UPDATED: Football assistant Rodney Garner leaving Georgia ‘to get Auburn back on track’
Rodney Garner has served as Georgia's defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for 15 years. He has been Mark Richt's assistant head coach since 2005. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – In the end, Rodney Garner felt like he could no longer ignore his alma mater’s calls for help.
Garner, Georgia’s assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach for the past 12 years, accepted an offer to handle the same jobs at Auburn, where he played offensive line and started his coaching career. He will also receive a significant salary increase from the $300,000 a year he earned with the Bulldogs.
But as Garner adamantly pointed out in an exclusive interview with the AJC Thursday night, “this is not about the money.”
“It was a very difficult decision,” Garner said. “I’ve been approached many times about this opportunity. But it’s my alma mater. It may be more of a pride thing, just looking at where they are right now and feeling like I really wanted to be a part of getting them back on track. I just felt like God was leading me in this direction. It’s something I prayed about and it was not an easy decision. I would not have left for any other reason than Auburn.”
Garner, 46, has received overtures from Auburn several times over the years, including from Tommy Tuberville and Gene Chizik. Chizik was dismissed after the Tigers went 3-9 this past season. Gus Malzahn, who was Chizik’s offensive coordinator but left to become head coach at Arkansas State, was hired by Auburn on Dec. 4.
Garner has spent the last 12 seasons at Georgia working under head coach Mark Richt. He was hired at UGA by former coach Jim Donnan in 1998. A native of Leeds, Ala., he played for the Tigers under Pat Dye from 1984-88. He also met his wife Kimberly there.
Garner will join the Tigers’ staff immediately.
“It’s just time,” Garner said. “I’ve been at Georgia 15 years. It’s been awesome. Worked for two great head coaches at the University of Georgia. Jim Donnan gave me the opportunity to come here, who I have a tremendous amount of respect and love for. And then Coach Richt who retained me and I worked for him for 12 years. Coach Donnan is already in the Hall of Fame, and I’m sure Coach Richt will be one day. So it was a very difficult decision.”
Garner said he spent a long time Thursday counseling with Georgia’s team chaplain Thomas Settles about his decision, then a long time talking to Richt Thursday night.
“It’s difficult because you’re going to a rival school,” Garner said. “Mark has been very good to me and I want people to know that. People need to recognize the body of work that Mark has done here. Here’s a guy who has been at Georgia 12 years and he’s gone to the (SEC) championship game five times. Prior to him coming there, they’d never been to that game. I look at what he’s done there for 12 years, the way he’s done it, the way he’s won with class and integrity, and he’s just been a great guy to work for. So it’s hard leaving him. I mean it really was. But everything I hear about Coach (Gus) Malzahn is that he’s that same caliber of man, cut from that same cloth, and I think it will be a family-friendly environment, which is important to me, with a wife and six daughters.”
Many preliminary reports about Garner’s interest in joining the Auburn hinted at discord between him and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“The defensive staff we had at Georgia, Coach Grantham, I just think he’s great; he’s awesome,” Garner said. “I think Todd deserves to be a head coach. I was really thinking he’d get some shots at it this year. I think he’s one of the brightest minds I’ve ever been around. Then Scott (Lakatos) and KO (Kirk Olivadotti), we just had a lot of chemistry on that staff.”
Garner would not discuss the financial terms of his contract with Auburn other than to say, “it’s a good deal.” He was on a yearly contract with Bulldogs.
“I’m sure at some point it will all become public record, but that’s not what this was about,” he reiterated.
Regardless, Garner’s departure comes at a complicated time for Georgia. The Bulldogs are in the midst of recruiting their biggest class of the restricted-scholarship era — around 35 in all — and obviously Garner is the hub of that effort. Best known for attracting great defensive linemen to come play for him, Georgia has been considered a leader for junior college all-star Toby Johnson and 5-star defensive tackle Montravius Adams of Dooly County. Both signings could now be in jeopardy.
“I’m kind of surprised, but it helps Auburn,” Adams told 247Sports. “We have a great relationship. He’s a great guy. I know that he’s a guy that will get defensive linemen to the league. I wouldn’t mind him being a guy that coaches me for three or four years. He’s going to be a guy that I’m going to be with most of the time besides the weight-training guy.”
Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs was the first to announce Garner’s hire via Twitter. Auburn later sent out a news release that quoted Malzahn and Garner.
“We’re excited to announce Rodney Garner as our assistant head coach and defensive line coach,” Malzahn said in the statement. “Rodney is one of the top defensive line coaches in college football who has had great success in the Southeastern Conference. We’re excited to welcome an Auburn man back home.”
Said Garner: “I owe a lot to Auburn and the men who helped mold me to who I am today both professionally and personally. I’m very appreciative to Coach Malzahn for this opportunity and I feel very strongly that I can be an asset to the program. I have a lot of love for Auburn and I felt this was a great chance to help give back to a place that has given me so much. I look forward to helping get Auburn back to where it belongs.”
Richt finally acknowledged Garner’s departure in a statement released at 11 a.m. Friday:
“I want to thank Rodney for 15 years of loyal service to UGA. He was the first assistant I hired when I came to Georgia and it turned out to be a great decision. He’s a tremendous ball coach, recruiter, and mentor and a great example of what a good father and husband should be. He’s been a blessing to my life as well as to UGA. We wish him and Kim all the best.”
MORE ON GARNER
Here’s a link to a “10 Things You Should Know about Rodney Garner” profile I did this past summer.
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493 comments Add your comment
Hugh
December 22nd, 2012
4:21 am
Has ‘t Richt interviewed Travis Jones in the past? It seems that we’ve been down the road before. I hope Richt gives Grantham a nudge in that direction.
7576DAWG
December 22nd, 2012
5:23 am
If I were a recruit the only coaches that would influence me going to Georgia would be Richt, Bobo and Grantham. Whether Garner was there or not would not influence me any. I hope we do not lose any rec ruits because Garner decided to leave . We may have a lot of Linemen who have made it to the NFL in the last 15 years but the Defensive Line has not been rated year after year , good enough to make Garner leaving a problem that Richt can not fix real easy .
booger
December 22nd, 2012
7:20 am
This has been coming for a LONG time…..
His days were numbered, he will not be a huge loss ..
Now go get a BIGGER, BETTER D-line coach.
This is an opportunity to better the staff.
dap01
December 22nd, 2012
7:34 am
FACTS:
Garner is a good man. We appreciate is contributions and service.
Garner use to be a great recruiter, not so good lately.
Garner is not the best coach in the world, state or county.
UGA might lose ONE recuit, leaving them with only 30+ remaining.
Auburn was the worst team in the SEC this year, one of the worst last year.
Auburn is in deep trouble with the NCAA.
NO RECRUIT WANTS TO GO TO AUBURN NOW.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 22nd, 2012
7:40 am
dap01……..what have UGa’s recruiting class been ranked over the last 5 or so years? What about the Dream Team(haha) and Dream Team II(haha)?
Banker
December 22nd, 2012
8:04 am
1. Anyone who thinks Garner wasn’t feeling pressure, after giving up 300+ yards rushing in each of the last 3 games, after finishing 79th in the country in rush defense, has no clue. Last 3 years, against ranked teams, Garner’s d-line dropped from a decent 35th in rush defense in 10′, to 48th in 11′ to 70th in 12′. Grantham wouldn’t be a solid coach if he didn’t have a SERIOUS talk with Garner concerning his anemic rush defense and the direction of the rush defense over the last 2 seasons.
2. How do you finish 79th in rush defense with Jarvis Jones, John Jenkins, and Alex Ogletree, three future NFL 1st round draftpicks? no excuse, that’s incomprehensible. At a minimum, it’s one of the epic fails of all time considering the defensive talent UGA had in 12′. Worst case, means Garner was not being able to coach em up.
3. Getting humiliated and gashed for 350 yards rushing in the SEC Championship didn’t help Garner, that’s for sure. After all, no other SEC defense got pummeled that bad by Alabama, with a LOT less talent than UGA had.
4. He said it wasn’t about MONEY, but he just HAPPENED to receive a significant pay increase. What a coincidence?
5. Jim Donnan is not a great coach. Garner thinks so, says a lot about his ability to evaluate talent
6. If you’re going to leave, head out West or coach a team in a different conference, Garner left to play for one of UGA’s biggest annual rivalries. You don’t do that to one of the classiest coaches of all time, Mark Richt. Really a low ball move.
7. Garner appears to be full of Garner, he’s had countless opportunities to coach elsewhere, 79th in rush defense, sure they were beating the door down.
8. Auburn got a dline coach that ranked 79th against the run. Wow, really impressed.
South Ga Dawg
December 22nd, 2012
8:22 am
Did anyone watch M.Adams against ECI in state championship game at the Dome??
Eddie Lacey
December 22nd, 2012
8:34 am
yea, he sho did coarch your D-line well.
last i saw them i wuz runnin’ over them pussies
Footbal Guy
December 22nd, 2012
9:15 am
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahaha………………………….
……………………………………
…………….
Larry
December 22nd, 2012
9:16 am
Garner leaving is the best news I’ve heard since Ray Goff was fired !!!
Pete
December 22nd, 2012
9:59 am
@ No. 1 Braves Fan
That is because football players @ GT take such easy classes.
Ben
December 22nd, 2012
10:04 am
Garner leaving; should be looked at as “opportunity” not “loss”.
Steve
December 22nd, 2012
10:11 am
I heard Auburn paid him.
PlowDog
December 22nd, 2012
10:18 am
SHOULD UGA AD GREG MCGARITY BE FIRED? I MEAN LAST YEAR, WE LOST THE WHOLE STRENGTH & OCNDITONING STAFF DUE TO 1 YEAR CONTRACTS AND POOR COMPENSATION, THIS YEAR, YOU LOSE YOUR POSITION COACH & RECRUITER.
IS GREG MCGARITY IN OVER HIS HEAD? SHOULD MCGARITY BE UNDERPAID, AND ON A 1 YEAR CONTRACT TO WIN THE SEC IN FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL OR FIND A NEW JOB?
MY Dawg
December 22nd, 2012
11:10 am
Van Gorder is looking for employment. He has the pedigree and has coached in the league. He won’t stay long anywhere, but could fill a void for a year or two. He is already getting paid by Auburn anyway, so the salary shouldn’t be that big of a deal, and it would put him in the national spotlight yet again. Hire Van Gorder… How fun would it be to watch him and Grantham freaking out on the sideline…..
Jborodawg
December 22nd, 2012
11:25 am
@Banker…
“…giving up 300+ yards rushing in each of the last 3 games, after finishing 79th in the country in rush defense, has no clue…”
Wouldn’t that fall on the D coordinator? With your reasoning we could also blame the LBs coach; or even the DBs coach, when they’re supposed to come up for run support.
Sadly, many pundits will read some of the comments here and think they represent Dawg Nation.
Jborodawg
December 22nd, 2012
11:29 am
GTBob, and others who continue to decry the academics at UGA:
I’ve asked before and I’ll ask again; please research the number of Rhodes Scholars, Academic All Americans, etc at UGA. Compare those numbers to Tech and report back. You’ll be graded appropriately for your response.
Boosters are auburns recruiting coordinators....cheetahs
December 22nd, 2012
11:37 am
when they say it’s not about the money…..it’s about the money.
auburns a train wreck, but it’s his alma mater.
Rodney did well for us, I hope he doesn’t get entangled in his recruiting with infamous auburn boosters. Otherwise his career move to auburn will have turned out as well as Brian Van Gorders and willie martinez
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 22nd, 2012
11:44 am
Jborodawg…………..
Rhodes Scholars from Tech…Zero.
Rhodes Scholars from UGa…Zero.
I don’t know How many Academic All Americans either team has but I know UGa has easier majors to take to qualify. Why don’t you come back with the Academic All American from both and what they majored in. You will see GT players with BS degrees and UGa players with BA degrees.
Rick James
December 22nd, 2012
11:47 am
@GTBob
Its UGA. A school with no academic standards that is built on football and drinking. It doesn’t matter who the coaches are, they will get top 10 recruiting classes every year.
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Didnt a Georgia Tech assistant basketball coach just get arrested in Jacksonville on a DUI charge? Funny you would bring up drinking and not mention that.Along with the fact that Joe Hamilton lost his job at Tech because of a hit and run/DUI..
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 22nd, 2012
12:10 pm
Rick James….Coaches with DUIs is different than the Culture in Athens the students and fans create to be in the top 5 party schools regularly.
Mike
December 22nd, 2012
12:18 pm
I read where some of you dog fans said that Auburn sucks and will continue to suck…yada, yada, yada….when was the last national championship at uga? That’s what I thought…uga is a program that plays dirty and it was sooo funny to see you whining about Nick Fairly and then the hit on Murray in the SECCG…somewhere Brandon Cox was smiling…
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 22nd, 2012
12:19 pm
Rick I would also say unless a UGa coach got in and accident they wouldn’t get busted for DUI in Athens. In Atlanta or Jax the UGa coaches wouldn’t get the breaks they do in Athens. Like D. Evans only did his lil dance the 1 time he was busted in ATL. S. Yoculan is famous for drinking. After Halloween partying in downtown Athens 3 teachers and administrators were busted for DUI. people make mistakes but Athens has a Drunk Culture that they love to promote.
The AlphaDawg
December 22nd, 2012
12:34 pm
I don`t care who it will be to replace Garner, but that person needs to extend an offer to Lorenzo Carter 5 star DE class of 2014 from the AAAAAA state Champions and 6 ranked team in the nation ( Norcross Blue devils ) He has been rated as high as the #3 prospect in the nation for the class of 2014 . Can someone explain why he does not have an offer from Georgia. He has said he is intrested in the bulldogs. What is the issue.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 22nd, 2012
12:41 pm
The AlphaDawg
Instead of posting that on EVERY Blog why don’t you email the UGa football staff? I bet the UGa coaches get on the AJC blogs all the time to find out about recruiting gems they some how missed.
Rick James
December 22nd, 2012
1:18 pm
@Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
Rick I would also say unless a UGa coach got in and accident they wouldn’t get busted for DUI in Athens. In Atlanta or Jax the UGa coaches wouldn’t get the breaks they do in Athens. Like D. Evans only did his lil dance the 1 time he was busted in ATL. S. Yoculan is famous for drinking. After Halloween partying in downtown Athens 3 teachers and administrators were busted for DUI. people make mistakes but Athens has a Drunk Culture that they love to promote.
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So does New Orleans and Las Vegas.But it does not mean that everybody there drinks.I guess if you’re a Tech fan talking Tech/ Georgia football is just out of the question since there’s not much for you to talk about.I dont see Tech competing with Georgia on the field for the next five years so I guess off the field comparisions are all you have..Next year when Georgia is leading Tech by 35 at halftime I’m sure that if you repeat to yourself that more students in Athens drink than at Tech you’ll feel better about the score.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 22nd, 2012
2:36 pm
Rick are you serious? New Orleans and Las Vegas? Those are not college town you fool. Athens doesn’t have enough people of Legal Drinking age to support the BARS in Athens. Shut down the college and all those bars go O-o-B. How can the College students keep them in business Legally?
Loo
December 22nd, 2012
2:48 pm
Grantham has done a terrific job.
a) His OLB has finished in the top 10 in sacks in 2010, 2011, 2012. Jones was No 1 or No 2 in 2011 & 2012 in sacks nationally, and was a 2 time All American at Georgia. Houston was #8 in sacks in 2010.
b) His defenses have finishes in the top 20 in defensive scring nationally 2 out of the last 3 seasons.
c) His olb’s have heled UGA rank #15 in sacks, against ranked teams. That’s ballin’.
UGA was Top 10 in pass defense, could be because couldn’t stop the run. But still, you have a top 10 pass defense, and a top 20 scoring defense against ranked teams, so shore up the run defense, and the defense should be much better.
Garner, real, real glad he’s gone, his rush defense was ranked @#80 nationally in 2012. He was the weak link on the defense.
Olivadotti needs to step up this year, or he might be next in line.
Rick James
December 22nd, 2012
3:00 pm
@Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
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Rick are you serious? New Orleans and Las Vegas? Those are not college town you fool. Athens doesn’t have enough people of Legal Drinking age to support the BARS in Athens. Shut down the college and all those bars go O-o-B. How can the College students keep them in business Legally?
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Again fool..When Georgia is up by 35 at halftime at Bobby Dodd next season hopefully the fact that more kids drink in Athens than at Tech you will feel better.
NCDawg
December 22nd, 2012
3:48 pm
I have stated before that I wondered if Coach Garner needed to update his line techniques because if you watch our line they do not get any penetration. A noseguard isn’t supposed to just sit there an soak up double teams. They are supposed to force double teams by disrupting the middle of the line. Our guys don’t penetrate, they dance around with the guard and center and act like a big moving pick for the back. This is why our rush defense is lagging. The LB’s are tackling guys laterally as they are coming through the hole… dodging that moving pick. The back has a couple of yards by default because of it. Anybody else see this?
Anyway, I appreciate Coach Garner’s decision to go help out his alma mater. More money doesn’t hurt but I don’t think it was the only factor by far. Good luck at Auburn.
Jojoba
December 22nd, 2012
5:05 pm
This is great. Suddenly garner is at fault for the shytty defense??? What??? I thought grantham was in charge. This is as dumb as blaming bobo for richt’s ineptness when he was supposedly the genius behind all fsu’s success
NCDawg
December 22nd, 2012
5:28 pm
Jojoba – the line play is Garner’s biz… the overall defense is Grantham’s biz. The D-line has not been as dominant as everyone expected… so where do you look? The D-line coach. When the O-line was supposed to be great and came up short where did you look? Searles not Bobo. Same thing.
Moist Dawg
December 22nd, 2012
6:36 pm
Someone please pass me the Pepto.
Anybody that comes on here and spews their filth about the good grades of their players is pathetic. Nobody cares about academics on a football blog
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 22nd, 2012
6:48 pm
Moist…I guess you don’t have a diploma to be proud of. It is a College or University FIRST and the players should actually be STUDENT athletes. 97% will never make money playing in the NFL, NBA or MLB so they better be smarter than a gutter rat.
Rick James
December 22nd, 2012
7:14 pm
@Moist Dawg
Someone please pass me the Pepto.
Anybody that comes on here and spews their filth about the good grades of their players is pathetic. Nobody cares about academics on a football blog
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When you support a school whose football team stinks what else is there to spew about?
Glenn
December 23rd, 2012
10:38 am
Good luck coach Garner and I wish you the best. As for UGA it will be better because they will hire a better person for the job.
Jborodawg
December 23rd, 2012
1:31 pm
Put In Timeout, Moist, GTBob et al…
Over the years UGA has had 23 Rhodes Scholars, including this year, Elizabeth Allan…
(Tech totals four)
http://president.uga.edu/index.php/about_president/messages/rhodes_scholar_2013/
UGA this year is a “…top producer of Fulbright Scholars…”
http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/uga-fulbright-students-121212/
In addition, UGA has more academic award recipients than ANY university in the south. UGA has more combined recipients of the NCAA and National Football Foundation Post-graduate Scholarship, NCAA Top Eight Award, and Academic All-American honors than any university in the south.
Jborodawg
December 23rd, 2012
1:33 pm
Moist, I no u aint gone lack it that theys moor to skoolin than jest football.
Fed Up
December 23rd, 2012
5:44 pm
Maybe UGA could hire Hines “DUI” Ward? He’s a DGD!
FastEddie
December 23rd, 2012
8:48 pm
Hope Auburn hires our other DUD defensive coach, Auburn, hire Olividotti, he’s incredible. If you liked Garner, you’ll love Kirk!!
dap01
December 24th, 2012
2:07 pm
PutIn- I know that you had hoped to have progressed in 2012 enough to actally post in a blog for your team but inspite of it all you are still trolling. You still don’t have a girlfriend, you still pull for a team that is bad and getting worse and your face still has a white head or two that needs popping.
harold
December 24th, 2012
2:11 pm
MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE GEORGIA BRAND. THAT UGA CLASS COULD DEFECT TO AUBURN.
GT simply does not matter anymore in football
December 24th, 2012
3:11 pm
GT has not been to two major bowl games in a row since the mid 1950s. That says itvall about GT football.
Bobby Dodd was done by the late 1950s, because he never attended a major bowl game after 1955 or 1956 but one. He was slaughtered in that last one, in the 1967 or 1968 Orange Bowl by the U of Florida where he son Jr. Played QB. Even BD Jr,. KNEW then,that GT was a joke.
CPJ is on the hot seat. All GT football coaches end up on the hot seat, after two or three shaky Yeats and CPJ is theta. NEXT !!!