Happy Monday, folks. The Dawgs get back to regular bowl practice on Wednesday, so we'll have a lot more news by then. Right now, things are pretty quiet -- in fact, a little too quiet.
Most of the reports I've gotten from sources about the vacant coaching positions have been pretty similar:
1.) They think a hire will happen soon.
2.) They are amazed at how little information has been leaked.
No. 2 sort of negates my confidence in No. 1, so take it for what you will. I do know that several candidates have been contacted already, but beyond that, there has beenprecious little information to come out of Butts-Mehre . And as a general rule of thumb, when it comes to hires, it's best not to put too much confidence in the "rumors" coming from outside sources. There's generally an agenda attached.
Anyway, stay tuned, and hopefully we'll have a good bit more info for you in the coming days.
One other off-field issue that cropped up a few weeks ago was the Montez Robinson arrest. We haven't had a chance to talk to Mark Richt about it yet, but I did chat with Rodney Garner about the situation, and here's what he had to say:
“It’s a difficult situation, but like I told him, he can’t let this one thing define the rest of his life. He’s got to pull himself together and re-evaluate what he’s doing and change the course to stop the cycle, the cycle of the type of life he grew up in. Hopefully as the thing goes through the system, it will work out favorably toward him and he can regroup and get his life back together.”
Also, if you haven't been voting in our Dawgs of the Decade poll, you can still vote on each category now by going to Macon.com/Decade. I'm also looking for comments from fans about what they liked about the players they voted for and some of their favorite memories of those players. We'll be running it all as a part of a big spread in the Dec. 27 Telegraph.
OK, enough for the preliminaries, now on to a few links...
-- I have a story in today's Telegraph on how Georgia is approaching recruits while the questions about the coaching staff still linger.
-- I got this stat on fumbles from our buddy Marc last week and planned to write about it today, but The Senator beat me to it: Anyway, while Mark Richt does indeed have a case about the ball not bouncing his way, he's hardly the only one.
-- Dawg Sports throws another name into the speculation ring for defensive coordinator. I'm not sure that Georgia can match his royalties from the Coors Lite commercials though.
-- Buck Belue settles the whole debate though.
-- And just a question to ponder: I'm not saying Kirby Smart isn't the right man for the job, but it's worth asking -- how do we know he's a great DC? Yes, he was the national award winner as the country's top assistant this season, but Tim Tebow was also a finalist for the Heisman. A lot of thought doesn't necessarily go into award voting. Smart has presided over the nation's top defense statistically, but how much of it has been Smart and how much of it has been Nick Saban? Heck, how much of it has been the remnants of what Kevin Steele built? And how much of it is the luxury of having remarkable talent on the defensive side of the ball? After all, Mount Cody and Rolando McClain don't come around every season.
Again, I'm not suggesting Georgia shouldn't want Smart, but I am curious as to whether there is ample enough evidence to support the offer he would invariably have to receive in order to leave Tuscaloosa for Athens.
-- The Bulldog in Exile points out a hilarious bit of irony from Saturday's Army-Navy game.
-- This article points out a couple of solutions I've mentioned over the years to reduce the silliness of silly season among college head coaches. (h/t GTP)
-- The Big Ten is talking about expanding to 12 teams, and Dr. Saturday offers up the most likely candidates for the job.
-- Well it was only a matter of time before this surfaced. I have a feeling these will continue to trickle out like Tiger's mistresses until we've all had more than a few good laughs.(But don't worry, it's all part of Lane's plan.)
-- If I could change lives with any one person, I'm not sure Peter Gammons would be No. 1 on my list, but he'd be darned close. When you get into sports writing, it's with the hope that someday, you'll have stories as good as these to tell.
-- Looks like the "Teen Wolf" remake is a go, and it's going to be worse than I had feared.
-- On the flip side, Sigourney Weaver leaked some interesting tidbits about the planned "Ghostbusters 3."
-- Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... the least exciting sitcom reunion in the history of television!
-- Another decade list: The top sports moments in pop culture of the 2000s. It's a pretty solid list, but the mention of Artie Lange at the end reminded me -- did you guys watch "The U" 30 for 30 documentary over the weekend? Hasn't Bernie Kosar morphed into Artie Lange over the years? That guy has spent too many winters in Cleveland.
-- And finally, it's not just dia-bit-iz that Wilford Brimley has it in for -- he's talking like he's Mike Vick in this YouTube video. (Seriously, one of the most bizarre things I've seen in a while.)
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15 comments:
my theory on Lane Kiffin...
As Billy Madison puts it "O'Doyle I got a feeling onne day your whole Family is going down."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsNgRmsx-14
Kiffin = O'Doyle.
Banana Peel = NCAA Recruiting Violations
John
Any word on how ticket sales are going for the bowl game?
Wilford better be careful threatening that dog with Sgt. Dietrich around.
David,
I understand where you're coming from with Nick Saban may be the brains behind the defense at Alabama. Still, if that's the case, wouldn't it be a good fit to have someone that worked with Saban for several years and was able to learn how he prepared his players? I have a feeling that he learned a lot about coaching from Saban over the years.
What's the over/under on how long it takes Hollywood to come out with a remake of Rollerball?
Oh wait...
GHOSTBUSTERS 3!
David -- I couldn't agree more on the Kirby Smart thoughts. He could be a genius or a complete figure head, we just don't know. Hopefully, CMR has tapped into the coaching community to get the take of Smart's peers. If Kirby Smart were a graduate of Carson Newman, would the GA community be willing to write this guy a blank check, given how little we really know about him?
This is not to say I wouldn't like to see him in the job, but the point is there are a lot more unknowns about him than you would like to have for a potential $800k assistant coach.
FYI - for those that might of missed it, Coach Donnan said on 680 the fan a little bit ago that he talked to Frank Beamer and confirmed that UGA has spoken with Bud Foster about the DC position.
Honestly, I think Foster would be a way bigger hire than Smart, because Bud Foster has been turning out top defenses for over 10 years. He's not a UGA alum, but as far as DC's go, he's cream of the crop.
I don't want Kirby Smart as Georgia's DC for a couple of very simple reasons:
First, we don't know how good a defensive coach, or how good a defensive mind, Kirby really is. He's an up and coming coach, certainly, but he's spent all but one of the past 6 or 7 years under one coach, Saban. Not a bad training ground, granted. But that defense over there in Tuscaloosa is Saban's defense, not Smart's, much like the Georgia offense from 2001-2007 belonged to Richt, not Neil Callaway or Bobo.
Two, and foremost, we don't need another coordinator who hasn't independently had success running his own show. Our needs demand an experienced coordinator. We already have one young coordinator learning on the job and, in the process, getting his head handed to him several times a year by an opposing veteran coordinator.
We don't need another one.
~~~
I am with IvyLeaguer, Smart isn't a slam dunk as a success, but more importantly, he if he is the real deal, we would only have him 1 to 2 years max. He is too hot at this point and additional success would only intensify the situation.
Kirby Smart might be the very worst choice we could make at this point. UGA needs someone who will not spend all their time interviewing for the next step on the ladder.
Great to know this is the caliber DC CMR is looking at. I'm not on the Kirby Smart train. He's too inexperienced as a DC and if he is as good as advertised, he'd be a HC in 1-2 years after a UGA hire. There are alot of guys out there that are outstanding DC's. Find one with a Bud Foster or Bumpus resume and know what you are getting and let's get back to competing for the SEC Title. Foster would be a GREAT hire.
I definitely understand where everyone is coming from about Smart being a gamble. I'm kind of torn myself. However, a young inexperienced Muschamp also worked under Saban, and I'd say he turned out pretty well. On 960 the Ref this morning, they had the guy on from Ugasports.com, he said there was a Kirby Smart sighting in Athens this weekend. Have you heard anything about that David?
Donnan is in the UGA camp...Foster was thrown out as a intentional distraction/diversion. Foster has had numerous chances to leave the confines of the commonwealth of Virginia as a DC....to no avail. He's a Hokie for life. Think about it....if he's heading up one of the premier defenses yearend/yearout...why hasn't he moved on to a HC position? Might there be some skeletons in the closet or is he just riding the coattail of Beamer?
Look west men as our DC will come riding in from the CST!!
Three things:
1.) Richt has talked to Smart and Foster, which tells me that money isn't going to be a big object. That's a good thing.
2.) Smart wasn't in Athens. He was in Atlanta for the high school title games at the Georgia Dome, and he did spend some time with Bobo.
3.) I remain skeptical about Bud Foster -- like some of you have noted, why leave now? And why hasn't he gotten a HC job before now? Or maybe the second question answers the first.
Why I think UGA has hired Bud Foster.
#1 It's my understanding the "jobs availability" at a Georgia state university must be posted 5 days. I think tomorrow that will be satisfied and hiring can begin.
#2 WHY would Beamer admit UGA has talked to his top General. What did have to gain from that if Foster was not hired? In essence, if Foster was not hired, then Beamer has told the coaching world, my top coordinator is listening to all options of leaving me. I personally think Beamer wanted this leaked so knowledge of a possible top DC opening on his staff was available and all candidates should wait before making any career moves.
#3. Foster has done all he can do at VT. There is nothing else to prove. A move to the SEC will bring him great additional exposure with the new ESPN Contract as well as the advantage of competeing against the best and coaching the best athletes.
#4 Finally, as good as his D's have been up there, outside the Vick years, the Hokie offense has depended on his defense to win most of it's games. A chance to team up with one of the great offensive minds in the college game teamed with Stafford/Moreno type recruits has to be enticing.
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