Stacy Searels leaving Georgia? Can I offer him a lift? (Update II)
Stacy Searels hasn't lived up to his reputation. (Brant Sanderlin)
(Updated below with Searels officially accepting the job.)
Reports are flying that Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels is closing in on taking a job with Texas coach Mack Brown, who has been churning assistants (and recently lost coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp to Florida).
First thought: Does Searels need a ride to the airport?
Second thought: Is it abandon ship time in Athens?
First, about Searels: He came to Georgia from LSU in 2007 with a solid reputation. But the Bulldogs’ offensive line has been central to their problems, particularly in the running game.
Now, I suppose some of the blame also could be attributed to the team’s oft-criticized strength and condition program (Dave Van Halanger recently was demoted), or to a perceived lack of talent up front, or to coach Mark Richt. But Searels can’t be absolved of responsibility. Coaching the offensive line is his job and he also carries the title, “running game coordinator.”
I’ve already received Tweets from readers asking me if Searels’ departure just two weeks before national letter of intent day would hurt recruiting. I doubt it. Any recruit who is willing to come to Georgia knowing the state of things and amid questions of Richt’s job security is not going to change his mind based on the offensive line coach leaving. That recruit probably is coming for playing time and to be at Georgia.
Onto the second thought: Searels has good reason to look around, as would any Georgia assistant coach. We don’t know where this program is headed. If Richt loses his job after next season, his assistants are out of work.
In particular, head coaches tend to bring in their own offensive line coach. If Searels sees guaranteed long-term employment elsewhere — and certainly at a solid program like Texas — he would be nuts not to take the job.
Searels would be going from a 6-7 team to a 5-7 team. But Texas was in the BCS title game two seasons ago and won the title in 2005. Mack Brown’s not going anywhere.
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UPDATE: The Rivals Texas sports site Orangebloods.com reports that Searels has accepted the job. However, Texas has not announced the hiring and the Austin American Statesman reports there will be no announcement tonight. An excerpt from the Orangebloods story:
Sources close to Texas and Georgia have confirmed to Orangebloods.com that Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels has accepted the Texas offensive line coaching position. That could bring to an end a nearly two-month-long process in which Mack Brown has replaced six assistant coaches and made changes at two other staff positions.
UPDATE II: Searles was named the Texas offensive line coach Thursday night. Here’s an except of the official announcement, via Tim Tucker’s blog.
“When you’re in this profession, you want to coach at the highest level,” Searels said. “From afar, I had always been interested in The University of Texas because I thought it was one of the premier jobs in the country. You can win a championship, you have great leadership, great players, a great pool of talent to recruit from, and I think there’s no reason you can’t win and win big at Texas, and I want to be a part of that.”
Searels joins the Longhorns after coaching the offensive line at Georgia for four seasons beginning in 2007. He added the duties of running game coordinator in 2009. During his time in Athens, the Bulldogs have ranked in the Top 25 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed three times, including ranking sixth and leading the SEC in 2009 with just 12.
By Jeff Schultz
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So Richt would have a key position to fill on his staff, presumably after recruiting.
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343 comments Add your comment
fastdawg
January 19th, 2011
7:57 pm
You people who are taking up for Searels & Martinez. You can’t be true Dawg fan.
Jerry
January 19th, 2011
7:59 pm
Richt will get a great replacement, maybe go NFL, maybe go Big 10 run offenses.
Need mean, nasty, guy who’s O-Line smashes people, like Stanford.
Duluth Dawg
January 19th, 2011
8:03 pm
Jeff,
I would like to offer you a one-way ticket on Greyhound out of Atlanta!! If you knew as much about sports and journalism as Searels does about coaching the offensive line, you would not be at the AJC. Searels is an excellent line coach but suffered from UGA’s very poor S&C program. You guys who think Searels is the problem are really misinformed. What has Searels done at his previous jobs with the line??? Answer: He has been very successful.
UGA is losing a quality coach and person.
kd
January 19th, 2011
8:05 pm
You guys are waaay off base. Searles and the line have struggled, but the guy is a top notch O-Line coach. I suppose that since he was O-Line coach for Saban, that Saban is an idiot. And now, Mack Brown is an idiot because he is hiring him. Have you ever stopped to think about that? Things weren’t great this year, but that doesn’t mean Searles just forgot how to coach. Too bad you guys live in Madden/Fantasy football world where everything has to be changed the minute it doesn’t work. Seriously?
LonghornHere
January 19th, 2011
8:05 pm
BTW if Searels has been hired which I think he has been – Mack Brown’s wife picked him and his wife up from the airport in Austin – they won’t announce it till tomorrow. Mack Brown likes to give each hire their separate day of recognition. Today they introduced Jerry Gray – the new DB/Asst. Head Coach to the media as well as the ESPN deal they now have. They won’t announce tonight I don’t think. Since this process started, the only two coaches they’ve announced and brought to the media at the same time were Harsin/Applewhite (co-offensive coordinators). If I remember correctly, Manny Diaz and Bennie Wylie did appear in front of the media together but were announced on separate days so each would have their own day. So look for the school to confirm tomorrow if this actually happens which it looks like it has.
kd
January 19th, 2011
8:08 pm
And Jeff Schultz, FYI, regardless of what you think of Richt, no one can argue that Saban doesn’t suffer fools. Why would he have hired Searles, and wanted to retain him, if he was so terrible? Seales left on his own accord because he wanted stability (pre-Saban to the Dolphins). Your title for this article, and the thought behind it is amateurish and plain ugly. This is a petty cheap shot at a fine coach and an even better person. You should be ashamed.
Bad dog
January 19th, 2011
8:08 pm
McGarity will have to hire someone that he could retain with a new coach next year if Richt doesn’t pull it out. Wonder if McGarity will call Kirby Smart and get his opinion on who to bring in as OL coach? Also georgia.247sports.com reports that Searels contract is up in June so he is getting out while he still has some value.
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 19th, 2011
8:10 pm
1. He’ll make more money.
2. If Bobo jumped, would it be looked at the same? I mean, anyone that thinks CMR doesn’t approve (wink, wink) the plays called, why would he need the headset hmmm?
John in M'ville
January 19th, 2011
8:13 pm
Really, this has to be “give a quarter story”. Congrats Mark for running him off. Talk about poor results out of super athletes. Prayers answered.
Carlton
January 19th, 2011
8:15 pm
Hey-no problem Schultz, got you, My Dad loves your column for it’s humor by the way, haha!
NYCdog
January 19th, 2011
8:17 pm
If he goes, good luck to him at Texas.
SicEm
January 19th, 2011
8:18 pm
Whats funny is you ignore the stability issues at Texas. A coach that went 5-7 and is a hair away from retiring. A coach that had to basically blow up the coaching staff and start over. While I am the first to admit Richt is on really shaky ground you are not being a good reporter(if there is such thing anymore) if you didnt also mention the train wreck at Texas.
John in M'ville
January 19th, 2011
8:23 pm
Duluth, give us a break!!Yes, he is a nice guy. Coach????? Look at the talent …….Look at the result………..
The General Feeling
January 19th, 2011
8:23 pm
Searels should know better. Women and children, first!
Carlton
January 19th, 2011
8:25 pm
@SicEm:
AND, yet another one buys into the notion that record means everything..Wasn’t Mack Brown just in the championship last year with his D-Coordinator dreaming about the job at Florida? Yeah, thought so…
I’m a UGA fan (yet again) but Texas is FAR from being inferior based on their past few recruiting classes and their most recent recruiting class and the fact that they’re getting a new coaching change may NOT be such a bad direction for the program..
Carlton
January 19th, 2011
8:27 pm
And Richt isn’t on “shaky ground”..I think most supporters who pay money to the fund will contend that as long as you can bring in the last BIG name recruits AND get us 10 wins next season (which is highly possible-check the schedule)..he will stay..
We Own You
January 19th, 2011
8:28 pm
Good riddance…..
Mark Richt
January 19th, 2011
8:35 pm
Ahhhhh Shucks another memember of bible study gone geee wiz 4-8 here we come maybe Mack will hire me
bill
January 19th, 2011
8:44 pm
If this is a surprise to CMR, then he really does have too much non-football stuff to do…just an assistant coach looking long term. Having said that, our OL has been an under-performing group the last two years, regardless of where the fault lies. 2011 will either be a great surprise, or the carnage starts after SC…
cmac
January 19th, 2011
8:47 pm
THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!!! Texas can have the DUD! Thank you Mack Brown, …. your running game is fixin’ to SUCK!
Twest
January 19th, 2011
8:47 pm
Hey Jeff can I get a shout out??? So show I can show my wife and kids and co-workers and my cat (Kazat) Please Jeff??? Just one ol buddy ol pal!!!!
Shawn
January 19th, 2011
8:49 pm
I love the WDE guy who goes on and on about how bad UGA has been. Am I right by saying they had to buy a QB to beat UGA for the first time in 5 years? Oh, and with all the departures we will pick that arse whipping back up next year.
old dawg fan
January 19th, 2011
8:56 pm
For the sake of UGA Football I hope this is true.
I can’t understand though why Texas would take him, pitiful last few seasons. I like the “jumping ship” theory.
CMR has such a poor program in Athens right now, who really cares-a “weak leak” is hopefully leaving-If only we could clear out a “few more” in Athens things might start to get a little better.
Shawn
January 19th, 2011
9:00 pm
As a UGA Alum, I would have to say that if I owned a business in the ATL are I would not advertise in the AJC till they got rid of the two clowns that consistently bash our Home State school! I have not read one single positive article about UGA from these two in a few years. I think it’s clear they enjoy watching our team have a rough go of it. With every negative page written on here it hurts our teams chances in recruiting and tarnishes the public personna of our great University. What other paper makes front page news of their players getting arrested for drinking a beer. I’m sure it does not happen in Birmingham about the Bama boys. Don’t be naive enough to think it’s not happening. You just don’t have fools calling them out about it!
jarvis
January 19th, 2011
9:07 pm
I had read recently that one of the keys for Mack Brown was to turn around Texas’ dreadful last season’s running game. I’ve seen nothing to make me believe Searels is the man for that job.
FAMILY
January 19th, 2011
9:07 pm
@Shawn
Um no, actually you’re not right in saying that. AT ALL. Do you know something the NCAA, SEC, or anyone else doesn’t know? If you do, you’ll be a hero champ. Run to the papers. Run to Joe Schad. Spill it. Otherwise, you’re nothing more than naive and foolish. PROVE something, otherwise, you’re way off base. And if you want to call AU thugs, and dirty, I’ll happily compare police reports of AU v. UGA athletes. War Eagle. Best of luck to y’all on 2/2/2011
harold
January 19th, 2011
9:08 pm
IT’S TIME TO ABANDON A SINKING SHIP!
AO
January 19th, 2011
9:15 pm
Thankfully, we are rid of the most overrated coach since Kevin Ramsey. Searles stole money for five years and gave us nothing in return except for his “charming” demeanor and underacheivement.
Hugh Nall…. if you’re reading this, we need you.
hot carl spackler
January 19th, 2011
9:22 pm
Wait…so UGA had an offensive line coach?
mark bradley
January 19th, 2011
9:27 pm
kudos buck. you the man
Lagunadawg
January 19th, 2011
9:28 pm
Great news !!!! There was a reason Saban left him. He had high 3 and four star kids to work with. He had 5th year seniors and 4th year juniors. It’s not Richts falt ( other than hiring Searels ) The man could not mold a tuff physical line…… Please for the love of god hire a f…..g pro OL coach. If our OL would have been physical and tough, we would have won 9 or 10 games. It’ Richt’s choice ! Hire another college loser coach and your done. Hire a bull and with Gratham on defense the toughness should return.
athdog
January 19th, 2011
9:29 pm
JS, I don’t think SS would take you up on your ride to Austin. He doesn’t talk to the media, you know, which would make for a boring 24 hour ride in the Chevy Vega you’d have to borrow from Bradley since your Pacer needs tires.
If he is leaving, perhaps he’d take his buddy Bobo with him. I know, we scored 30 points in six straight games, or whatever the stat was. All of the teams but Florida had losing records, I believe.
Meanwhile, our beloved Coach Richt has to fill a major position on his staff, and this while he’s busy becoming an ‘expert on college football’. The hits just keep on coming over here in the Classic City.
JB
January 19th, 2011
9:37 pm
At the end of this day, I would like to know if he said, I’m outta here….or if he was told, if you get an offer, take it, we’re going in a different direction. Right before signing day?
dcbl
January 19th, 2011
9:43 pm
Is it just me, or did it almost seem like Shultzie was rooting for the home team with this article? Why does everyone seem to think this is a ‘bash Richt’ article?
I used to hate it when Jeff called us the ‘trembling chihuahuas’ during the Goff years. But I noticed a marked difference in the way he has treated Richt’s program with his writing. I think Jeff has been mostly respectful of CMR…
GA fans have been screaming to get rid of Searles and Bobo (Bobo more so) & our local columnist offers a ride to the airport & people take it as UGA bashing?
What I saw was, “Stacy, you’ve done a fine job! We’re all REAL proud of you. Don’t let the door hit ya…”
I would think that it is more fun covering a winning team…
This departure bothers me – NOT.
Nice article Jeff.
JRW7
January 19th, 2011
9:44 pm
The USS CMR ship is sinking fast!
bjohndawg
January 19th, 2011
9:44 pm
This news is mana from heaven. God is smiling on UGA right now.
This line has been the pane for the last two three years.
Slow starts, little to no production. I think the talent is there.
The coaching was not.
Can we hire a a Dan Dierdorf type who wants to get nasty and make Defensive ends eat grass.
A guy who teaches the pancake block?
dcbl
January 19th, 2011
9:47 pm
hot carl spackler
January 19th, 2011
9:22 pm
Wait…so UGA had an offensive line coach?
______________________________________
I’m not sure – maybe it was just a rumor???
Apostle
January 19th, 2011
9:48 pm
Don’t let the door hit you in the rear as you leave.The O-line has been under preforming for a few years now and it’s time for a change.Maybe the new coach will light a fire under the players.
Jeff Schultz
January 19th, 2011
9:54 pm
DCBL — Haha. I don’t “root” but I’ll take the compliment because I’m hardly in a position to reject them.
Jeff Schultz
January 19th, 2011
9:55 pm
Athdog — My friend had a Pacer in high school. My family actually had a Ford Pinto. But my first car was a ‘67 Mustang. Wish I still had that sucker.
Loyal Dawg
January 19th, 2011
9:55 pm
RE: jim’s comment at 5:39pm. Yea, Martinez did wonders for the Oklahoma defensive backs. They were ranked no. 51 in passing defense (giving up 212 yards per game). UGA? No. 15 in the NCAA giving up 181 yards per game. Give me a break.
Loyal Dawg
January 19th, 2011
9:56 pm
Any chance we can get UAB to fire Neil Callaway- so we can hire him back?????????
Herschel Talker
January 19th, 2011
9:56 pm
Schultzie:
You keep hammering Richt. You are doing a killer job. Don’t listen to all the bozos who give you grief for calling it like it is.
HT
Jeff Schultz
January 19th, 2011
9:58 pm
Twest — You rock! And if your kids and co-workers don’t treat you right, they’ll have to deal with me. As far as wives, sorry I don’t even give orders to mine. And I’m allergic cats. SHOUT OUT TO TWEST!!!!
(How’s that?)
Loyal Dawg
January 19th, 2011
9:58 pm
Hey Schultz, my first car was a Burgundy Red ‘66 Mustang Convertible. I hear you about the regrets!!!
Columbus
January 19th, 2011
9:59 pm
This coach was on his last leg at UGA anyway, his line and running game was nothing without Knowshon making people miss or catching the defenses looking pass. Can anyone afford another ticket to fly Bobo off somewhere? Anywhere? They both should have been canned after the season. Richt is not going anywhere. He will weather this storm and win more chanmpionships than the 4 or 5 Dooley won in 25 years, 3 due to Herschel….Richt has 2 against better coaching top to bottom in the conference than when Dooley coached. None for UGA since 1982 prior to Mark Richt. Bobo does need to go though. I think if this guy leaves it will be a huge blessing in disguise. His contract was up and UGA probably was not goign to renew it for 2011. I wouldn’t and he probably knew it too. Running Back Coordinator…LOL…
Jeff Schultz
January 19th, 2011
10:01 pm
KD — You’re right about Saban and Searels. And like I’ve said: I can only judge on the product at Georgia, and I think Searels deserves his share of blame.
Columbus
January 19th, 2011
10:01 pm
When is Bobo’s contract up? Not soon enough so we have to can him as soon as someone that is a significant upgrade is available.
Iowa Corn Fed Dawg
January 19th, 2011
10:02 pm
Two Clowns down and more to go. Van Halanger and Searles…
Ted M
January 19th, 2011
10:07 pm
Jeff,
Why don’t you “root”? Does that apply for teams from your home state? I ask because it makes it sounds like you don’t like sports and this is just a job you hate.