dear $1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl: Winning the ACC is no more significant than winning the MEAC or the Mountain West (Maybe even less significant). So why don’t you just take your little ACC Trophy and stick it. UGA would have won the ACC going away. But the very thought of being in the ACC is unconscionable.
Tron Carter
December 30th, 2009
6:46 pm
Let me try.
Good luck tech on not humiliating yourself (in the bowl you have no reason to be in since your conference is a complete joke that could not compete with the SunBelt) as you have in the past.
I also hope you finish your stadium soon.
Denver Dawg
December 30th, 2009
6:48 pm
nobody hates anybody here, the dawg faithful is just jealous that Tech is in a BCS Bowl. Puppies would have ended up in the toilet bowl if not for their lucky victory over GT
Tron Carter
December 30th, 2009
6:51 pm
Tech Thinking
60-39-5 = Lucky
8-1 = Lucky
30-24 = Lucky
Star Trek Loser Douches in Miami = Getting Lucky
George
December 30th, 2009
6:51 pm
Garner may deserve a chance to prove himself as DC. But, he should prove that somewhere else. UGA deserves and can have a top notch proven DC. Why would Richt risk screwing up this hire by promoting from within when he just fired everybody but Garner? It would be different if the defense had been great and CWM left for antoher job. Then, more of the same would be acceptable.
More of the same is not acceptable now (unfortunately for Garner).
Tron Carter
December 30th, 2009
6:54 pm
Don’t kid yourself. I hate Tech, but I don’t know why. You are not even a challenge for us. For some reason, I really enjoy your pain and laughing at your stadium, coach, and program.
George
December 30th, 2009
6:56 pm
On Chavis, why would CMR hire someone with the reputation of disliking recruiting (the life blood of college football)? Can’t he find someone who is qualified and excited about all aspects of college football?
I agree with “Enough”. This blog would be much better without all the tech/UGA hater crap. I think most people skip those posts anyway. I have better things to do than get on the tech page and post a bunch of tech hating crap.
blazerdawg
December 30th, 2009
6:57 pm
Todd – see blazer @ 4:08 PM. UGA currently has and has had AA leadership.
PC Professor
December 30th, 2009
6:59 pm
Jeff – Hmmmm, pray tell…. why did you feel the need to delete 60 comments from your last ”
blog”? I read everyone of the posts between Charlie, Cheeseburger & Fries and the Angry Black Man and did not see anything “profane”. What I did see was a frank and honest discussion based on vastly different views. I guess you in your infinite wisdom feel Americans can NOT have an open and honest debate about sports and race. But that doesn’t surprise me as you are the type of person who feels qualified to be a social engineer and the sole arbitor of thought and words.
Matthew
December 30th, 2009
7:02 pm
Jeff, why are you pushing this Garner hiring so hard? I’m a little surprised that a writer for a major paper would take on such a position. It almost smacks of an agenda here. I’m sure CMR has his reasons for not promoting Coach Garner….neither of which is really any of your or any one else’s business.
That can't possibly be true
December 30th, 2009
7:02 pm
I missed the epochal event known as the, whatever the name of the bowl was in Shreveport. But what I’m hearing cannot possibly be true. There is no way in he!! they painted Russ’ @ss white is there?
Seriously, they painted a dog’s @ss and PETA didn’t descend on them like a pitbull on a cube steak?
Dawgs442
December 30th, 2009
7:03 pm
Everybody know tech benefited from a very weak ACC this year. CPJ is certainly popular right now. Let’s see how popular and brilliant he is in a few years. I look forward to seeing tech loose with his HS offense. I hope they get crushed in the OB.
It was downright therapeutic to see the dawgs smash it down their throats. I actually had a tech fan say to me that the only reason we won was because we hurt nesbitt intentionally in the 1st Q.
DogGoneGaDawg
December 30th, 2009
7:04 pm
Hmmmm Denver Dawg: Lucky? All I need say is 369 yards rushing. Tech is lucky that my grandmother wasn’t running through those holes. But she would have gotten at least 200 yards.
PC Professor
December 30th, 2009
7:05 pm
Hey Todd from Dacula – Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring!
Todd here is a clue for you… Richt is the head coach, if he passed Garner by the first time around and by all indications he’s doing it again, it must for a very good reason. However, I can assure you it has NOTHING to do with his skin color.
Wake-up and put down the Politically Correct manifesto!!!
Coaches
December 30th, 2009
7:10 pm
Garner is not a DC. PERIOD. The dawgs need a discipline, smash mouth, DC. The LBs and DBs coach are just as important. Garner has recruited well for the dawgs. Garners DL has not done to well. Be Aggressive.
George
December 30th, 2009
7:11 pm
Come on Fred, Krylon dries pretty quick…
Tron Carter
December 30th, 2009
7:11 pm
I think that we need to get past discussions of people’s qualifications based on their race, gender, etc. and how they can handle particular jobs. It’s 2009. LOOK – Tech hired the first female – looking (possibly female) football coach (not looking so good for the future, but a brave hire) and that dude that coaches the Lady Vols has done well.
DogGoneGaDawg
December 30th, 2009
7:15 pm
Yeah Dawgs442: I like your comment “we hurt Nesbitt intentionally.” Just like we intentionally separated JaMarcus Russell’s shoulder intentionally in the SEC championship game (Nice hit Charles Johnson–I like the way your drove him into the turf!). It goes with the territory. If you can’t run with the big dawgs you better stay on the porch.
RNB
December 30th, 2009
7:43 pm
Garner deserves a shot only if Richt can’t land a proven DC. What does it say that Garner has never been offered a DC position.
That can't possibly be true
December 30th, 2009
7:55 pm
I’ve heard of face paint to get ready for the big game, but @ss paint?
This can’t possibly be true.