A chat with new linebackers coach Warren Belin
(Updated)
When Georgia recently hired Warren Belin as a linebackers coach, it didn’t specify whether he would be responsible for the inside or outside linebackers in the Bulldogs’ new 3-4 defense.
Inside, Belin said Friday.
New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will coach the outside linebackers.
“Todd and I will be working really together with the linebacker corps, [but] I’ll be focusing on . . . the inside linebackers,” Belin said. “There may be times in certain drills I may have to work with the outside linebackers as well.”
Completing what he called a “whirlwind” first full week on the job in Athens, Belin spoke with reporters on a conference call, his first media availability since being hired to complete the Bulldogs’ revamped defensive coaching staff.
Although acknowledging that inside and outside linebackers are distinct positions in the 3-4 defense in terms of skill sets, Belin said the core philosophy for both groups will be the same: “doing a great job with fundamentals and . . . playing with speed, being great tacklers and being productive players.”
“The outside linebackers, obviously, will be coming off the edge and bring[ing] a lot of pressure,” Belin added. “But we’ll also be bringing pressure with inside linebackers as well.”
Belin is a 20-year coaching veteran who was Vanderbilt’s linebackers coach the past eight seasons. He also served as the Commodores’ recruiting coordinator the past two years and special-teams coordinator in 2006-07. He said Georgia coach Mark Richt has talked with him and other assistants about “how we’ll divide up” special-teams coaching duties.
“We are currently working on some of those details and getting everything worked out, what we’re all going to bring to the table in trying to get better in our special teams area,” Belin said.
Three of Georgia’s four defensive coaches are new, with Belin, Grantham and secondary coach Scott Lakatos joining the lone holdover from last year’s defensive staff, line coach Rodney Garner.
As for how he came to be hired by Georgia, Belin said: “Coach Richt has been following my career for quite some time. . . . A couple of people recommended me to Coach Richt, and he followed through with that. After recruiting season was over, he contacted [Vanderbilt] Coach [Bobby] Johnson to ask permission. I came on the interview — had a really good interview with Coach Richt and Coach Grantham –- and I’m fortunate to have a chance to be a part of this great program.”
Since he has been on the job –- his first day was what he called the “whiteout,” the snow that hit Athens on Feb. 12 –- Belin has been busy. “I’m learning,” he said. “We’ve been meeting defensively as a staff, getting to know our defense and the package that we’re installing.
And he has started to get to know his players. “My philosophy for my players –- and I’ve sat down and told all of those guys the first day -– is: honesty No. 1, fairness No. 2, and then 100 percent effort and attitude on and off the field,” Belin said. “If you do those things and do them right every day, you have a good chance to be successful.”
On a different topic, here’s a story on the changes that will come to Stegeman Coliseum after this season.
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229 comments Add your comment
Gatorbait 17-3
February 19th, 2010
5:02 pm
Cherokee
Good for you, you are reasonable too.
Cherokee
February 19th, 2010
5:05 pm
Just try and look at the big picture and be realistic. I know that we will get back to the top with or without CMR hopefully with him. I think he is a good man.But the jury is out for now.
Dave In Tampa
February 19th, 2010
5:06 pm
No problem telling like it is here. I think we will surprise some teams this year, but not enough to get to the SECCG. Plus, my wife is a Gator so I have to watch what I say. l.o.l.
Gatorbait 17-3
February 19th, 2010
5:07 pm
Dave In Tampa
Thank you, I agree that the next few years will now or never for Richt. Georgia has
too many good players not to get better results.
Da Roun Circle
February 19th, 2010
5:08 pm
If you go back to that Florida-Bama SEC Champ game, Tebow went 57% completion, 1 td, 1 int., Florida got 88 yards rushing, Time of Possession 40 minutes Bama–Florida 20 Minutes, and Florida went 4-11 on 3rd down.
Florida had 10 top 1000 recruits, Bama only 3, so it was NOT talent, it was all scheme.
Florida didn’t respond well to the 3-4 defense. The spread got crushed by the 3-4, of course, no other SEC responded well to the Bama 3-4 defense either.
Gatorbait 17-3
February 19th, 2010
5:09 pm
Dave In Tampa
FYI the Gators only lost 1 offensive line from the 10 that play.
Dave In Tampa
February 19th, 2010
5:11 pm
Gatorbait 17-3
I agree sir. I think we might need to watch out for USC this year. They might creep up on us. I hate playing in Columbia.
Gatorbait 17-3
February 19th, 2010
5:12 pm
Dave In Tampa
I feel your pain, my wife is a Bulldog with a great sense of
humor –thank goodness.
Dave In Tampa
February 19th, 2010
5:14 pm
Gatorbait 17-3
I did not think they lost many. However, talent wise, I like UGa’s O-Line, but that’s why you play the game. Not sure if Brantly is a scrambler or not. Tebow gave you guys that extra dimension that any team would want. Murray can more around well.Curious to see the teams attitude losing Tebow. Not meaning that in a bad way, but he was a huge presense on the field.
Let’s just make a pack to beat UT this year!
Gatorbait 17-3
February 19th, 2010
5:16 pm
USC is very tough at night in Columbia, also this will be
Spurrier’s best team. He could give lots of teams fits this year,
especially the Gators.
I think Spurrier would go 1-11 if the win was over the Gators—-for real.
Dave In Tampa
February 19th, 2010
5:18 pm
That man had some serious dislike for UGA and probably still does. He has not beat us in Columbia yet so he will be out for blood.
poopdawg
February 19th, 2010
5:21 pm
Brantley is a pro-style QB , and he will be handicapped running the spread. Murray could be successful running either offense. Both Murray and Brantley would be more successful in a pro-style offense. Can’t wait to see how every thing shakes out. 4-3, 3-4 scheme don’t matter, it is the aggresive attitude of the DC and him instilling it in the players. Hey ga gator any word on a DC for the Gators?
Cherokee
February 19th, 2010
5:26 pm
I thought they hired the guy from the Cardinals
Dave In Tampa
February 19th, 2010
5:31 pm
I think you are correct Cherokee
Gatorbait 17-3
February 19th, 2010
5:36 pm
poopdawg
The Gators will be fine, you recall the won a NC with little Chris Leak
and Tebow running a few packages every game. Also, teh Gators coaches are smart enough to design their scheme around Brantley’s strengths, they also plan on
alot of power I formations since they have the best group of running backs in the SEC.
(Ingreme, is the best, I agree)
And, yes the new DC has been in place for just over a week. A DB coach from
Arizona, coached in 2 Super Bowls.
Gatorbait 17-3
February 19th, 2010
5:40 pm
Just read this in the Gainsville paper this morning:
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Florida tailback Jeff Demps is having a big (and very fast) indoor track season.
Demps holds the fastest time in the nation in the 60-yard dash, and ranks 15th in the world, he has elite speed that may carry him to the Olympics in 2012.
oledawg
February 19th, 2010
5:44 pm
I’m glad That I flipped to the second page and saw the title of this blog again. It’s about Coach Belin. If he is reading this and sees this mudslinging degeneration by a bunch of wild, anonymous holes, I hope he doesn’t get depressed.
Coach Belin has “coached up” players contributing to the NFL. That in itself is a great set of credentials to the recruits. Teaching NFL methods for shedding blockers to get to the runner or receiver is always of interest to the recruits. Can’t we all focus on what we are reading and learning about our new staff members long enough to comment on what you each personally see is the advantage for having these men on our staff and as part of our University? Get with it Dawg fans and ignore the dumbbutt interlopers prodding you anonymously. Focus on Belin and our other new staff members.
Pitbull
February 19th, 2010
6:10 pm
Dawg11 … Watergirl was in charge of the special teams during the Bowl game. Buy yes, she did a great job!
AltamahaDawg
February 19th, 2010
6:35 pm
Last time we went after a punt? Was it that time that we blocked the 3rd one of the year? To go with the several placekicks.
poopdawg
February 19th, 2010
6:48 pm
Gatorbait 17-3 , if your RBS were the best in the SEC maybe they should have given the ball to them a little more. Does the DB coach from Arizona have a name or does he just go by “the db coach that has been to 2 superbowls?” Florida’s offense was pitiful in 2006, their best game by far was the championship game , glad your not concerned. Power I from the spread? Brantley will be better than Leak, but Leak was smart enough to throw the ball away under pressure. Too bad Martinez didn’t think to place pressure on Leak. or hell anybody.
Da Roun Circle
February 19th, 2010
6:55 pm
nobody worried about Brantley. He played small Div 2B in High School, only college experience is against Charleston Southern or Florida International. He can’t run either. He sure ain’t anywhere near as good as Tebow. He’s gonna be dizzy from the 3-4 of Grantham.
poopdawg
February 19th, 2010
6:56 pm
AltamahaDawg, the blocked punt must of hit somebody in the back of their helmet, because 9 out of 10 times our punt return team starts blocking as soon as the ball is snapped, forget about making sure they PUNT!
AltamahaDawg
February 19th, 2010
7:23 pm
The I would say they maximized that 1 out of 10.
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
7:43 pm
Gaytor bait 17-3 said Richts record does not compare to Miles, Saban, or meyers.
As demonstrated below he is a moron
Saban first 8 years in D1A (SEC) football. ……….81 wins.
Richt first 8 years in the SEC……………………82 wins Richt has a better record
Meyers first 5 years in SEC ……2 SEC titles.
Richts first 5 years in SEC……..2 SEC titles ..richts record is as good.
Miles 8 years in SEC 79 wins 1 SEC title
Richts 8 years in SEC 82 wins 2 SEC titles. Richts records is better.
So much for gaytor bait 17-3, he is kinda an idiot
Cherokee
February 19th, 2010
7:47 pm
hmmmm I agree with you…..but the only thing we are missing are the NC’s they have
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
7:49 pm
Clearly Richt is as good or better. Now let look at the luck aspect.
Richt has finished in the top 10 six out of his nine seasons at Georgia (yes he finished #10 in the USA Today Coaches Poll last year, the same poll that hands out the BCS Natl Championship trophy).
Thats more than any other SEC coache.
You have to be very lucky to win a Natl Championship – Florida would not have been in the Natl Champ game in 2006 without USC inexplicably losing its final game to Karl Dorrell and UCLA.
Look at LSU in 2007 and the circumstances in which that two loss team made the championship game. Richt simply has not had that kind of luck bestowed on him yet – matter of fact he should have been playing for the Natl Championship in 2002 and 2007 if not for some luck of the opposite kind.
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
7:51 pm
Richt has put them in a position to be in the SEC title hunt every year. How many other programs in the SEC can say that? That’s the problem with a lot of UGA fans (and you), you only see what UGA hasn’t done. You don’t see what they HAVE done.
All Richt needs is one lucky year. Its interesting to note that UF and LSU have won national titles with the same record UGA had when it won its two SEC titles. Its not that UGA is not as good of a program as either of the two, they have just been luckier than UGA. And that’s the truth.
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
7:52 pm
when I said “you” i was talking to gaytor bait.
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
7:54 pm
Sorry cherokee if you thought I was referring to you
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
7:58 pm
“last year”…….2008 not 2009
South End Dawg
February 19th, 2010
8:01 pm
Georgia finally has all the pieces they need to make an SEC title run. With florida losing all their top talent, Georgia will own the SEC east and will play bama for the SEC title. The bulldogs are finally back!!!
Cherokee
February 19th, 2010
8:04 pm
I hope we can make a run at the east and the title game in Atlanta and the NCG, but I am concerned about Florida. They lost a lot but they were pretty deep at every position.
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
8:11 pm
actually I was wrong about Miles…He has 79 wins in 9 years not 8 (2001 to 2004 at Ok St and 2005 to today at LSU).
Richt has 90 wins. Thats 11 more wins in same period.
Richt has is 7-2 in bowls and Miles is 5-3 (not even going to a bowl game one year)
hmmmm
February 19th, 2010
8:13 pm
And Richt beat Miles in 2005 in the SEC title game. Yep clearly Richt is not as good a Miles.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
February 19th, 2010
8:22 pm
either way, UGA’s D is something to look forward to. Is it spring yet? the dry spell for CFB really sux!!!
takedowndawg
February 19th, 2010
8:25 pm
Altamahadawg, you must be kidding regarding Fabris? Short directional kicks, opponents starting from their 35+ yd line over and over again. How many times did you see a red jersey cross the opponent’s 20 before the opponent did? Rarely any Georgia player anywhere on the screen. Going after an opponent’s punter was rarer than hen’s teeth! Just glad to see him go.
King Ealey
February 19th, 2010
8:30 pm
ga gator: I havent seen anything about about UF going to a version of the 3-4 now. perhaps you are thinking of the first DC hire, Edwards, who felt the job was so great that he left after a month to go to Buffalo with Chan Gailey. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. And its nice to know that your head coach with be a stressed out basket case by week 5. Get ready for mediocrity.
J Dawg
February 19th, 2010
8:44 pm
Gatorbait 17-3
? No longer do you have Tebow to run the ball, period your offense will suffer. Did you really say your running backs are the sec’s best. Wow, do any of them weigh 160? Tough to get those 3rd and 3s with scat backs. For four years you guys were garunteed 1st downs on tough situations like this but no more not without Timmy. you’ll see
J Dawg
February 19th, 2010
8:48 pm
Also all the Richt hating by faux Dawg fans is down right idiotic. I dont even have to explain myself. Think of this program 10 or 11 years ago. Not even close to what it is now. So gross to hear people upset with Richt
Cherokee
February 19th, 2010
8:54 pm
J Dawg……..I hope we can keep him another 10 years. Damn good coach!
Louie
February 19th, 2010
9:16 pm
Well, where do I start.
Couldn’t make it last night,schedule wouldn’t allow.
jackhammer, sorry I missed you last night, but glad to see you did as you were told. Stay in here.
Looks like you num-mutts are perking up about unknown d- coaches.
Better worry about your super explosive offense to go with that un-tested defense.
Oh, did anyone go to jail today??
STILL LMFAO ( in case you forgot)
And whatever became of Louie Jr. AFTER HE WAS EXPOSED GOING UNDER MANY HATS ??
Ponce DeLeon
February 19th, 2010
9:17 pm
J Dawg, wake up son. The offense will be similar to Chris Leak except Brantley has a stronger arm and last time I checked Leak did ok. I wouldn’t say the backs are anywhere close to where they need to be but UGA’s backs still have something to prove. I wouldn’t say running up and down the field on Tech exactly makes you think Hershel is back. And King Ealey; mediocrity was when Zook was there and Suntan man had a losing record against him; try something else it was lame dude.
Ponce DeLeon
February 19th, 2010
9:18 pm
Cherokee I hope you keep him another 10 years also.
Louie Jr.
February 19th, 2010
9:30 pm
Louie…..I have a job that requires intense focus M-F. Yeah! I really got “exposed” on an anonymous blog…fricking DUH. You have many, many, many things to learn, my lil’ Louie pooh, when you graduate. I eat little prissy punks like you for breakfast, and then burp them up at lunch.
THE YELLOW SWARM
February 19th, 2010
9:43 pm
Buzzzzzzz / YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED OF THE COMING OF THE SWARM / Buzzzzzzzz / I AM THE SLINGER OF THE STINGER / Buzzzzzzz
col fot
February 19th, 2010
10:59 pm
hey yellow fuzz blow fly, go crawl back on the dung and swallow!!
RED DOG 77
February 20th, 2010
1:41 am
I am a GEORGIA BULLDOG that is pumped about our chances in 2010. Defense wins championships, and we already have the talent on the D side of the ball to exact some serious ass whoopin right out of the gate. Changes like we made on Defense do something special for players …….it motivates them !!! It creates that defensive swagger we have longed for at UGA…..Yup, my friends, I m talking JUNK YARD DOGS !!! The 3-4 Defense is fun ! Just imagine, you are a young, but tough Bulldog, and last year you were told ‘Son bend but dont break’…..Now your coach is screaming in your ear…..’Son rip their heads off, and stomp em in the ground, hit somebody, and make em feel it , get that QB and make him miserable, confuse and destroy that offense son’…..Did anyone watch Alabamas defense last year ? they were having a ball , and that is just exactly what our UGA BULLDOGS are going to be doing in 2010 …..GO DOGS !!!! GATA !!!
Iraq Dawg.... Hooah
February 20th, 2010
2:55 am
If you buld it they will come. And The new D staff will do just that. Running the 3-4 defense takes time and chemistry and Bama acheived that success in Saban’s 3rd year. Now lets see what the DAWGS can do…. GATA!
Iraq Dawg.... Hooah
February 20th, 2010
2:56 am
If you build it they will come. And The new D staff will do just that. Running the 3-4 defense takes time and chemistry and Bama acheived that success in Saban’s 3rd year. Now lets see what the DAWGS can do…. GATA!
BuLLdawg
February 20th, 2010
5:05 am
Elin Nordegren is a sweet gal who should not have had this happen to her. Do I believe she took a golf club to his cheating butt ? Yes. Absolutely she did, in my opinion. It is what happens in this situation. God Almighty Tiger Woods you are entitled.
Tiger Woods is married.
All the porn stars with their 18 porn movies in the last 2 years of their affairs with Tiger Woods, and there are dozens who say they have slept with Tiger Woods are all well aware that Tiger Woods is married to one of the world’s greatest ladies.
All of them owe Elin Nordegren an apology.
Tiger Woods looked horrible today.
The only reason I watch any golf is because of Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods failed to mention all the dozens of women who were willing to share his bed with him, married. In fact, he named none of them