Another assistant chooses loyalty to Richt over $
Interesting to find out that Georgia linebackers coach John Jancek apparently turned down the opportunity to become defensive coordinator at South Florida recently. Once again loyalty to Mark Richt seems to have won out over money.
I don’t know what Bulls coach Jim Leavitt offered Jancek as DC but he is currently the second-lowest paid coach on Georgia’s staff ($163,000). Richt gave raises to his other coaches who turned down opportunities to stay with him in Athens (Rodnet Garner, Stacy Searels). It’ll be interesting to see if he does the same for Jancek.
By the way, Jancek has been a D-coordinator most of the 18 years he’s been in college coaching, including his previous stint at Central Michigan.
BREAKING NEWS UPDATE 5:15 p.m.: Jancek was promoted to co-defensive coordinator by Georgia.
A few links:
I shared a conversation I had with former Georgia coach Hugh Durham in this space a month or so ago in which he talked about how he thought the Bulldogs’ basketball job is a great one in which the right coach could win big. He told reporters more of the same on his recent stop in Macon to be inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. . . .
Anthony Dasher of uga.rivals.com reports that former Georgia tight end Ben Watson, now of the New England Patriots, contacted the Bulldogs’ latest tight end signee, Arthur Lynch of Dartmouth, Mass. To two are supposed to get together for lunch and go over what he needs to know about Georgia and Athens and how to go about getting ready to report. . . .
Darren Epps of the Chattanooga News talked to a couple of analysts about who Georgia needs to hire as its new basketball coach.
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120 comments Add your comment
Atlanta Jackets
March 3rd, 2009
3:45 pm
RAMBLE ON, I knew it was Square Root day! My girlfriend is preparing a salad using root veggies and she’s cutting them up into squares! True. LOL! That’s hilarious. But the mutts here won’t get it.
FLATS
March 3rd, 2009
3:46 pm
Geoffdawg…….I SAID WRITE SLOWER SO I CAN UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!Dont infer something and back off like a little girl selling girl scout cookies outside walmart!!!!!!
FLATS
March 3rd, 2009
3:47 pm
Hey Atlanta Jackets!!!What kind you selling man??????LOL!!!!!!!!!I need a new coat!!!!!!!!!!
FLATS
March 3rd, 2009
3:49 pm
MINES ALL OLD AND EVERYTHANG MAN…SELL ME A JACKET MAN!!!!
Atlanta Jackets
March 3rd, 2009
3:51 pm
One’s that keep mutts covered up! Burn!!!
LOL
flats
March 3rd, 2009
3:56 pm
That was a good one man..Where did get your material for your little joke show today?Talk ball and only ball!!!!!
shane#1
March 3rd, 2009
3:57 pm
Rules violation, the key word there may be “prospect”. Lynch has signed a Letter of Intent with UGA, so he is no longer a prospect. As to richt and loyalty, someone posted not long ago that Fulmer was too loyal to his assistants and thus was fired. On the contrary, it was his inability to retain one particular assistant, namely Cutliff, or find a good OC to replace him that got Fulmer fired. Look at the Vol’s record when Cutliff was there as opposed to the record without Cutliff. Cutliff leaving, along with much stronger coaching in the SEC as a whole, plus extremely stiff competition for recruits all contributed to Fulmer’s demise. Loyalty IS a two way street, like respect. If you don’t give it you don’t get it. Oh yeah, when talking about Fulmer’s loyalty one need only ask Johnny Majors.
GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
4:17 pm
flats – why are you intimidating girl scouts at wal-mart?
Rules Violation
March 3rd, 2009
4:25 pm
See that’s the problem, an LOI doesn’t relieve him of prospect status. Georgia’s AD of compliance even agreed: “Thank you for the information. This is something I will need to review.” – Eric Baumgartner, Assistant Athletics Director – Compliance, University of Georgia.
I-DOG
March 3rd, 2009
4:27 pm
Altamaha:
I agree with you that coaches such as Garner and Jancek staying is probably a good sign because they wouldn’t stay on a sinking ship. However, there could be other factors involved. Perhaps these guys had concerns about the actual jobs that were offered them more so than they are “comfortable with and support Martinez”
I’m not for a housecleaning whenever we lose a game a la Tubberville at Auburn,but I am concerned that Richt hasn’t fired ANY of his staff during his entire tenure. Am I correct on that? Not a single person?
I like Richt’s loyalty and that IS probably one of the many reasons that these coaches have stayed. However, there has to be a balance. Too much loyalty means that an underperformer will have their job on his staff for a long long time. There is a big disagreement between us as to whether Martinez has indeed underperformed or not.
Time will tell
Rules Violation
March 3rd, 2009
4:30 pm
From Georgia’s compliance site:
Is it permissible for an athletic representative to telephone a prospect once the prospect has committed to or signed a National Letter of Intent and congratulate them?
A: No. Even if the purpose of the call is only to congratulate the prospect, he/she is still a prospect and the same contact rules apply after committing or signing that applied before. Do not contact a prospect without first checking with the Compliance Office, unless the prospect is a relative.
Rules Violation
March 3rd, 2009
4:32 pm
Is it permissible for an athletic representative to telephone a prospect once the prospect has committed to or signed a National Letter of Intent and congratulate them?
A: No. Even if the purpose of the call is only to congratulate the prospect, he/she is still a prospect and the same contact rules apply after committing or signing that applied before. Do not contact a prospect without first checking with the Compliance Office, unless the prospect is a relative.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
4:34 pm
any person using “LOL” in thier post need NOT worry about about somebody else looking like a little girl.
GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
4:41 pm
RV – I think you need to define what constitutes an athletic representative. If someone has no ties to the University’s athletic department or football program other than being a former player, are they truly an athletic representative?
shane#1
March 3rd, 2009
4:47 pm
Tech fans writing about square root day, I swear sometimes the jokes just write themselves! This is just too easy, so Dog fans, just insert your own joke here{———-}. Geoff Dawg, Maybe he is strong arming those girls for their cookies. I like the mints myself.
Nelly
March 3rd, 2009
4:48 pm
If you wanna go and take a ride wit me, smoke an L in the back of a benzie. Oh why must I feel this way? Must be the money.
shane#1
March 3rd, 2009
4:53 pm
It is against NCAA rules for an ex player to contact a RECRUIT. As to what constitues a representative, I guess that is up to the NCAA. The NCAA is notorious for looking the other way when it comes to a program that generates big bucks. The earlier post about FSU comes to mind. To paraphrase Bobby Knight, when Ohio State cheats, the NCAA penalizes Kent State.
flats
March 3rd, 2009
4:54 pm
GUYS…I just talk college ball!!!!!
Vance
March 3rd, 2009
4:57 pm
This is more a statement about Mark Richt. Apparently he has earned the respect and loyalty of his coaching staff. It’s a statement about the program and where it is headed.
Brock D
March 3rd, 2009
5:04 pm
It amazes me how these Bumble Bee fans come out of the woodwork after almost a decade in hiding! One win by a FG and they act like they’re the dominant team. Obviously recruits know better which is why UGA still takes all of the states top talent. Enjoy your little victory while you can.
Pitbull
March 3rd, 2009
5:14 pm
Another point to be made is that coaching staff stability is a huge point for recruits.
DawgGirl32
March 3rd, 2009
5:16 pm
Wow. Square root day? You’re right, Shane. The jokes just write themselves….
Shane
March 3rd, 2009
5:21 pm
Square root day??? I wonder how many of these guys have actually talked to a girl?
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
5:23 pm
I-Dog no doubt those weren’t dream offers and anyone (a-la Mark Richt, FSU) will eventually leave if the situation is right. But we agree, nobody would stay and work for an idiot either.
Bottom line for me: OUR opinion on the job WM does, or the factors, involved….aren’t nearly as important as what the folks who are right there think about it. I’m just going to go with the insider, as they have infinetely more at stake professionally and personally, than any of us.
Incidentally, why does it concern you that he hasn’t fired anyone yet? Who besides WM do you think should have been fired so far? He seems pretty selective on who he hires from the start. It’s probably worth exploring if maybe some of the changes in the staff in the past might have been what they call “mutually agreed upon”.
FLDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
5:24 pm
If Janacek was at GT, CPJ would have fired him. He would not be holding up his end of the commitment. Thank goodness we don’t have CPJ, we would be breaking in a whole new coaching staff.
DOUG
March 3rd, 2009
5:31 pm
Everyone wants to come to UGA to coach football. You never get fired. You never have to motivate players. Just go to a whole lot of meetings.
FLDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
5:35 pm
On the Marinez topic, you don’t fire someone because they had one bad season, you fire them because of consistently underperforming. To determine if they are consistenly underperforming you look at statistics and trends. At some point you have to decide is the trend going to continue. Second, you have to determine if you can do better with another person. Martinez trend for defensive performance is not good. However, can it be changed with Martinez? I think so. Coach Richt needs to spend some time on the D side of the ball. This will be tricky as he still has to pay attention to a young OC in Bobo. I believe this will be CWM last chance to prove himself. If the Defense does not improve substantially, Coach Richt will be able to make the tough decision.
GATORMAN 722
March 3rd, 2009
5:46 pm
I hope UGA can keep all of the coaches they have for a long time and you fans keep thinking winning percentage is the most important aspect of college football.
Otto
March 3rd, 2009
5:49 pm
Nobody was complaining about CWM after the 2007 season. It was the offense giving the def. bad field position and DL injuries that made them look so bad.
As for UF they have had some great timing with their SEC championship season. UGA has not. It is still just a matter of time until UGA gets in the BCS title game. GT can dream about an ACC title game.
DOUG
March 3rd, 2009
5:53 pm
I think in order to make any decision regarding a coaches viability should always be based on outcome and the tools he has to work with.
The defense lost games this year not because of lack of talent. Talent is there and plenty of it. They play uninspired, undisciplined football and players are out of position to often. Tech is a fitting example. Forever burned in the minds of UGA fans are the names Ellerbe and Jones.
The gutless attempt to bring down Tech’s average backs by these two lazy asses would have not only cost them their jobs if Erk Russell was coaching, it might have cost them their lives. A serious DC is just that. Serious.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
5:54 pm
I agree, Richt can and would let somebody go if he thought it was in the best interest of the program. It’s rediculous to believe he wouldn’t. I don’t want to get into a whole debate on stats, but its really not accurate to just flat say, the defensive stats have delined for 5 yrs. Some have, some have not, and there are a LOT of factors involved. If you hold to a strict view of just charting statistical trends, its time for a new HC too. I do agree that IF healthy and the defense doesn’t perform well this coming year, CMR would be likely looking to make some changes. I just dont think its as simple as “get a different guy” to signal in the calls. After all, BVG,WM, or the next guy, is just deploying the philosophy that Richt has believed in for a long time.
I-DOG
March 3rd, 2009
5:59 pm
Altamaha:
I would never call Martinez an idiot. He isn’t one. I just have not been impressed with him defenses and think we can do better.
What bothers me about Richt not having fired any assistant is that when one is the top dog “so to speak” that is part of their responsibility for running an organization. When things aren’t working, you make changes. The D didn’t work last year, what changes are we making? Same coordinator, same assistants, same scheme??
EVERYONE is selective in who they hire, but not everyone hired pans out the way you hope or think they will. While I haven’t done a study, I believe it is highly unusual to go this many years (granted the results have been very good most years) without showing any assistants the door.
I think Richt is a terrific coach and feel lucky we have him. I just wonder if he is so loyal that it goes into the fault category rather than being an asset.
ZDog
March 3rd, 2009
6:03 pm
The defense had a bad year. And WM got a lot of the blame, maybe deservedly. But those who KNOW college football seem to be impressed with his abilities. Prior to the second half meltdown in ‘08, he was ranked, I believe, as high as the #7 DC by Rivals. And Miami apparently thought enough of him to consider him for the their DC opening. He’s not Van Gorder, but who is?
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
6:08 pm
Doug, “the defence lost games”? The scoreboard is not the sole resposiblity of the defensive players. Are you forgetting the pick 6 or the total failure to move the ball in the third quarter of the tech game? Do you remember WHY tech had the ball on that drive you so remember? Pick up a couple of first down and none of that matters. I guess cause Stafford and Morenos lazy asses huh.
You cannot seriously hang the FL loss of the defenses uninspired play can you. Or Alabama? Memory burn is one thing, but selective memory is quite another. Team sport. It also help if you have your talented player actually able to play.
BTW, you might want to check out the record of a few of those Erk years.
FLDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
6:26 pm
AltDawg, you are correct stats are not the only things to consider, but they are a dang good place to start. I would also use them to show the trend line for wins and rankings under Richt would show a positive line. This year was not great, but last years #2 ranking did a lot for that.
You are correct in saying that WM is deploying the philosophy of Richt. It is basically, ball control and beat down the opposing defense. To do that the D has to get the ball back quickly and keep the O on the field. I don’t think Richt has gotten extremely involved with the D side of the ball. Since he was the play caller and OC for awhile he didn’t have the time and he let the capable hands of BVG run the D. Now he needs to me more involved and get more into the schemes and play calling if WM is to succeed. Additionally, he has to stay in the O with a young OC in Bobo. This is not a knock on Bobo, he is simply young and still has a lot to learn. What all of this adds upto is Richt should be a very busy man this year. He will have to have more input on the D side of the ball and not let up on the O side of the ball. That is what a CEO head coach has got to do. Develop the young talent (Bobo) and have input and change where necessary (Defense). The answer may lie in giving another coach more responsibility like Rodney Gardner.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
6:28 pm
Well IF he made absolutely no changes to an area that was a problem last year, it would be the very first times I’ve ever seen him do that. I dont know that just because he didn’t fire somebody means he isnt trying to change of improve an area. My experience in trying to tweek or improve something is that its easier to do when you have a common denominator to start from, and try to find variables. Same old staff, philosphy, everthing, worked pretty well in 07, right?
I’m hoping the big change has to do with who plays.
FLDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
6:29 pm
Alt Dawg, you are right stats are not the only reason to make a change. They are just a good place to start. What you can take from the stats on the D is this, a change needs to take place. Personally, I think the change that needs to occur is more involvement from Richt this season or at least additional responsibilities for Rodney Gardner.
FLDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
7:03 pm
Just saw where Jancek is co d coordinator.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
7:31 pm
As I understand the defensive philosophy that Mark Richt employs is defensive pressure from the front without having to commit too many from the backfield. Agree or not , that IS what we do. Take out the best players off the line, and it doesnt work as well. Well if not working means winning only 10 games.
scappy doo
March 3rd, 2009
8:02 pm
Mr rules,
Ben is fine. Andrew Lynch has already signed. He was recruited in this past signing class. You got all worked up over nothing. Go DAWGS!
mike boone
March 3rd, 2009
8:40 pm
We missed our chance to upgrade. Willie goes to Uof M, and Jancek goes to DC. Different year, same result, bend, bend, break, lots of excuses.
ga72
March 3rd, 2009
8:42 pm
Alt: Keep drinking the koolaid man…you are by far the greatest apologist since the apostle Paul.
The Bag Man
March 3rd, 2009
8:53 pm
How does that make you feel Rodney Garner? Saint Richt wouldn’t give you the title of “co” anything. Maybe you should have thought harder about UT, seeing that YOU reached out to Lane Kiffin about the d-line job before he hired Coach O. Let’s see, learn from Monte Kiffin or UGAY’s 2 defensive coordinators. Way to think that one through…………..
Jimmy
March 3rd, 2009
8:59 pm
AltamahaDawg,
You just pointed out CMR and his staff’s biggest weakness. They don’t adjust the scheme around the talent they have. Youre dead on w/ their defensive philosophy, BUT, isn’t it the coaches job to ADJUST to what their players strenghts are, and just not pigeonhold them to just one scheme?
If you can’t apply pressure w/ just the front four, then try something else. If that “something else” doesn’t work(which it obviously did not this past season), then either A.) Your coaching staff isn’t that great scheme wise, or B.) You just don’t have good enough players(which is also the coaching staff’s responsibility-this is UGA afterall, not Valdosta St).
Jimmy
March 3rd, 2009
9:04 pm
I’m not trying to bash CMR and his staff, but facts are facts. That statement you referenced earlier, AltamahaDawg, about Richt making the statement about the fans not knowing as much as they think they did, is correct. In that article, he referenced all the different types of blitz’s they tried, and yet none of them seemed to really work that well. I mean i’m just a short white guy who use to work in the video dept. of the school I graduated from(University of Houston), so i don’t know jack about football in comparison to CMR and his staff, BUT, to my own untrained eye-if this defense tried all the different kinds of blitz schemes that he says they did, well then his defense is a lot worse off than I thought. Hopefully its the players more than the coaches. I’m sure having Jeff Owens plugging up the middle will help.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
9:07 pm
Can’t see how Coach Richt getting more involved with any aspect of the football team would be a bad thing. (In fact, if he knows how to shoot a free throw….)I have a feeling that he is a lot more involved this offseason with the D side, than he normally would be.
And I would bet WM welcomes that. We all have fun opinionating the answers, but they can’t possible have time for it. They all know exactly what was going on, what they want to do, what did happen, what didn’t happen, what needs to be changed, and who needs to do it. They are just doing what they gotta do to get ready for next year, and I don’t think any of it is personal with them.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
9:13 pm
thanks 72, load me up the the Mark Richt koolaid. Not sure what I am apologizing for, so hard to respond to that. Sort of sounded like a smokescreen to hide the lack of anything factual to say on your part, just to be honest. Care to dispute anything I actually said? Welcome the debate.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
9:21 pm
Jimmy, is it safe to say that in any game that UGA wins, its because thier players are only Valdosta State material , or thier coaches don’t understand schemes and never understood the need to adjust to what we were doing?
FLDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
9:25 pm
Richt has already taken at least one step in getting more involved with the D. Janacek was a good move. Past D coordinator experience can’t hurt. Hopefully, this is more of move than just in title and $$$. I’ll take some of MR koolaid as well.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
10:05 pm
Bo Pelini, Bud Foster, John Chavis, Will Muschamp, Charlie Strong……..what do these top DC all have in common?