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