Offensive line coach still looks Friend-ly; SEC East standings still look jumbled
A few notes to start the day:
- Mark Richt expects to name a new offensive line coach early this week, and all indications continue to point toward UAB’s Will Friend.
Two other candidates who had expressed strong interest in the position have been told they won’t get the job.
As for when the hire is made and announced, that probably depends on how long it takes to complete a routine pre-employment background check. UGA typically uses an outside firm to conduct the checks, which sometimes get completed more quickly than others.
Anyway, if you missed it, here’s a bit of bio on Friend from Friday’s blog:
As an offensive guard at Alabama in the 1990s, he was a four-year starter and a two-time All-SEC player. He was named to Alabama’s Team of the Decade.
He has been Alabama-Birmingham’s offensive line coach for the past four years and before that was offensive line coach at Gardner-Webb for two years. UAB’s head coach is Neil Callaway, a former offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Georgia. In fact, Friend helped Callaway with Georgia’s offensive line for two years (2003-04) as a graduate assistant.
- After another wild weekend in SEC basketball, Georgia has moved up to third place in the East Division -– ½ game out of second and ½ game out of last. The current standings:
Florida 7-2
Tennessee 5-3
Georgia 5-4
Kentucky 4-4
South Carolina 4-4
Vanderbilt 4-4
Georgia plays a non-conference game in Stegeman Coliseum against Xavier on Tuesday night –- an important game for NCAA tournament selection purposes. Within the division, the big game Tuesday is Tennessee at Kentucky.
- Georgia’s win over Auburn on Saturday made the Bulldogs 4-0 against SEC West teams, compared with 1-4 vs. the East.
- Back to football. Georgia’s lack of depth on the defensive line prompted the move last year of Justin Anderson from the offensive line to nose tackle. Anderson wound up playing in only one game –- the season opener -– because of a toe injury that required surgery, and it’s now unclear whether he’ll stay on the D-line or return to the O-line for his senior season. “That has not been determined yet,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said Saturday.
- More later today. . . .
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116 comments Add your comment
lollipops and kool aid
February 7th, 2011
9:07 am
UGA will keep the SEC MNC run alive in 2011.
Paul N Destin
February 7th, 2011
9:09 am
Will Friend is from Miss..not Alabama. As one poster stated trying to get someone to give up a good gig to come to UGA today is not going to happen with the Mark Richt on the hotseat. You can talk all you wish but the facts are Richt has to produce this year.
RabidDawgFan
February 7th, 2011
9:14 am
Doesn’t matter if he’s from UAB, if he can coach then he can coach. Sometimes it’s better to get a position coach from a lesser school because he has much more talent when he comes to a bigger school and can use it to it’s full strength. UAB worked Tennessee pretty good last year and no matter how bad TN was last season, they’re still SEC competition for UAB and UAB did a pretty good job. I welcome him and look forward to seeing our O-line overacheive for once.
mark
February 7th, 2011
9:19 am
Am I the only one who is truly fed up with people trying to make the national anthem a cabaret show tune.? Sing our national anthem like it is suppose to be sung or just shut up. You dont have to sing it well, just sing it right.
RxDawg
February 7th, 2011
9:30 am
“Looks like uga will have to hire a BAMA man to get things RIGHT in Athens.”
I’m sure someone has beat me to this but… just like Bama had to hire a Georgia man to run their defense?
jasont13
February 7th, 2011
9:37 am
Who ever Richt hires, people are going to be on here bashing him. I have a question to all that believe you need to make a splash with this hire. Name some current O-Line coaches UGA should hire. Most of you speak as if they are household names. Usually no body knows who the offensive and defensive line coaches are. Look at South Carolina last year. They hired a guy from App State.
Uga'91
February 7th, 2011
9:39 am
I like Sylvester Croom… MSU always ran the ball well they never found an SEC qb under him but we already have that. I believe he would be good for the staff with pro and SEC experience.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
February 7th, 2011
9:39 am
Roll Tide, Hey you have just forgotten that your offensive coordinator was a UGA Dawg.
RabidDawgFan
February 7th, 2011
9:40 am
Exactly Jasont. What is a “No-name hire”? Just because they don’t come from Alabama or Florida? Those no names turn into big names and Will Friend could be that next guy famous for turning our offensive line around and being dominant again in the SEC. Who was Nick Saban before he was “Nick Saban” and same for Les Miles and Mark Richt. Who were these guys before they were who they were?
GT is a 4th rate high school team
February 7th, 2011
9:40 am
Correction, your Defensive Coordinator was a UGA Dawg.
The General Feeling
February 7th, 2011
9:48 am
The Dawgs could have hired Vince Lombardi and it still would not matter. They still got Richt and Bobo running the O so please, someone, please tell us what will be different? .
sandman053
February 7th, 2011
9:49 am
GT but we DO have an OC that we will give them….lol
woebegong
February 7th, 2011
9:52 am
Everybody has to start somewhere. If they hire the OL from Al. Birm. I will bet you that he will know how to get the most out of his OL. Just think about it. His present team has had to play a lot bigger schools, with a lot ,more choices as far as OL players go, and had to coach up what he has got. I bet some of those folks on his OL do have just a little bit of nastiness in them. If I were to play for a small team, and the bigs teams just looked at you as a scrimmage, I bet you would have a little bit of nastiness also. We have the atheletes and I just bet he can whip them into a cohesive unit that will do the job well. I think the atheletes are already in place at UGA to do the job, I just think they need to put some muscle on their frame, and be able to do the job for the full 60 minutes needed. I Believe coach T. is going to make sure that happens.
John Galt
February 7th, 2011
9:52 am
Bean needs to go where he can be in the line-up, when healthy. With the signing of Jenkins that may be in the O line.
Huge Christina Aguilara fan
February 7th, 2011
9:58 am
Come on Mark…did you expect anything different from Christina? She is a caricature of good singers from the past…squeezing so much unneccessary vibrato into every word that you can hardly figure out what song it is or what words she is singing. That was terrible. I was thinking the Black Eyed Peas had nowhere to go but up from there but boy was I wrong. To that clown Robert on page 1…you would have to have been deaf to enjoy that halftime show.
Now as for Friend…I think he is a good hire. We need to find a young up and comer for that role. Same with the new DE’s coach. The old codgers are not always trying to prove themselves. Once you are in the Coaching Fraternity you are in–Look at Searles. He got a big raise after 2 consecutive seasons of horrible O-line perfomances.
Mike
February 7th, 2011
10:04 am
Looks like McGarity wouldn’t help Richt by offering more than a 1 year contract for the new O-Line Coach. Greg McGarity probably didn’t want to spend more ethan $25,000 on the O-Line Coach either, Georgia spent less than Alabama, Auburn, Florida % wise on the football program.
DawginLex
February 7th, 2011
10:04 am
Hire someone who can coach from wherever. Friend will be fine.
The difference?
If there is going to be a difference, it will be what is going on in the weight room between now and August.
If there is no improvement there, it won’t matter.
big root
February 7th, 2011
10:05 am
A GREAT recruiting class want beat Boise State hard work and the understanding of the game will. Boise State is going to fake a punt, run reverses and throw deep and the hold team come play a FULL 60 MINUTES will UGA be ready to do the same. Watch the V-Tech game.Get rid of bobo
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
10:09 am
I actually like the B.E.P.
Pretty hard to believe whoever was running the sound last night does it for a living though. It was horrible. Would have been better with a Fergy wardrope malfunction.
And you are correct about Aquilara. I did catch the gaff, but it was pretty difficult considering her absurd exageration of every word made it difficult to know what she was even singinginingnging.
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
10:12 am
Good to see those SuperBowl teams never ever run the ball between the tackles on 2nd and long, huh guys.
big root
February 7th, 2011
10:25 am
To the UGA players the reason no one was invited to play in these bowl games is simple who deserve to play in one you had all season to show how good you were and look at what went out on the field every weekend. UCF I REST MY CASE
Dirty Dawg
February 7th, 2011
10:25 am
Make sure he doesn’t have any skeletons or abused wives in the closet and get him in here. We’ve got some work to do to get our O-line back to the point that it can be counted on to dominate their side of the line of scrimmage…same with the D-line…do that and we win…do it not and we lose.
Dawg4ever
February 7th, 2011
10:36 am
@Roll Tide. You forget half your players come from the good ole state of GA also. Never understood why someone would leave GA for Ala.?
VA DAWG
February 7th, 2011
10:38 am
I really don’t like someone using a handle close to mine and referencing Jesus….scares me. Anyways, I think Friend would probably be a good hire…he’ll at least work hard to make a name for himself as oppose to Searls who apparently is a “big fish.” Also, what do you think of keeping the tradition of a bulldog, but with a twist…an American instead of English? GO DAWGS!
big root
February 7th, 2011
10:48 am
UGA will not win championship with MIKE BOBO driving the offense he don’t no were he’s going those screen plays he run the sideline to sideline passes those plays don’t work for UGA because Bobo as a coach don’t no how to execute them himself he needs to study green bay offense and play calling don’t be scared to throw down field
woebegong
February 7th, 2011
10:50 am
Dawg4ever,
It gives the Georgia boys a better appreciation of the beautiful state of Georgia.
Bobby Bulldog
February 7th, 2011
10:56 am
I understand there were scads of accomplished coaches of class who had successful experience at UGA and other big programs who applied for the job but were not called in for an interview because they were over forty.. I could name a couple and link you to their profiles but its a moot point now. Friend may do a great job but my belief is that Bobo has done such a poor job that he wanted a coach even less qualified than himself–someone he could mold in his own image who would not ever be likely to replace him. By Bobo’s own standards, he is approaching over-the-hill age so its time for him to put out feelers for a head coaching job. Hope Richt stops being so detached as a coach and shows a bit of enthusiasm.
Delbert D.
February 7th, 2011
11:27 am
Friend at least meets the “6 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon” test (through Callaway).
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
11:32 am
We ran a lot of screen plays last year and didn’t throw it down the field much? What game was that?
I’d willing to bet if we looked at the GB play-by-play from last night, and compared it to most UGA games, the play selection is not nearly as different as you think.
The execution is another matter.
DawginLex
February 7th, 2011
11:40 am
If you can’t block people it doesn’t matter who is calling the plays.
S&C will make or break this staff.
how2fish
February 7th, 2011
11:50 am
I have gone back and forward with my thinking on the OL hire…get a established guy and pay him whatever it takes, or get a younger guy who’s hungry and looking to make a name for himself…finally it struck me…we did the get a established guy and pay him whatever with CSS..and look how that worked out..so if they want to try a guy that’s a relative unknown fine..it’s not like this guy is new to the job he’s had 6 years experience at two schools as the OL coach.
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
12:11 pm
Bobby, my guess is that you wouldn’t be comfortable explaining your understanding of the situation to anyone actually associated with Georgia Athletics.
1962 Dawg
February 7th, 2011
12:36 pm
Roll Tide
Seems to be the same way in Bama, with Smart huh? Need a UGA man to run that D over there!!
VA Dawg II
February 7th, 2011
12:44 pm
VA DAWG. Dont mean to offend. It was my attempt at sarcasm/humor.
Bobby Bulldog
February 7th, 2011
12:50 pm
I doubt if any of us on this board would be comfortable explaining our impression of the UGA oc to Richt or Bobo in person, but I certainly wouldn’t mind asking them to release the names of people who applied and who was called in for an interview. If Friend was the best qualified person who applied, then Richt is in more danger than we thought. Someone with four years of experience at UGA as OC should be ready for prime time as a head coach so Bobo ought to start looking if he is worthy of the trust CMR puts in him. Didn’t CMR groom Bobo in his image? The landscape is littered with capable experienced coaches who got caught up in the revolving door of college coaching in their forties or fifties whereas coaches prefer young guys regardless of record.
Terry
February 7th, 2011
12:54 pm
This Bio tells a little more about Will Friend. http://uabsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/friend_will00.html
1962 Dawg
February 7th, 2011
12:59 pm
The difference in Friend and Searals.
One played for Bama, the other played at Awbarn.
Friend has been on the UGA staff before and should be fine.
Don’t think we should be throwing Searals under the bus for going with Texas.
His O-line this past season was responsible for 30+ points 7 games at UGA, and Searals O-line gave up 2nd fewest sacks in the SEC. Not all that bad. Especially starting a Freshman QB. Look back at the O-line stats for Stafford’s Freshman year. Not as impressive.
Friend will be a good hire and being young and familar with CMR will only be a +.
Ealey had a 5.5 ypc this past season.
wasn’t Searals fault he didn’t get to stay in the game longer or Searals fault that Ealey fumbled as many times as he did either!
Time to stop throwing rocks and start supporting who we get and Hunker Down!!!
GODAWGS
February 7th, 2011
1:11 pm
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Joe
February 7th, 2011
1:27 pm
Is this UAB Coach the biggest name the AD will pay for? Absurd.
Huge Christina Aguilara fan
February 7th, 2011
1:30 pm
Dawg4ever…They go because in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.
michael
February 7th, 2011
1:31 pm
will someone get richt to hire a offensive coordinator bobo has a good series and then thinks lets do something totally different on the next series never going to work
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
1:31 pm
Oh I didn’t mean scared or too polite to insult Richt to his face. Obvious none of us would do that.
I mean indicating in public what a complete and and utter DA that you must think Greg McGarity is.
BTW, who would you consider the most qualified OCs in the country, how long have they doing that job, and why aren’t they HCs somewhere?
DawgByte
February 7th, 2011
1:35 pm
UGa91 -
“Sylvester Croom”?
Are you out of your friggin mind!!!???
1962 Dawg
February 7th, 2011
2:04 pm
Altamaha
We’ve got one of the best OC in the country, we’re just using him as a HC instead of an OC.
You’ve got to have playmakers on both sides of the ball to win in the SEC.
Past few seasons we’ve had only 1 or 2 on each side of the ball.
Until we get some of these players on the field who want to commit to working their A$$ and making plays it won’t matter who’s calling plays on either side of the ball.
It’s like Arron Murray said after the Liberty Bowl, “some of our players think just because of who they are they are entitled to play regardless of their work ethic” until this problem is resolved, and I think it will be this summer, with players competing for jobs. Coaching means nothing! Got to have leaders on the field, until we get those in place we can expect the same results as we’ve had!!
VA DAWG
February 7th, 2011
2:14 pm
VA DAWG II,
It hard to read sarcasm on comment pages, but I understood…hope you understood mine as well. Go DAWGS!
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
2:29 pm
Good line 1962!
You are right, we have paid to train an OC as a HC, and paid to train a QB coach as an OC. Hate to waste that investment now.
I didn’t see that quote from Murray. I did see Walsh say they just expected to win the bowl game.
Bobby Bulldog
February 7th, 2011
2:36 pm
Altamaha–I don’t think the AD picked Friendly-I think CMR let Bobo pick him knowing Bobo would pick a young guy. You are very naive if you don’t accept that there is a very real preference toward coaches in their twenties or thirties in college sports and it involves more than salaries. By the way, many well known names have been head coaches and got caught up in the move toward younger coaches, just as Richt will eventually. Just off the top of my head, Jeff Bowers (USM) had a great record but was fired just to make way for a younger guy who has not produced. Look up the names yourself–every day older coaches with fine records are told by the ad that he wants to “go in a different direction” Obviously that bias was at play in the Friend hiring and in CMR’s hiring of Bobo as OC except it came from CMR instead of the AD.
how2fish
February 7th, 2011
2:42 pm
Bobby Bulldog you seem to THINK a lot WTF do you KNOW? Sorry you throw around a lot about what you think…give us some facts?
jack bull
February 7th, 2011
3:00 pm
my nephew seems to think Bean will be the starting RG next year. He’s thinking the line will look like this, Sturdivant, Glenn, Jones, Anderson, K Gates. especially since T Strickland isn’t going to play any more. and look for Geathers to get some PT at NG this coming year too…as far as the OL coach, Friend sounds like a pretty good choice. He’s played in the SEC, he knows what it takes…at FB, Figgins will split time with Zander Ogletree, but it’ll probably be Figgins for the most part. obviously, the biggest concern will be at the reciever position. we lost our 2 best, and Logan transferring, well, there went what we hoped to be a contributor…i’ll have more later…
still@the bar
February 7th, 2011
3:14 pm
Told you guys Friedgen would NEVER be a Dawg or risk some of his buyout money to sign with UGA.
Friedgen working for BoZo like TRUMP working for Rhonda Duffy Reality.