Doesn’t anybody want to be Georgia’s defensive coordinator? (UPDATED)
Excuse Mark Richt if he's wondering what's going on.
(UPDATE BELOW)
At some point, Mark Richt will hire somebody as Georgia’s new defensive coordinator and he will assure the entire Bulldog Nation that he got the man he wanted all along, because that’s the way these things are done.
But it can’t be too comforting for Richt to know that all he really has accomplished so far is to get significant raises for coaches on other teams.
First, Virginia Tech’s Bud Foster turned down the job. As a reward, he was given an annuity worth up to $1 million. Now, it’s pretty apparent LSU’s John Chavis was offered the offered the job and turned it down because athletic director Joe Alleva said, “We did what we needed to do to keep him.”
That meant a significant raise: from $450,000 a year to a reported $600,000. And Chavis has been at LSU for only one season.
There is no telling where Richt turns now. Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham, who coached under Foster at Virginia Tech, remains a possibility. But Grantham, who also coached for three years at Michigan State, has been in the NFL since 1999 and it’s not known if he would want to come back to college. His only tenure as a coordinator came with the Cleveland Browns (2005-07) and had mixed results.
Regardless, it’s never a good sign when a program is turned down multiple times by job candidates, and Richt doesn’t seem any closer to hiring a defensive coordinator today than he was when he fired Willie Martinez.
(UPDATE: I thought you folks would chuckle at this. LSU put out a press release on Chavis but never referred to Georgia, only an unspecified SEC school. So Vanderbilt offered him a job?)
LSU SPORTS INFORMATION
For Immediate Release December 31, 2009CHAVIS TO REMAIN AT LSU
BATON ROUGE – John Chavis, who was pursued by another school in the Southeastern Conference, will remain at LSU as the defensive coordinator, head coach Les Miles announced on Thursday.
“John has done a great job and he’s a key member of this staff,” Miles said. “John is a man of great character and a tremendous football coach. We’re glad he’s staying.”
In his first year with the Tigers, Chavis coached an LSU defense that rated No. 3 in the SEC and No. 12 in the nation in scoring at 16.0 points per game. The Tigers have allowed just six rushing touchdowns all season, the second-lowest total in college football this year.
“I’m staying at LSU and I’m excited about remaining here,” Chavis said. “LSU is a great place. This is an outstanding football program and I’m happy and honored to be a part of it.”
Chavis joined LSU last January after spending the 14 years as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee.
“We think John Chavis is one of the best defensive coordinators in the country,” LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said. “We felt like it’s important for the future of the program that we make this investment.”
Chavis will receive an increase in compensation, which will be announced at a future date.
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935 comments Add your comment
Reality
December 31st, 2009
5:29 pm
UGAgrad71: Why do you think that all negative uga comments must be from “bug” fans? You are wrong!
willie martinez
December 31st, 2009
5:31 pm
Jeff, I guess I’m the only person in America not in the running for the UGA DC job.
GayRay from South Beach
December 31st, 2009
5:32 pm
It’s easy to pick out the Tech fans that are coming into town.
They are all men, no women. Most are middle aged, fat, pasty and smelly with thinning hair combed over the tops of their crusty heads. They are wearing outdated bermuda shorts, dark, dress socks and sandals. They have on festive gold, short sleeve shirts emblazoned with that moronic, little bee and whatever greasy crap they had for breakfast. The rest are late teens, early 20’s, same attire but with acne infested faces and green teeth.They walk around babbling and giggling incoherently, gawking at the women and trying to get them to pose for pictures. The majority are Middle Easterners and Asians.
The old, fat ones keep hitting on me and giving me their room numbers.
Disgusting, all of them.
Tom
December 31st, 2009
5:34 pm
Methinks shannon is one of the Georgia fans Zeier was referring to
FFF
December 31st, 2009
5:34 pm
Georgia dominates Tech in the series 60-39-5
Sautee Dawg
December 31st, 2009
5:34 pm
Jeff
Only problem with hiring coaches at UGA is UF will be in the mix hiring new coaches also and it could be interesting. With UF having better seasons of late, they would be alot more attractive and it will be alot harder for UGA to hire the quality of coach it wants.
Money is not an object at either school so everyone that says that UGA wouldn’t pay $600,000 per year is wrong, Atheletic Dept works from donations and ends up with a pocket full every year so that money thing is not the problem.
I think honestly with CMR he’s already said he’ll have a new coach by 2nd week of the new year, he’s already hired one and it’s just a matter of waiting until all the Bowl games are over with to announce who it is.
BeeKiller
December 31st, 2009
5:35 pm
Seriously. This conversation and speculation should stop until after the bowl games and NFL season. Mark Richt had his guy weeks ago. He is a guy of class and is waiting for their current teams season to finish. The notion that “nobody wants the DC position at UGA” is stupid. The phones have been blowing up in Athens ever since Willie was fired. This is a big time job at a big time program. To the Tech nerds on this blog that will try to contradict: go inflate your girlfriends or play dungeons and dragons while the real men talk on here.
Ramon
December 31st, 2009
5:38 pm
I’m sorry, but I haven’t heard any viable source state that UGA OFFERED the job to Foster nor Chavis. Majority of these raises are coming from M. Richt not giving the media any inside info, and sports reporter going back to their living rooms to come up with rumors that ‘make sense.’ I don’t think Richt ever talked to Chavis. I think Richt may have contacted Foster, as you do with all preliminary candidates, but I doubt he offered him a contract as well. Richt is looking for a great recruiter, and Chavis nor Foster fits that mode. So its hard for me to believe that he offered those two a position. UGA is the largest program out there at the moment who is seeking a DC, so media has be looking at UGA. I truly believe Richt’s refusal to give any details means that he knows who he has coming to UGA in the spring. He is just waiting for their season to end.
Paul's Johnson
December 31st, 2009
5:38 pm
Right on the mark, Jeff. This insistence on getting a “big name” smacks of administrative and/or booster interference in the hiring process. Suntan is having to appease somebody, because surely he isn’t misguided enough to think that he can throw a big salary number out there and suddenly these top D/C’s are just gonna come running. The job is just not that attractive at this time for a top-drawer, well-established college coach. Kirby Smart’s UGA connection is the only reason he MIGHT be. But my question now, is simple—-who is calling the shots in Muttville?
Nick
December 31st, 2009
5:40 pm
I think the deal’s already been made too and we’ll know come Sunday or Monday. Meaning more than likely he’s gone to the NFL ranks which I dn’t particulary like. I am still intereted in Diaz from MTSU but I really think if he was the man, he would have already publicly taken the job since their season’s over now.
south
December 31st, 2009
5:41 pm
Jeff, what about Bumpas or whatever his name is from TCU? Haven’t heard his name and he has done more with less on that side of the ball than ANYONE in the country.
buzzDawg
December 31st, 2009
5:42 pm
Jeff – we cannot know at this point if any offers were made. We do know that Richt has said that it will be after the bowls. I do trust his judgement. I think he is looking for someone who is a good fit. If the person is a good fit, they will know it, too.
Space Dawg
December 31st, 2009
5:43 pm
Houston we have a problem: UGA has been spurned! A no name is in the wild blue yonder…..
Buckhead Bulldog
December 31st, 2009
5:50 pm
LAKE OCONEE DAWG: Bingo! We need to chase Pres. Adams tail back up to Ohio…he is so anti-sports. Of course, he doesn’t mind his little slush fund he siphons off, eh?
secondguesser
December 31st, 2009
5:50 pm
Nobody wants the job at UGA. They see a trend of middle of the pack seasons in the future. Oh wait, that’s already been happening! Face it leghumpers, you’re now in the same breath as MSU, USC,Vandy, Ole Piss, etc. Maybe you guys can see about a lateral move to the ACC, the amateur class conference. I mean, you guys did manage to squeak out a six point win over one of their teams didn’t ya?
BG
December 31st, 2009
5:52 pm
Rumors, Rumors, Rumors. Richt may already have his coach. The agents for these coaches put out these rumors to get their clients more money.
Barry from Eastenders
December 31st, 2009
5:52 pm
Jeff — I don’t sense a bias from you, or your peers, other than a bias for car crashes — real or ginned up. I think you guys love to stir the pot, see problems when none exists, over interpret, exaggerate, etc., I also understand that part of the job of a columnist is to incite, provoke, etc., (not necessarily in negative ways) and that is typically easier with controversy or negative angles. The issue I have with your take on this is you guys want it both ways. Had CMR hired an unknown who was from a lesser tier program or division of CFB, you and your peers would skewer him. So, he aims big and goes after two guys at big time programs to take lateral moves to come to GA. The one guy has been at his current position for less than 1 year and the other who has been firmly entrenched for 2 decades, so there are extenuating circumstances with each. These programs match or exceed the financial offers (presumably) made by GA. So, your conclusion is this makes GA look bad. Then you wonder why CMR and other coaches are more public and forthcoming with the media on the process. Irrespective of the outcome, you guys seem to go into these things looking for the car crash angle — that is the real bias.
The other bias you guys have is for the guy who is brash and a loudmouth (see Kiffen, Spurrier, CPJ, etc.,) While lower key and often more accomplished coaches who make for bad copy come under criticism. Again, I suspect this is due to the fact that your profession looks for the easy angles. Whatever it is, it is pretty cynical and doesn’t “look good” (to borrow your phrase) for your profession.
BG
December 31st, 2009
5:52 pm
Secondguesser 30 to 24!!!!!!!
just thinking
December 31st, 2009
5:54 pm
Pretty soon UGA will have as many partners as Tiger. The only difference is that tiger “got some” in the process and so did his ho’s. UGA keeps getting F*&^’d and getting nothing for it.
brewdawg
December 31st, 2009
5:55 pm
If UGA doesn’t hire a “name” guy, who cares? All of the “name” guys were unproven commodities at one point. Maybe we hire the next “big thing” among defensive coordinators, and five years down the road, everyone is like, “Man, thank goodness so and so turned us down.” I’m just happy it’s going to be someone other than Willie Martinez.
WTH
December 31st, 2009
5:57 pm
Watching Navy run the high school offense against superior talent with several weeks to prepare is scary for a lot of defensive coordinators. The Navy players who learn the high school offense from the day they step on campus are really exceptional to watch. They had almost 300 yards of offense at half time.
Poured myself a vodka
December 31st, 2009
5:58 pm
The Georgia Defense couldn’t stop a ground game from bed ridden nursing home grandmas. They couldn’t prevent an air assault from a one armed Q. Their offense couldn’t make a first down if the Russian Mafia bribed the refs. Their cheerleaders couldn’t resist a pantie raid if they were cloistered in a convent. Aw, I don’t want to talk about it.
La Jolla Dawg
December 31st, 2009
5:58 pm
Les Miles confirmed that Mark Richt had called him to talk about Chavis. This was not made up by Jeff or anyone else. Chavis turned the job down. If Smart were going to take the job, Chavis wouldn’t have been offered, so in all likelihood forget that one too.
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/123109/bre_541409139.shtml
Bob Horner had sweet compact swing
December 31st, 2009
6:00 pm
Jeff…I wish you had done a Bowl predictions blog…..you’re not biased…well maybe a little you prefer Swedish swim suit models to fat cows…..if UGA wants to hire a DC in which the hire is a latteral move they will contine to keep getting turned down…they are being “used” to get a pay raise….happy New Year’s…
WTH = grab a life!
December 31st, 2009
6:01 pm
WTH = Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
5:50 pm
Turn on the Texas Bowl game and watch those small, FAST, QUICK middies pound those big farm boys from Missouri. That’s what Tech will do to Iowa’s big farm boys next Tuesday
Floundering Fox Hounds Batman!
December 31st, 2009
6:01 pm
What are we gonna do when we face the real competition? We so need a proven name coach!
Dawgit
December 31st, 2009
6:03 pm
La Jolla,
You must be crazy, us dawg fans know more than anybody and know everything that is going on. If somebody reported this they are lying because they hate UGA and are biased tward GT.
WoodstockDawg02
December 31st, 2009
6:07 pm
I along with many other Dawg fans were screaming for CMR to hire Chavis last year once Kiffin came in….like everything else in life, timing is everything……
BayouMan
December 31st, 2009
6:08 pm
They can’t lure anyone here because nobody else across the country gives a crap about Ugay’s program…the trailer trash in this state think it is a national power when the rest of the country sees them as an average or underachieving team…keep up the top 10 recruiting classes with coaches that cannot prepare them to do more than finish in the middle of the SEC…
Dawgit
December 31st, 2009
6:09 pm
Chavis does not want to come to UGA because he knows the SEC refs are always against UGA because they all went to GT.
Weak Sisters of the SEC
December 31st, 2009
6:11 pm
Looks like CMR will have to hire Hartley and Doolittle. Sounds like a law firm huh….. That would make the weak SEC bretherns happy !
Dawgit
December 31st, 2009
6:13 pm
Where is Garner going to go after he is passed over again?
Hillbilly Deluxe
December 31st, 2009
6:13 pm
Why can’t you practice for an outdoor sport, outdoors?
BayouMan
December 31st, 2009
6:15 pm
Oh and when Garner goes…and he will….watch all those “bagman” recruits head out the door before signing day!!!!!!!
DamntheButcher
December 31st, 2009
6:16 pm
why dont they build a retractable roof on Sanford Stadium and cover Vince Dooley Field?
Pugnacious Paul
December 31st, 2009
6:16 pm
MY Navy boys are puttin a whuppin on Missouri in Texas Bowl. 28 – 13 4th qtr. Poor UGA will get smacked in the mouth next year….. mark it down !
Aynsley
December 31st, 2009
6:17 pm
Uno Ocho , why the shots at tech? If only we were good enough to play the advocare bowl, we would have mashed you guys up. Your weak coaching staff couldn’t put together a a BCS title shot with a first round QB and RB, and an “SEC DEFENSE”… Excuses, excuses. Richt is a good guy, but doesn’t have what it takes to win with the big boys every year. Nice guys don’t finish first. If only the same were true for UGA fans. Turnover and cry to your soon to be ex-wife (if she hasn’t left you yet), who “loves watchin’ football on the weekends.”
Cheeseburger in Paradise
December 31st, 2009
6:19 pm
Not!
Mark deserves Hartley and Dolittle.. He has had almost an entire staff of dolittles for the past 5 years.
It is rather interesting why coaches do not want to come to UGA. Could it be the Adams/Evans connection..
You know, jailed for a bottle of beer and riding a scotter down a one way.
BOOGIES THE MAN IN HARTWELL ,GA
December 31st, 2009
6:19 pm
JEFF —– GLAD YOURE BACK ………………..
HOPE YOUR TIME OFF REFRESHED YOU……….
AS FOR CMR, HE’LL NAME HIS MAN SOON………….
I BELIEVE HE’S BEEN IN THE BAG FOR A WHILE………
HEARD CWM IS BEING CONSIDERED AT tek ………..
ANY TRUTH TO THAT ?
BeeKiller
December 31st, 2009
6:20 pm
Tech fans: you are pathetic, living on the UGA blogs. I know, I know. Nobody is talking about GT. But what else is new.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
December 31st, 2009
6:21 pm
BayouMan,
UGA will get an excellent DC and other coaches, likely after the bowls games have concluded.
UGA is not like the slime-ball programs of Michigan and Notre Dame that lure coaches away from other schools before the season, including bowl games are over.
DOGGIE IN NC
December 31st, 2009
6:21 pm
Jeff, based on your logic, every person that has ever been interviewed for a job has been “offered”, and we all know that is BS. Get a clue man! GO DOGGIES!
Aynsley
December 31st, 2009
6:24 pm
Jeff, is this a UGA blog?
Bobbi Dud
December 31st, 2009
6:27 pm
Georgia will get a good DC. Tech is in denial. Navy defense under Paul Johnson…36 points and 439 yds allowed average for 2007! When Johnson accepted the Tech job he stated, ” I didn’t bring any of those Navy players with me”! Sounds like Johnson loves to blame the players! How great is that Tech defense?? It’s not the players…it’s the coaching!Johnson is all about HIS offensive genius plays…defense will never matter at Tech..if it did..Tech would be playing for a National Championship game and not the Orange Bowl that means nothing!
Floundering Fox Hounds Batman!
December 31st, 2009
6:28 pm
I understand that the Wofford coach has just spurned UGA too….
BeeKiller
December 31st, 2009
6:28 pm
Aynsley, I hope youre not talking about Georgia Tech. The Dawgs wish they had played you again in the independance bowl. They would have only had to send three offensive plaerys to Shrieveport. Ben Jones to snap the ball and Caleb & Washaun to take turns carving up your defense.
Mark "Crimson Crier" Ingram
December 31st, 2009
6:28 pm
Tommy Tuberville is already talkin’ football with Texas Tech, so you can furget about him!
Since I am an Idiot:
December 31st, 2009
6:29 pm
I could have written this column.
Ed
December 31st, 2009
6:31 pm
Relax people… remember when we were all upset because Glen Mason decided he did not want to come to Athens? In retrospect we dodged the bullet big time! Personally, I want someone with more experience than Kirby Smart. How many decisions does he really make under Saban’s considerable shadow? Our DC needs to instill discipline and a return to the fundamentals (like tackling!)… not just bank on the intangible presence of a dominating personality like Saban.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
December 31st, 2009
6:32 pm
Stop the calls and the letters! I am coming back as DC. Coach Richt called to apologize about the a$$ painting and we worked out our differences. I will be back and my a$$ will not be painted white.