Yea or nay on a full-time special teams coach for Dogs?
Blair Walsh was one of the bright spots in special teams play for the Dogs. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
I’m back from the holiday and my regular day off and see that the subject that occupied a group of us Dog fans sitting around talking football on Sunday afternoon is still drawing split opinions in the Bulldog Nation: Should Mark Richt use that last open coaching slot for another defensive coach (outside linebackers?) or to finally give Georgia a full-time special teams coach?
Before the news of Todd Grantham and the switch to a 3-4 defensive alignment, most of the chatter seemed to favor the idea that the Dogs badly need a coach dedicated to special teams. But now some are arguing that Grantham will need all the help he can get in the defensive rebuilding project.
Under the Dogs’ system up to now, various coaches split up special teams responsibility and much-maligned former defensive ends coach Jon Fabris was the overall “coordinator” and handled punt returns and kickoff coverage, the two areas of special teams play in which Georgia seemed most hapless this past season.
Of course, not all of the Dogs’ special teams were in need of fixing. Georgia has two of the nation’s best kickers in Blair Walsh and Drew Butler and a dangerous kickoff return game. And on occasion the Dogs’ special teams have looked great — the Independence Bowl being the most recent example. (Was the fact that Fabris was gone by then mere coincidence?)
The Georgia Sports Blog argues that the solution is to “put better athletes on special teams which UGA started doing mid-2009, and … spend more time on special teams in practice.”
I’m certainly in favor of that, particularly when it comes to covering kickoffs. Whether they were booted toward the end zone or those high, shorter directional kicks that Fabris embraced as a “challenge,” Georgia’s coverage often looked clueless and was hampered by too many walk-ons and not enough speed.
The Dawgs Online blog notes that while there have been some bright spots on special teams play, “there have been enough breakdowns over the past few years to suggest that a more cohesive approach to special teams could help. Fabris caught most of the criticism for special teams breakdowns, but all coaches had some responsibilities for some area of special teams. There is too much advantage in having the kickers and guys like [Brandon] Boykin to see it countered by an ad-hoc approach to kick coverage and returns.”
The argument in favor of hiring another defensive assistant, Dawgs Online says, is that “the Bulldogs will be implementing a new defensive alignment and scheme with new coaches. This transition will be especially challenging for the front seven — it’s not as simple as dropping a rush end into an outside linebacker spot. Richt should maximize the coaching resources available to ease that transition and get this new defense performing in time to show big improvement in 2010.”
Both of those bloggers come down on the side of hiring another defensive coach and continuing to split up the special teams coaching responsibilities. Or having Richt himself oversee the special teams, the way Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and Florida’s Urban Meyer do. Special teams are, of course, a major element of Beamerball, and Meyer has gone to great lengths to make sure his special teams are truly “special,” making it an honor to be on the teams and giving them certain perks.
Loading ...But while the idea that Richt ought to take ownership of special teams also sounds appealing, I just don’t see it happening. In his time at Georgia, Richt unfortunately has been more like his mentor, Bobby Bowden, than Beamer or Meyer when it comes to special teams. He’s never seemed to appreciate what an important part of the game that is and how many games can be won by dominating special teams play (the Independence Bowl being just one example).
So I come down on the side favoring the hiring of a special teams coach. I think this piecemeal approach plainly hasn’t worked well at Georgia. Remember after A.J. Green blocked a field goal attempt how we heard that there had been opposition from his regular position coach to using him on special teams? Dedicating a full-time coach to that aspect of the game would elevate it in the minds of Georgia’s players and other coaches and be a statement by Richt that the old way of handling special teams wasn’t good enough.
I think that’s needed more than an outside linebackers coach. What do you think? Share your views in the comments, vote in the poll or have it both ways.
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190 comments Add your comment
MontyP
January 20th, 2010
10:55 pm
Let Grantham coach special teams. He already said that part of his philosophy is to find his best players and get them on the field. Our kickoff coverage has been awful because it has been used as an opportunity to get all of the bench players some playing time. This might be a nice gesture but is not a recipe for success. The best players need to be on the field for kickoff coverage. Tired of seeing kicks returned to the 40 yard line and beyond.
redandblack80
January 20th, 2010
11:48 pm
LAKATOS-Coached special teams for 2 or 3 years,so were good there.Ga should be in the top 10 this year and top 5 next year,unless we end up higher this year and next.
Jim
January 21st, 2010
12:07 am
I say you need someone in charge of special teams rather than a special teams coach by committe. Put someone in charge even if it’s a graduate assistant. That someone would then be responsible to the head coach just as the OC and DC are. I would even go so far as say if Joe Cox becomes a GA put him in charge of the special teams. He knows first hand what it’s like for the bonehead play of special teams to put the QB in a bad position, like fielding a kick inside the five rather than taking the TB and getting the ball on the 20. If Tennessee has better special teams play Alabama would not be NC. If East Carolina has better special teams play they would not have lost their Bowl game.
arrh
January 21st, 2010
2:34 am
GeoffDawg- Oh ok, thanks for clearing that up. Go Dawgs!
Sam
January 21st, 2010
5:22 am
So Nerd Central @ North Ave is just some loud mouthed snot nosed punk that has really done nothing but take up space. Come back talking smack AFTER you get that degree little girl. Until then you’re just another wannabe.
MachineCoOwner
January 21st, 2010
5:26 am
I have a Business degree from little Rider College. I also own a machinery manufacturing company that employs a couple of recent GT grads. They are doing CADS drawings for 12.50 an hour. Nerd Central @ North Ave you gotta huge shock coming to you kid. If you even get your degree. You don’t seem all that bright to me.
GaTruth
January 21st, 2010
6:44 am
YES YES YES YES YES…
We were 118 in kick-off coverage and about the same in opponent’s avg starting field position. There is nothing that rips momentum out of your hands as fast as a huge kick return. Football is won by winning the field position battle. When you let your opposition start on the 40, you make your defense kill itself just to keep three off the board.
AltamahaDawg
January 21st, 2010
7:21 am
For ALL the talk of Meyers taking the ST on himself, his squads on average were never any better than what UGA has done. Some of his squads have been near the top of the league, but just as many times they were middle or lower tier. Same here.
On the KO return, he has had some units next to last in the SEC at times as well. They have been pretty good lately , but only lately, which could have a lot more to do with depth of athletes. This year, the gators kicked it high and to the 10 on almost every single KO, while UGA lead the SEC by far in touchbacks. So its obviously not ball placement that matter so much. And UGA had a better KO coverage team than ALA, fwiw.
Don’t waste a coach position to fix an overblown issue. We are about to be recruiting a lot more back-up LB’s and thats your KO fix right there.
those games meant nothing to tech
January 21st, 2010
8:16 am
736624143024….to the georgia fan who responded to the tech fan about al groh getting beat by bill and mary last year…get your facts straight…that was william and mary…lmfao
mcdaviddawg
January 21st, 2010
8:26 am
Richt doesn’t take special teams seriously? What does the man take seriously? He’s a loser, there’s no interest in football, but now boy we can preach. Georgia needs new coaching at the top.
Bdawg
January 21st, 2010
8:45 am
mcdaviddawg
I can’t believe you can call yourself a Dawg fan with ignorant posts like that. Mark Richt has brought this program back from the ashes. Yes we had a tough year last year, but the man made the changes needed to correct them. His only fault throughout his whole time here is holding on to a Defensive Coordinator one year too long. How you sit back and say a man that is avg. 10 wins a season with a 7-2 Bowl record has no interest in football is absurd. I don’t consider you a Dawg fan. In fact it’s idiots like you that give us TRUE DAWG FANS a bad name!
Minnesota Dawg
January 21st, 2010
8:49 am
Since special teams looses so many games, yes! Whatever Georgia needs to do to be successful, go for it!
Is that a Question?
January 21st, 2010
9:22 am
YES! Besides just some bright spots from Boykin, and some Branden, special teams were awful. We need a coach.
GeoffDawg
January 21st, 2010
9:34 am
gtdad – I could also add at this point that posters who routinely use words typed in all caps for emphasis are demonstrating a lack of vocabulary…..LOL.
Otto
January 21st, 2010
9:54 am
Bremen, If the Defense knows what is coming there is little the OL can do about it. Searls has been great everywhere he has been. UGA had a veteran OL to work with. Bobo has struggled since his first year. I would not be passing this off on the OL. Bobo is a mediocre OC at best. Yes the QB has options but the base formation and call is signaled in. I see few crossing patterns and 3 and medium is one of 3 plays, a draw, go pattern, or screen. As a result the offense is very boom or bust, the drive charts are available on plenty of sites take a look at how many drives UGA has that last over 3:30 min and who they were against over the past 3 years.
WonderDawg
January 21st, 2010
9:58 am
Sorry, but I for one would rather Richt hire a ST coach in addition to whatever D asistants Grantham needs. Hasn’t Saban proved that a large staff works?
WonderDawg
January 21st, 2010
10:03 am
Bdawg, you’re right but I think he’s holding on to Bobo at OC too long also. His offenses looked mostly great with Stafford and Knowshon (who’s wouldn’t), but looked pitiful at times last year. The OS, LSU, UT and UF games made him look like he’s over his head. He seldom comes out of half-time with new looks and has way too many 3-and-outs against everyone.
WonderDawg
January 21st, 2010
10:19 am
Oh, and good column, Bill.
EnjoyFootball
January 21st, 2010
10:58 am
We make it a important part of the game planning. There should be more time spent on it and our better athletics be placed on it. I think we can get it handled with a coordinator from the existing staff as long as each staff member knows the coordinator can use any player he sees fit on the special teams.
Goodbye "Sovereign Immunity"
January 21st, 2010
11:00 am
Well, looks like the Decory Bryant case just got a lot more interesting.
Seems a Texas State District Judge just ruled that Texas Tech University…DOES NOT…have the “Sovereign Immunity” protection of the State of Texas which would have protected Texas Tech against a lawsuit in the case of Mike Leach vs. Texas Tech. That means Leach can now LEGALLY & DIRECTLY sue Texas Tech University and the Texas Teach Athletic Association.
So, why does that matter ??
A Clarke County Judge recently dismissed the Bryant vs UGA-AA case on the same dubious (and fraudulent) basis of claiming the UGA-AA has “Sovereign Immunity” protection against the Bryant lawsuit.
As a legally distinct, revenue-generating, non-profit corporation, the UGA-AA is not “an arm of the State” and is not protected by “Sovereign Immunity” as the Clarke County Judge described. The State of Texas just completely trashed any argument or legal basis of “Sovereign Immunity.”
The Bryant case will now have LEGAL PRECEDENT to move the case forward to where an Appeals court will strip the UGA-AA of any legal protection under the bogus “Sovereign Immunity” defense.
Texas just GUARANTEED that the UGA-AA will lose the Bryant case.
The UGA-AA is going to lose: HUGE !!!!
Two questions now come to mind:
1. How much of a multi-million settlement will UGA Tix holders be asked or “required” to pay with thru tix prices and “required” donations ??
2. How badly will recruiting permanently suffer, since every current & future recruit will be able to see how crudely the UGA-AA treated Decory Bryant ??
IrvinMaya
January 21st, 2010
11:07 am
I think the ideal solution would be for Richt to coach the special teams and hire an OLB coach. The problem, however, is like Bill said: Richt does not have a healthy respect for the importance of special teams. I grew up in TAL and this is not a surprise based on his time at FSU. Even if he were to recognize their importance, I am not sure if he would have the chops to adequately coach and scheme special teams (he was a proponent of the directional kicking BS, after all).
Jaydawg
January 21st, 2010
11:10 am
This lack of vision and attention to detail with the special teams is the same thing that kept Martinez here way too long. Richt is a good coach,but if he were an elite coach he would realize how truly important this phase of the game is and would be observing and applying Beamers coaching principles to his special teams.Bowden will be the first to say his lack of emphasis to this phase of the game cost him at least 2 national championships.
IrvinMaya
January 21st, 2010
11:11 am
the Leach case was decided under TX law, not GA law. GA law provides one of the broadest sovereign immunity blankets of any state in the country. Also, a TX state decision has no precedential effect for GA courts.
bamadawg
January 21st, 2010
11:37 am
Hell yes! We need a Special Teams Coach NOW! Field position is everything in the tough SEC and having other teams start on the 40yd line many times puts the Def. on its heels too often…Football is a game of inches and Special Teams Coach is needed NOW! Field Position, Field Position, Field Position!!!! Having several coaches handle the Special Teams means no one owns it!!! We need an owner of the Special Teams so they can be held accountable!!! Make Sp. Teams an honor and make them captains….Field Position, Field Position, Field Position!!! dangit…
JED
January 21st, 2010
11:38 am
Irv: not so.
the issue is simple: can a college and-or its athletic association be sued, yes or no.
the state of texas just said yes to that question.
legal precedent set in another state frequently becomes an established and accepted
legal basis for similar cases tried in other states.
it is a significant legal ruling that a public college and-or its athletic association
are not protected by a state’s legal immunity.
that blanket of protection just got eliminated.
it will almost certainly be removed in the athens case as well.
not good for uga.
Bdawg
January 21st, 2010
2:10 pm
WonderDawg
You might be right, but last year was only his second ‘real’ year as the offensive coordinator. In ‘07 I felt like it was a little more of an experiment with Richt stepping in more often on some calls. ‘08 was his real first year with it all to himself and like you said he had Stafford and Moreno, so talent could’ve out weighed playcalling that year. Last year at times they did look aweful, but I think most of that was having too much confidence in Joe Cox early. It wasn’t really until they started treating Cox more like a redshirt freshman (which is what he played like) instead of a redshirt senior that they started getting consistant play on offense.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, let’s see how this year plays out before we cut the chord on Bobo. If he calls the plays like he did during the second half of the season we should be fine. A defense that can actually get a three and out and give us good field position isn’t gonna hurt either.
AltamahaDawg
January 21st, 2010
5:15 pm
The question wasn’t about trying to improve as a team. Obviously they can. The question wasn’t about a HC of a major college football team understanding he importance of special teams, or having heard of the concept of momentum and field position. Frankly that’s a stupid question.
The question was: do you commit an entire coach to special teams in light of most units already being quite sound, some being in the tops of the conference. The question is do you hire a special teams coach for no other reason than to improve UGA’s kickoff coverage team in light of having some issues (with a new kicker and down to walk-ons at time) haven already shown improvement this past year, and historically not being an issue. Do you commit a coach to special teams when for the past 9 years, doing it with split duties, UGA has on average been as good as anyone else in the conference.
shane#1
January 21st, 2010
5:46 pm
I thought about this last night. Jones was red shirted, Thomas Davis was red shirted, they both turned pro in their junior year. Guys with their abilities would have been a boost to the kick coverage team as freshmen. Ditto for Rambo. How many boys have been marking time as a red shirt that could have contributed on special teams? There are a pile of defensive players commited for the summer, and unklike backup QBs, most players on the D side of the ball know how to tackle. Instead of red shirting a fast aggressive player, put him on special teams. Save the red shirt for linemen that need to be bigger and stronger.
AltamahaDawg
January 21st, 2010
9:28 pm
In all fairness, when we redshirted Jones and Davis, we were not having any difficulties fielded a good KO coverage team. So its difficult to say a lack of freshman talent was an issue back then. A lack of bodies has been in the past 2 and as we see , no good set of legs were RS this year.
AltamahaDawg
January 21st, 2010
9:36 pm
And those guys left after thier third year. RS Juniors. Playing somebody as a freshman does not get an extra year out them.
North Georgia Dawg
January 21st, 2010
10:19 pm
There will be one more hire after the Saints lose…… Travis Jones! Wait and see!
RED DOG 77
January 22nd, 2010
1:26 am
I personally dont see anything wrong with coaching special teams by committee…..The question is : Are you going to spend enough quality practice time and personel on getting the job done? I am one who considers CMR one of the top 5 best and brightest coaches in the country.I would imagine every year brings a new set of issues for the head coach to deal with, that said, with the D coaching shakeup….and being willing to go cutting edge with a 3-4 D coach, I sincerily believe CMR is ready to roll the dice ,so to speak, and pretty much go agressive in every phase of the game. He has won 90 games in 9 years , but for him , thats not enough……..I believe CMR is about to unleash the hounds !!! I look for him to bring a MNC to the BULLDOG NATION within 3 years, 2010 we build the foundation……2011 and 2012 LOOK OUT !!!! GO DOGS…GATA
AltamahaDawg
January 22nd, 2010
7:22 am
I’ve never really understood this idea that seems to be floating around that we didn’t put good players out there like others do. The of cource just as many folks point to how Meyers played his freshmen out there. First of all, I don’t know if they really know exactly who was on the KO team roster at FL, or just repeating something they heard. Secondly, which is it? We don’t play our starters enough on that unit or we dont play our inexperienced FRosh enough on that unit?
Curran, Boykin, Munzi, Cuff, Dewberry, all played on the KO units. Quite a few starter and second team regular that I don’t care to look up, although its pretty easy to do so, were on it. Off the top of my head I remember Bailey, Witherspoon, Davis always were.
Can anyone name some able bodied freshman that coulda/shoulda been on the KO unit that wasnt?
I have absolutely no idea why we had such poor coverage on that team. We didn’t use to and the same coach , doing the same thing was running it. More likely its a combination of things. But whatever it was, it seem pretty unlikely that it’s a sudden misunderstanding by the coaching staff about putting less capable players on the field , while holding out better players, if given the real choice.
AceDawg
January 22nd, 2010
10:00 am
If Grantham says he’ll take linebackers, let him do it on his own, and get a position coach for special teams or somewhere else that UGA wants to focus on. Special teams does seem to make sense.
Travis
January 22nd, 2010
12:09 pm
They’re waiting for the Saints to lose this weekend so they can go get Travis Jones.
oledawg
January 22nd, 2010
3:54 pm
Postings not going through.
oledawg
January 22nd, 2010
4:04 pm
Like the “Chinese Bandits” of LSU lore, we could dub our Special Teams as the “Psychotic State Dingo Dawgs” or just use the acronym “PsStD Dawgs”
RED DOG 77
January 22nd, 2010
10:10 pm
oledawg…….I like it !! ‘Psychotic State Dingo Dawgs’, But what about an acronym like mabe”PysseD” ….Mabe we would sound a little angryer……..Whatyathink ?
Dawgie style
January 23rd, 2010
11:08 am
The numbers do not lie. Teams that start drives at or beyond the 35 yard line are 3 times more likely to score. Whether kicking or receiving special teams influence a teams success as much as the offensive or defensive units. Not having a full time ST coach is giving points away. CRM makes the most sense to be ST coach. It would give that position some real clout.
I most definitely will not miss kicking the ball short and out of bounds as favored by CWM.
Those poor North Av nerds. Winning 1 out of nine, losing to the round ball dogs (men and women) and the Diamond Dogs. It tough being you.
Typical UGA Fan
January 30th, 2010
4:11 pm
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