Georgia hires UAB’s Will Friend as offensive line coach (updated)
Will Friend celebrated his 36th birthday Monday by becoming Georgia’s offensive line coach.
Friend, who held the same position at Alabama-Birmingham for the past four seasons, was an All-SEC offensive lineman at Alabama in the 1990s and a graduate assistant coach at Georgia in 2003-04.
He fills the position vacated on the Georgia staff by last month’s departure of Stacy Searels for the same job at Texas.
At UAB, Friend worked under head coach Neil Callaway, who was Georgia’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 2001-06. Callaway became UAB’s head coach in 2007 and immediately hired Friend, who had been offensive line coach at Gardner-Webb for two years after his graduate-assistant stint under Callaway at Georgia.
“I got to see first-hand his work ethic when he was a graduate assistant on our staff,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said in a statement announcing the hire, “and since that time he’s developed into a seasoned, top-notch offensive line coach.”
The hire, expected since late last week, became official when routine pre-employment background checks were completed.
Friend was traveling and not available for an interview Monday. He said in a statement that he is “extremely excited” about the “tremendous opportunity” at Georgia.
“When I worked with Coach Richt and the staff as a grad assistant, I had a great experience, and I always wondered if I might have the opportunity to come back to Athens,” he said. “I am looking forward to getting to work.”
Friend, a native of Philadelphia, Miss., was a member of Alabama’s “Team of the Decade” for the 1990s. He was a four-year starter at offensive guard for the Crimson Tide from 1993-97.
Of the 120 FBS (formerly Division I-A) teams, UAB last season ranked 15th in fewest sacks allowed (12), 30th in total offense (423 yards per game), 24th in passing offense (267 yards per game) and 59th in rushing offense (156 yards per game).
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
234 comments Add your comment
Mr. Drysdale
February 8th, 2011
6:05 am
UGA fans are delusional: dream team and a new OL coach and we’re ecstatic. This team is still burdened with the same HC that has been outcoached, outsmarted, outmotivated and outplayed for the past three years in the SEC. He is still the same guy hiring second rate coaches and tolerating mediocrity from the existing staff. Curb your enthusiasm until Richt fields another competitive football team that can beat can beat somebody other than GT.
I predict we’ll be looking for a new HC in 2011. The leadership in this program is sorely lacking.
Anonymous 'Cos
February 8th, 2011
6:19 am
Dear Mr Drysdale…
I think you are just the leader the Dawg Nation needs. What, based on the leadership qualities you exemplified in your post and all. Sing a new song next time, please. This one is so overplayed, leader.
Go Dawgs…and Richt!
Ed
February 8th, 2011
6:20 am
What about Ealey?
lollipops and kool aid
February 8th, 2011
6:49 am
This guy should enjoy his temporary employment at UGA. The new head coach will come into a boat load of talent in 2012. I’m not worried about UGA’s bright future starting in 2012 because those players will finally be coached up.
Big Dawg
February 8th, 2011
6:59 am
Personally I know nothing about Coach Friend but I hope that Coach Richt’s friendship with Coach Calloway did not overly influence him. I also hope this guy comes in as a real hardnosed coach and doesn’t play favorites. We have had way too many mental errors/missed assignments on the O-line the last 3 years and this along with the predictable play calling has helped in causing some of our inconsistency on offense.
Go Dawgs
AltamahaDawg
February 8th, 2011
7:15 am
I hope Richt’s freindship with Calloway DID influence him. Calloway was one of our better Oline coaches so opinion matters, and he would give his pal Richt good advice.
Tech Sucks
February 8th, 2011
7:18 am
Go dawgs you fail at life.
JB
February 8th, 2011
7:23 am
Mark is in a tough spot. A couple of things happened here. Calloway AND Richt are both on a short leash. Calloway likes this young coach. Calloway’s parting gift to him is a shot at the big time. Richt/UGA could not fill this job with a big time, seasoned 400K kinda guy without 2 to 3 year terms. That wasn’t going to happen. Coach Friend will probably be an improvement, but a big time OL coach was not coming here. And looking at Richt’s history of hiring, he wouldn’t do it anyway. He is very comfortable with relationship type under the radar hires. Just My 2 cents.
JB
February 8th, 2011
7:28 am
I will tip my hat to Paul Johnson. There are three ex head coach’s on his staff. Groh, McCollum,and Seweek ( sp).
Georgia | MrSEC.com
February 8th, 2011
8:14 am
[...] offensive line coach.”Friend has spent the past four seasons under Neil Callaway at UAB. As The AJC points out, the Blazers ranked 15th nationally in sacks allowed, 30th in total offense, 24th in passing offense [...]
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:15 am
Ealy has been kicked off of the team
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:16 am
Cheers to Isaiah! He might be the only true tailback we have in the fall. Waushan is history and I hear Caleb is not far behind
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:17 am
Can you make that official for us Tim??
ATL Sports Fan
February 8th, 2011
8:18 am
JB, and guess what those ex three head coaches got Paul Johnson? 7 losses. People on here will critiscze Coach Richt for anything and everything he does. Heres my question to the so called “Know it alls”. Name me an offensice line coach that would have been a ’splash’ type of hire? Offensive line coaches are not house hold names. Give me some names without having to look them up on the internet. Heck, if Coach Richt was smart he would hire some of the people that come on here and post their comments. Interesting how there are a lot of un-employed football coaches on here.
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:19 am
Ealy is gone!
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:19 am
seems newsworthy to me Atl Sports Fan
JB
February 8th, 2011
8:20 am
This is not good news about Ealy. Although he would classified at a mid range type SEC back talent wise, he had proven experience. If King does not come back, we open the season very green at RB.
Crowell and Malcomb, although have some talent. it’s not proven.
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:20 am
Mr. SEC football….please confirm the Ealy ouster
Kendawg
February 8th, 2011
8:21 am
Let’s give coach Friend a chance before we grade him. His stats at UAB this past year indicate that he can do the job.
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:22 am
losing that experience combined with some pretty decent talent lowers our potential considerably….remember we are only one injury away in every position
legionaire
February 8th, 2011
8:26 am
Welcome to UGA. He will have some talent to work with. The fact that he mad All-SEC at Alabama is a plus because he is used to big time football and has paid his dues at UAB. Looks like a good hire.
ATL Sports Fan
February 8th, 2011
8:26 am
RMike, good post but thats why you are not coaching at the college or pro level. What makes you think they did not do their due diligence? They have been looking at candidates for 2 weeks. Its interesting at the idiots who post on here with zero intelligence. Funny you mentioned upper echelon NFL coaches. Why would you go from the big leagues to college unless it was to be a cordinator or head coach. So that takes the NFL out of play. Same thing goes for a lateral move. You do not take a lateral move unless it is to a better program and better pay. Sometimes even that doesn’t work. Your right Coach Richt should have contacted you and had you be his consultant for this hire.
ATL Sports Fan
February 8th, 2011
8:28 am
If this is true. Ealey must not like the looks of the depth chart. With Malcome and Crowell being RS and true freshmen. He knew his carried were going to be drastically reduced.
gt
February 8th, 2011
8:32 am
Another recruiter type over hard nose coach. There will be peace in the valley but not wins on the scoreboard. One of the best unknown quarterbacks in the pros this year came out of Alabama-Birmingham, he was a rookie this year. Everybody was looking at this kid thinking he was another Cam Newton and where did he come from. Well he came from a team that had no offensive line in college and no one saw his skill because he was running for his life half his career. Richt loves that easy path.
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:34 am
Ealy to transfer after being booted off of the team
dawgster
February 8th, 2011
8:35 am
If its true about Ealey, then my fears regarding our depth are going to be a huge problem…We should have gotten 2 RB’s in this class…Crowell and Caffey would have been great additions…Now we could possibly be down to one RB that actually has played in a SEC game, in King, and based on some of his past problems, will he still be on the team come fall…Not sure how we let this happern, i know some things you can’t control, and i hate to be negative with so many positive things that have happened recently, but this could be a problem…What will an injury to Malcome or Crowell do to us at RB…go dawgs
ATL Sports Fan
February 8th, 2011
8:41 am
GT, your name speaks for itself. Funny how you did no research at all. If you would have you would have seen that Joe Webb threw for almost 2300 yards. In order to throw the ball for that many yards he would have had to have a line to block for him. Funny, you mentioned him with Cam Newton. Joe Webb rushed for about 1400 yards and you mentioned cause he was running for his life however you did mention Cam Newton running for his life. I watched a lot of UAB games since I am an alum of UAB and can tell you he was a run first QB, and the lines blocked very well for the lack of talent.
Kenny
February 8th, 2011
8:48 am
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM MR. FRIEND. WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK. DO SOMETHING THAT COACH SEARLES WAS NOT ABLE TO DO…….COACH THESE GUYS UP!
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:53 am
We didnt let it happen……….Ealy is all about Ealy…….never about team……good riddens #3
Dawg Squeeze
February 8th, 2011
8:53 am
Welcome to Athens coach. Hey, do you know anything about how to successfully bred healthly dogs?
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
8:54 am
It is kind of amazing how quiet the press is about this Ealy thing…….wuz up
Supervisor
February 8th, 2011
8:55 am
@JDawg,
Please……….
JB
February 8th, 2011
8:55 am
ATl sports fan…………….stop and think a minute why they call this a blog. Ok, I’ll help. It’s a gathering of opinions from a group of people on a particular subject. Your welcome.
JDawg
February 8th, 2011
9:06 am
You’re right Sup…..my bad
Jborodawg
February 8th, 2011
9:14 am
Pretty good pedigree; looks to be a good hire on the surface. As with the recruiting class, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Welcome to Bulldog Nation, coach Friend!
Supervisor
February 8th, 2011
9:15 am
No big deal…..
Otto
February 8th, 2011
9:23 am
JB the OL stood no chance when the defense has a good idea of what is coming and combine that with a S&C programming that even the staff now admits was lacking. Searles was the one coach proven on the offensive side of the ball outside of UGA. I hope Crowell can pick up 10 yrds running a draw on 3rd down.
cowetadawg
February 8th, 2011
9:41 am
ok Jdawg what is the deal? why try to poke the bear with a stick either link an conformation of shut up
Mobile Dawg
February 8th, 2011
9:45 am
If the Ealy thing is true all I can say is look at Saban’s first year at Bama. He told them what was expected, how it was going to be, and that’s the way it was going to be. Those who didn’t buy in were weeded out pretty quickly. Maybe Richt and McGarity have adopted that philosophy.
If you’re not going to be a positive member, influence, then you’re not going to be here. I like the sound of it, if it hurts a bit in the beginning that’s ok. Nobody said medicine was tasty.
Mobile Dawg
February 8th, 2011
9:48 am
My research on Ealy comes up empty. What’s up Jdawg?
sowega dawg
February 8th, 2011
9:51 am
Mobile Dawg,
Dawg Post is reporting an indefinite suspension for Ealy.
Mobile Dawg
February 8th, 2011
9:52 am
Thank you sowega, any ideas on why?
Jackson
February 8th, 2011
9:54 am
All you need to do with Friend is look at UAB’s statistics the last 4 years. His first year was terrible. But the next three years are fantastic. Statistically better than UGA in rushing all three years. And yes I know, UAB is not in the SEC but UAB does not garner SEC athletes either….
sowega dawg
February 8th, 2011
9:54 am
missed a mandatory disciplinary run, Chris Low at ESPN has the story as well as Dawgs247.
woebegong
February 8th, 2011
9:56 am
I have heard that Ealey missed a punishment run, but I have no idea what he was punished for, or if it is leading to wanting to leave the team. King and Ealey have not been exactly dedicated to UGA, as far as their education and team loyalty go. If the young Mr. Crowell can get up to speed fast, they might, if they even stick around, find they are sharing time with this young man, and if he is good enough-fast enough, they might see extended pine riding time. I personally hope that Ealey straigthens up but I have my doubts, at least from what I have read, that King wants to’ or can, at this point.
AltamahaDawg
February 8th, 2011
9:59 am
There are Oline coaches are making $400,000 and looking to move????
Apples II Oranges
February 8th, 2011
10:11 am
Well Ealey obviously missed the recruitment of Crowell. Way to stay motivated. Not very bright I must say on his part.
UAB
February 8th, 2011
10:13 am
Richt hired another gofer type coach—-he doesn’t want anyone who can upstage him. Look for more mediocrity in the offensive line next year, which may be richt’s last.
nerds! nerds! nerds!
February 8th, 2011
10:25 am
Wow. We get to see Washaun’s true character.
1. Crowell signs with UGA.
2. Washaun gets in trouble.
3. Washaun pouts and stomps his feet. “They can’t punish me. I’m the man.”
4. Washaun suspended indefinitely. GOOD RIDDANCE!
GREAT JOB COACHES
GATA
UGAG Pre-Season #1 Fulmer Cup Champs
February 8th, 2011
10:28 am
Looks like Washout Early just realized what “disposable” means.
No real surprise that Richt has kicked Early (and King)
to the curb for Crowell.
MARK IT DOWN: Richt will dump Caleb King after Spring Practice.