UGA's defensive coordinator search

Given how close to the vest Coach Richt is playing this, his search could center on anyone, and we'd struggle to know it. However, the rumors about the search now clearly center on John Chavis.

Chris Low from ESPN.com has a lengthy piece about Richt's potential interest in Chavis. Dean Legge of DawgPost.com follows that piece (Premium) up with additional information which suggests that Chavis looks to be the front runner. Despite his comments to his players that he was staying. Miles says UGA is interested, but he hasn't spoken to Richt.

I would personally be excited with a Chavis hire. Consider some stats:

	UT '08 with John Chavis	UT '09 with Monte Kiffin
Scoring Defense	16.75	21
Total Defense	263.5	308.83
Rush Defense	103.08	142.92
Pass Defense	160.42	165.92
Sacks / game	1.92	1.67
Interceptions (Season)	17	9
3rd Down Conversions*	37.1	34.12

	LSU '08 w/o Chavis	LSU '09 with Chavis
Scoring Defense	24.15	16
Total Defense	325.54	326.58
Rush Defense	110.15	142.92
Pass Defense	215.38	192.42
Sacks / game	2.15	1.67
Interceptions (Season)	8	13
3rd Down Conversions	31.15	36.76

Overall, the stats above aren't an attempt to say that John Chavis is better or worse than Monte Kiffin. However, it does provide some context for what Chavis did his last year in Knoxville vs. what Old Man Kiffin did this year in a season that brought him widespread acclaim.

Particularly of note, you'll hear UT fans say that their defense is more aggressive under Monte. Maybe, but the sacks, interceptions, points allowed and yards allowed certainly don't reflect that aggression this year.

It's also interesting to see what Chavis did with the LSU defense from '08 to '09. If we could get that sort of directional improvement, we would be in terrific shape.

The downside of Chavis is the "Third and Chavis" situation. Vol fans will tell you his defenses were historically bad on third downs. The stats don't show a man who is a lock down guy on 3rd down that's for sure. The '06 and '07 UT units were particularly bad in this area, but then again...the '07 UT defense was bad at everything. It's a legit concern.

However, one thing isn't a concern and that's points allowed. Since 1998, only one John Chavis coached defense has allowed more than 20 points per game. That's very, very strong. As a point of comparison, Georgia's defense the past three seasons allowed 25.9 ('09), 24.5 ('08) and 20.1 ('07) points per game. When you get below 20 points per game, good things start to happen, and Chief Chavis keeps the scoring numbers low.

Over the past week or so, two people we usually get great info from have said they would put their money on Chavis. but it isn't a done deal yet. Also, it's interesting that Rodney Garner told Reshad Jones to keep an open mind about the new DC. If we could bring in someone that would feature him like UT features Eric Berry, he should stay. It's a pretty easy sell to Jones that Chavis knows how to showcase Eric Berry. Especially considering that Berry had 3 sacks and 12 interceptions while playing for Chavis (2 years), but 0 sacks and only 2 interceptions playing for Kiffin for one year.

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

PWD

UGA vs. Pepperdine in Basketball Tonight

The basketball team faces Pepperdine at 7:00 tonight at Stegeman Coliseum. The Athletic Department has a special $5 coupon for tickets which you can download here.

The basketball team looked terrific last week against Florida Atlantic. Granted, they're a warm-up game, but the game before Christmas break is usually a nightmare in terms of effort. Seeing Trey Thompkins put up 25 points and 7 rebounds in the second half was especially impressive as he went for 35 pts and 15 rebounds overall.

The is starting to come together a bit, and tonight's game is important as we get our feet under us leading up to the big Jan. 5th game against Georgia Tech at home.

PWD

meyer's bucket of crazy

Am at a casino in Shreveport. No way I can follow this soap opera. I
just feel bad for his family.

Wish me luck. Off to the craps table. Go Dawgs.

NYTimes Interview with Meyer

Meyer discusses the time line and what lead to the decision. Amazing read that showcases how relentlessly obsessed Meyer is/was. He went as far as using the term "self-destructive." Interestingly, his family didn't know until Christmas night.

This is the most revealing part of the story:

If there was a hallmark to Meyer’s coaching style, both on and off the field, it was his relentlessness. He said he found himself e-mailing recruits in church. He said that his 16-year-old daughter had told him that she had not felt like she talked to him in the past two years. In a 10-day period around the SEC title game Meyer said that he had lost 20 pounds.

That pretty much sums up the situation.

PWD

Candidates to Replace Meyer?

With the news that Urban Meyer is stepping down from the Florida Gators. Jeremy Foley will have his hands full with this replacement. Meyer is arguably the best coach in all of college football, and if he's not the best who is? Pete Carroll? Nick Saban? Neither of them is leaving their current gigs to be the head coach of the Gators.

Next on the list of "best coaches in college"...based on recent accomplishments...would include guys like Bob Stoops and Cheaty McSweaterVest. Regardless...if you had the #1 and now have something other than the #1 coach, you're not moving forward.

Some thoughts on the possible list:

• Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) - the obvious and likely first call for Foley. Former Gator DC and an exceptional coach, but he turned the Gators down in 2001 after Spurrier left. Why would he leave now? It won't be for money. He's already the 3rd highest paid coach in college football at $4.3 million per year (Mack Brown was bumped to $5 million after that list was published by USAToday. He already made more than Meyer. It's not like OU can't match the Gators. Wouldn't it make more sense for his next move to be the NFL?
  
  
• Kyle Whittingham (Utah) - Whittingham is 47-17 in five years at Utah after replacing Meyer as head coach of the Utes. The signature moment for Whittingham obviously being the victory over Bama in the Sugar Bowl. The resume isn't as thick or impressive as Meyer's was when he took over, but I think it's the same offensive system which should make the recruiting pitch very easy for the Gators. He currently makes $1.2 million/year.
  
  
• Jon Gruden (ESPN) - Gruden once said that he would've liked to have been contacted about the HC job instead of Ron Zook in 2001. He currently has a sweet job at ESPN which lets him pick and choose between NFL gigs that pay extremely well. He will likely get a call from Foley this time. Hasn't recruited since 1991, and only coached in college for about 4 of the past 25 years. Would obviously excite the Gator fan base.
  
  
• Charlie Strong (Louisville) - Pat Forde, who knows more about the Louisville program than any national talking head, says Strong hasn't signed his contract with the Cardinals yet. If Foley calls, it'll be hard to say no. Strong is probably a MORE viable candidate for the job because of being hired by Lville. Everyone is prettier when someone else wants them.
  

To me, those are the 4 most interesting candidates. Here are the guys I don't think are going to get it.

• Dan Mullen -- A short resume and Year 1 at MSU just wasn't that impressive. I'd wager that Meyer gives Foley a list of suggested candidates including Strong, Whittingham and Mullen. But it's Foley's job on the line with the hire. Not Meyer's.
  
  
• Mike Shanahan - Former Gator assistant from '80-'83 who turned down the job in 2001. Shanahan is 57, and he's about to become one of the highest paid coaches in the NFL. I doubt Foley will give Shanahan the opportunity to turn him down again.
  
  
• Steve Spurrier (SC) - The head ball coach will turn 65 before the start of next season. I just can't see any way this happens unless Foley panics and Spurrier is the "rescue us" hire.
  
  
• Bobby Petrino - Foley isn't going to hire a career job whore. Sexton will get him a pay raise anyway.
  
  
• Butch Davis - Davis is 58 years old. He knows the State of Florida recruiting base inside and out from his Miami days. However, he is a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in March 2007. He would be a great fit, but I can't see Foley hiring anyone with well known health issues.
  
  
• Chris Petersen (Boise) - He hasn't gotten a serious look at jobs in the Pacific Northwest where they know him the best.
  
  
• Tommy Tuberville - Jimmy Sexton will make everyone think he's part of this process, but I think the BullGators would shit a cow if he were hired. They are looking for something sexier.

The four top candidates are all intriguing, but this isn't a lay-up search. The program has the highest expectations of any in sport right now, and their fans have zero patience or perspective. Most of them starting following the program after 1990, and they have no idea what "normal" adversity is beyond the Zook years. The fact that they haven't sold out their allotment of tickets to the Sugar Bowl is NOT an isolated incident. They are a fickle lot, and it's a pressure cooker job.

Don't get me wrong. It's one of the best programs in college football with a massive war chest. But the job comes with serious hair on it due to the pressure and expectations.

The biggest winner will be Jimmy Sexton. He'll have every one of his clients looking like a candidate for the job.

The obvious and best choice is simply Chan Gailey. A 1973 graduate of the University Florida, Gailey would take the job and embrace all their traditions immediately. Foley, make this happen.

Who else should be on the list?

PWD

Urban Meyer stepping down as UF Coach

Urban Meyer is stepping down as the head coach of the Florida Gators after the Sugar Bowl citing health issues. This is Meyer's official statement:

"I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program," Meyer, 45, said in statement. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to reevaluate my priorities of faith and family.

In 1998, Meyer was diagnosed with a cyst on his brain. On Dec. 7th, SI.com wrote a 10 page article on the situation with Meyer's health. We can only assume that this is related to that. In my opinion, the first red flag was the diagnosis of dehydration episode after the SEC Championship. The Gators invented Gatorade. Their coach shouldn't dehydrate.

But speculation aside, the next step will be finding a new head coach for the Gators. It's one of the premier jobs in all of football. The only downside of the job is the level of expectation surrounding the position. At this point, it's impossible to keep the Gator fans happy. They were complaining about an undefeated season THIS year. Other than that, Foley will pay whatever it takes. But still...Meyer is the best coach in college football right now for my money. The pressure is really on Foley.

Here's to Meyer's health. Hopefully, he makes a full recovery. As a Dawg fan, I hope he gets things together, gets healthy and returns to coaching...somewhere far, far, far away from the SEC.

Turn to ESPNNews for wall to wall coverage right now. It's the Urban Meyer Network right now.

BTW -- Comments are open right now. I'm editing and writing. I may move them back to moderation later. But for now, this is open.

PWD

Spectacular

I am without speech. ht - SeminaryDawg

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to the DawgNation. Music ht - blake.

PWD

Tonight...something fun to do

If you've got some time tonight, drive over to Stegeman and check out the men's basketball game vs. Florida Atlantic. We need butts in seats. One of the toughest things to do in men's hoops is win your last game before the Christmas holiday.

Update: here's a link to $5 tickets. That's a lot of entertainment. For $5. It's also Ladies Night. (Ok...that last part isn't true.)

The players don't want to be there, and the crowds are typically bad. The little guy is pissed off about being away from home and takes it out on the bigger, bored team. Think it's not tough? In the last week...

Wofford over South Carolina
South Alabama over Florida
Arkansas barely beat Missouri State in overtime
Sam Houston State blowing out Auburn
Richmond over Florida
LSU barely beating Rice

If you can come out to Stegeman tonight, give the team a look. Game starts at 7:00 pm. We need to continue our momentum from the Illinois win so that we play Tech at home in a few weeks with some confidence.

PWD

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team: Specialty Teams

All the SEC Power Poll voters banded together to select an All-SEC team this year.  Team Speed Kills coordinated the effort.  Today, the Georgia Sports Blog is happy to unveil the special teams selection.  It's appropriate considering the Dawgs have a unanimous selection.  Other selections can be found here.

I also confess that I bestow a special reverence on kickers.  There are three reasons.  First, a good kick is difficult to appreciate on TV, but it is a beautiful thing when viewed live.  Placekicks explode past the line to begin slowly tumbling toward the goalposts.  Punts look like artillery fire, driving and spinning into the night air and hanging aloft until slowing descending into a chaotic punt return.

Second, kickers and returners are important.  Special teams can completely change a game with a long punt or a big return.  A good field goal kicker takes pressure off an offense if they know they'll get three points for getting to the 35.

Lastly, it's not something I can do.  I feel confident that I could rush five times in a college game (for no or negative yardage), throw a screen pass, catch a ball if wide open, or make contact on a runner at the line of scrimmage.  I can also confidently state that there is no hope of me or any of you punting a ball 40 yards with a four second hangtime or kicking a 35 yard field goal.  If I tried to return a punt in an SEC game, not only would I not catch the ball, it's possible that I would die if I did from either the force of the ball or the hit I would take from onrushing defenders.

The Selections:

Punter - Drew Butler - University of Georgia
This was a unanimous pick and you can see why.  He led the nation in average at 48.84 yards per kick.  Second place was more than three full yards lower.  Butler won the Ray Guy Award for the nation's top punter and is only a sophomore.  He also booted the eighth longest punt this year with a whopping 75 yarder.

Kicker - Leigh Tiffin - University of Alabama
Tiffin, once a joke for missing kicks in Fayetteville his freshman year, led kickers nationally in field goal kicks made.  He converted 87.9% of his field goals, 92.7% on extra points, and hit from a long of 50 yards.  With Bama's dominating defense, the offense could afford to stay physical, grinding, conservative and methodical because if something went wrong, Tiffin was there to tack on three points.  The guy got his opportunities and converted.  He led the poll with six votes.
Also receiving votes: Blair Walsh (Georgia) - Hit 19 kicks for 90.5% accuracy, long of 53, and was perfect on PATs. 5 votes. \ Wes Byrum (Auburn) - Converted 14 kicks for 93.3%, hit from a long of 49, and was perfect on extra points. 1 vote.

Returner - Javier Arenas - University of Alabama
Arenas looked like your big brother playing kill the man with you and your friends.  The first guy never brought him down and he usually ran through at least one more tackle before going down.  He wasn't as fast as Trindon Holliday or Brandon James, but he was the most consistently frightening returner this year.  He led with nine votes.
Also receiving votes: Warren Norman (Vanderbilt) - Norman got a bunch of opportunities at Vandy and led the conference with over a thousand kickoff return yards and three TDs.  He got 2.5 votes. \ Dennis Johnson (Arkansas) - Like Norman, Johnson had over a thousand kickoff return yards.  He also had a touchdown return for 91 yards.

Quinton

Shreveport Nightlife

The Shreveport bar scene is often hidden to out-of-towners, but don't worry.  We're going to give you a few recommendations for your trip.

As an initial tip, Shreveport upholds the well-known Louisiana alcohol philosophy.  Booze is readily available, even if you're in your car.  You'll see a number of drive-thru daiquiri stands. Isn't that dangerous and simply an enticement to drunk driving?  No.  Louisiana allows these stands to exist because they have to apply a tamper proof device to the lids of their styrofoam cups: a piece of scotch tape.  Who can possibly remove such a foolproof device while driving? 

Anyway, here are a few more traditional choices:

• Superior Grill (6123 Line Ave.) - Loud, noisy, and crowded.  The margaritas are made with PGA, so go light if you're planning to walk out of the bar.
  
• Superior's Steakhouse (855 Pierremont Road, but it's in a shopping center at the corner of Line and Pierremont) - The place to be and be seen in Shreveport.  It's a typical steakhouse with a big, nice bar including a back room with a roaring fire and leather couches.  You can buy cigars there and smoke them on the spacious patio. 
  
• The Cub (3002 Girard St.) - Classic dive bar with a diverse crowd that trends younger as the night progresses.  If you don't like smoke, stay away. 
  
• Giuseppe's (4800 Line Ave.) - The bar is usually quieter and less crowded than the steakhouse with a more sophisticated decor.  
• Wine Country (4801 Line Ave., but it's in Pierremont Mall) - It's a wine bar, but it doesn't lack anything, including two big TVs behind the bar. They also make the best bar food in town.
• Stray Cats (222 Travis St., Downtown) - A small bar, but it got a good bit of notoriety when Josh Brolin was arrested there while filming "W." in Shreveport last year.  There's a back patio that you should ask about, too.
• The Noble Savage (417 Texas St., Downtown) - A bit of a Bohemian feel, but it has the best selection of beers in town.  They usually run some interesting food specials, too.  There's also darts and pool, if you're interested.
• The Louisiana Boardwalk (Bossier City riverfront) - The Boardwalk is a huge outlet mall with restaurants and bars sprinkled throughout the development.  There's a Buffalo Wild Wings and a few other bars in there.  It's a good spot to visit during the day and those bars do a brisk business at night.  Be forewarned, Aggie midnight yell practice will be there Sunday night.
  

Quinton

Extremely proud of the Hoop Dawgs

Saturday night's win over Illinois was arguably the biggest win for the basketball team since the 2008 SEC Tournament. The guys played hard. They played smart, and they never quit in the face of adversity. It was exactly the type of game that can convert people from passive observers back into basketball fans.

It's not a magical cure all, but it's directionally what this program needs. It needs hope. Check out some of the commentary from the beat writers who follow the Illini for outside perspective on our team:

"Georgia came equipped for a heavyweight fight Saturday night, and all Illinois could answer with was middleweights." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Georgia manhandled Illinois inside, building a 38-22 scoring advantage in the paint and finishing with a 37-29 win in the rebounding battle." - Springfield Journal-Register

"They really rotate those big guys and they're all huge,'' Cole said. "They were physical and screened the heck out of the guards. They played more physical than us, and we didn't play with a lot of energy until we got down.'' - Illinois Player (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"As the Bulldogs watched film of Illinois, they noticed that while they might not be the more talented team, they could be the more physical team. Georgia's physical play manifested itself inside, where the Bulldogs had 38 points in the paint." - Chicago Tribune

Here at home, Dean Legge had my favorite headline when he asked if this was Mark Fox's Hobnail Boot Game. From his keyboard to God's ears my friends.

I don't know what our record will be. Maybe, Mark Bradley is right. This team will likely finish with about 13 to 15 wins, but now there's hope. Hope because you could see what Fox is trying to accomplish against a competent opponent. Hope because we can compete, and hope because our kids played like they belonged.

Gwinnett County is the key to the future of the UGA basketball program. In order to sellout Stegeman on a consistent basis for SEC games (as Harrick did his last two years), you have to pull heavily from the Hwy. 316 and Hwy. 78 corridors. It'll take Dawg fans in Gwinnett to make the trip to Athens for midweek SEC games other than UK. They have the shortest commute to make a 7:00 pm start, and they have the greatest concentration of alumni within short driving distance of any county in the State.

Additionally, the county (along with Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton) is among the most talent rich of any from here to Baltimore. We didn't have the crowd we needed this time, but we can win them over in time. We just need to give fans more reasons to believe. They just need more hope.

I'm as proud as I've been of the basketball team since the SEC Title run.

PWD

Dawgs vs. Illinois at Gwinnett Arena Tonight

The game is at 7 pm. If you're not Christmas Shopping, come on by. For those at home, it'll be televised on ESPNU.

PWD

Shreveport Dining

Shreveport gets a bad, almost unfair rap regarding dining and nightlife.  The city has a bunch of good dining spots, but they aren't in obvious locations or centralized within a few blocks.  In an interest to show you where some good spots are for your trip, here's a list of recommendations for local fare.

Casual dining:

• Superior Grill (6123 Line Ave.) - The busiest Mexican restaurant in Shreveport.  It is almost always crowded, but there is no more popular restaurant in Shreveport.  Beware the margaritas as they are surprisingly strong.  
• Monjuni's (1315 Louisiana & 7601 Youree Drive) - Tasty Italian food featuring a unique sweet red sauce.  
• Country Tavern (823 Brook Hollow Drive) - A Texas barbecue joint that hopped the border, Country Tavern features good Texas BBQ, but the steaks are awesome. 
  
• Bistro Byronz (6401 Line Ave.) - Modeled on a traditional a French brasserie.  Offers good French food for fair prices.  
• The Cub (3002 Girard St.) - A beloved local oddity, The Cub is a smokey dive bar with a steak and seafood restaurant attached.  The restaurant is really small and short on atmosphere, but the food makes up for it.  Great steaks and potatoes au gratin.  Reservations are required (318-861-6517) and you have to leave your info on a voicemail.  If there's a conflict, they call you. NOTE: Everyone in your party must be over 21, even just to eat there.
  
• Oyster Bar (855 Pierremont Rd., but it faces Line Ave.) - Oddly, this is a Mexican restaurant, although it offers raw oysters at the bar.  
• Strawn's (125 King's Hwy.) - A tasty traditional diner and Shreveport institution.  Recommended for breakfast or lunch.  Located across the street from Centenary College.
  
• Wine Country (4801 Line Ave., but it's in Pierremont Mall) - An excellent restaurant attached to a wine store.  The restaurant and bar are brand new and worth the search for the tucked away location.
• Papa & Co. (545 East Washington) - The biggest and best hamburgers in town.
• Herby K's (1833 Pierre Ave.) - Do not attempt without a GPS or a native guide.  This is another Shreveport institution that has never changed locations, even though it is situated in an old, almost abandoned commercial district.  The signature dish is the Shrimp Buster, flattened fried shrimp on toasted French bread.  Herby K's is small and almost hidden, but uniquely Shreveport.
• The Chains - Shreveport has the usual glut of national chain restaurants, too.  They are fairly concentrated along Youree Drive between 70th Street and Bert Kouns.

Fine dining:

• Superior's Steakhouse (855 Pierremont Road, but it's in a shopping center at the corner of Line and Pierremont) - The place to be and be seen in Shreveport.  It's a typical steakhouse with a big, nice bar including a back room with a roaring fire and leather couches.  I don't think they have the best steak in town, but they definitely have the steakhouse attitude.
• Bistro 6301 (6301 Line Ave.) - Maybe the best overall dining experience in Shreveport. 
• Giuseppe's (4800 Line Ave.) - Italian, served in a beautiful new restaurant.  It also features a small, quiet, and well stocked bar.
• Chianti's (6535 Line Ave.) - Another Italian restaurant with a piano bar and good food.
• The Village Grille (1313 Louisiana Ave.) - Where to go if someone else is paying.  There are no menus and the waiters tell you what they serve.  It's also very, very dark.  The food is great and their small bar makes a delicious after dinner drink called a "Snowbear," but be prepared for a big bill.
• Lucky Palace (750 Diamond Jack's Blvd. in Bossier City, located in the Bossier Inn & Suites hotel) - This Chinese restaurant is in a goofy location, but don't let that fool you.  The food is fantastic and they have an extensive wine list.  You're going to think I've led you wrong until the food arrives.

That should be enough.  You'll note that downtown dining is almost nonexistent.  The casinos and the Hilton have restaurants in the hotels.  Those restaurants are good, but they're about all that downtown offers for dining.  I'll do nightlife in a separate post this week.

Quinton

Indy Bowl Quick Hitters

1. The team hotels in Shreveport are reversed from my initial rundown.  The Dawgs will be at the downtown Hilton.  The Aggies will be at the Clarion.  Sam's Town, another Georgia hub, is about two blocks away from the Hilton.   
   
2. The team arrives in Shreveport on Christmas Eve, much to the chagrin of Rennie.  The solution to those blues: beat Kentucky at home.  
3. Our former football coaches will still get their bowl bonuses.  That'll take the edge off being unemployed during the holidays. Sounds like Wall Street bankers negotiated those deals.
   
4. The Dawgs are still a touchdown favorite in a game where motivation will be key.  David Hale reports that the Dawgs are still excited about the bowl game, but I find that sentiment hard to believe.  The players are saying the right things, but it's got to be hard to get excited after a lackluster season that leads to a defensive staff housecleaning.
5. The Georgia fans aren't excited about Shreveport, but the Gator fans aren't excited about New Orleans.  If the Sugar Bowl is a letdown, you may have too good of a program.  I might shank a few of you if it'd get the Dawgs a Sugar Bowl spot.

Quinton

The DC Search Update

The reality of the search is that Mark Richt is keeping his own counsel on this search.  This thing is locked down tighter than anything I've ever seen out of the UGA Athletic Department, and that seems to be the consensus opinion.

Part of the difference is Damon threatening to fire people who open their mouths, but the bigger issue is that Mark Richt is doing this the way Mark Richt wants.  As I've said in the past, all this speculation is pointless because Richt will likely end up hiring someone out of left field vs. the rumored list.  In fact, Richt has hired 16 coaches in 9 years, and only two of those were no brainers that people saw coming -- Lilly and Eason.  The others were varying shades of unexpected.

Hell, the only person who has good info these days looks like Jim Donnan, and that's because Donnan gets phone calls from coaches who are inquiring about the job, about Athens, about the Athletic Department, about Damon, you name it.  Donnan was the one who nailed the Bud Foster story before anyone else.  Otherwise, we don't know much.

Almost anyone who gets their name associated with this search gets that status because they or their agents want people to think they are part of the process.  That's the single most important thing to remember as you hear the leaked names.  Just because they are rumored to be part of the process doesn't mean they are even on Richt's call sheet.

That said....here are the latest names I've heard:

-- John Chavis (LSU Defensive Coordinator): Jim Donnan on 680theFan threw this one out today as a viable, legitimate candidate.  Why would he leave LSU?  My take on JD's:  Money, long term stability and Richt vs. Miles as a boss. If Michigan can't get their crap together next year, they will likely make a run at Miles again.  I can't see Chavis in Michigan.  This is a very long shot, but it would be a home run.  The biggest winner here would be Richard Samuel. Chavis would have a field day coaching a player with Samuel's skill set at LB.  Hell, our entire LB corp wouldn't look like they were the same species of human after Chavis got a hold of them compared to the fiasco of last year.

-- Todd Grantham (Dallas Cowboys DL Coach): Grantham has coached under Saban at Michigan State, Dom Capers with the Texans and Romeo Crennel in Cleveland.  He's a 3-4 man who has three years of NFL DC experience.  No idea if he's interested.  Donnan name dropped Grantham today on 680theFan.

-- Al Groh (former UVA Head Coach):  Groh is 65 years old, but Monte Kiffin turns 70 in about 2 months.  He was Bill Parcell's DC for 11 years including a Super Bowl Championship.  The defenses at UVA were erratic, but some of that is talent.  They had a few years of Top 20 defenses and several years of poor play.  This rumor came from Anthony Dasher at UGASports.com, and I've heard it from three separate people today.  I don't see it being the most ideal fit, but it's intriguing because Parcells knows coaching talent when he see it.

-- Vic Koenning (current Illinois coach):  As of yesterday morning, we heard from a pretty good source that Illinois' AD was still worried about UGA making a run at Koenning.  That doesn't seem to be the case any more, but it's interesting that they were still worried.  That doesn't mean Richt was going to come after him. No...it means that Koenning has a great agent who made them think Richt was coming after him.

Do I think it'll be any these guys?  Probably not.  But what the hell.  You asked for names.  There are some names.



PWD

Vic Koenning headed to Illinois?

ESPN is reporting that Koenning is heading to Illinois for a big pay raise. He was one of the most often rumored names for the UGA job; although there was never any official indication that we were interested in him. Interestingly, Chris Low reports that UGA is backing up Damon's comments of being prepared to offer big money for a DC.

Bud Foster talked to UGA and UF, but only listed his UGA discussions as seriously. He ended up staying up there for a five year deal worth $600,000 per year. The timing on that is interesting in that Beamer is already 63. It seems fairly unlikely that Beamer will coach until he's 69 so Foster should be there long enough to get his shot at the head coaching job.

If we're going to pay that kind of scratch, we should get one heck of a coach. Another name that has been thrown around is Bob Sanders, defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills. Sanders was a defensive coach for Spurrier from '87 (Duke) through 2000 (Florida). He was Spurrier's #2 defensive coach from '91-'00 with the Gators. Sanders has coached in the NFL since '01 with Miami, Green Bay and Buffalo serving as DC of the Packers for three years.

He wouldn't be the glitzy choice, but he's a very good coach with 1 ACC Title, 6 SEC Titles, 1 National Title and an NFC Conference Championship under his belt.

I really don't think it's Sanders
Richt could've announced Sanders today if that's who it was. There's no reason to stick around in Buffalo for a non-playoff bound team as a position coach when you can be DC in college for more money.

The longer this thing goes the better I like our chances of getting someone intriguing. However, judging by Richt's history, it's going to be someone off our immediate radar. Only Coach Lilly's hire was an obvious move. Searels, Ball, Jancek, Rucker, and Kirby Smart (as RB coach) were all pretty much out of left field. And his original staff didn't have any obvious choices on it except Coach Eason.

Richt plays these things close to the vest so it'll be interesting to see how it shakes out.

PWD

Indy Bowl is a Sellout, Except Georgia Tickets

The Shreveport Times reports that the Independence Bowl is a sellout.  You can still buy tickets, though.  The story reports that Georgia has sold only half of its 12,000 ticket allotment, but because the school buys the tickets, the game itself is a sellout.  Georgiadogs.com is the only place to buy tickets now. 

Look, I understand the logistical problems with a trip to Shreveport on December 28, but if you ever wonder why a bowl might pass over Georgia for another fanbase, here's at least one reason.  We can't muster 12,000 fans to buy a ticket.

Quinton

So here's my theory

We either get an announcement today, or it'll be a few weeks on the DC search. If it's today, I'll be in meetings so you'll know before me. Maybe Quinton or Dawgnoxious will see it and post it.

I have no knowledge of a pending announcement. It's just that today is the first day that Richt is clear of the mandatory waiting period after posting a state job. By the way, I think you have to wait longer to hire a defensive coordinator in this state than you have to wait to buy a hand gun.

That's not a political statement. Just an observation. Either way, I want a DC that blows away the competition. /LamePun

Bud Foster has been contacted

Update: He's Staying Put as Expected
-- Foster staying put - Richmond Times Dispatch
-- Fostering staying at VPI - ABH
-- 5 year deal for Bud - Hampton Roads Pilot
-- This Bud's not for UGA - AJC


Original Article:
This morning on 680theFan Jim Donnan said that he knew for a fact that Mark Richt had talked with Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster about the DC job in Athens. This news was then confirmed by the Daily Press of Virginia and the Athens Banner-Herald.

In terms of his stature as a defensive coordinator, Foster is Bill Brasky. He's 10 feet tall, weighs 500 lbs, runs about a 3.2 40 yard dash, and no one has scored on his defense in about 23 years. Or said differently...I don't have the time to pull his impressive stats right now, but they are outstanding.

But he's arguably the best, most proven and most consistent defensive coordinator in all of college football over the past decade, and I'd be shocked out of my chair to land a whale like that.

He's everything I'd ever want in a DC. He's tough as nails and extremely demanding. His teams bring a level of violence, tackling and tempo that we haven't consistently seen in Athens since 2004.

Think back to the 2006 Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs. Virginia Tech. They didn't lose that game because of Bud Foster's defense. They lost because VT committed 4 turnovers including three second half interceptions...two of which were returned inside the Georgia 10 yard line resulting in 14 points off 9 yards of offense. They also lost because Beamer Ball gave up the onside kick early on. Foster's Defense only allowed 200 yards of total offense. For the 2006 regular season, they only allowed a stunning 9.3 points per game.

Virginia Tech hasn't won more games under Beamer and Foster for 1 reason and 1 reason only...a complete inability for Beamer to develop a consistent passing offense. That's it. It's not because of anything Foster is doing on his side of the ball.

I'll post his defensive stats later, but I'll say this first...I'd really like to have Kirby Smart, but I would love to have Bud Foster. There's not another candidate (including Brian Van Gorder or Tommy Tuberville) you could name that would be more appealing to me...short of a DNA-oriented reproduction of Erk Russell...and that technology won't quite be ready for the start of football season (Source: I watched 60 Minutes last night, and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express).

I don't think we'll end up with either of them. But damn, I'd be thrilled.

If we do get Foster, I don't think he would start until after the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Foster is a legitimate candidate to replace Beamer at VT in 3-7 years. He likely wouldn't burn a bridge there by walking out prior to the Bowl game.

If we don't have a press conference on Tuesday to name someone else, I like our chances a little more with Foster or Kirby. Tomorrow is Day 1 after the Job Posting from which Richt can announce a hire per state guidelines.

PWD

Howdy! Getting to Know Aggies: The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

Aggies are easy to make fun of, but you have to respect them when they do something awesome.  One thing that Aggies do better than anyone: play musical instruments while weaving into and out of a military formation.  Sure, that skill is rarely a utility, but it is still profoundly magnificent when demonstrated at a halftime show.

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, the official name, is the largest military marching band in the country.  Any band that self-describes themselves as "fightin'" is worth a chuckle.  (Although I remember a few years ago when LSU's band landed a couple of punches on Auburn kicker Damon Duval when he tried to warm up for the second half during the halftime show.)  But, all the Aggie band members are also members of A&M's massive ROTC outfit, the Corps of Cadets.  They play songs like "Patton" and "Fightin' Texas Aggie War Hymn."  That's "fightin'" and "war hymn" in the same song title.  Hmm, maybe they can fight.

There's no doubt that they can march their asses off.  Here's a boast from their website:

"Some of the Aggie Band's maneuvers are so complex that a computer says that it is impossible to do because they require two people to be in the same place at the same time."

That may be more of a statement about the Aggie computers than the band, but it is impressive none the less.  Here they are in action:

It's an exercise in dynamic geometry, musicianship, and Tetris skills. When it's halftime in Shreveport, don't just queue up for the bathroom. The Redcoats and the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band are worth staying in your seat for.

Quinton

Commenting is Back On

For now, there are two stipulations with commenting:

1. You can't post anonymously. You'll need a create a username.

2. All comments are moderated. They go to me first, and I'll release them as long as you're not the jerk who was posting all the problematic stuff on Wednesday.

By tomorrow night (update: maybe Monday night...I got distracted), I hope to have a new commenting system in place that will allow me to ban problem children users by email, IP address, domain and/or username. I've got something picked out. I just have to figure out how to implement it.

Frankly, this is for the best. The tone of the comments the past few days had slipped into near 10th grade level. So, this will make the user experience better for folks with something interesting to say. And it'll save the rest of you the hassle of having to read that trash.

If you're wondering what this is all about...this explains the issue.

PWD

Defensive Coordinator Search: Intriguing Candidate

Here's a resume to consider. I'll tell you his name in a moment.

In 2008 his defense at a BCS school (pre-bowl before he left)

-- Scoring Defense: 9th in NCAA
-- Total Defense: 16th in NCAA
-- Pass Defense: 12th in NCAA
-- Pass Efficiency Defense: 11th in NCAA
-- Rush Defense: 37th
-- Sacks: 107th <-- only bad stat
-- Tackles for Loss: 49th (which is impressive given the lack of sacks)

In 2009, he left that BCS school and moved to another BCS school where he completely revamped their Defense in one year.

In 2008 they team he inherited was 112th in the NCAA in Rush Defense. When he got there, they jumped to 16th in the nation in one season. Their scoring defense and total defense rankings jumped from 110th and 117th to 48th and 39th respectively. Pass defense went from 104th to 81st (which is still huge improvement given the other issues before he got there).

It's interesting that he achieved such a rapid jump in stats for his new school given that he had no prior familiarity with the BCS conference he faced.

He has been a defensive coordinator at BCS schools for the past five years. He also has experience recruiting in the region.

That's the type of resume you want. A proven guy that coaches his balls off and produces DRAMATIC improvements in yards and points allowed when he arrives. And a guy that has done it at multiple places.

In case you were wondering, that's Vic Koenning the current DC at Kansas State. He ran Clemson's defense from '05-'08. I've seen mentions from message boards that he runs a softer scheme. Maybe that's true, but defenses play pretty well when he's there.

Would I rather have Kirby Smart? Absolutely! But that's a serious resume.

BTW -- In case you're curious, his defense held Tech's triple option to 207 yards rushing on 52 carries while allowing only 14 offensive points. The glaring hole in his resume is the 66 points surrendered this year to Texas Tech. However, I would argue that if you're down 38-0 and then give up 28 more points, your issue is the prior coaching staff recruiting quitters. Not scheme.

Just for giggles...more on Koenning:

2007 - Top 10 defense in scoring and total defense. Top 25 in most other big categories.
2006 - #16 in scoring defense and #13 in total defense. #20 in sacks.
2005 - #11 in scoring defense and #20 in total defense. Also #25 in sacks.

Just something to chew on.

See Also:
-- Clemson's Stats Pre-Bowl in 2008
-- KSU defensive stats in 2009

PWD

Classic City "Reppin" at the Dome

Been a long time wandering the wilderness. It's good to be back in the limelight. Good luck tonight. Go Glads!

Update -- Sandy Creek was just a much, much better team. Congrats to them.

PWD

Congratulations to Drew Butler

Drew Butler won the Ray Guy Award Thursday night, which is given to the nation's top punter. And it wasn't even close. Drew averaged 48.8 yards per put, nearly 3 yards more than the second-best punter. Drew was a bright spot on special teams for UGA this season. His high, accurate punts enabled our coverage team to get down the field and cut off returns. And his 75-yard punt against Oklahoma State looked even more impressive in person.

[Photo courtesy of AJC]

Congratulations also to Blair Walsh, who was one of only three finalists for the Lou Groza award.

comments have been hacked

Update 12/10/09 at 5:35 pm:
The site wasn't "Hacked"...that's really not the right term/technical definition, but I wasn't in position to go into any details last night because I was at Madison Square Garden trying to lock down comments using someone else's smart phone.

Here's the deal. Yesterday, an individual impersonated / spoofed me in the comments area of this blog. During the process, he posted a barrage of porn links, hate speech, threats, and extreme profanity. I'm exploring what can be done in terms of comment moderation using different tools to prevent this from happening again.

I'm sorry if you went to some of his links or read his comments. It was not posted by me.

Just to be clear, he did not gain the ability to post content to the site. His attack was limited to the comments area. I take this sort of disruption of my business very seriously.

PWD

WHOOP: Getting to know Aggie Yell Leaders

As we get to know the Aggies, you're going to be confused. It is often said of A&M that from the outside it is hard to understand and from the inside it is hard to explain. We're going to start with perhaps the first and most obvious peculiarity college football fans point to: Aggie yell leaders. Yell leaders are Aggie versions of cheerleaders. No stunts, no short skirts. Just mystifying gestures that incite the Aggie crowd and befuddle opponents.

First, the look is wholesome milkman with sleeves tightrolled so tight that one wonders how blood slips under them. Combine it with the man hugs and thumbs up ("Gig'em") and one can see how this Aggie tradition causes opponents to giggle uncontrollably. By the way, that haircut is standard Aggie issue.

Second, they spew Aggie gibberish, known as "yells," not cheers. Here's an actual yell:

Riffety, riffety, riff-raff!
Chiffity, chiffity, chiff-chaff!
Riff-raff! Chiff-chaff!
Let’s give ‘em a horse laugh:
Sssssss!

Excuse me? What the hell does that mean? I'm not sure if they insulted me or complimented me on my red pants. (I have been told that it is a yell Aggies do when they are upset about something. The last line approximates a hiss.)

Lastly, each cheer has its own unique calisthenics routine that the yell leaders perform. These gestures signal which cheer, um excuse me, yell is on tap. Each gesture during the yell signals timing. My favorite is when they give the two armed flip off gesture for the cheer "Beat the hell out of Georgia!" Here's a little taste of the routines:

Whatever you think of the yell leaders, you have to say they are unique, just like a lot of Aggie things. As the video states, these guys are an old Aggie tradition and there is nothing, nothing more sacrosanct at A&M than tradition.

More on the Aggies to come.

Quinton

Smart ready to "move on"?

Tony Barnhart says that Kirby Smart is probably ready to move on.
I'll believe we land him when I see it. But it is encouraging news.

http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-college-football/2009/12/09/alabama-dc-smart-is-the-next-hot-assistant/

Still think the timeline will be tough because I imagine he won't move
before Jan 10th or so.

Pwd

NY Times Investigating Vol Recruiting

The New York Times reports tonight that the NCAA has launched an investigation into the Tennessee Vols use of hostesses for the recruitment of student athletes including Marcus Lattimore, Brandon Willis, Corey Miller, Chris Dunkley, Chris Dunkley, JaWuan James and others (per the article).

The hostesses are alleged to have been involved in recruiting players off campus...as far away as 200 miles. University representatives can't recruit off campus.

The article is an intriguing read. Developing.

PWD

Sundiata Gaines killing it in the NBA Development League

DaugMan found this (ht - begger). Apparently, Sundiata Gaines is obliterating the NBA Development League for the Idaho Stampede. He's currently averaging 27.0 points, 8.3 assists per and 4.3 rebounds per game for his 3-1 team. That's right...he's creating over 43.4 points per game. It's not just the quantity of points....he's going for over 60% from the field, almost 70% from FT line and 45% from the 3 point line.

According to this AJC article from July, Gaines played in Italy last year:

He carried that success to Italy, where he played for NGC Cantu. In 30 games, he averaged 31.9 minutes, 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals. His game-high was a 25-point performance. He played so well, in fact, that if he returns to Italy for another season, it won’t be with Cantu, which can’t afford him now.

“They already signed another player, but they were sure they weren’t going to be able to give me a contract of what my status was compared to what other teams were offering,” Gaines said.

If you're a Dawg living in Boise, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Reno or Austin, he's coming to visit soon. Drop by and yell Go Dawgs. I'd wager you could get in for next to nothing. Hopefully, this success leads to a call up to the league.

PWD

Shreveport Hotel Info

The hotel situation in Shreveport is just like any other midsize southern city, with the notable exceptions of the riverboat casinos.  All of the brand name, midscale business hotels have an outpost in Shreveport.  If you're looking to gamble, the casinos are the best choice.  They're nice and have built in dining and drinking.  I know Sam's Town has a significant block of rooms reserved for Georgia fans at about $180 a night.  Of course, you don't have to gamble, but you can.

Every hotel likely has some sort of I Bowl discount.  Mention that you're coming in for the game and see if they offer a discount.  The bowl website has a feature that allows you to book hotel rooms through it, presumably with a bowl discount.

Here are some other recommendations:

• The Downtown Hilton - The nicest non-casino hotel in town.  It's brand new and attached to the Shreveport Convention Center.  It's where your wife wants to stay.  I'm pretty sure it's the A&M team hotel.
  
• The Best Western Chateau Suites - Another downtown option that I'd recommend over the Holiday Inn downtown (of which I do not have a good impression).  There should be an I Bowl discount, but you'll have to contact them directly instead of going through the I Bowl hotel website.
• The Clarion Hotel - This is the UGA team hotel, I think, but you shouldn't stay there.  It's average at best.
• Don't forget Bossier City.  There are a couple of the national brands across the river from Shreveport.  Additionally, the Horseshoe hotel is probably the best casino hotel.  Boomtown casino has a nice hotel on the Bossier side of the Red River, too.

Don't be too intimidated by distance.  Shreveport is easy to get around by car and has lots of interstate highway.  It might take you twenty minutes to get somewhere at the other end of town.  In Atlanta, it takes twenty minutes to get out of your driveway. I'll also say that downtown nightlife is fairly diffused.  My recommended nightlife area isn't within walking distance of a hotel.  Bring along cab fare if your want to get sloshy.

Quinton

Basketball Update

UGA vs. St. John's at Madison Square Garden: Wed at 7:00 pm (ESPN2)

Couple of quick notes on the basketball team in no particular order:

• Travis Leslie - After getting 0 points in the season opener against New Orleans, Leslie has really started to come on. Over the last six games, he's averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and only 1.7 turnovers. I know we've played several tomato cans, but he put up 17 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in the 74-62 loss to Virginia Tech on Sunday in Blacksburg.
  
  The trick with Leslie is designing offensive plays around his skill set. So much of his offense right now is coming from offensive rebounds and put backs. He's still incredibly raw offensively, but the upside is certainly there.
  
  
• Dustin Ware - Ware has been wildly inconsistent when it comes to creating points for himself. He's doing a good job of distributing the ball, but his own scoring has been less impressive than last year. The good news is that his most productive offensive efforts came against the three best teams we've played so far VT, UAB and Saint Louis. The bad news is that we still lost 2 of those 3. Dustin needs to make his fair share of three pointers for Georgia to have any shot against the better teams on the schedule. Against Saint Louis last week, he looked very good.
  
  
• Jeremy Price - While Travis Leslie is clearly the most improved player on the team so far this year, the comeback player of the early season is Price. He's averaging 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in only 18.5 minutes of action. Last year, he struggled with confidence and attitude problems and averaged almost half those stats while spending an enormous amount of time in the doghouse. As Price matures, he could become a steady 10 point and 7 rebound a night guy for the Bulldogs this season.
  
  
• Trey Thompkins - Trey is having an odd season in some respects. His numbers are fine in spite of the bad shooting night at Virginia Tech, and he consistently shows flashes of greatness. He just needs to clean up a lot of the little things. For instance, I've never seen a player get called for traveling so much. He gets more moving violations than a UGA football player on a scooter. That said...the offense still needs to run through him every night.
  
  
• Free Throw Shooting - Here's a shocker. Through Sunday Night, the Bulldogs are currently in third place in the SEC in free throw shooting. Other than the Wofford game where we couldn't buy a FT, we've actually shot the ball well from the line.

  ---------------------------------------------
  1.Mississippi State...  7     95   133  .714
  Florida..............   8    115   161  .714
  3.Georgia.............  6     88   124  .710
  4.Tennessee...........  7    100   142  .704
  5.LSU.................  6     82   117  .701
  6.Alabama.............  8    117   169  .692
  7.Vanderbilt..........  7    123   179  .687
  8.Arkansas............  8    162   240  .675
  9.South Carolina......  7    117   175  .669
  10.Kentucky...........  8    141   212  .665
  11.Ole Miss...........  8    111   168  .661
  12.Auburn.............  8    113   176  .642
  

  
  We just aren't getting to the line often enough. We're 11th in free throw attempts in the league. we've got to be more aggressive around the basket and penetrate more often.

The Bulldogs next big test is St. John's in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday Night at 7:00 pm on ESPN2. The game is part of the SEC/Big East Invitational. St. John's is 6-1 on the season with a good win vs. Temple and a competitive loss against Duke on the road. A win here would do wonders for the team's confidence.

This is a team that you have to watch while remembering this is a process. It's a team you grade on issues bigger than wins and losses. Do they look like they are improving over the course of the season? And Wednesday night is the first chance for a lot of folks to get an eye full.

PWD

So, we're playing the Aggies...

Over the years, one of the names I've routinely heard UGA fans throw out in regards to future scheduling is Texas A&M. "Hey, we should play the Aggies." Well...take away the disappointment from the season, and we are playing a program many of us wanted to face at some point.

Personally, I'd much rather play Texas A&M than Wisconsin(again) or Northwestern. As for the venue, it's not like College Station, Blacksburg, State College or Norman are bustling venues of awesomeness. Yet, most of us would be excited to go there for a quality game.

Don't get me wrong. It's not New Orleans or Tampa, and this isn't an ideal situation. It's not remotely close to an ideal situation, but when you peel back the layers of feeling sorry for ourselves, bitterness about the bowl selection process, and embarrassment for the ribbing we're going to take because of the bowl...it's not quite as epic fail as it first appears.

Playing Iowa State or Louisiana Tech in this same scenario...that is epic fail. So is playing Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Classic, Tulsa in Boise or anybody in a baseball stadium.

As it is, I'll say a sentence I never anticipated saying..."I'll see you in Shreveport." I'll be there, and I encourage those who can affordably make the trip to attend. It'll still end up being fun.

PWD

See You In Shreveport, Farmers

It's official.  The Dawgs are heading to the Independence Bowl to face the Fightin' Texas Aggies.  I know everyone is disappointed with the bowl selection, but I'm somewhat excited about the match up.  A&M has had their struggles this year, but they looked like they had a potent offense against Texas Thanksgiving night.  Jarrod Johnson is a big, mobile QB with a strong arm who should present our defense staff a big slew of pains.  Oh wait, we don't have a defensive staff.

If you've never been to an A&M game, they are, um, unique.  We'll attempt an explanation of Texas A&M in the coming days.  That'll take a while.  If you've never been to Shreveport, we'll have some tips on places to go as well. 

Quinton

Raise a Glass Today

Today marks the 76th Anniversary of the Repeal of the Prohibition Act.  Don't mind if I do.  Although, I don't have the liver to play the Tim Tebow Drinking Game on Saturday.

PWD

Stafford Mic'd Up

If you missed this from a week or two ago, it's worth a listen. The NFL mic'd him when he lead the comeback by Detroit vs. the Browns a few weeks ago. Here's the NY Times on the mic'd up session with Stafford.

PWD

So who will we get?

I haven't seen many credible rumors. What I've seen is a lot of theories based on people playing some sort of football version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with Sanford Stadium and Mark Richt alternating their roles as Kevin Bacon. Or just a random wish list of candidates.

So before I list who I want, I'd rather list what I want from a coach:

1. Someone with a relentless desire to be a head coach. Or someone with an unquenchable desire to be great. Someone that will sleep in their office if that's what it takes to figure out how to stop our opposition.

2. Someone who isn't set for life rich. The last thing we need is someone sitting on a multi-million dollar settlement from his flamed out head coaching career. That guy isn't going to put in the hours to be great.

3. Someone with an attack mentality. Someone that brings VIOLENCE and TEMPO back to our defense. Someone that keeps opposing offensive coordinators sleeping in their offices to figure out how to stop his unit.

4. Someone that teaches terrific fundamental football. I'm not looking for gimmick systems like John Thompson or Joe Lee Dunn. I want to see someone that will put our guys in the position to make the play.

5. Someone that takes recruiting seriously, and gets personally involved. Not someone who thinks that's beneath them or who sucks at it.

Let's talk about who I think we won't get or shouldn't pursue....

Who We Won't Get:

1. Tommy Tuberville - This is the single most absurd rumor / theory I've seen. Tommy is sitting on $6 million from his settlement with Auburn, and he can wait for the right head coaching opportunity to come along. Plus, he has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to be a defensive coordinator. He wants to be a head coach. This isn't like saying, "I don't want to leave Ole Miss." That's something you say to fool people into thinking you're staying. When you DO want a new job and you're unemployed, you tell everyone who will listen what kind of job you want. Tuberville and his agent Jimmy Sexton think he'll be a legitimate candidate for a variety of BCS jobs this year or next, and with his resume they are right. Those jobs will pay him $2.5-3.0 million per year. There are only two assistant coaches in college football who make over $900,000. Most big-time DCs make $300-500k. If he comes here, I'll eat my hat. I'd be thrilled, but no way it happens.

2. Will Muschamp - The former Dawg makes over $900,000, and he's the coach in waiting at Texas. At Texas, he can get all the talent who wants with relative ease, and he has an easier road to the national title than in the SEC. Playing for National Titles gets you head coaching jobs faster than anything else. Plus, UGA has shown zero indication that it has any interest in getting into a bidding war with a school like Texas.

Who I don't want:

1. Jon Tenuta - Check out Tenuta's stats at Notre Dame. Now check out Martinez's stats. Willie is better in almost every category despite playing dramatically tougher competition. Weis is being fired because the defense is wretched, and this is Tenuta's second pathetic defense in two years. At Georgia Tech, he was a notoriously uninvolved recruiter, a sandpaper personality and a wildly inconsistent performances. His defenses at Tech had such staggeringly bad performances as giving up 51 in Athens, 30 to Fresno St., 39 to Clemson, 41 to Duke, 34 to a bad UNC team, 51 to VT, 38 to Utah, 38 to WVU and 40 to Fresno St. I could've listed him in the "Who We Won't Get" list, but I'd rather list him in the "we'd be insane to consider." Personality wise, matching him with Richt would be the match made in hell.

2. Chuck Amato, Ron Zook or Sly Croom - Amato has never been a DC, and Fisher doesn't want him at FSU. Zook has been fired or demoted at almost every coaching job for nearly 20 years. Croom has never been a defensive coordinator, and he's spent much of the late 80s and 90s as a running backs coach. All are sitting on enormous piles of severance cash, and I don't think any of them are that impressive.

Guys that intrigue me:

1. Kirby Smart - I really don't think we can get him. Plus, he's going to be the center piece of a bidding war between FSU and Bama after this season as he's apparently Jimbo's #1 candidate to replace Andrews. I'm not sure we could get him to leave Saban anyway, but I'm less confident that we would pay what it would take to get him.

2. Kevin Steele - The current Clemson DC has worked for Nick Saban, Dom Capers, Mickey Andrews (before he started struggling), and Tom Osborne. His teams play smart aggressive football. He was a bust as a head coach at Baylor, but who hasn't been a bust as head coach at Baylor? He really intrigues me.

3. Bob Sanders - Current Bills DL coach. Sanders worked with Spurrier at Duke and Florida from the late 80s-2000 mostly as the #2 defensive assistant, but never the DC. After moving to the pros, he coached in Green Bay as DC as well as Miami and Buffalo as DL coach. He is incredibly intriguing.

There are other names floating around, but none that I think are all that realistic for the Defensive Coordinator job. For the Fabris position, I would VERY much like to see us bring Travis Jones home. The former Dawg is the current DL coach for the New Orleans Saints, and he's doing a helluva job there. He worked with Saban at LSU as DL Coach and Recruiting Coordinator on the 2003 National Title team, and he followed him to Miami. He has coached all front seven positions from both the 3-4 and the 4-3.

Regardless of who we get, they have to be able to recruit. We have to keep upgrading the talent. The last two classes were directionally right, but we need more high end defensive studs.

As for Brian Van Gorder, I just don't see it happening.

PWD

More on the firings...

If you want a complete look at Mark Richt's comments and those of Damon Evans about the terminations of Martinez, Fabris and Jancek, check David Hale's blog. If you're interested in more of a summary of the situation, I liked Chip Towers piece a lot.

Richt's most interesting comment is:

"It was definitely not a one-year, knee-jerk reaction to this season, I can promise you that. It was more of a decision that was made over the course of time -- more time than just one year."

All indications that I've heard points towards these absolutely being Mark Richt's calls. Not something he was forced to make. That's the most encouraging aspect of this entire thing.

Admit it...you wondered if he had it in him to make the tough call. I did. I've been worried about that for weeks. In Knoxville as we watched a completely inept Vol offense obliterate our defense, I said to a friend, "Either Mark Richt fires most of this defensive staff, or he'll be out of here in two years. This just can't continue."

I feel awful for the guys impacted by this decision and for their families, but Georgia Football is the flagship product of an $84 million business. It's not a family run shoe store. By doing the right thing with these 3 coaches, Richt protected the other six full-time coaches on staff and many more support personnel.

Months ago, I listed the Top 3 problems with the program.

1. Lack of a sense of urgency - I was concerned about the overall complacency that had slipped into the program. This sort of shake-up and the injection of new ideas and personalities into the program can help that.

2. Lack of a transparent meritocracy - These moves are only step 1 in a two step process. He still has to make great hires, but this was directionally right.

2. Lack of an attack mentality on every down - We won't know if this has been fixed until Week 2 next year in Columbia. We may have an idea on things if we're familiar with the new hires, but we won't know for sure until we get to Cola.

We have the financial resources to put in place to have a meaningful conversation with a variety of elite candidates for all three positions. We just have to close the right guys.

As for the departed...
Don't be shocked to see Coach Jancek at Notre Dame working with linebackers next year if Coach Brian Kelly moves up there. Jancek worked with Kelly a combined 7 or 8 years at Grand Valley State and Central Michigan, and Kelly promoted him to Defensive Coordinator twice.

Martinez was an exceptional defensive backs coach for much of his time in Athens. The last two years were a complete train wreck, but the first 6 were so strong that he'll get another offer as a position coach very quickly. It wouldn't shock me to see him in Miami or at Michigan State should a position open up. I'm pretty sure that Mark Dantonio at MSU is a big fan of Willie's work.

Lastly, Fabris is very well networked from his travels. As a DE coach, he's pretty damn solid when he has something healthy to work with. It was his maddening strategic decisions on special teams that were his undoing...not his DE work. He'll land elsewhere and thrive.

Best of luck to them, and best of luck to Coach Richt in his search.

See Also:
-- A good man does the right thing - DawgSports

PWD

Bloody Wednesday

Martinez, Fabris, and Janeck ... fired.  Now what will we complain about?

The coaches are reportedly going to stay on through the bowl game, which appears to be in Shreveport.  So, here we go.  Will the defensive recruits stay on board?  Who is next?  Who should be next?  Has Jimmy Johnson been spotted at the airport yet?

I admit I have defended Willie in the past, but there was just no arguing with a move at the coordinator level.  It's very difficult to defend the simple math of the defense's steady decline.  Just as difficult to defend is the inexplicable kickoff coverage of the past two years and the absurd quotes from Fabris about directional kickoffs.  I'm sure these moves were painful for Coach Richt, both professionally and personally, but they had to be made.  Again, it's hard to argue with math.  Even if you say turnovers consistently put the defense in terrible spots, that's no excuse for the poor tackling and undisciplined play of our defense over the past several years. 

Lastly, as difficult as these decisions must have been for Coach Richt, I hope they were Richt's decisions.  I don't want Damon or anyone else forcing personel changes on the staff.  We pay Richt a lot of cash to take responsibility for the program.  The responsibility should be his.

Quinton

Bowl Chaos Update

SEC and ACC Bowls are getting progressively more nuts and unpredictable by the minute. Here's the latest:

• LSU to the Capital One - This is still pretty much a go.

• Ole Miss to Cotton - Multiple reports including the Dallas Morning News are saying that Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State is pretty much a done deal for the Cotton Bowl.

• Auburn to Outback Bowl - The Outback Bowl may officially announce this afternoon that Auburn is invited to the Tampa bowl. Tennessee media outlets agree that AU is likely to get that invite instead of the Vols.

• FSU to the Gator Bowl - The Gator gets the second pick of ACC teams, and the Tallahassee Democrat says the Gator will select FSU vs. West Virginia for Bowden's final game if/when the retirement is finalized. The Gator also selected UGA for Dooley's last game.
  

• Virginia Tech to the Chick-Fil-A - The Chick-Fil-A Bowl should update their blog later today with their latest leanings, but 9-3 Va Tech looks like a distinct possibility. If the Chick-Fil-A takes VT, the loser of the ACC Title game could fall all the way to the Champ Sports Bowl. Update Per the Tallahassee Democrat:

  According to the Gator Bowl's contract with the ACC, the team only has to invite the ACC title game loser once in four years, which it did with Georgia Tech in 2007. Without speculating on the matchup, Gator Bowl general chairman Dan Murphy told the Times-Union late Monday that it's the GBA's interpretation of the contract that the league's one-loss rule (a team cannot be passed for consideration by an ACC bowl partner for a team more than one loss behind in the conference standings) does not apply if the Gator Bowl decides not to invite the championship game loser. (emphasis added)
  

  Georgia Tech attended the Chick-fil-A last year. Va Tech would be making their third trip to Atlanta in one season, and Clemson would be riding a two game losing streak at 8-5. All three ACC teams have hair on them.
  

• UGA or UT in the Chick-Fil-A - The best thing for all bowl partners would be UGA in the Chick-Fil-A and UT in the Music City. That would sell the greatest number of total bowl tickets. However, UT vs. VT is an incredibly compelling regional game as is Georgia vs. Clemson, or Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee. The Atlanta Sports Council has a tough call on their hands.

• UGA, UT or SC in the Music City? - The Nashville Bowl has a variety of incredibly compelling potential games as South Carolina, Tennessee or Georgia would all offer a great game against North Carolina in the Music City Bowl.
  

• UGA to the Independence Bowl? - If UT goes to the Chick-Fil-A and SC faces UNC in the Music City, Georgia could fall all the way to the Independence Bowl. We are hearing that this is still a scenario that is very much on the table. The Liberty Bowl isn't in play as that bowl will not pass on Arkansas. Texas A&M is a strong candidate for the opponent in Shreveport.
  

PWD

Spurrier Joins a Different Top 10 plus a comparison

With Al Groh's departure at Virginia, Steve Spurrier moves into a tie for 10th place on the list of "Longest Tenured Coaches without a BCS Bowl" at their current BCS school. The 2009 pre-season list is here.

Here's the latest Top 10:

1.(T) Mike Leach (Texas Tech) - 2001
1.(T) Greg Schiano (Rutgers) - 2001
1.(T) Gary Pinkel (Missouri) - 2001
4.(T) Bobby Johnson (Vandy) - 2002
4.(T) Jeff Tedford (Cal) - 2002
6.(T) Rich Brooks (Kentucky) - 2003
6.(T) Mike Riley (Oregon State) - 2003
9.(T) Randy Edsall (UConn) - 2004 Joined Big East
9.(T) Mike Stoops (Arizona) - 2004
10.(T) Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) - 2005
10.(T) Jim Leavitt (USF) - 2005 Joined Big East
10.(T) Mike Gundy (Ok State) - 2005
10.(T) Dave Wannstedt (Pitt) - 2005

If Oregon State beats Oregon this week for the Pac-10 Championship, Spurrier will move into a tie for 9th place. Also, while we're on the topic of the Evil former Genius. How about a comparison to Ray Goff's tenure at UGA.

Spurrier through his first five seasons in Columbia:

35-27 overall
18-22 in the SEC
10 win seasons 0
9+ win seasons 0
1-2 Bowl Record
0 Top 25 Finishes

Goff through his first five seasons in Athens:

34-22 overall
18-19 in the SEC*
10 win seasons 1
9+ win seasons 2
2-1 Bowl Record
2 Top 25 Finishes

*If you include the '89 UGA vs. SC game and 'the 91 Arkansas match-up in the Independence Bowl as SEC games, Ray was 19-20 against current SEC Members...which is a still better.

Ray was mocked mercilessly by Spurrier for his mediocrity. I'd love to see how the '94 version of Steve Spurrier would react to seeing how pedestrian the '09 version of himself looks.

PWD

Photos: UGA vs GT - The Premature Gatorade Bath

The look on Bryan Evans face after he dropped the Gatorade on Richt is priceless. All images by Jim Hipple.







All images by Jim Hipple.


I'm locking the comments for this because some of you guys acting like total horses asses on this thread.

PWD