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
browndog
December 31st, 2009
8:34 pm
UGA will be just fine. CMR will get someone who fits his system and will compliments his style of coaching. UGA IS a top notch program and will be back to the top very soon. Count on it.
happydawg
December 31st, 2009
8:40 pm
Schultz you piss me off. First, how do you know ANYONE has received an official offer from UGA? Second, as mentioned many times before, maybe just maybe, we must wait until after Nov 7th to get our man. Your article here is crap.
Doesn't anybody want to be Meyer's DC?
December 31st, 2009
8:42 pm
Apparently not, since he hasn’t announced a new DC yet. Good common sense there folks.
Let’s see here:
No announcement = Nobody wants the Georgia or Florida DC Job
NRBQ
December 31st, 2009
8:42 pm
Your defense fails to convince, Jeff. “Doesn’t anybody…” is disingenuous at least, and stupidly patronizing at worst.
I’ll believe the job was “offered” when I hear it from Richt or Evans.
No Name
December 31st, 2009
8:43 pm
They’ll find somebody and lose a couple of games. Then it will start all over again, fire Bobo, fire CMR, our playcalling stinks, our QB has no confidence. Bitch, bitch, bitch.
Dawg man
December 31st, 2009
8:44 pm
Next season, looks like dawgs vs. Nebraska for National Championship, and we will win, get the trophys ready for the next 4 years–got 2 great freshman qbs, 2 more committed, 5 more superstar db’s, man we’re loaded. Bet every team on our schedule is already trembling, some might even forfeit to keep from playing us.
Hunker Down
December 31st, 2009
9:02 pm
Agree with another blogger in that this is a huge decision for UGA and CMR. No need to make a rash decision, but instead pursue the people that you feel can best fill and serve the position. I agree that Kirby Smart might not bite but worth investigating if CMR is interested which I would think he very would be. Remember we went through this same thing in asking interest in a head coach once before when Dooley was AD and people played us to get fat raises. But I feel patience is a virtue and the right man will surface. I recognize recruiting is in full swing but UGA has few scholarships left to offer and this is much bigger than losing one or two prospects. I have a lot of confidence in CMR in finding the right guy.
AltamahaDawg
December 31st, 2009
9:09 pm
My problem with the phrase “it doesnt look good” is the implication that it reveals some hidden issue. Are you seriously contending that all of a sudden UGA has become a program that good coaches would shy away from? There are probably 2 dozen DC that can do a great job here, and it does require that you talk to some of them.
longDawg
December 31st, 2009
9:17 pm
It’s a shame Hartley Bowers is dead he the last journalist with any integrity. hopefully some one will come by and change the AJC’s quality in sportswriters. You don’t think CMR would let these jokesters at the ajc ever have the scoop do you. Just hold on and everyone is going to be well pleased with his choice
Denver Dog
December 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
Ok, so he talked to these guys. We all know what that means. So no takers yet, we will see come next week. I just want to see someone that will coach the players to a new level, one above what they are capable of doing. I want to see a killer instinct, and a hit you first mentality. It may be Rodney, or then again, it may be someone right before our eyes that we jsut don’t see at this point.
Jeff Schultz
December 31st, 2009
9:21 pm
Joe “Fire Marshall Bill” — you’ve been banned. you’re wasting time trying to comment.
joe
December 31st, 2009
9:22 pm
Jeff, you really want to know why Chavis and Foster might have turned UGA down? Here’s your answer. UGA is known to be incredibly stingy when it comes to paying assistant coaches. When Damons said he would open up the wallet to get the best coaches in here, he was lying through his teeth. It was nothing more than lip service. Richt is hamstrung because UGA and the people in charge won’t pay serious money to an assistant coach. So Richt is hamstrung. If Richt had wanted Bud Foster or Chavis, he should have gone after them hard and given him an offer that couldn’t be refused or matched. But Damon Evans won’t do it. You’re not going to get a name DC from a big time program to come to UGA for the money UGA is offering.
The fact that Va Tech, a school that has nowhere near the money or resources that UGA has, paid Foster close to a million and UGA won’t come close to that, is downright shameful. It’s especially shameful considering the insane amounts of money UGA spends every year on new construction.
AltamahaDawg
December 31st, 2009
9:22 pm
I don’t know why so many folk’s are taking exception to the statement that “its a fact that 2 DC could have had the job and decided not to”. Lateral moves for about the same money from one big program to another and decided not to (uproot from a long standing, potential future HC job in one case, and take a 3rd job in 3 year in the other). I don’t really see the big deal, even if that were fact. I don’t blame them. Talking to existing DC who would be making lateral moves is not like just snapping your finger.
Agent
December 31st, 2009
9:33 pm
All of you are so funny! I know for a fact that CMR did not offer Foster or Chavis a job – this is a game that all of us agents play – anytime a coach (any coach) is fired we call our friend in the media and advise them to put out rumors that the person we represent is in discussions for the job – this in turn causes the school to panic and offer our client more money -which in turn gets us more money – believe me – CMR did not talk to Foster and he did not talk to Chavis – do you remember Chavis did not commit about the UGA DC offer – why? b/c his agent told him to say that – we teach all our clients to say that – more $$ for them is more $$ for us – what do you think is bettere 10% of 400k or 10% of 65k – you do the math and you will see why all the rumors get started – it is and always has been and agent game to get their clients name in the rumor mill so they can get more money – CMR has his man and you will be suprised when you see who is coming to UGA – you guys will be ok – trust me.
joe
December 31st, 2009
9:37 pm
“CMR did not talk to Foster and he did not talk to Chavis”
You are dead. We know for a fact that he talked to Foster, and Les Miles stated that Richt was talking to Chavis.
joe
December 31st, 2009
9:38 pm
Make that dead wrong. LOL!
Agent
December 31st, 2009
9:42 pm
OK Joe – you know it all – of course Les said that – this way he can tell all his recruits that his DC turned down the job – blah blah blah – you are an idiot that believes everything the media tells him – you are the type of people that make my job fun and help me stay rich – thank you to all the Joe’s that believe everything they read and hear from the media!
Agent
December 31st, 2009
9:47 pm
Also, – why would UGA go after Foster – look at the ACC v/s the SEC – the two are totally opposite when it come to offense and defense – Foster would have to make a big adjustment to be a DC in the SEC – also – Chavis is not that impressive if you sit down and take a long look at what is defense has done against top offenses – Chavis again would not be a good fit and that is why CMR has not talked to Chavis or Foster – CMR has his guy – just wait – and please don’t be a Joe and believe everything the AJC puts out – journalist of the AJC are not informed of what is going on – believe me – they will be the last to know -
Ed
December 31st, 2009
9:57 pm
Go get the DC at Air Force! He has recruiting restrictions (by the Academy requirements) and yet managed to shut down Houston’s high powered offense with smaller guys.
joe
December 31st, 2009
10:00 pm
“you are the type of people that make my job fun and help me stay rich”
LOL! Dude, wake the h*ll. You’re just some idiot on a board. Besides, where there’s smoke there is fire. Just admit you don’t have a damn clue. Richt talked to both guys and everyone here knows it. Whether he offered them is a different story.
As for agents engaging in rumors, that is fairly obvious. But we know Richt talked to both about the job. So stop with the nonsense. Les Miles wouldn’t need to tell his players Chavis turned down the job. There would be no point in that. His players aren’t going to love him more. He said it because it’s the truth.
AltamahaDawg
December 31st, 2009
10:02 pm
Folks are waaaay too hung up on the “name” of this hire. Personally, I hope it is somebody currently coaching in the NFL, with a couple of different college stops along the way, just coming into his time right now. That is after all how Kirby Smart got where he is, and he wasn’t a well-known entity just a few years ago. We need somebody LIKE him, but not specifically him. Smart wouldn’t be here long enough to get through his first senior class, just like he isnt going to see this current group of incoming Bama players after a couple more years.
I hope we have to google this new guy, and would suit me fine if he was rarely in the paper or blogs for the next 10 yrs, just turning out one solid class after another
GO Dawgs!!
December 31st, 2009
10:07 pm
Florida could have offered Chavis also along with GA who knows.I hope and think personally CMR will hire the right man for the job God Bless and Happy New Year everyone!!
Agent
December 31st, 2009
10:14 pm
OK Joe – and how do we know CMR talked to both of them – b/c the media said so? – Ok then I guess he did –
thanks for clearing that up Joe!
Agent
December 31st, 2009
10:16 pm
OK – I am out of here – time to go party for the New Year – Happy New Year to all and Dawg Fans – get ready b/c you will be surprised by your new d/c and believe me he will get the job done – I am not a Dawg fan in general but do love the SEC -
Nate
December 31st, 2009
10:18 pm
This maybe a longshot: Would CMR consider Carl Pelini at Nebraska and would we have a chance?
There have been charges of nepotism raised given that his brother is the head coach.
UGA needs a DC with a proven track record at a top division I college team….forget a pro coach.
SC DAWG
December 31st, 2009
10:21 pm
GIVE ME VAN GORDER!!! I want the animal back stalking the sidelines!!!
GatorChomp
December 31st, 2009
10:26 pm
Jeff, Jeff, Jeff….Why do you insist that only Chavis and Foster turned down the Dawgs??? Everyone knows that unofficially the Dawgs tested the waters several others! Why not mention VanGorder, Ellis, the KSU DC, Smart, and of course Muschamp! That puts the count at 7 rejections and counting! Also, why not write an article about why those other jobs (i.e. staying at Alabama, LSU, South Carolina and taking Illinois job over UGA) seem much better jobs than coming to Athens, Georgia? If Richt fails to have a good year in 2010 when he can’t point to a tough out of conference schedule, he very well could find himself on ESPN as a broadcaster rather than as a coach. Why not openly discuss this potential in an article since you espoused in this very article that you are not biased and also supposed to give a critical opinion about the very school your son attends. If you truly get around the state of Georgia very often you certainly will find the masses supporting UGA because their sons, daughters, cousins, nieces, nephews, or even their sister in laws went to UGA and the basis for their support of that program. This, of course, never happens for us Gator fans. We all actually attended the great school in Gainesville.
old dog
December 31st, 2009
10:48 pm
Jeff Schultz i think georgia will be fine i’m confident that cmr will find a good dc,and from the way things sound they might already have one just hasn’t anounced it.
hate to see the sec lose but nice to see lane kiffen getting a lose after making the statement he would use the peach bowl as a recuriting game in the state of georgia!!!
JaxDawg
December 31st, 2009
10:54 pm
Jeff, well look at the bright side, those DCs were seriously considering leaving their current positions to come to Georgia and pushed their schools to act quickly and generously!! I think Georgia will land a good one we just need to be patient
Urban Liar
December 31st, 2009
11:14 pm
Hey now, why doesn’t anybody want to be Meyer’s DC? It was dehydration, wait no, a brain condition, uh, no, wait a minute, it was a hear muscle, uh wait a minute, God told me to quit, uh wait a minute, I lied about the whole checked myself into the hospital thing because I hadn’t had a chance to tell Tebow first about how I really got there in an ambulance, geez, I can’t even keep these stories straight, you’d need a degree in Pysch to understand this Coach’s pathologies….
Nov. 23, 2009 “The Promise”, Urban Meyer
“I’ll be staying at Florida as long as they’ll have me”
Dec. 27, 2009
Quit on Florida
CharlestonDawg
December 31st, 2009
11:16 pm
It doesn’t matter who Richt hires, he won the Natl Champ in 2007 with Willie Martinez. It’s not the DC who matters as long as Richt is the Captain. 90 SEC wins in 9 seasons–all you need to know.
MtPleasantDawg
December 31st, 2009
11:18 pm
Happy New Year to Georgia fans everywhere. 2010 will be Richt’s year. With all the turmoil in Gator Land, 2010 is a done deal. Richt ALWAYS follows a bad season with a 11 or 13 win season so Happy New Year Dawgs.
joe
December 31st, 2009
11:19 pm
“Jeff, Jeff, Jeff….Why do you insist that only Chavis and Foster turned down the Dawgs??? Everyone knows that unofficially the Dawgs tested the waters several others! Why not mention VanGorder, Ellis, the KSU DC, Smart, and of course Muschamp!”
What the hell are you smoking. The only one he may have talked to is Smart, and we don’t even know that. He didn’t talk to Muschamp because there’s no way he’s leaving Texas. Everyone knew Van Gorder wasn’t leaving the Falcons. I’m sure Richt talks to Van Gorder all the time, and probably asked his advice. But he sure as hell didn’t talk to him about coming to UGA. He never talked to Ellis Johnson. He was never even in the discussion. He was only a potential candidate. As for the KSU DC, where the heck are you coming up with this nonsense. No, just no.
I know Gayturds aren’t too bright. But you need to try harder idiot.
As for Gainesville, it’s a cesspool. You won’t find an uglier, dirtier town. As for Florida, not only is it a joke of a university, but it also has one of the ugliest campuses know to mankind. So no.
Doesn't anybody want to be Meyer's DC?
December 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
#1 recruiting class, and 2 Natl Champs, big bucks, and Meyer can’t find anyone who wants to be Florida’s DC Coach? No one, aynwhere?
FLRDADAWG
December 31st, 2009
11:26 pm
Just chill Dawg Nation. Hunker down. 1 or 2 more weeks and the New Era begins. Richt gonna put a hurtin’s on Meyer, Meyer so sceered, Meyer quit. Meyer da little crybabay who scheduled Fla Intl because he was afraid of the Boise States and Oklahoma States. Now Meyer quits because he’s afraid of the run Richt and his new DC are about to go on. Get some courage dude. Quit running and quitting every 1-5 years like a wimp. Take your lumps. Stop being a quit-a-holic and voluntarily quitting for the 7th time in 24 years.
CharlestonDawg
December 31st, 2009
11:28 pm
Look, just because Coach Richt ain’t announced nothin’ yet, don’t mean DC’s have turned it down. Ain’t one lick of proof for that. Richt denies it. Richt’s waiting until the Bowl finishes to get his man, and so the DC’s & assistants will all be allowed to speak to him by their respective schools.
Doesn't anybody want to be Meyer's DC?
December 31st, 2009
11:39 pm
Isn’t Meyer looking for a DC? Could Meyer have been the DC pursuing Chavis?
Wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2009
11:40 pm
SD DAWG: What can Tech do to get you to take our DC ?
Salty Dawg
December 31st, 2009
11:41 pm
GatorChomp-”Everyone knows that unofficially the Dawgs tested the waters several others!..Also, why not write an article about why those other jobs (i.e. staying at Alabama, LSU, South Carolina and taking Illinois job over UGA) seem much better jobs than coming to Athens, Georgia?…This, of course, never happens for us Gator fans. We all actually attended the great school in Gainesville.
I can’t tell if you’re joking or not. Your post was truly that ridiculous. I’m going to go on the assumption that you are being serious. First of all, “testing the waters” is not an offer. Second of all, a reasonably intelligent person would understand that when you aim for the best possible candidates you are going to have some who are not interested. Smart, for example, would have to be extremely motivated to leave Bama for anything other than a HC position. He knows that, we know that, Richt knows that. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least discuss it with him. After all, if you don’t ask the answer is always no. And by the way, if you really believe that all UF fans are grads then I’ve got a bridge you might be interested in buying. I’ve seen more toothless, illiterate fans of UF than any other team in the SEC. North Florida is full of ‘em. If all of these clowns actually attended UF, well that’s just speaks volumes about the quality of UF grads. But what difference does it make if fans attended the school or not. I’ll be the first to stand up and say, I did not attend UGA. I went to Stanford. But I’ve been a Dawg all my life, so what difference does it make. Should I have attended UGA to cement my allegiance to the football program? I guess UF has a 100% acceptance rate for UF fans. Either that or UF fans who don’t get accepted immediately shed their support for the football program.
Wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2009
11:47 pm
Tifton Dawg: Where’s Tifton ? Your comment ” this article puts down the dawgs” Don’t you understand what sells papers in this state ? Those who can read are not not UGA fans. Why has this simple fact remained a mystery for so long ?
Dostoyevskiy
December 31st, 2009
11:51 pm
Yea, right! Foster really wants to leave VaTech for UGa! Did you see VaTech play tonite. UGa couldn’t play on the same field w/VaTech.
Wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2009
11:55 pm
Richt has already shown a distorted view of the world by thinking, like most UGA fans, that successfull coaches from programs more successfull than UGA would want to come to UGA. Explain why the coach of the Steelers would want to leave to coach, say, the Redskins ? How does this mental defect occur ? Is Richt now going to do this for the third time ? Or a fourth time ? This Kirby Smart “coming home” crap must make somebody feel good but it probably isn’t Kirby Smart. It would take an idiot to leave AL for any college coaching job unless its a head coach job which if Smart is serious about what he’s doing he will demand. This type of thinking is really an insult to Smart. Can we set up a blog where no reader is allowed to drink Koolaid ?
Wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2009
11:56 pm
Maybe defensive coaches are going to have to paid more than head coaches.
Wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2010
12:31 am
Gosh, I’m so relieved. After reading this wisdom, its obvious that Erk
Russell will return and things will be like they’re supposed to be. We can even convert some of these QBs to defense. Its going to be just wonderful.
Wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2010
12:39 am
You guys haven’t figured out CMR yet. His key skill is marketing, not coaching. He’ll wring all the suspense and drama out of this that he can get. Thats what the black out and the running onto the field after the first TD is all about. MARKETING. He’s leaving the coaching to someone else. He has a brand to sell. When you’re not winning you’re selling the sizzle instead of the steak.
Wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2010
12:55 am
A more logical move would be for Richt to take the offensive coordinator job at AL. Then he could work with Smart.
guy
January 1st, 2010
12:58 am
There are some really stupid people in this world.If you don’t think so, then read most of these comments.
darrell starks
January 1st, 2010
1:48 am
Look im tired of loosing 2 florida and im tired of not contending for a national title with all this talent in georgia, if we want 2 become a dominating team its startes with defense bring the junk yard back we need to hire no one the man is standing right beside mark richt and his name is RODNEY GARDER.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 1st, 2010
1:50 am
BRING THE JUNK YARD BACK RODNEY GARDNER ITS TIME 2 HAVE A DOMINATING DEFENSE.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 1st, 2010
1:53 am
Not only will RODNEY BRING BACK THE JUNKYARD ON DEFENSE but he will bring the best talent in georgia and coach them up.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!