A couple quick thoughts on the Todd Grantham hiring:
-- I mentioned earlier that the price tag on this is a hefty one. Having said that (h/t Larry D.), if Georgia wants to be considered a top-10 program, they need to pay their assistants like they're a top-10 program. Willie Martinez was the 35th-highest paid assistant. We're still a ways away from determining if Grantham is worth the $750,000 a year, but what's important right now is that Damon Evans and Mark Richt thought their program was worth an investment of $750,000 a year.
-- For all the talk about the process being a wreck, it's funny how few times I heard the names Kirby Smart or Bud Foster on Friday. Seems like most fans have already forgotten about "the process" and are fairly happy with the results -- even though it wasn't a household name that got the job. Funny how that happens.
-- Personnel evaluations are going to be interesting during the next few months. Has there been a spring practice at Georgia that will be quite so highly anticipated as this one? There are probably close to a dozen players on defense who earned significant playing time last year who we have no idea where they'll even line up on the field this spring.
-- Jeff Owens gave his endorsement to DeAngelo Tyson as the nose guard on Twitter yesterday. I'd probably put Tyson as the leading contender for the job, too.
-- I specifically asked Richt yesterday if bringing in someone who was a stark contrast from the previous nine years was a part of what he was looking for in a coach. He said it wasn't. Looking at the candidates he talked to and at who was eventually hired, however, I can't help but have my doubts. And that's a good thing. As much as anything, what this staff needed was some fresh ideas. Grantham is bringing in a ton of them.
-- Two things on Rodney Garner: 1.) It's pretty clear that there is room for him to stay on the staff if he wants to. 2.) You have to wonder how much the near miss with Lane Kiffin last year is resonating with him right now. There's something to be said for upward mobility, but there's also something to be said for a solid foundation.
-- I assume Grantham will be very hands on with the linebackers, and I'd be surprised if they hired two coaches to handle a three-man defensive line. So I'd say there's at least a reasonable possibility Georgia gets a special teams coach out of all this, which would be yet another exceptional example that Mark Richt realized what problems have plagued his team and is making the right moves to fix them.
OK, I now have to drive to Albany to clean out a storage unit and hopefully put a much-needed end to the moving process I began on Dec. 30, so only time for a couple of links...
-- I have a story in today's Telegraph with a few player quotes about the hiring of Todd Grantham.
-- Catfish & Cornbread have some video of Grantham breaking down film on CBS.
-- Macon Dawg does a great job of analyzing the coaching hire for Georgia.
-- Bill King wonders if Mark Richt should have been looking to hire an NFL guy from the start.
-- UGA Blog thinks all the twists and turns of the coaching search led to the right guy.
-- Dawg Stephen is thrilled about Grantham's throwback attitude, which seems to be what has galvanized the Bulldog Nation already.
-- Tim Tucker takes a quick peek at Georgia's 2010 schedule.
-- Bleacher Report sees 2010 as a world of opportunity for the Bulldogs.
-- The Augusta Chronicle has a story on Drew Butler's ties with Ray Guy.
-- If you haven't seen it yet, the situation before Lane Kiffin's final Tennessee press conference was a disaster. Ah, news media. Just a delightful group. (BTW, Chris Low's expression through the entire ordeal is fantastic.)
-- Here's a list of the 10 best one-hit-wonders on "Lost."
-- And if you're a "Lost" fan, this is an awesome read -- 20 things that nearly happened differently on the show. The only problem? It kind of reinforces the notion that the creators really are making it up as they go.
-- And finally, if you get a chance, take some time to read this article on the gory details surrounding the murder case involving Marvin Harrison. It is really some great journalism and a riveting story.
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15 comments:
Any chance Grantham gets UGA back in the Jeffcoat lottery? What other future first rounders is he likely to bring?
Been looking everywhere for the date for the Red vs Black Spring Game. Is it set yet?
I'm very excited about this hire for the future, but I'm not sure if people really understand the difference in personnel required to run the 3-4 vs the 4-3. The 3-4 requires each of your D linemen to be responsible for 2 gaps, as opposed to 1 gap in the 4-3. I'm not sure if we have the horses to do that at this point. Perhaps we'll see it "phased in". Any thoughts on that David?
Hale, you deserve a vacation, and a raise! Heck of a job covering this whole DC search. Best. Bulldog blog. Ever.
Chris Low appeared to be druged. He just sat there and stared at nothing. If I'm representing the WWL, I'm taking charge. I would be telling that overrated Admin PR hack that Kiffin could Kiss my Butt. The WWL is the one thing standing between Kiffin's new job and the death penalty. I would tell Kiffin if he doesn't play with the WWL he will be coaching the second private school to get the silver bullet.
'92 Dawg, I could be wrong, but I thought that it was said either in the press conference with CTG or by David, that the d-lineman in CTG's scheme only have to fill one gap.
David, Did you notice in the teleconference that it sounded like Grantham said that he congratulated Saban on the phone the day after the BCS championship and that he saw Saban a few days ago? Does that mean he may have interviewed for the DC job at Bama when things got a little dicey with Kirby?
Dave...wouldn't surprise me if we wind up with two LB coaches...one ILB coach and one OLB coach. It WILL surprise me if we wind up with a guy that deal only with special teams and no other position.
Michael A, I may have missed that fact in the press conference. It may be his plan to use that 1 gap style at this point, with our current group of DT's and LB's. In the one gap version, the LB's are assigned a gap, so you trade off the abiltiy of the LB's to read and react to the play. (translation: you can't be as agressive with LB blitzes or coverage assignments as you become more predictable to the offense) but until we get the studs we need to make it work, i'm happy to accept that over what we had!
I think all defenses are "one gap", the only difference with the 3-4 is that specific gap varies as stunts and LB blitzes are disguised. 3-4 seems to allow more flexibility and deception due to the number of mobile players on the front 7. NG may have the gap left or right of the center, and DE's may stunt inside, or play contain, depending on the call for that play.
Who are the people in that presser? Older white guy saying no? Younger somewhat balding dark haired guy standing beside him (appears to be against what he is saying)?
David, when you see Mark Richt again, i'd like for you (if possible) to ask him a very pointed question. I'd like to know what he will do if/when Grantham wants changes in the strength & conditioning program. We're paying him $750,000 for his NFL Defensive expertise. I want to know if Richt will still refuse to make changes or accept the knowledgeable advice from his new investment.
Thank you.
Thank you for the link to the Marvin Harrison story. That was one of the most compelling articles I've read in a while.
The Spring Game is (except for one year) held on the Saturday of masters Week. Don't know why Richt always does this to us, but attendance would be much higher if he would move it one week, forward or back. I love my dawgs, but it is a scrimmage going against a long time Georgia tradition which is one of the most watched sporting events world wide. It doesn't just affect the few with tickets, but those who watch every shot on TV. I have to wait a week to watch the replay of the game when I want to be in the stadium.
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