Grantham: Dogs will go to 3-4 defense; he’ll coach linebackers
A few notes from new UGA defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s just-completed conference call with the media:
– Georgia’s base defense will switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 — three linemen and four linebackers, rather than vice versa.
“We’ll be a 3-4 structure,” Grantham said, “which basically means in your base defense you have two outside ‘backers, three D linemen, two inside ‘backers. . . . We are more of an aggressive style 3-4. We’re going to attack blockers up front, and we’re going to rush the passer. Our outside ‘backers are going to be what we call edge-setters. They’re going to be aggressive; they’re going to be coming; they’re going to be solid [against] the run but we’re going to develop those guys as pass rushers. The inside ‘backers … they’re going to be downhill guys to the ball.
“But in saying that, we’re still going to be multiple. We’re always going to. . . have the ability to match personnel. . . . The other thing is, when you coach in pro football, you take the players you have and you find a way to make it work. So I really believe the best way to go about it is, you rank your players 1 through 50 and you find a way to get your top players on the field. ”
– Although he has coached defensive line for most of his career, he said he’ll work with the linebackers at Georgia. He thinks that’s the best role for a coordinator.
“As coordinator, you’re tied in to not only the front but the secondary,” he said, “so I will be working with the linebackers and that way you can be with both the front and the back relative to whatever drills you are doing.”
– He doesn’t know the only holdover on Georgia’s defensive staff, line coach Rodney Garner. “I have heard good things about him, and I expect to be meeting him here shortly.”
Two openings remain on the defensive staff, and Mark Richt has said the new coordinator will have much input into filling them. Grantham said no decisions have been made. He said his hiring came together quickly and that he and Richt would discuss other positions over the weekend and next week.
– He will remain with the Cowboys as long as they are alive in the NFL playoffs. “I’ve always been a believer that you finish what you start,” he said.
– He and Richt didn’t know one another when Georgia’s search for a DC began. Richt said he got to know Grantham as the process unfolded. “I really feel like we hit the jackpot,” Richt said.
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244 comments Add your comment
Jesup
January 15th, 2010
10:12 pm
Good find ….munson
Septic Tank Rules!
January 15th, 2010
10:14 pm
Signs UGA fans are panicking:
1) SEC bleating
2) Stat mongering
3) TECH obsessing
4) Richt hating
5) Celebrating 4th choice DC hire
NC DAWG
January 15th, 2010
10:15 pm
Munson:
Thanks……….I hope Travis Jones is in the mix to coach OLBs
gadawgs
January 15th, 2010
10:15 pm
Great hire Coach Richt! Welcome Coach Grantham. Cannot wait until September!
SSI Resident
January 15th, 2010
10:16 pm
Obviously, the blogger who claims the name “Big” really means “Big Ego.” If he knew as much about football as you think you do, you would be on ESPN Prime Time.
memphisdawg
January 15th, 2010
10:17 pm
Welcome to Dawg nations Scott, Amanda and your children Toby, Cole, & Sarah
RED DOG 77
January 15th, 2010
10:18 pm
Dawgtime…Yer Dern Tootin right about HOUSTON…….Did you read where they just re-instated Montez Robinson? He should be pretty stout on the outside as well…..Hope Grantham can get Robinsons head screwed on straight before the 3rd game.
RED DOG 77
January 15th, 2010
10:22 pm
SSIResident……Hold on just a minute BUBA…. Big L is my friend….so you about to have to go through 2 of us …..and I know Im Big.
West Coast Bias
January 15th, 2010
10:22 pm
I totally agree with comments on Richard Samuel. Move him to linebacker, coach him up, and watch him go from underachiever to playmaker.
memphisdawg
January 15th, 2010
10:22 pm
footballscoop.com is 99.9% accurate. Don’t ever listen to footballcoachscoop.com however (currently being sued by the former).
NC DAWG
January 15th, 2010
10:23 pm
If Scott Lakatos is the new DB…….it is going to be interesting to see if Richt hires an OLB coach: (Travis Jones please) or a special teams coach maybe Shane Beamer
memphisdawg
January 15th, 2010
10:24 pm
Now if we can find someone to coach special teams we will be set. Wish we could have jumped on DJ Durkin before Florida got him. He is an unbelievable coach.
Jesup
January 15th, 2010
10:25 pm
HE IS NOT A RECRUITER THOUGH …….http://connecticut.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?sport=1&school=16&year=2010#page2
memphisdawg
January 15th, 2010
10:26 pm
Scott Lakatos has very strong ties to Paul Pasqualoni (Grantham’s replacement in Dallas) who was also close with Grantham. This tells me Grantham is doing the hiring for remaining coaches not Richt.
NC DAWG
January 15th, 2010
10:27 pm
Jesup:
It is UCONN…….a basketball school…….they beat South Carolina in the bowl game………which had better athletes than uconn
memphisdawg
January 15th, 2010
10:29 pm
Its hard to recruit at Conneticut. Though i agree recruiting is probably not Lakatos’ strong point. That is why Garner remains an intergral part of GA’s staff.
Would love to pluck Lance Thompson away from UT as an insurance policy, but I think he makes close to 400K, not going to happen.
RED DOG 77
January 15th, 2010
10:30 pm
Hey Tech boys…. you won the ACC congratulations ! Now go away….While we celebrate a while. Or is it that the 3-4 defense we will be running sort of troubles you?…it should.
NC DAWG
January 15th, 2010
10:32 pm
Travis Jones would make a great hire….former UGA player, can coach olb’s http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Team/Coaches/People/Travis%20Jones.aspx
RED DOG 77
January 15th, 2010
10:35 pm
The Big G Unit
BuLLdawg
January 15th, 2010
10:38 pm
Derek Dooley, walk-on Academic All-ACC receiver at Virginia, UGA Law Degree, becomes famous overnight at $2.4 million dollars a year for 5 years.
Nick Saban Disciple both at LSU and the Miami Dolphins, he left the NFL to be head coach and then also Athletics Director at Louisiana State of the WAC.
He doesn’t or hasn’t thrown the football, which doesn’t surprise any UGA fans.
$12,000,000
That’s more than Vincent J. Dooley ever made by a long wide margin.
In Stark contrast to the impetuous aggressive arrogant presumptuous Lame Kitten hired by Mike Hamilton, Derek Dooley is smart, conservative, and very rich.
I know, he had 2 losing seasons sandwich his one good year the year before last at Louisiana Tech, but here is the common thread of Mike Hamilton’s 2 most recent hires as coach : Dooley lost many close ballgames. Moral Victories. Here, he will fit in well with the vols, whose hatred for everything Bulldog finds them reaching into the WAC to steal their head coach to come coach for the vols.
Running the football makes your Defensive Stats look better.
I expect Derek Dooley to bring some respect back to the vols long-suffering football program both in the classrooms and off Cumberland Boulevard.
Win and losses ?
That hasn’t been a priority for the vols in a long time, now.
Strengths :
(1)Classroom, Coach Dooley is a smart young man.
(2)off Cumberland Boulevard, Coach Dooley is a conservative who will not put up with that stuff any more.
(3)Respectability by saying the right statements instead of every wrong statement by every vols’ head football coach ever, in the past, this also will be a huge improvement finally for the former Hillbillies of college football.
(4)Wins and Losses might well follow, and if they don’t Coach Dooley got Vince and Barbara twelve million dollars for taking care of them in their old age, with a huge helping hand by his mentor Nick Saban of Alabama, and it does seem that Nick Saban’s Disciples actually all are extremely good at Coaching.
I know y’all expect me to criticize this choice, but I do not, I actually like it.
Coach Dooley, this is a refreshing change, finally for the vols.
It’s going to be great having a conservative, smart, student of the game, with a pedigree in coaching second to none in whom he has studied under, to the North finally, for a change. I never in my lifetime thought that any of Coach Dooley’s values were of any importance to anyone with the vols, ever.
I applaud this choice. I doubt it will change anything with the vols but if he stays there 5 years, that would be great wouldn’t it ? Just imagine, no more laughing at the vols’ head coaches’ stupid hillbillies idiotic wild crap.
It changes the entire outlook of the vols, instantly. Now, if the vols’ fans can change to his type of good person…
…wait, that is asking too much. Who knows, some truly good guys may finally even play on the football teams for the vols one day. I will hold my breath on that one too, and hope beyond hope that we see Coach Dooley’s values rub off on the worst bad boys of All-Time ever in the nation.
And, a national abomination of a football program for some time now.
Good Luck vols, but I have got to share with you that Coach Dooley doesn’t fit in with the rest of you Hillbillies, you yahoos.
boots
January 15th, 2010
10:41 pm
Coach Richt, thank you for doing the right thing for the university. You made some tough decisions over the past year, and it was not easy for those involved. Being a winner never is. But you have put the players first, the coaches second and yourself last. that is true leadership. Well done, coach. You have been through the valley and now let’s look forward to reaching the peak as the Bulldawg Nation. Get those recruits in, enjoy some time with the family after that, and let’s get ready for Spring practice. Go Dawgs!
To Brinson, tell Beaufort SC EH hello
January 15th, 2010
10:44 pm
He yBrinson,
Tell Beaufort SC and Dawg fan EH “hello” from a “former dishman and UGA grad”. I like this new coach as he brings a style and a plan for which we have not seen in manyy, many years at UGA. Sound D football is what Dogs seek and if we get that, then everything else falls into place. To attack on D sounds so very nice. The D retreat for UGA is over.
Our schedule is favorable and there is upheaval in the East and that is the way life is. Take advantage of these things is the way it goes in life.
Go Dawgs.
Jesup
January 15th, 2010
10:50 pm
NC DAWG ….Yea i seen Garcia stink it up, Hope our new coach had something to with that…..
WadeT
January 15th, 2010
10:55 pm
HIT EM IN THE MOUTH ! ! ! ! G O O O D A W G S ! ! ! !
Thirty to Twenty Four
January 15th, 2010
10:57 pm
Great comments from Dallas coach Wade Phillips about Grantham and his replacement. He had as much praise for the guy that was leaving him as he had for the guy that was coming onboard. A class act.
Nick
January 15th, 2010
11:02 pm
This will be a major disaster. I was all gung-ho ready for his arival until I read this. 3-4 defenses are total garbage and it won’t take everyone long to learn this. I already know it, so when ya’ll are ready to join me, just let me know. I can’t believe this.
Nick
January 15th, 2010
11:08 pm
Don’t all of you remember when UGA defense ran 3-4 back in the 90’s? It was disastrous. I am not happy with this at all. Aggressive I like, but 3-4, no. It will not work. You heard it here first.
And “first” is a word all ya’ll have a hard on for.
SoCal Dawg
January 15th, 2010
11:14 pm
Nick you can’t say its junk with out a reason… so what is the reason?
Michael
January 15th, 2010
11:28 pm
That kid, Whitaker sounds like he would be a beast of a NT, it would be a very nice pickup if Georgia snagged him… Have you heard anything of switching Richard Samuel to the defensive side of the ball Tim?
Jesup
January 15th, 2010
11:34 pm
NICK…..3-4 will stop the spread better, look at what uconn done to the chickens……check the cowboys defensive stats.
DaddyDawg
January 15th, 2010
11:34 pm
Nick:
It would help if you knew something about football before you started to castigate the 3-4 defense Grantham will install at UGA. For one, the 3-4 defense GA ran in the 90s was a 2 gap defense under Marion Campbell…. a read and react defense that required DL to cover 2 gaps on every play. The 3-4 defense which Grantham will install at GA is a 1 gap defense which allows for aggressive play as linemen are lined up in the gaps and penetrate those gaps while they read on the run. The Dallas Cowboys are doing quite well running the 1 gap 3-4 this year…. I’ll let you look up where Dallas stands in the NFL this year for points allowed by their defense. If you truly want to learn something about defense in general and the 3-4 defense in particular, go to the following link:
DaddyDawg
January 15th, 2010
11:37 pm
Nick: Here’s the link: http://subscribers.footballguys.com/2009/09bramel_idpguide.php
I hope you learned something about NFL level (i.e., professional) defenses ……. if you can!!
Nick
January 15th, 2010
11:49 pm
I have played football at high school and college level and trust me the 3-4 stinks. And you don’t have to be a player to know it. I hope it works, but I’m not holding my breath. Didn’t work before and it won’t work now. Only way to find out–play it.
And I couldn’t care less what they’re doing in the NFL right now. It’s different from college ball.
And yeah, SoCal Dawg, my reason is the entire decade of the 1990’s. Ray Goff and Wayne McDuffie could flat out put up some points and did. Trouble was, their defenses could not stop anyone. Sound familiar?
I’m all for the aggression. It’s all I’ve been screaming for and one reason I wanted a good look at Diaz but I just think the 3-4 ain’t where it’s at. Plus, how many teams are we playing that run the spread anyway? Maybe 2. We’ll see what happens.
Jesup
January 15th, 2010
11:59 pm
FLORIDA, the one that matters most to meee..
Nick
January 15th, 2010
11:59 pm
I think kids will do better to come play defense under Al Groh! The 3-4 just won’t work at the college level!
DaddyDawg
January 16th, 2010
12:13 am
Nick:
Since you know so much about football, you need to tell Bama and Nick Saban that the 3-4 won’t work…… you should have told them before Bama won a national championship with it!! :^)
RED DOG 77
January 16th, 2010
12:29 am
Nick….With all due respects my friend, Bama ran the 3-4 and won the MNC, Remeber all those D- ends that came in last year and red shirted and all that have commited this year. It was almost as though CMR planned to go to the 3-4 all along. Any defense can fail, but with good atheletes,coaching,speed and mobility in space seems to be the anawer in a very fast SEC.That of course is my opinion, you are entitled to yours
Kingsfoil
January 16th, 2010
12:34 am
Oh, I get it-Nick is a N.A.T.S. fan apparently, since he seems to be recruiting for groh. GT has much greater defensive concerns no matter who is coordinator-all they can ever practice against is a good option team. No one else they play outside of the practice field uses that offense.
RED DOG 77
January 16th, 2010
12:38 am
Also Nick, Having played ball too, I doubt Grantham will avoid 4 down linemen alltogether…..IMHO The 3-4 allows alot more stunts, run blitzes, and QB pressure, than any D out there. But then again, thats just my opinion.
RED DOG 77
January 16th, 2010
12:50 am
Oh and by the way Nick……When I played ,we played a combo 3-4…..then 4-3 I think if you will look at some Bama game film from 09 they did the same, just with the 3-4 as thier base most of the time. It tends to confuse your opponents O…..especially if they run a spread, but it simply will KILL an option O ……But thats just me talking.
PTdawg
January 16th, 2010
12:57 am
CTG coaching linebackers opens up a spot for a special teams coach. What is the probability of this being one of the next hires @ UGA?
Overpaid
January 16th, 2010
1:30 am
The dawgs paid $750K for a NFL LB coach, their 5th choice? That’s the same money they would have paid to their 1st choice. The math doesn’t work. Great use of booster money!!! Tech’s O will run all over this 3-4 D, mark it down.
Pete Caroll
January 16th, 2010
1:39 am
You know I was USC’s 4th choice back in 2001.
LOL
January 16th, 2010
1:39 am
Yes welcome…pay no attention to the previous 3 or 4 other guys who rejected us…you were CMR’s number 1 guy all of the time…yeah that’s the ticket! LOL Go BullChumps
Nick Saban
January 16th, 2010
1:39 am
Really, Pete? I was Bama’s 4th choice too!
Ron Zook
January 16th, 2010
1:41 am
Ha! Nick and Pete must suck! I was Florida’s first choice when Spurrier left.
Bill Lewis
January 16th, 2010
1:42 am
That’s cool, Ron! I was Tech’s 1st choice at Tech back in 1992. We’re awesome!
Al Groh
January 16th, 2010
1:48 am
Tell em, Overpaid. Tell em how that 3-4 defense sucks! Oh wait, That’s the same defense I’m bringing in. Nevermind. Getting senile in my old age. Did I just accept Tech’s offer? I thought I was talking to the Dolphins. Sorry, PJ. I quit. I’m too confused these days, I didn’t realize what job I was accepting.
Common sense says...
January 16th, 2010
1:57 am
…if the 5th choice is offered the same money as the 1st choice would have been paid, then maybe the Athletic Dept thought the 5th choice was the same calibur coach the 1st choice was. Tough concept to grasp, I know. I mean, seriously, if a company is interviewing a candidate for a particular job and is turned down, then their next choice for the position will probably get the same offer once you consider the company more than likely thought the same of the two when calling them in for an interview.
BigMike Said...
January 16th, 2010
2:20 am
Needed, One strength and conditioning coach! Whittaker from Warner Robbins, Thorton out of Stephenson, and big agressive smash mouth LB’s. 30-24, 30-24, 30-24. SISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSY’S!