Van Halanger out, Tereshinski in, as Dogs’ strength coach
Dave Van Halanger, who has been the Georgia football program’s director of strength and conditioning for the past decade, was reassigned Thursday.
Van Halanger was shifted to a new position as administrative assistant to coach Mark Richt, who named Joe Tereshinski, a former Georgia player and long-time staffer, to succeed Van Halanger as strength and conditioning director.
Van Halanger –- one of the first people Richt hired upon arriving at Georgia in January 2001 — has more than three decades experience as a strength coach and is well known for his grueling off-season “mat drills.” But Georgia’s strength training, like many other aspects of the program, has drawn criticism as the Bulldogs have posted back-to-back disappointing seasons.
The reassignment of Van Halanger, 57, came exactly one year after Richt’s last staff shakeup. On Dec. 2, 2009, following a 7-5 regular season, Richt fired three assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.
Georgia completed a 6-6 regular season last week.
For Van Halanger’s replacement, Richt turned to a man with deep ties to the Georgia program.
Tereshinski, 57, has been an assistant strength coach at Georgia since 1982. He also has doubled in other roles through the years: offensive line and special teams coach (1982-84), administrative assistant to coach Vince Dooley (1985-86) and video coordinator (since 1987).
“Joe has had a hand in Georgia’s strength and conditioning program for nearly 30 years,” Richt said in a statement Thursday. “I’m excited about what he can bring to our program in this capacity and the direction he’ll set as we move forward.”
In addition to being a former Georgia player — the starting center in 1975 and ‘76 — Tereshinski is the son, brother and father of former Bulldogs. His father, Joe Tereshinski Sr., lettered in the 1940s; his brother, Wally Tereshinski, in the 1970s; and his son, Joe Tereskinski III, in 2004-06.
According to UGA, Van Halanger’s new role will include involvement in areas such as players’ character education, mentoring and community-service initiatives.
“Dave has made immeasurable contributions to our football program and been a major factor in our 96 victories over the last 10 years,” Richt said. “This role for Dave will allow us to tap into many of his strengths that will be of great benefit to Georgia, to me, and most of all to our student-athletes in a very unique way.
“He will be outstanding in working with and motivating our young people in these many areas that will bring strong guidance to them in their daily lives.”
Van Halanger, who followed Richt to Georgia from Florida State, was the Seminoles’ strength and conditioning coach for 18 years (1983-2000). Before that, he was the strength coach at West Virginia, his alma mater, for five years. His teams have reached bowls for 30 consecutive seasons.
He was inducted into the Strength and Conditioning Hall of Fame in 2003.
Van Halanger and Tereshinski will assume their new duties on Jan. 1, UGA said.
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351 comments Add your comment
tampaBIGdawg
December 2nd, 2010
5:20 pm
Thanks DIT. We all know Mr. Walker wouldn’t come, if he did, it wouldn’t be for the money. DamntheButhcher needs to hush it(as momma says). A new RB coach would be nice, but I certainly don’t think we need to replace everyone at once. We have had moments of glory with everyone that is on the staff. We just need consistency. I am no one to judge because there are a lot of details that we as fans and supporters don’t know or over look. It is a biased point of view for most of us, outside looking in. I just know that we aren’t doing as well as lower caliber teams. Look at Stanford, they have the pro-style system, run the heck out of a ball, the QB Luck is one of the best in the nation now, but hardly anyone heard of him being recruited out of HS. There has got to be something. They aren’t a one player team like AUB with Newton. They mesh as a team. That is the program CMR needs to visit and get pointers from. They made a 225lbs white boy a RB going for the Heisman.
Vick=Dog killing Thug
December 2nd, 2010
5:21 pm
Dawgs may not be world class between the hedges but they are second to none when it comes to generating revenue. Big money programs need top coaches to keep it all flowing. Let’s hope they bring in a top flight barn burner and not one of the good ole boys… GO DAWGS
Dawg-Hatin' Jacket
December 2nd, 2010
5:21 pm
OK, so last year the problem was the defensive coordinator. Yet the million dollar defense just gave up over 500 yards to Tech. Now the blame is the strength and conditioning director. You mutts are running out of people to blame. Who will it be next? The parole officer?
Paddy
December 2nd, 2010
5:22 pm
If Joe T. will make his first visit ti the U. of Iowa he will be a smart man. UI has won the team strenght & conditioning award, 4 out of the last 5 years. Our guys need to be” country strong” not just look good in the hotel lobby!
DIT
December 2nd, 2010
5:23 pm
tampaBIGdawg
Agree!
Tereshinski replaces Van Halanger as Dogs’ strength director – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Best Dog Store
December 2nd, 2010
5:24 pm
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9 and 1
December 2nd, 2010
5:26 pm
Dawg-Hatin’ Jacket
And your on here why??? No one cares what you have to say! If I were you I’d worry about your sorry team losing to a sorry UGA team. Why? Good question, because that means your team is even sorrier than ours. Buzz off!
Hobnail Boot
December 2nd, 2010
5:30 pm
Didn’t Tech hire Big Al this year as well? They might want to hire a puke-it coach. Everytime they get hit the puke the ball up.
Tommy
December 2nd, 2010
5:31 pm
But crap, we still hae Dumbo I mean Bobo.
Old Dawg
December 2nd, 2010
5:33 pm
I guess this was the guy who really instituted the 3-4 Swiss Cheese defense. Tech, SC and Auburn ran thru it like crap through a goose. Heck, at my age I think I could run an option offense against a 3-4. Man, all that offensive talent and we have to score 35 points per game just to keep up.
Jiggy Smaha
December 2nd, 2010
5:33 pm
You people dissing this hire do not know Coach T. He is tough as nails and will give the program exactly what it needs…a hard-nosed no-nonsense throw-back to the Erk Russell GATA days. If Coach Richt will give Coach T and Coach Grantam each a free rein to do what needs to be done from now until Sept. 3–which is 275 days from now—you will see the damndest bunch of dawgs getting after Boise State’s a$$es that you have seen since Jan. 1, 1981. Laugh at me now, but please save this post and take a look at it around midnight on Sept. 3–you’ll smile and nod your head and think “everything’s going to be fine.”
Palmetto State Dawg
December 2nd, 2010
5:34 pm
Joe T, the assistant, is the best we can do? Are you kidding me? When are they going to wake up over there in Athens?!?!? They need a young & enthusiastic guy with fresh ideas. This is a lazy hire by Richt, who is a tired coach.
KaliDogg
December 2nd, 2010
5:36 pm
How about Royce Gracie or Anderson Silva?
Just kidding.
But not really.
GT
December 2nd, 2010
5:36 pm
You got a team that can’t play four quarters. Either you got to start coaching different and get that defense off the field or you need a better conditioned defense. Not sure how shuffling the same old deck gets that done but for a under talented team like Tech it is the only hope we have so thank you.
Hector
December 2nd, 2010
5:37 pm
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………………….
sandman053
December 2nd, 2010
5:38 pm
I agree with Jiggy…let’s wait and see. They hired CMR with no experience. Everyone, myself included, wanted Bobo gone early this year, but the scoring has went up (although he needs to ditch the balance for balance’s sake), and folks were complaining about CTG when he came in with no DC experience except at Cleveland. I think we’re going to be ok with this change and a few stud recruits who want to GATA on September 3rd.
PleaseGoOnYourMissionNowRicht
December 2nd, 2010
5:39 pm
This program is a joke and it will only get better when Richt’s laziness leaves. I mean how will this be any different than anything else he has done lately. I am glad I stopped buying season tickets years ago because this is pathetic.
tampaBIGdawg
December 2nd, 2010
5:40 pm
I hopes so Jiggy Smaha. I never said he wasn’t good. But new blood would be nice. Maybe it was the right move, seeing as how we just replaced so many coaches last year. He is a good guy. I have only ran into him once or twice and he was a good player(from old video I watched of the Dawgs). Regardless of all the mistakes on our D it is a big improvement over last year. Less penalties, went from 12 to 23 takeaways since last year. When you change a whole scheme it doesn’t work complete magic in one year. Even I know that. But you can get endurance and gain alot of strength in 275 days. So we shall see.
Red
December 2nd, 2010
5:40 pm
Just don’t spend the money on a Strength and Conditioning Coach. Buy some P90X workout dvd’s and let the players do ‘em twice a day.
(((42-34)))
Hobnail Boot
December 2nd, 2010
5:41 pm
I like CTG… I love the fact he has some fire about him. I did not bother me when he gave the choke sign to the Fla kicker. Hell I was doing the same thing.
jackyldo
December 2nd, 2010
5:45 pm
love the idea of working directly with the players – making sure they have licenses in order get a reminder about paying their tickets.
UGA Alumni
December 2nd, 2010
5:45 pm
Played as strong safety for Coach Goff / Bell; and, Coach T & Coach Kasay were our conditioning coaches … through lifting and no roids, I went from 200# to 218# in 12 weeks, bench climbed 40% during this time frame – 345#. They do a good job – lot of circuit and speed work, endurance training! A lot of team focus and drills!
tide roll
December 2nd, 2010
5:45 pm
This is hilarious, The fact that you guys think it’s “interim” says it all. I thought Dooley had retired. Kasay worked for him! And Kasay is older than I am! He’s got to be someone’s grandfather. Dooley must be trying to undermine the program on behalf of Derek. Can Richt stand up to anyone?, This is unbeleivable. Your competition is going to have a field day! Honestly, how do ya’ll put up with it ? How much more can a human withstand? Oh yes it’s great to be a jawja buuldawg, oh yes it’s great.
ThreeDawgKnight
December 2nd, 2010
5:46 pm
If Joe T is the Director;
would he then hire a:
(1) strength coach (wgts)
(2) conditioning coach (plyometrics, cardio, agility, etc)
(3) nutritionist
These people would answer to him and be mandated to show results.
Jiggy Smaha
December 2nd, 2010
5:46 pm
And just think Hobnail….Scott Blair chocked all by himself!
<——————————————-
Wide Left!
Mirk Racht
December 2nd, 2010
5:48 pm
Physical strength is not the problem. The problem is that most of the UGA players are illiterate morons. 96% of the players are academically provisionally accepted, with Richt knowing full well that they will use up all their coaching and tutors and elligibility and then have their asses kicked out on the street and soon be pushing grocery carts around Atlanta looking for a warm place to sleep. What a pitiful way to run the State’s flagship university.
Jim
December 2nd, 2010
5:49 pm
I like all of the professionals who are offering up such good advice on a subject they know absolutely nothing about! Go back to pumping gas at your local gas station and leave the more important decisions in life to someone else.
Mirk Racht
December 2nd, 2010
5:49 pm
Go Tech! #1 BABY
The Rated-Rookie
December 2nd, 2010
5:51 pm
Man…for once can you rednecks quit critiquing every move Richt makes! Damn…do you get paid $2.8 million a year? Do you even donate money to UGA? Or are most of you the dumb rednecks that think they know every thing there is to know about football. But two years ago thought we needed to adopt Paul Johnson’s style. Leave the public library computer and go back to your rusted out monster truck and your trailer park. Do you all realize how stupid you sound? Especially when you bring Herschel into EVERY conversation!
Go Dawgs and may you negative rednecks crawl back under your rock PLEASE!
tide roll
December 2nd, 2010
5:52 pm
Yes I read it correctly. Joe T is your new strength and conditioning coach ablely assisted by Gandpa Kasay! DO NOT LET THIS GUY SPOT ANYONE! Ya’ll lose enough players as it is.
Marcus
December 2nd, 2010
5:53 pm
For all you Murray lovers he sucks! Worst QB ever! I just wish I could provide one link to back up my post. Maybe just one link from one creditable sports writer or coach that agrees with my evaluation of Murray but the truth is I can’t find any. Trust me if I could I would post them, now I was able to post a few links from before the season on how people thought Murray would play but that is it. Someday I will hopefully find one.
tide roll
December 2nd, 2010
5:53 pm
GO TECH
bob
December 2nd, 2010
5:54 pm
How about hiring a Clarke Co Parole Officer, then they can combine scheduled events?
AltamahaDawg
December 2nd, 2010
5:54 pm
Several UGA coaches went out last year and looked at what other teams did as far asS&C. I can’t remember all, but VaTech was one of them. I would bet anything that this aspect of the program is/was already undergoing some changes but Dave was a year or two away from retiring, and just did Mark a favor to just take his name out of the conversation for peace sake. Obviously Richt isn’t sitting there thinking, Oh I’ll just replace this name with that name and all is fine.
tide roll
December 2nd, 2010
5:54 pm
Don’t worry we will be replacing our Head Coach soon. Saban can’t stay in place for very long.
bob
December 2nd, 2010
5:54 pm
Tech is #1
DawgFaninFL
December 2nd, 2010
6:00 pm
tampaBIGdawg, we need to hook up on the exercise front! Where in Tampa are you?
UGA Alumni
December 2nd, 2010
6:01 pm
@ tide roll … your funny! Coach Kasay is older .. I think he was born in 1944ish. Relates well and demands respect!
Mobile Dawg
December 2nd, 2010
6:01 pm
Altamaha, at this point I don’t think CMR has the stomach, or backbone to make the changes that are really needed. If he made all the right changes today, we look at two years minimum, probably three realistically to see the results. My opinion is he’s fortifying the walls around him, rolling the dice, and praying for a miracle. They will go down as a team.
With the “non” changes we’re seeing today how can realistic, logical folks expect different results?
Mobile Dawg
December 2nd, 2010
6:02 pm
Don’t know what it would take to get Pollack, but he needs to be brought on board in some capacity and developed for the future. He would be an inspiration, a motivator.
Get Tough
December 2nd, 2010
6:03 pm
GOLDBERG,GOLDBERG,GOLDBERG!!
Scooter
December 2nd, 2010
6:06 pm
Another vote for Goldberg, unless we can get Chuck Norris.
S & M
December 2nd, 2010
6:08 pm
Strength and conditioning are not what they were in the past. I also know Joe T and also feel there is not a more loyal Bulldog anywhere and one who is hardnosed.
Having said that…it is no longer just who can lift or bench the most. It’s about strength and power as before, but also about endurance, muscle confusion, flexibility, stamina under stress.
They are currently weak compared to some other teams, but we want them to have muscle and tendon flexibility so all are not out for the season with torn hamstrings or pectoralis muscles.
We can only wait and see.
Jiggy Smaha
December 2nd, 2010
6:09 pm
Tide Roll—you would wet your pants if you had to go face to face with “Grandpa Kasey.” He is STILL much a man. Everybody wants change for changes sake. That’s how we got Obama. How’s that working out for everybody?
AltamahaDawg
December 2nd, 2010
6:09 pm
Mobile, I find that logically, when results vary from time to time, the answer is usually found within the variables, and not the constants.
Aburnman
December 2nd, 2010
6:11 pm
Tide Roll, after watching the Aburn game, looks like alabamie needs a new strength coach as well. WAR Eagle !!
Mobile Dawg
December 2nd, 2010
6:13 pm
Altamaha, I find that you can’t remove with logic, what was not put there with logic to begin with.
tampaBIGdawg
December 2nd, 2010
6:13 pm
Ed…..Pollack had a neck injury, that is why he left early from the NFL. He was never that big, he just had heart and played with a passion. The Bengals moved him to OLB because he was to small for DE. He was only 255lbs. Some FB’s are that big. So shut it Ed. If you collapsed a vertebrae and didn’t work out for 2 yrs you would probably be 300lbs. Give the guy credit, Pollack is still 225 atleast. He never had adequate size. He had determination. Dang Ed are you the talking horse or what???
tampaBIGdawg
December 2nd, 2010
6:15 pm
Jiggy—— love the Obama post. So True!!!
AltamahaDawg
December 2nd, 2010
6:17 pm
I think it would be be very to find example of college football team who made absolutely no changes in thier staff and yet had entirely different results and had different outcomes the next year, would you?
Would it also be safe to say that its not difficult to find examples of college football teams that did make fairly big changes and it actually worked out worse?
Now lets look at the number of examples of where a team made major changes and they saw dramatic inprovement just one year later as a result.
Lets get some logical people together and calculate those odds.