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
GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
8:18 am
Nice to see Jancek choose to stay in Athens. I don’t know a lot about him but he seems to have a knack for getting very physical play out of speedy, yet generally undersized, linebackers.
Also nice to hear that Ben Watson is giving back and it’s probably a thrill for a kid who grew up in Massachusetts
Brandon
March 3rd, 2009
8:45 am
People love to work for a boss that cares and respects them.
Twilb Dawg
March 3rd, 2009
9:02 am
UGA has won 14 out of the last 18, 23 out of last 31, 35 out of last 50…shall I continue (oh 7 out of last 8). Plus 3 of those wins in the last 50 years were “vacated”, so actually Tech’s record is even lousier than it appears (which is REALLY lousy).
Finally, the overall record is, 59-37-5…OUCH, now I understand why all of the Nerd Nation has such ____ envy when it comes to UGA!!
NewJersey
March 3rd, 2009
9:39 am
I bet it was because he gets to see coach without his shirt at the pool.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
10:28 am
The argument that Coach Richt is a fool and attempting to destroy the program by keeping WM on his staff, despite anyone who thinks they know football insisting that he cannot, sort of goes out the window when several assistance, who DO KNOW something about football, decide to stay on his staff. Garner and Jancek would be the biggest fools in the world to stay and sabatage thier own careers, turning down what was surely better money, if they thought this defense was on some downward spiral. They have absolutely nothing to gain by staying under a coordinator that they didn’t feel confident with. These are the very position coaches who are at the core of the defense, and know more about what is going on inside the program than any “observer” could ever begin to understand.
At the very least, this so-called “weakness” of Mark Richt’s, treating his staff with more than a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, need to pacify some boosters attitude, has now saved 3 extremely valuable staff members this year alone.
Bamafan
March 3rd, 2009
10:49 am
Mark Richt must be a good person to work for!! Georgia is my 2nd favorite college team to follow and
Coach Richt runs a clean program and wins about ten games a year. I hope he wins a NC one day and beats the gators like a government mule!!
Rabun Dawg
March 3rd, 2009
10:59 am
Chip, I realize not much can be done about the coaching situation until after the season, but what is, if any, the “talk” about who they might be looking at? I read what the fellow in Chattanooga had to say, and I think what was said is true- with all the talent around the State, a shame that Bball is not much better at UGA! Will the Adm. make a large commitment to see that it happens? I guess, time will tell!
Rabun Dawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:02 am
Chip, as you could guess, I was, of course, referring to the basketball situation. Football staff seems to be in solid shape I might add!
Chip Towers
March 3rd, 2009
11:05 am
Rabun Dawg: All I can say is I’m following the bb coaching search extremely closely and keeping tabs on what’s going on. My interest is only reporting what is factual, up to and including the actual hire. Everything else you’ve read to date, including Epps’ column, is pure speculation. I’ll have something coming out soon but the actual hire is not going to take place until the prospective coach has completed his ongoing season. I’ll just leave it at that.
Fints
March 3rd, 2009
11:16 am
Where is this so called fence located?
HautyTautee
March 3rd, 2009
11:17 am
I think Michael Carvell thinks Lane Kiffin is hot!
murfdawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:28 am
Chip,
How are those new Easton bats doing for the Diamond Dawgs? Looks as if they worked pretty good in the desert last weekend. How about an interview with some of the players?
flats
March 3rd, 2009
11:44 am
It’s either the guy’s an idiot or scared to become D. Cord at a the division 1 level!!!!
Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:46 am
Bamafan-Decent remark.
Alt- Remember several months ago with the blogs going ballistically antiloyal versus WM? Good posting to prove how far off and dead wrong those people were. Richt had already replied publically as to how they didn’t know football and some continued. Makes you realize how many anti-Dawgs are out there who blog when you are down in an attempt to get you to be negative about your own team. Sort’a like what’s happening nationally during this fiscal crisis….?
Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:50 am
By the way- nice hint on the b-ball coach, Chip.
Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:02 pm
Chip- Several of the last postings have disappeared. Wha sup?
RxDawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:03 pm
Good post Althama. I totaly agree. I’ve always been slower to turn coaches/assistant coaches into the scapegoat of bad games. It’s a shame a lot of the blogers don’t see that.
Johnny DangerDawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:11 pm
Ben Watson is a great guy for advice. He earned his Bachelor’s degree before his final year of eligibility. He chose to stick around, improve his draft status, and work towards a Master’s degree.
Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:22 pm
Chip- I know you have asked for hints from us on subjects to blog. How about the best play that a fan may consider to be the most exemplary of the bulldog spirit? Any sport or act. Mine would date back to an unseen and/or forgotten football play for most fans that involved two players, Varnado(?) and Lawhorn(e). I would love to read other fan’s reasoning as to why their “play” exemplifys the Dawg Spirit. Mine involves a Rhodes Scholar as well.
YANKEEDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
12:30 pm
Chip how about a little about the girls basketball and gym dawgs both beating Florida this week
YANKEEDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
12:31 pm
Enter your comments here
bank walker
March 3rd, 2009
1:01 pm
Classy remarks Bamafan, I also wish UGA will win a NC soon.
GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
1:08 pm
flats – Central Michigan is division 1 if I’m not mistaken.
Chip Towers
March 3rd, 2009
1:17 pm
I’m not surprised he turned it down. A lot more stability and opportunity to play for bigger things at UGA.
SEC fan
March 3rd, 2009
1:21 pm
Chip,
New Mexico has 3 football players involved in academic cheating and the NCAA takes 5 scholarships for the next few years. Florida State has a number of athletes (including numerous football players) caught in academic cheating and nothing happens. Is the NCAA giving Bowden a break by not disciplining him in his last year of coaching? Why no penalties for a much more serious violation?
StockDog
March 3rd, 2009
1:23 pm
I think that UGA will hire Grant from VCU. I keep banging the drum for a west coast guy in Bennett from St. Mary’s. Epps mentioned Univ of Miami and Univ of Cinn coaches. We just need a really good recruiter, either the head coach or one of his assistants.
flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:33 pm
Thanks Geof dawg…..There a huge bcs school…sorry man!
flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:38 pm
Everyone wants to compare richt to bowden with all loyalty crap…Look at what being nice does to you at the end of your career with old man bowden.Nothing but thugness.Being nice will get you steamrolled.Bowden is like the braves,only one national championship with all the talent in the world!!!!!I love uga but really want some of what florida has right now!!!!BEING NICE WILL NEVER GET YOU TO THE TOP!!!!!!!!!!GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:39 pm
Central Michigan played in the Rose Bowwl last year!!!!!!SORRY GEOFFDAWG!!!!!!!
DawgFan24
March 3rd, 2009
1:39 pm
Epps’ article is outstanding! What a moment of journailsm brilliance! Why doesnt the AJC consider hiring this guy?
Obviously I agree with Epps in that Grant is the obvious choice for the head BBall Coach for UGA. He’s young, talented, a great recruiter, and proven winner. Knight would bring a lot of publicity, but ultimately I think it would turn almost all negative, and Knight will get frustrated and leave prematurely. That’s NOT what this program needs.
flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:41 pm
Does it matter Stock Dog!!!!!We will always suck in basketball as long as we play in steagmen and dooley is the athletic director!!!!!
Preston
March 3rd, 2009
1:50 pm
SEC fan, I believe that FSU handled their academic cheating situation in a “in house” manner that was acceptable to the NCAA. I’m not familiar with the NM situation at all so who knows? It was admirable that FSU handled their situation swiftly and dealt with the players the way they should have. They missed their bowl trip and many were kicked off the team. Maybe NM tried to hide their wrongdoings???
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
1:53 pm
Oledawg, It’s never really been an issue about WM skills to me. I have my own opinions about it and other concur or disagree about the x’s and o’s, and that the whole business of sports banter. We should do this or that is fair game. Same for offensive playcalling. Anyone not actually responsible for doing it…..well thier opinion is as good any anyones, which isn’t much.
The annoying part about the constant “fire WM” gang is not that they don’t like him, or disagree with him philosophically, or even childishly profess hatred for the man, it that they mix thier arguments up, to the point it not even rational anymore.
You simply cannot understand a clear thinking person trying to make the case that: Mark Richt must evaluate everything the the same way I do. I have all the information that he does. He cannot possible know something that I don’t. And since that is a given, him not doing what I would do, is totally unexplainable other than he is knowingly trying to undermine his own football program.
(just for the record, I dont think Mark Richt ever said that folks don’t know anything about football. He did say if “some folks knew as much as they thought” and he was specifically adressing those that said we don’t “blitz” or don’t run the same philosophy as we use to under BVG. And he was giving examples of that just being plain incorrect. Pretty easy to pick out the guilty parties as they got rather offended and tried to flip his words aorund on him)
Preston
March 3rd, 2009
1:54 pm
Flats, Dooley hasn’t been AD in a couple of years. It’s Damon Evans now.
As far as the BB coach situation, we need to hire a young guy that will be with the program for many years to come. I’d love to see Knight come to Athens for a few years if we can’t get a fiery young guy though.
GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
1:57 pm
flats – the Central Michigan DC job would be about on par with the USF DC job. Since you could infer then that since Jancek chose to leave that and is now at UGA, he would view that as an inferior position.
Is that over your head? If so, I can write it out for you slower.
Preston
March 3rd, 2009
2:02 pm
Getting back on subject though…it’s pretty amazing that these assistants are turning down more powerful positions and more money to stay with Richt. It speaks volumes about the kind of man he is. If you’ll notice on these blogs the only people that talk bad about him are people that are fans of our biggest rivals because we beat them most of the time (gt,sc, etc..) or the teams that we seem to have long runs back and forth (uf, ut, au, etc…) with. The Rodney Garner deal was the most impressive though. He would have been the biggest loss because of the recriuting implications. He said that Richt was a brand that was irreplaceable in terms of recruiting. He sells himself and kids want to play for him and it makes his job much easier. UGA is in great hands with CMR!
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
2:10 pm
..and there were points in history that we did not suck in basketball while Dooley actually was the AD and we did play in “steagmen”.
Jeff Grady
March 3rd, 2009
2:10 pm
As big a fan as I am of UNC and Butch Davis, and while I think we will be competitive with the likes of UGA as early as 09, I think there are no betters coaches, much less people, that Mark Richt. I bet UGA fans who value character agree with me.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
2:17 pm
Or UGA fans who value winning percentages for that matter.
david
March 3rd, 2009
2:17 pm
The word is out that Jim Leavitt is a jerk to work for and to be around. None of his ex-assistant coaches have a good word to say about Leavitt. Even the the Florida High School coaches do not want to deal with his ego. Sabin brought to light that 75% of the USF football players need to have a special exemption to get excepted to the school. Jancek made the right move in staying at UGA.
Rules Violation
March 3rd, 2009
2:58 pm
Wouldn’t Ben Watson taking a recruit/future student athlete constitute illegal contact by a booster/representative of an institution? If Watson and Lynch didn’t have a previous relationship I believe this is illegal. Someone might want to let Damon Evans and the compliance office know.
Rules Violation
March 3rd, 2009
3:04 pm
Yep, confirmed it.
Q: Is it permissible to contact a perspective student-athlete or his/her parents or legal guardians?
A: No. An athletic representative may not contact a prospect or his/her parents in person, by telephone or in writing. Contact may not be made with a prospect or his/her parents on or off the UGA campus.
Q: Is this contact rule applicable to “established family friends” or neighbors?
A: No. However, it must be understood that such contacts cannot be made for recruiting purposes and cannot be initiated or arranged by UGA coaching staff members. In addition, the established relationship between the booster and the prospect must have occurred prior to the friend or neighbor becoming a prospect.
Q: What if a prospect calls an athletic representative?
A: An athletic representative may have a telephone conversation with a prospect ONLY if the prospect initiates the call. Such a call may not be prearranged by an institutional staff member and the athletic representative may NOT have a recruiting conversation, but may exhibit normal civility. The athletic representative must refer any questions about the University’s athletic program to the UGA Athletic Association.
Q: What if a prospect knows that an athletic representative is an UGA graduate and contacts him/her to ask questions about Georgia?
A: If a prospect contacts an athletic representative, he/she may answer questions regarding various aspects of UGA as long as NO discussion tales place regarding the UGA athletic program. If a prospect asks about UGA athletics, refer him/her to the appropriate coaching staff.
POS Mutts
March 3rd, 2009
3:07 pm
No Chip, this is not the case. Nice job writing another headline and putrid mutt propping story. This is about the 4th coach across the country to turn down the lousy job offer at USF. As mentioned above, Leavitt is a jerk who will be fired after next year so any coach would be an idiot to take that job only to be back on the market in 2010. Nice try.
THWG!
Oh, isn’t about time for some arrests at the cesspool school?
GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
3:09 pm
RV – He’s not a prospect – he’s already signed and is no longer being recruited.
gdawginkalamazoo
March 3rd, 2009
3:21 pm
Correct GeoffDawg. Prospect being the keyword. Rumor has it that Watson didn’t even rip his shirt either.
RAMBLE ON!!!
March 3rd, 2009
3:34 pm
Just be glad Paul Johnson does not want any of your coaches.
Hey did anyone else know it was Square Root Day…3/3/9?
FLATS
March 3rd, 2009
3:36 pm
Write slower GEOFFDAWG…Your just another blind uga fan that thinks we’ve the best coaches in the world!!!!One word yellow snow eater…..gators!!!!Mark richt is a good coach but not at the level with saban and meyer.These guys are in it to win it,ours to be a little better than we were before he got to georgia.I know what i’m talking about my friend.Dooley needs to go!
FLATS
March 3rd, 2009
3:38 pm
AND FOR YOU RAMBLE ON…Yall r worse!!!!!tech’s goal is to play on new years day!!!!ANY BOWL AS LONG ITS AFTER JAN 1!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!
FLATS
March 3rd, 2009
3:40 pm
Give it up folks…Im a genious when it comes to football and uga talk!!!!!!I Know what it takes to win ball games all over the united states of america!!!!!BEST ADVICE…DONT ARGUE WITH ME!
Atlanta Jackets
March 3rd, 2009
3:43 pm
**POS Mutts** I agree! LOL! The mutts are stoo-pid. LOL!
Wait till Josh “The Robot” Nesbot gets a hold of Willie again. He’s wish he’d taken that Central Florida job! LOL!
Josh just scored against the mutts again! LOL And Derrick “the big” Favors will do it in basketball too! ROTFLAMO!!!!
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?
Jimmy
March 3rd, 2009
10:07 pm
AltamahaDawg,
I’m not talking about the wins against average teams: your Kentuckys, Vandys, USC’s, etc etc. I’m talking about when the Dogs are in a big time game(Fla, Tenn, Bammer) the coaches don’t seem to adjust when the other team starts playing better. I’m not talking about CMR’s overall tenure, i’m talking about the three crushing losses LAST YEAR alone to Fla., Bama, and Tech. In two of those games-the two in which we were blown out-the coaching staff came across as having a moment much like a deer has before getting hit by a semi, aka clueless. Now is it the coaching staff not being able to adjust to what Satan, CUM, or PJ’s staffs were doing, or was it because we just didnt have the players last year? That’s all I want to know. Oh, and what the staff does to correct it, because CMR has put unrealistic expectations on this team-they SHOULD contend for a NC every year, or at least an SEC title, IMHO.
The Big Bug
March 3rd, 2009
10:23 pm
Um, Is it loyalty to Richt or the knowledge that you will have job security whether you perform or not?
Glad to Hear
March 3rd, 2009
10:53 pm
I am extremely glad to hear some of the bloggers finally admit that they think CMR is more involved and should be in the defensive aspect this offseason AND that if the defense does not play well in ‘09 that a change MAY be in order. That is a major step!
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
10:58 pm
Sounds like a pretty good move with Jancek. Heard a few well meaning bloggers suggesting something like that. If the worst thing about it was it was just a title and money, nobody would sneeze at that. I would hope though that if he had some previous DC experience that could have been helpful with that set of circumstances last year, he wasn’t holding it back, because of a lack of title.
But full circle back to my point earlier. Jancek just signed on to be co-blame with WM, and that says something.
AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:24 pm
Well Jimmy, I dont think it has to be, or ever is, as simple this or that. I think we ran up against better teams in Alabama and Florida at our best, didn’t have our best players at the time to boot turning a close loss into a bad one, and the coaches definetely didn’t have their finest moment. My point was that when UGA puts up 35,40, even 50 points against some of the top teams, I have yet to hear any UGA fan dismiss that as thier coaches were just clueless. We have blowout some of the top names in the coaching business too. Wouldn’t you have to ask the same question about them?
Cuz
March 3rd, 2009
11:24 pm
My turn Alt, sorry I was busy earlier. Look, the one common denominator in the SEC teams scored more points against Slick Willie Martinez versus Brian, Luke I am your Father, Van Gorder is this fact. All SEC teams have scored more points in that time. All SEC offenses, do I need to repeat it for the idiots on this blog. ALL with capital letters.I personally said wtf in the third quarter of the Tech game. Looking at the stats the next day it was the right side where they ate up yardage. Did I know it watching the game, heck no and I am one of the best armchair quarterbacks of all time.
So you get brownie points for firing people. Lord please never put me in that spot. The people I have fired I did because the ship was sinking and they refused to bail. A ten win season is not a sinking, heck barely a list.
You dam@ right I want to work with Mark Richt. Here is a man that recruits great talent and supports them through the slings and arrows of lifes discontent. Give me more of that. I got laid off because a brand new boss had no idea what I meant to the company. He lost three times my salary, benefits included in a month in a half since letting me go. I was easy dollars and he thought it was good to go. Now he will lose his job in a few months. What I am trying to say is us armchair coaches may not know where the problem lies. It may not be the DC, it could be the players, assistants or the watergirl, just kidding on the watergirl. We faced losses and my new boss eliminated salary without looking at the big picture. Look at the big picture folks. We had a ten win season in a “Bad Year”. As an alum who suffered through plenty of bad years. Give me a ten win bad year.
And that is all I got to say about that.
Sven Ottke
March 3rd, 2009
11:32 pm
Hot dang! Another defensive coach for Paul Johnson to haze and abuse!
Cuz
March 3rd, 2009
11:34 pm
Alt, quit your preaching the choir wants to sing.
Hey all SEC teams are putting up more points. Deal with it.
R E S P E C T find out what it means to me. Just a little bit, just a little bit.
Cuz
March 3rd, 2009
11:47 pm
EAT BOOGERS AND DIE TECHIE, RUN FOR I GET A CAN OF RAID.
shane#1
March 3rd, 2009
11:51 pm
Cuz and Alt, this is my take on coaching, at least as far as most fans understand it. When UGA had Green at QB Tony Ball was a great WR coach. When Stafford was a freshman and Bailey missed a year because of injury Ball needed to be fired. When Sean came back and Mo-Mass hit his stride in 2007 Ball was okay. In 2008 when Green started and Mo-Mass was a senior and Stafford a junior all of a sudden Ball learned how to coach. Amazing! With Owens back this year and a strong LB corps and healthy backups I predict that Willie may learn how to coach defense. However, we will have a new QB and Mo-Mass has graduated, so it may be time to fire Ball again. Oh, and Bobo. It is obvious that if you only win between 10 and 13 games a year you have real problems and someone needs to be fired!
shane#1
March 3rd, 2009
11:55 pm
Cuz, you ain’t Aretha, and I ain’t no Vandella, so I am shutting it down for tonight. Peace out!
AltamahaDawg
March 4th, 2009
12:07 am
In my opinion Bobo should have been mentioned in every comment complaining about WM. The offense was at least 50% (and that being conservative) to blame for every loss in the past 2 years. I’ve never understood this standard that if the offense fails, who should be able to execute every single play for a minimal gain, holding the upper hand by knowing the play, it gets far less blame than when the defense doesn’t guess what the other team is doing right.
AltamahaDawg
March 4th, 2009
12:09 am
headed in myself, be sure to leave a love offering in the plate.
Cuz
March 4th, 2009
12:56 am
okay, shut up Cuz, I get it. Nite all.
FLDAWG
March 4th, 2009
1:09 am
Shane, Coach Ball wasn’t even at UGA when Green was QB. Heck, I think Ball has only been at UGA 1 year as RB coach. He is now the WR coach. He was at VT as WR coach for several years before UGA.
Thomas Brown
March 4th, 2009
5:28 am
We missed the topic of the day again, talking about a coaching staff except for Stacy Searels who is no damn good, and the loyal the bums are who have no discipline, no fire, and no future except losing all but 3 of the 20 games against our own division foe when we play next year.
Paul Westerdawg hit on the Topic of the Day.
Something missing in these blogs. Here are my thoughts about the Actual Topic of the Day for UGA Sports.
Are we allowed to disagree totally with your analysis once again in here please Paul ?
How could you possibly ignore the fact that as our ancient cow palace built on the Agricultural School for the Agricultural School, grows ever more tiring, that we have an Administration who believes that it is incorrect to borrow money like every other American, ever.
Our ladies’ basketball program and our men’s basketball program both suffer from 1 main obstacle.
And, it is not keeping talent here and the Good Lord knows we have plenty of talent that goes out of the State of Georgia every single year now and getting worse every year leaving behind UGA and our dilapidated out-dated under-sized poorly lit poorly designed for Basketball, gymnasium.
It is boring to go down there, no fun at all as a venue, and all we get is bad press about it.
What Coach in his Right Mind would come to this Cow Palace and attempt to have the Elite of the Elite Basketball Programs ?
The answer is someone young looking to prove himself who fooled himself that with the talent in this state, that HE can recruit the basketball players of this state to come play in that sorry sack of a Basketball Stadium. (And, keep them when we all know that the NBA uses Major College to simply let the kids play a year and then flunk out – or jump straight to the NBA when they are 17.)
Paul, you are not going to pay $2 million or more a year for a Men’s Basketball Coach with our crappy facility and play meaningful basketball. What are we supposed to do ? Show them where they practice, or their locker room ? You are talking about playing basketball. That is what is played in a place with great amenities, services and conveniences. They wasted their money on the practice court and locker rooms – just as we continue for the same reason of not having a note at this economy’s interest rates, a damn inside practice facility for football.
We have a problem all right, but you have failed to even mention what it really is. I believe that I have. We flatly refuse to borrow money to build a Sports Center or an indoor practice facility for football.
We are the Joke of all Collegiate Sports’ Programs with our total inability to pay so much a month for anything on our campus that remotely resembles an Indoor Sports Center of any kind. We don’t know if we can engineer one. We will not allow ourselves to even frigin’ think about. And, you missed the boat.
With all due respect Sorry Paul Westerdawg, Try speaking up about what prevents us from building any Indoor Sports Facility for Football or Basketball ? You know, the 2 sports which produce the money for the Entire Athletic Departments of this entire Great Nation’s Collegiate Athletics Departments ?
ceph
March 4th, 2009
6:58 am
The word out of south florida is that he was not offered the job he ONLY interviewed for the position as co-defensive co-ordinator. Information is that he would have taken the job if he had been offered the defensive co. position. Of course by the time Richt gets hold of it the whole scenario changed> (He puts another feather in his cap) But Jancek got what he wanted out of it a PROMOTION!!!!
shane#1
March 4th, 2009
7:38 am
Oops, My bad, thanks FlaDog, who in the hell was the WR coach in 2006 that everybody wanted to fire? My long term memory is as bad as My short term memory!
MoDawg
March 4th, 2009
8:15 am
Shane, that would be Eason in 2006.He was catching grief because the receivers couldn’t catch anything, not even grief. Ball is moving to receivers’ coach this year.
I said last year that Richt should promote Garner or Jancek to D-Coordinator and put WM back to coaching the D-Backs, as he did during the Van Gorder era, but this move, moving Jancek to co-coordinator is a step in the right direction. I spent all of last year thinking that Martinez had too much on his plate as certain aspects of our defensive gameplan always seemed to be missing at critical times during a game. This way, maybe they can share the responsibilty of gameplanning, and have an “extra set of eyes” in the film room. It can’t hurt.
flats
March 4th, 2009
8:29 am
I’m sick and tired of people on this thang spouting off about thangs they have no idea about…Joun eason was the wr coach that was responsible for ruining our recievirs from 2000-2007!!!!!Another one of richts college buddies!!!!