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
Bobby Bulldog
February 7th, 2011
3:16 pm
Altamonte-You asked why all middle age assistants are not head coaches. Not a well thought out question. There are only so many head coaching jobs and many assistants prefer working directly with players to pushing paper. Some have been head coaches and were fired or resigned, leading to dismissal of their assistants. Assistants are probably far more important in a team’s performance, especially if the head coach is hands off. My thoughts are based on facts and observations from inside sources–including people with real knowledge.
sandman053
February 7th, 2011
3:18 pm
still@the bar: that is a funny comparison there my friend.Sadly true, but funny.
1962 Dawg
February 7th, 2011
3:21 pm
If CMR will hold these players feet to the fire and make them earn playing time instead of playing seniorty. Several times the past couple of seasons we’ve had better looking talent on the bench. Working with the weights and conditioning and abandoning the matt drills should help with our lack of success in the 2nd half of games in2011.
Thomas Brown should be a big asset in this area.
Winning that line of scrimmage is a must in the SEC and we haven’t been doing that.
Maybe this season we can.
Anybody see where we ended up in rankings after John Jenkins signed?
I saw where ESPN had us 6th or 7th, jus wondeing about scout and rivals?
sandman053
February 7th, 2011
3:23 pm
1962 Rivals has us #5
sandman053
February 7th, 2011
3:25 pm
Scout has us #7.
1962 Dawg
February 7th, 2011
3:36 pm
Thanks sandman053
Didn’t know if Awbarn droped since they didn’t get their O-lineman.
Best way to keep them out of trouble is, keep them in CLASS and the WEIGHT ROOM.
And this class of recruits should make a difference!
how2fish
February 7th, 2011
3:50 pm
Looks like its a done deal.. http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b88Pn
Danny G
February 7th, 2011
4:22 pm
Haters gonna hate. Leave the Black Eye Peas alone. They have sold millions of albums and won multiple grammys. They are richer than anyone on this blog and are still going strong, even though they have been together for 16 years. What do you want, some wheelchair rockers trying to not look so old playing songs that are 40 years old? Deal with it people.
Huge Christina Aguilara fan
February 7th, 2011
4:40 pm
Well at least what the “wheelchair rockers” were playing was music. Autotune does not count as music.
The closest the Peas got was when Slash played but that chick promptly butchered Sweet Child o Mine. They are awful. Musicians prove their craft and musicianship in live shows. Apparently the Peas are only good in the studio with 20 thousand tools covering up the fact that they can’t sing.
I enjoy music…when musicians play it. I can do without a bunch of dancers trying to sing and failing. Tough luck Danny G. Calling out the performers at the worst Halftime show in the history of the Super bowl is not hating.
P.S. Making money in the music industry does not prove that you are a good musician. All it takes is a good producer and some savvy marketing. So you just keep on lapping up all of the crap the music industry thinks you should like.
Pacific Dawg
February 7th, 2011
4:52 pm
The game was in Texas. They should have had country music singers for the half time show. I bet that ole Merle Haggard or Hank Jr. would have done a much better job than Sack Eyed Fleas or whoever they were.
Huge Christina Aguilara fan
February 7th, 2011
4:57 pm
Pacific Dawg…I’ll bet you and I could have done a better job.
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
7:08 pm
No Bobby, I did not ask that. Not even close to what I asked. What I DID ask was a hellova lot better thought out than: Richt/McGarity are clueless that Coach Bobo (who apparently has staffing control now) is just hiring somebody that he knows will fail to make himself look good.
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2011
7:11 pm
Not with that sound man. Were they using Mr. Microphone.
The Watergirl
February 8th, 2011
12:43 am
How soon these negative UGA fans come right back out!! Did you forget we just had the “so-called” best OL coach the last 4 years and he was awful, shut up and get on board or find another team!!
Go Dawgs
dogdawg
February 10th, 2011
6:03 am
I’ve been down on CMR for awhile, but i must admit he is trying.So i’m gonna give him another shot GO DAWGS !!!!
We ruin this state
February 13th, 2011
7:19 pm
Life ain’t worth living between recruiting and the first game. What do we do now ? Get a job ? Maybe just watch replays of the 1980 season ? Day-dream ?