Lakatos ‘mystery’ unraveled; UPDATED with contract info
(Updated 3:30 p.m.)
Georgia’s football program continued to rebuild its defensive staff today, hiring a veteran assistant coach who will be making a major geographic shift in his career.
Scott Lakatos, hired as Georgia’s defensive-backs coach, has been on the staff at seven other colleges, all in his native Northeast. He was the secondary coach at Connecticut the past six seasons and previously worked at Rutgers, Maine, New Haven, Syracuse, Boston University and Western Connecticut State, his alma mater.
So, you ask, what was the connection that led him from the Northeast to UGA?
“I’m sure there was a little bit of a mystery for everybody to figure that out,” Lakatos said this afternoon.
The answer: a long friendship with Todd Grantham, hired Friday as the Bulldogs’ new defensive coordinator.
Lakatos said he and Grantham have been good friends for more than 15 years, meeting when Lakatos was a graduate assistant at Syracuse and Grantham a young coach at Virginia Tech.
“Over time, we’ve always stayed in contact,” Lakatos said. “We have similar philosophies and similar ideas defensively and finally have an opportunity to work together. I’m pretty excited about it.”
Grantham recommended Lakatos to Georgia coach Mark Richt, who had never met Lakatos until this past weekend. By Monday morning, Richt had offered –- and Lakatos had accepted -– a job as the Bulldogs’ defensive-backs coach. He’ll work under a one-year contract and be paid a salary of $180,000.
That represents a $50,000 raise from what Lakatos made at Connecticut last year, according to USA Today’s database of coaches’ salaries. In 2009, a $180,000 salary would have ranked sixth highest among Georgia’s nine assistant coaches.
Lakatos (pronounced LACK-ah-tose) had more than Grantham to recommend him for the job. He also had some impressive results as Connecticut’s defensive-backs coach.
The Huskies ranked in the nation’s top 10 in pass-efficiency defense in three of the past five seasons, although they fell to 85th in 2009 after losing two starters in the secondary to the NFL. A starting cornerback, Jasper Howard, was stabbed to death on campus in October.
In what turned out to be Lakatos’ last game on the Connecticut staff, the Huskies defeated an SEC team -– South Carolina –- 20-7 in the Papajohn’s.com Bowl, holding Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia to 16 completions in 38 attempts for 129 yards passing.
Although Lakatos, 44, has never lived or worked outside the Northeast, he said he jumped at the Georgia offer.
“Being a football coach, I think we’d all like to have opportunities to get ourselves involved in what could be considered the best programs, where we have an opportunity to compete against the best people and get in the best conference and recruit the best players,” he said. “I mean, that’s what we all try to do. So when this opportunity came up, there really wasn’t any hesitation at all.”
He said the South’s “passion for football” is “very exciting to me.”
Lakatos has “an outstanding resume of success” and “will bring a great deal of experience and expertise” to Georgia’s staff, Richt said in a statement.
The hires of Grantham and Lakatos leave one opening on Georgia’s defensive staff. Richt fired three defensive coaches in December.
While Grantham replaced the fired Willie Martinez as defensive coordinator, Grantham replaces Martinez as defensive-backs coach. Grantham will work with linebackers. It is not clear how Richt will define the duties of the final hire.
Other than Richt, whom he just met, and Grantham, Lakatos doesn’t know any of the coaches on Georgia’s staff.
“I’m definitely the new guy,” he said.
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308 comments Add your comment
ESPN Says Meyer Not Likely To Return
January 18th, 2010
9:20 pm
Kirk Herbstreit says likely, Meyer changed his resignation to a leave of absence just to help recruiting.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit doesn’t think Meyer will return in 2010.
I tend to agree.
Check it out:
http://jacksonville.com/sports/college/florida_gators/2009-12-31/story/herbstreit_questions_whether_meyer_will_return
Mark Richt Coach of the Year 2009
January 18th, 2010
9:29 pm
Richt went 4-4, then rebounded to finish strong at 8-5.
Nominated for Coach of the Year 2009 by Liberty:
http://www.coachoftheyear.com/Coach-Insider-Detail_mricht.aspx#meteor=YhwDQ4cLddC
congrats Coach!!
ESPN Says End of Era for Meyer in 2009
January 18th, 2010
9:32 pm
Pat Forde says whether Meyer returns or not, it’s probably the end of an area:
check it out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls09/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4784908
Louie
January 18th, 2010
9:33 pm
Well, where do I start. No big name coach from a big time program, makes MUTT SENSE!!
Wonder if he was 4th or 5th choice like ctg.
Had a great time yesterday watching 40 year old pick apart 3-4 defense coached by the new Messiah.
STILL L M F A O
dawgfan13
January 18th, 2010
9:39 pm
The biggest thing with the offense last year was the way our offensive line didnt get better. they looked like fat out of shape guys who loaded up on fast food all summer. The QB was very limited as well. Cox was an average qb and I have been saying for a while that you cant win in the sec with an average qb and a terrible defense. Thats a bad MIX! The line should be better if Sturdivant can get healthy enough to play and anything is an upgrade over Cox at the qb position! We have to wait and see.
JESUP
January 18th, 2010
9:53 pm
dawgfan13….You know thats funny cause my bro-in-law said the same thing about the Oline, he dont watch every game but he used to be a weight lifter and he pointed out to me how they looked less in shape than the auburn O-line did, I think after they switched around the line in the second half of the year that they done alot better
Louie
January 18th, 2010
9:55 pm
Hope the new secondary coach watched the Dallas game and saw the challenges that he must contend with in his new boss. Interesting, to say the least.
Louie
January 18th, 2010
9:59 pm
O-Line moved around like a heard of cattle. Hope you keep the same conditioning coach who richt LOVES, almost as much as he did cwm.
fatboyslim
January 18th, 2010
10:02 pm
How the heck is a guy from NJ going to recruit in GA? Neither side will be able to understand the other. I dont like it. I dont think he will be accepted into the living room of these deep south recruits.
dawgfan13
January 18th, 2010
10:07 pm
Guys college football is about coaching. You can recruit a 3 star gay and make him a stud! Georgia hired two guys on the defense that are hungry to prove themselves. I think they will coach their buts off in Athens. The schedule next year will give them a chance to learn on both sides of the ball with the qb on offense and the entire defense. If they get better and stay healthy and get into shape,,,,, maybe we can compete. I was shocked at how out of shape our players were this past year. It was disgusting for an SEC team!
Cox better than Tebow...
January 18th, 2010
10:20 pm
Speaking of Bobo, how about outcoaching Tom Brady’s QB coach this year?
Cox threw for more td’s than Tebow
Check it out:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/statistics/player/_/stat/passing/sort/passingTouchdowns
DILLIGAF
January 18th, 2010
10:23 pm
My job requires me to travel to New England for ten days each month and I am bombarded by the whole spectrum of the region’s sports allegiances (Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics) while I am there and when I try to talk about college football, the light clicks off in their heads. College football is pretty much nonexistent in this region. I actually caught a BC game during the 07′ season which I believe they were ranked 11th in the country at the time and it was like being at a high school game.
I can’t understand how a coach like Lakotas, coming from the Big East (yawn) can jump into a premier coaching position in the SEC and not feel like he is over his head. I guess time will tell. It all comes down to coaching ability and I have to say, he does have a decent resume. Fire and brimstone baby! Welcome to the SEC Coach Lakotas!
Louie
January 18th, 2010
10:27 pm
Good night mutt-mouths.What a BORE you were tonight.
STILL..
You know the rest.
Addazio in a Conn Guy Too
January 18th, 2010
10:29 pm
I guess Addazio can’t recruit either since he’s from Conn.
Old Coach
January 18th, 2010
10:32 pm
Hey teaching fundamentals and schemes is the same whether he is from the Big East or Griffin High School. The atmosphere in Sanford stadium and other SEC venues will be quite different but to say he would feel in over his head. Don’t think so. Just coach,scheme,tackle, play smart!!!
DILLIGAF
January 18th, 2010
10:38 pm
Louie:
AKA (Yellowfuzz, St Simons, Stinger and all the other YellowJerkits)
Dude, why are you on here? Have you gone through the enclosed, patch kit that came with your new girlfriend? Have you decided to just bless us with your appearance while you are out of the basement and waiting for the Dominoes guy?
You are like “Russ The Temp Mascot”, matter of fact, you’re probably him …vile, smelly, loser living at home, proud of your ignorance because you display it constantly and will never get laid. Go away moron, your juvenile rants and having to weed through this B.S are getting old. You are not funny and you certainly don’t know anything about college foorball or anything, for that matter.
Stick your head in the toilet and flush…twice.
DILLIGAF
January 18th, 2010
10:58 pm
Goodnight Louie, you little putz.
I know you are going to bed early, to try a patch job on “Rosie” with a fat, sweaty palm of Double Bubble and I hope that works out for you but I’m sure that after you lower your massive, cottage cheese like heft upon her, she will blow mightily out of the temporary patch, just as GT’s season will blow this coming year. Good night, you delusional ft bast&%d dufus.
RED DOG 77
January 18th, 2010
11:01 pm
Old Coach…I agree 100% Coach Lakatos was well prepared for SC in thier bowl, and as I remember SC was gaining some steam about the time they ran into UConn. I am quite pleased with both hires. And to the naysayers concerning the 3-4 D ,I think you will see more and more teams move that direction. In reality it may be something of a more complex D from the old 4-3…..But it teaches agrressiveness, rip their heads off , stomp em in the ground football…I contend that is exactly what these college players want to do ….In other words if it is fun…..it is much easier to grasp….That was my experience when I was a young man playing the game. No different today ! Just my opinion but I will stick to it ……I think you will see alot of RED hats flying around the field next year….having fun…and making the other guys miserable…..GO DOGS !!!!!
san diego dawg
January 18th, 2010
11:04 pm
I am pleased with the hires but only time will tell. I would like to see either a new strength & conditioning coach or a renewed commitment from CMR addressing this issue. Fatigue causes mental errors and penalties & Lord knows UGA commits enough penalties already when they’re fresh.
A SIDE NOTE
January 18th, 2010
11:08 pm
Time to hire one of the above : Reggie Herring(LB’s) Travis Jones(DE’s or OSLB’s) Carl Dunbar(DE’s or OSLB’s) OSLB’s in the 3-4…pass rushers!!!!!!!! Make it happen!!!!! Don’t need a S.T.Coordinator that is part of LAKATOS job….has done it in the past!!!!
Mark "Crimson Crier" Ingram
January 18th, 2010
11:39 pm
Cox better than Tebow…
How many NCAA and SEC records does Joe Cox hold and how many does Tim Tebow?
Between Joe Cox and Tim Tebow who requires the most space for their individual trophies and awards earned during their 4 years of college?
Who will be drafted higher in the NFL?
Thirty years from now which player will be remembered as one of the greatest college players, if not the greatest ever?
Sure Joe Cox had more passing yards this year than Tebow, but who had the most total touchdowns (passing and rushing) and the higher quarterback rating.
I don’t really think you really want to get in a pissin’ contest over how much better Cox was as a college quarterback or future potential NFL quarterback compared to Tebow.
They both did have one thing in common and that is they both cared so much for their teams and winning that they both cried on the sidelines,at times, after losing a significant game.
RED DOG 77
January 19th, 2010
12:27 am
Mark….Well put ,from whom I would think to be a rather pragmatic college football fan…..Bravo ! Now where pray tell Mark are the rest of the reasonable people ? Most of what I read on these AJC blogs ,are not fit for the inside walls of a portable toilet. Regards, RED
Cox better than Tebow...
January 19th, 2010
12:30 am
Cox threw for more yards than Tebow head-to-head against Georgia
Cox outhrew Tebow 15 to 5 td’s against common opponents
Cox threw more td’s than Tebow
Cox beat a top 10 team, Tebow did not
Cox took half as many sacks as Tebow, much more elusive and efficient from passsackers
Cox’s worst game was against Tenn, top 10 defense, Tebow’s worst game was against Troy University
It was Cox’s 1st year as a starter, it was Tebow’s 3rd year as a starter
Bobo can Coach
January 19th, 2010
12:41 am
Anyone on this board, besides the delirious Gator idiot who posts under all these fake names with anti-Georgia garbage, think Tebow will be the #1 NFL Draft pick?
After all, Tebow is the greatest player of all time right? Anyone think Meyer did a better QB job than Bobo? Anybody think Tebow will go #1 like Matt Stafford?
No way. Stafford got a $40 mill contract, Tebow will be lucky to get drafted in the first round.
Has Urban Meyer EVER had a #1 NFL Draft pick like Bobo did?
RED DOG 77
January 19th, 2010
12:43 am
san diego dawg…….I agree with your post ,however I think you will see a renewed commitment from CMR way before you will see him dispense with his strength and conditioning coach, I believe he was with the coach way back at FSU,and CMR is a pretty loyal guy……..CMRs loyalty is a great thing that will help us win alot of games……but I do hope as he contiues to grow and learn, he will know the correct time to let someone go. But I would rather see him er on the side of loyalty.
RED DOG 77
January 19th, 2010
12:52 am
COX……With all due respects, I went to UGA, bleed RED and BLACK, and simply love GEORGIA BULLDOG football, But Joe Cox was not even in Tebows league. Hershel yes, Cox no…..in fact …..Hershel was far superior to Tebow……Tebow 4yrs Hershel 3 no contest. But of course just my opinion.
dog man 25
January 19th, 2010
12:54 am
Cox guy-
Agree 100%, tebow did nto perform up to Cox’s standards.
RED DOG 77
January 19th, 2010
12:54 am
Tebow will go in the second round
RED DOG 77
January 19th, 2010
12:57 am
Cant say I can agree with some of my own UGA people…..But at least a civil discussion
Big D Dawg
January 19th, 2010
12:59 am
All of you so called dawg fans that keep pilin on the dawgs are either posers or need to find another team to pull for or against….. whatever it is you’re doing??
RED DOG 77
January 19th, 2010
1:01 am
Cox will not be drafted, nor does he expect to
RED DOG 77
January 19th, 2010
1:06 am
Big D …..I can assure you I am not piling on….I simply dont think Cox was nearly as good as Tebow……. But next year… I hope we can all say that Murray is better than Brantly
san diego dawg
January 19th, 2010
1:16 am
Tebow will need to impress a lot of people at the combine to be drafted in the 2nd round as a QB.
He holds the ball too low in his delivery which equals turnovers in the NFL. I see him being a slash type player in the NFL. He can play Fullback / H Back / Tight End / Run the wildcat and QB. He is a bigger version of Kordell Stweart.
san diego dawg
January 19th, 2010
1:25 am
Beverages & More has Newcastle on sale which caused my Stewart typo earlier
Big D Dawg
January 19th, 2010
1:32 am
Not commenting on the cox vs tebow thing…. commenting on those just flat out jumpin on the dawgs, cox, coach richt etc
note…. cox only needed 1 more touchdown to match Stafford for his best year with passing tds. Cox is no stafford or tebow but those riding him are no fans of the dawgs. just big mouths with opinions. and you know what they say about opinions
san diego dawg
January 19th, 2010
1:40 am
I think we will be seeing Cox on the UGA sideline next year as an unpaid grad assistant coach. He’s a good kid & he wants to coach. Who knows maybe he could talk Bobo into putting the wide receiver screen to A.J. back in the playbook for A.J.’s last year.
Big D Dawg
January 19th, 2010
1:45 am
What??
January 18th, 2010
7:07 pm
two things you’re wrong on
1. UGA scored enough points in the games last season to win them all? LOL
TN? Fl? you are kidding right?
2. Defense and kicking game killed the Dawgs this past season. Yes, defense was horrible but the kicking game, FG and punting were the best in the league. Now, on the other hand, kick coverage and KO placement were horrific.
Put more efforts and fact in your comments. Some of us know a little bit about football.
BuLLdawg
January 19th, 2010
6:19 am
Lakatos was great against South Carolina is the bowl game against Garcia Passing.
With their defensive back killed in a brawl on campus, I am sure he is ready to come to the Sun Belt, and Bible Belt like everyone else in the frozen tundra of the North.
I noted he coaches Special Teams too, and that is great because we need a kick-off special teams’ coach. Good fit.
chris
January 19th, 2010
7:51 am
Tim, Coach Richt has proven his love for Ga Football. He let a guy go that had been a long time friend and asst. coach and then without considering about someone coming in and taking his job went after the best D.C’s in college football and ended up what possibly could be the best guy out of all the ones he went after. Now he listened to a proven defense guy and got another excellent choice. The bulldog nation thanks an excellent man and coach, Mark Richt.
dap01
January 19th, 2010
8:34 am
Florida was a great team the past 2 years. But Meyers has a TERRIBLE record of throwing the ball even though the game is firmly in hand. This is a CLASSLESS trait of Florida. They feel (and most adoring announcers on TV) believe that it is Tebow’s birthright to be able to pad his stats at every possible opportunity.
UF was such a great team that the opportunity to run up the score happened often.
Karma is heck!
Jim
January 19th, 2010
9:08 am
Maybe it was a lucky guess but when Coach Richt fired Willie I said the next DC would not come from the SEC.
Grantham's Stout
January 19th, 2010
9:15 am
Chris Low is says Saban was spurned and turned down by Grantham–it’s pretty common knowledge.
Nice to have the guy that turned down and spurned Nick Saban.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/8165/richt-zeroing-in-on-cowboys-grantham
Grantham's Stout
January 19th, 2010
9:21 am
Todd Grantham was named by a lot of sources to be the guy Bama wanted as their Head Coach if Saban turned them down for the job.
http://www.tidefans.com/forums/tidefans-com-articles/52644-alabama-wants-start-new-year-off-big-way-jessn.html
YellowAndBlackAttack
January 19th, 2010
9:39 am
UGA is putting together a nice coaching staff on the D side of the ball. Lakatos is an expert at taking low level talent and turning them into stars. He had a couple of db’s that were not even ranked on any of the recruiting site’s top lists and now they’re playing in the NFL. I’m excited about our hire in Groh. Our D is about to become alot more fundamentally sound…mark my words. I got this feeling that the UGA and GT rivalry is about to have a much more national impact with both programs about to hit their peak…just a feeling.
Seriously?
January 19th, 2010
9:47 am
dap01, How are you enjoying the karma of that thugish endzone celebration? Don’t ever call another progam classless after that! Look for Urban to lay close to another half hundred on you in the fall! Maybe you can break out the black helmets again
mgdawg
January 19th, 2010
10:24 am
Bobo lost 2 players in the first round of the NFL draft, and one player in the second round who became that team’s number 1 WR. UGA two years ago, staffords last year, was one of the best offenses I’ve seen at UGA. While UGA did not have a good offense this year, the offense still won most of the games for the team this year, even with joe cox at qb.
The O-line was pitiful for most of the year other then against tech, I’m getting tired of hearing all the excuses every year about the offensive line. I know Searles is supposed to be one of the best Oline coaches, but I haven’t seen it yet. Every year we hear the excuse of injuries, why don’t other teams have these injuries? What is the Oline doing to get all these injuries?
mgdawg
January 19th, 2010
10:26 am
Seriously: Are you serious? UGA players celebrate a touchdown, UF players gouge eyes. Tell me which one sounds more thuggish/classless.
Jona
January 19th, 2010
11:13 am
mgdawg
How dare you bring the eye gouging incident up. The lizards just can’t give up that endzone celebration can they?
josh
January 19th, 2010
12:15 pm
Anyone notice that Ray Goff could recruit some pretty good future coaches? Smart, Muschamp, Bobo, Travis Jones. Shame he could not coach.
Relax Dawg fans
January 19th, 2010
1:34 pm
Everyone just needs to relax. Coach Richt is starting just his 10th season as a head coach. He just hired is 2nd DC from scratch (CWM was a promotion). Bobo was also a promotion and Richt obviously sees something he likes there. Richt is an offensive coach so he is a great mentor for Bobo. Our DC needs to be solid on his own and I believe we just hired him. Martinez was not ready. So, let Grantham run the defense, let Richt get back to mentoring Bobo and I think we will all be pleased with the results.