UPDATED: Hines Ward says he wants to help Bulldogs win a national championship
Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Hines Ward (R) talks to Georgia coach Mark Richt during Tuesday's spring practice in Athens. A recent NFL retiree, Ward is trying to decide if college coaching is a career he wants to pursue. (UGA photo by Steven Colquitt)
FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
ATHENS – Hines Ward was a visitor at Georgia’s spring football practice on Tuesday, but you had to look hard to find him.
Dressed head-to-toe in Bulldogs’ coaching garb, unless you looked very closely it was impossible to distinguish him from any number of assistant coaches, grad assistants, managers or trainers. But Ward wasn’t trying to be incognito. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ star and recent NFL retiree came to his alma mater to try to get an idea whether college coaching would be a vocation he cared to pursuit.
“He just wanted to come over and spend the day with me and kind of see what coaching was like,” said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who played all four years at Georgia with Ward (1994-97). “He’s trying to see if that’s something he wants to go into.”
Asked what his advice was to Ward, Bobo laughed. “My wife told to me to tell him no.”
Nevertheless, Ward is expected to shadow Bobo for at least a couple more days. The Bulldogs are actually conducting a coaches’ clinic this week, which begins on Thursday.
“I hate that he couldn’t come out there and help us coach,” Bobo said. “All he could do was stand over there and watch.”
NCAA rules prevent Ward or any outside experts from actually coaching on the field. However, he did address the team in the locker room before practice.
“Bobo wanted to bring me out here to see the guys and stuff like that,” Ward told georgiadogs.com. “It’s encouraging. I’m excited about the upcoming year. And who knows? I always said if I ever wanted to coach this would probably be the first place I’d like to do that. I’m still lobbying Coach Richt to give me a job.”
Ward muffled a “no” as he laughed after that last statement. To bring him onto the staff at this juncture, Richt would have to reassign one of this current assistants or let them go altogether.
Ward, who was featured on the television show “Dancing with the Stars and actually won the competition, has also expressed an interest in television and acting. He indicated coaching wasn’t something he was likely to do right away. But in any case he is looking for some way to assist UGA.
“No time soon but one day,” Ward said of coaching. “Coaching is easy for me. I think I have a lot to give back to my alma mater and I want to see the Georgia Bulldogs win a national championship. So any experience or knowledge I can give to the football team to help them to get to that goal, so be it.”
You can see the full video of Ward’s interview on the school’s website by CLICKING HERE.
Ward, a wide receiver who won a Super Bowl MVP with Pittsburgh in 2006, was released by the Steelers on February 29. He retired from football just last week, saying he wanted to be “a Steeler for life.”
Missing Mitchell
Bobo was measured in his comments, but you can tell he’s not thrilled about losing Malcolm Mitchell to the defensive side of the ball for spring practice.
“No comment,” he said tersely. “I don’t even want to talk about it.”
After letting loose a laugh, Bobo said he hates to lose Mitchell but understands why he had to move. He also said he hasn’t given up on having the explosive receiver back on his side of the ball next fall.
It is what it is right now,” Bobo said. “He has to do what’s best for the team and help the defense. But it’s kind of back to recruiting in my mind. I’m recruiting the crap out of him daily.”
Meanwhile, secondary coach Scott Lakatos said he likes what he has seen of Mitchell at cornerback.
“He’s doing great. He’s such a good athlete he could be anything he wants to be,” Lakatos said.
Etc. . . .
It’s official: Tailback Richard Samuel is being cross-trained at fullback. . . . Noseguard John Jenkins missed practice Tuesday to attend to some academic responsibilities, according to defensive line coach Rodney Garner. . . . Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham does not expect outside linebacker Sterling Bailey (foot) to play this spring. . . . Wide receiver Rantavious Wooten remained sidelined with a pulled leg muscle. . . . Junior Dallas Lee appears to be getting increasingly more work at center. Lee started seven games at guard before suffering a broken leg this past season.
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162 comments Add your comment
Win With Richt
March 28th, 2012
2:16 pm
With Hines teaching our WRs to block, I bet a lot of SEC DBs would be looking out their earholes after some crushing blocks on a lot of plays.
RHall55
March 28th, 2012
2:25 pm
Let Hines show his real loyalty!! He doesn’t need the money!! Become a Grad Asst like Chris Samuels did @ AL recently!! Hines for GA and learn the college grind even more!! Win / win for both!!
ugalee
March 28th, 2012
2:38 pm
Normally I would think this is great. However, considering the timing of the recent dui, you’d think CMR would have the common sense to pull HW aside and say “we would love to have you here but lets wait a while for the dui thing to blow over and we’ll have you back sometime in the fall.” the reason that didnt happen is the same reason Bobo is still there and Martinez wasnt fired sooner- cmr doesnt have the stomach to make difficult or awkward decisions that sometimes need to be made for the good of the program.
bobbytide
March 28th, 2012
2:45 pm
In other news, OJ simpson visits USC on work release to inquire about rb coach opening!
Jimmy Crack
March 28th, 2012
2:46 pm
Let me see…what offensive skill position would Hines have experience with…hmmm…
That’s right, he played them ALL at Georgia!
HIRE HIM. Make both Hines and Herschel “PRO”s, as in Permanent Recruiting Officials.
Rooooooooooll Tide Roll
March 28th, 2012
2:49 pm
He’d fit in perfect. The NFL’s “Dirtiest Player” coaching the “Most Likely to be Arrested” team!
corkylovesbeer
March 28th, 2012
2:59 pm
ugalee..hw was charged with dui but he convicted for reckless driving…get your facts correct
DawginLex
March 28th, 2012
3:02 pm
Breaking News:
Joe Namath and Ken Stabler hired as consultants at Alabama to teach football players how to hide being drunk on national television
Jimmy Crack
March 28th, 2012
3:06 pm
TROLL HIDE!
Football Guy
March 28th, 2012
3:25 pm
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahah………………………………………
………………………………………………
……………………….
some sense
March 28th, 2012
3:51 pm
The absolutely worst thing you can say about any athlete is that (s)he’s “soft”.. Thi highest compliment you can ever pay any athlete is (s)he’s a M/F. Hines is a M/F’er’s M/F. There has got to be something he can do in/for the UGA football program – create a position – to imbue his characteristices among the current crop of Dogs.
DDPO
March 28th, 2012
4:00 pm
Douchebag
Dimwit
Pu$$y
OnlyLikeBoys
DawginLex
March 28th, 2012
4:02 pm
“Former” AD being the most important part of the phrase
He had a panties in his lap from a girl that was not his wife problem while driving drunk problem 6 minutes away from receiving a $200,000 raise.
You can’t fix stupid.
Ga/Fl.Stillman dog
March 28th, 2012
4:08 pm
Hire him. Whats the worst that can happen that Bobo and CMR have already messed up. the best thing going for us is defense.
Gator
March 28th, 2012
4:18 pm
I would be all for him replacing McClendon..
Kaye Tolbert
March 28th, 2012
4:27 pm
If we are smart, we will find a place for Hines before someone else does.
VADAWG
March 28th, 2012
4:35 pm
i have NEVER heard coach Richt say the word “national championship”. What I hear is ” well i don’t know” or “we r working on it”! Good Lord is this leaderaship or what?? PLEASE GO DAWGS
urban redneck
March 28th, 2012
4:53 pm
baseball>football
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can stop it
March 28th, 2012
4:56 pm
HA! He better give birth to another Herschel Walker. The most corrupt state in the Union doesn’t have the necessary self-discipline to win a title.
ole yeller
March 28th, 2012
5:04 pm
What all this Bull $hit about the almighty Bama tide. I would be suprised if they could make a wave on the SEC waters this year with all they lost to the NFL. They want be anything close to last year. Count on it. Even Saban can’t raise the dead.
DawgByte
March 28th, 2012
5:14 pm
Who would be more qualified to coach Georgia WR’s than Ward? I hope Richt can work something out. Can you imagine HW on the recruiting trail marketing the Bulldogs program!
Without Hershel Walker, UGA would be Vandy without the quality education
March 28th, 2012
5:39 pm
Just like he did when he played there.
BIGDAWG38
March 28th, 2012
5:51 pm
Hines Ward comes home to coach receivers and recruiting!!! That would be huge! GO DAWGS!!!
Paddy
March 28th, 2012
5:57 pm
JRW7………..that recruiting job you say is open would be the last job he would accept. That is a glorified gofer job. Not a job for a Pro-Bowl WR. But it pays 25,000, so he may jump at it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg Bite
March 28th, 2012
5:58 pm
Probably too obvious a hire. Therefore,it will not happen. CMR does not want to upset the “mediocre Apple Cart ” that is now in place!
01HAWK
March 28th, 2012
5:58 pm
CMR is wasting his time recruiting Foster after this news today;
The nation’s top-ranked linebacker, Alabama commitment Reuben Foster, is considering leaving his current high school in Georgia and transferring to a school in Alabama, according to a report from ESPN.
Foster, a five-star recruit rated the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect by 247Sports, told ESPN he wants to leave Troup County High School in Lagrange, Georgia and enroll at a school in Alabama that will allow him to complete his course work early and graduate in December, allowing him to enroll at Alabama in January of 2013.
Fats OKelly
March 28th, 2012
6:29 pm
Good recruiting and recievers coach for sure………………With the price of the concessions cotton candy,etc UGA could afford him.
bitter coach grantham
March 28th, 2012
6:30 pm
Foster is just one player, gratham has the nations best defence and we are gunn-in for bamma in the sec championship game
——————————–if bamma can beat miss st this year——–trailer boy’s—hahahah
Roadrunner
March 28th, 2012
6:47 pm
I don’t wish any ill will towards our current coaching staff, but Richt MUST find a spot for Hines on his staff!! What a plus it would be recruiting wise to have Hines Ward visit a potential wide receiver! Can you say “Slam Dunk”?
The Masked Superstar
March 28th, 2012
7:01 pm
Hines has all but asked for a job. Why not hire him a Receivers and Special Teams Coach. I have nothing against Coach Ball but Hines has played 16 years in the NFL and is considered one of the best WR’s ever and possibly the best to ever play in Pittsburgh. To be considered one of the best if not the best to play in Pittsburgh is an honor, I mean they had Stallworth and Swann and they weren’t chopped Liver…
Dawg89
March 28th, 2012
7:06 pm
Put all the offensive coaches name in a hat. Pull one out, either fire or reassign whoever it is. Then hire Ward. Or, reassign Tony Ball or Bryan McClendon. McClendon is probably the lesser of the two. Replace him with Ward and let Ball coach RB and Ward coach receivers.
BigGAdawg
March 28th, 2012
7:24 pm
How about Hines Ward as a special teams coach. That way no one has to be moved around and frankly we need a special teams coach.
Paddy
March 28th, 2012
7:39 pm
BigGAdawg…….IDawgs have their full staff of coaches allowed by the NCAA. Someone would have to be fired. You just can’t add a coach because he is available. A coaching change is not about to happen until 2013, if then.
mgdawg
March 28th, 2012
7:56 pm
Hines ward as an assistant would be great. Grantham has began to get the defense playing that hardnosed style defense, sorry but there are still too many missed tackles for me to say we are all the way there but they are close. Hines ward could bring that to the offensive side of the ball. The only question is, is there any room available to hire a new coach?
WestOfAthens
March 28th, 2012
8:16 pm
Hines Ward….Graduate assistant, albeit it 15 years later, possible right?
ck
March 28th, 2012
8:29 pm
CPJ hire Joe Hamilton, DUI’s obviously do not matter anymore
Old Dawg Fan
March 28th, 2012
9:24 pm
Probably the most positive idea I have heard come out of Athens in years!!!! Hire Ward in some shape, form or fashion!!!!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
March 28th, 2012
9:29 pm
ARE THE RUMORS TRUE???? i just read on msn homepage that rambo & ogletree are facing suspensions for 2 maybe 4 games for 2012 season. undisclosed reasons.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
March 28th, 2012
9:33 pm
here is the link: http://georgia.scout.com/2/1172305.html
Dogs Smell
March 28th, 2012
9:49 pm
In order to do that he would have to play and thats not going to happen just like Uga isnt going to win a NC anytime soon.
HW is a DGD
March 28th, 2012
9:59 pm
This hire is a no-brainer! He loves UGA and is an over-achiever and a winner!
fla dawg
March 28th, 2012
10:03 pm
we have some of the stupidest fans in college football!
NGD
March 28th, 2012
10:05 pm
Rambo and A.Ogletree suspended
Pat
March 28th, 2012
10:07 pm
Morons
fla dawg
March 28th, 2012
10:17 pm
Rambo, Ogletree, Commings, Smith…. maybe by the time the season starts we can have 11 starters suspended. Rambo needs to change his name back to Fudge and stop trying to be such a bad a–.
StackedDeck
March 28th, 2012
11:03 pm
Welcome back to Athens Town Hines…wish you the very best here on campus., I agree with “ole big dawg”,,,,,GO DAWGS!! hooorah!!
UGA / ‘74
FloridaDawg
March 28th, 2012
11:19 pm
Hines Ward has the ability to meet with any recruit at any time. He can coach wide receiver, blocking and anything else on offense.
We need him now recruiting before someone else goes after him
9 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 25 - not since beating Georgia tek # 13 in 2009. 7 Losses in a Row to teams finishing AP Poll Top 10 - not since beating Auburn # 9 in 2006.
March 29th, 2012
12:59 am
Mark Richt Signed Scholarships for 2012 to :
1.Brent Benedict # 10 OT 4-Star, transfer
2.AJ Harmon # 10 OT nation 5-Star, transfer
3.Dontavius Jackson # 23 TB 4-Star, transfer
4. Carlton Thomas TB suspended, transfer
5.Nick Williams Safety, transfer
6.Marcus Dowtin # 7 LB nation 4-Star, transfer
7.Bryce Ros # 22 TE would’ve been junior 2012
8.Johnathan Owens # 39 OT, would’ve been senior
9.DE Jeremy Longo would’ve been senior 2012
10.Xavier Tyrone Avery RB, minor league baseball
11.Toby Jackson # 9 DE 4-Star failed qualify transfer
12.Makiri Pugh, Safety Cornerback, transfer
13.Montez Robinson # 10 DE 4-* kicked off transfer
14.Washaun Ealey # 15 RB nation 4-Star, transfer
15.Lonnie Outlaw WR failed qualify, transfer
16.Jakar Hamilton Safety 4-Star, transfer
17.Derek Owens Cornerback, transfer
18.Demetre Baker # 23 LB 4-Star, kicked off transfer
19.Jalen Fields DE 4-Star, failed qualify, transfer
20.Kent Turene LB Dream Team failed qualify
21.Chris Mayes DT Dream Team failed qualify
22.Chris Little # 12 OT 4-Star transfer
23.Zach Mettenberger # 14 QB 4-* kicked off LSU
24.Jordan Lawrence Love 12/31/90 # 21 CB 4-* transfer
25.Sanford Seay SE Dream Team kicked off transfer
26.Chris Sanders, db, Dream Team kicked off, transfer
27.Nick Marshall CB Dream Team kicked off transfer
28. Sanders Commings CB Suspended Buffalo Missouri
29. Branden Smith CB Suspended Buffalo only McGarity?
30.Alec Ogletree LB Should be Safety Suspended
31.Bacarri Rambo Safety frequent boos Suspended
ck
March 29th, 2012
1:13 am
HInes and your defensive players and all go party and have a big time
32 years and counting..oh but this year will really be the year and we swear this time
Richard
March 29th, 2012
6:02 am
Rantavious?