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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Georgia making changes in strength and conditioning program

Georgia has officially announced the changes: Joe Tereshinski is in as the new director of the strength program. He replaces Dave Van Halanger, who will become an administrative assistant to head coach Mark Richt.

Tereshinski has been the strength and conditioning assistant and video coordinator. He has worked at Georgia since 1982, and his son Joe Tereshinski III lettered at quarterback for Georgia from 2004-06.

“Joe has had a hand in Georgia’s strength and conditioning program for nearly 30 years,” Richt said in a statement. “I’m excited about what he can bring to our program in this capacity and the direction he’ll set as we move forward.”

Van Halanger’s new duties were described as including a new mentoring program, former player initiatives and character development.

“Dave has made immeasurable contributions to our football program and been a major factor in our 96 victories over the last ten years,” Richt said in the statement.

“This role for Dave will allow us to tap into many of his strengths that will be of great benefit to Georgia, to me, and most of all to our student-athletes in a very unique way. He will be outstanding in working with and motivating our young people in these many areas that will bring strong guidance to them in their daily lives.”

The changes will take effect on Jan. 1, according to UGA.

---
David Pollack, the former All-American linebacker at Georgia, described Tereshinski and Van Halanger as "polar opposites", and for that reason thinks the move could be beneficial.

“Coach Van Halanger is one of the sweetest human beings you’ll ever meet," Pollack said. "Such a good team builder and motivator. One of those guys you could always go to. A father-figure type guy. Coach T, you can go to him anytime you want to, but he might have a switch waiting for you. He’s very, very old school.

"I don’t think there’s anyone that ever pushed me harder than coach T. Just old school, hard work, you’re going to do things the hard way. He’s just got that really passionate, fiery, he’s gonna let you know if you’re not doing it his way. It’s different.”
---

Here's an update: Joe Tereshinski, whose current title is strenght and conditioning and video coordinator, is being put in charge of the entire strength program, and John Kasay Sr. is being coming on board as an assistant. That's according to a source.

Kasay was the assistant strength coach under Vince Dooley. His son is a former Bulldog kicker now with the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

A former player, who will remain anonymous because the move hasn't been made official, was fully on board with the change: "Coach T is a stud. I'm telling you that is such a great move it ain't even funny."

It's not clear what happens to Dave Van Halanger, who has overseen the strength program since Mark Richt was hired at Georgia in 2001.

---

It looks like I'll have to update this later, and will do so in this space. But in the meantime, there is confirmation that changes are coming in the Georgia football team's strength and conditioning program.

"I can tell you there is some administrative re-organization coming in the football program," Claude Felton, UGA's associate athletics director for communication, said to media members in an e-mail on Thursday. "I should have more info later today so stay tuned."

Former Georgia player Kelin Johnson, who now works in the media, made a reference earlier on Thursday on Twitter to Dave Van Halanger, the director of the strength and conditioning program:

"Coach Van..You will be missed so much! Thank you for all you have done for me and my fellow teammates! We Love you!"

43 comments:

Unknown said...

Good to see that changes are being made. We are being pushed around to much.

Anonymous said...

Someone posted Joe T as new guy. But this is on Rivals so take it fwiw.

Palmer said...

David Pollack just tweeted that Joe T will be more involved, not sure if he'll be the man. If he is, great, but I'm tired of seeing us blown off the line nearly every snap.

CSA said...

I wish Coach Van Halanger and his family the best, thanks for your dedication to Georgia.

I heard from too many people that this was a problem, including a friend of mine who plays on the scout team as a D-lineman and also powerlifts. Great to see they're making the necessary changes.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what has happened...I have heard he has been having health problems. I got my first degree in 00-04 and those guys were bigger than the guys today. I was riding on the bus today with two linemen and I was thinking 6 years ago you'd weigh at least 20 to 30 more pounds.

Wish Coach the best though!

Anonymous said...

I hope the former player you're quoting isn't JTIII.

Anonymous said...

Coach T is one hell of a motivator. I just hope he brings some new looks to the program. Maybe get some of the exercise and sport science faculty input.

UGA69Dawg said...

How can moving two old Dooley guys up in an S&C program that has apparently not made our Olines able to out muscle anybody on our schedule be a good thing? This is typical UGAAD BS. Butts-Mere is a grave yard of old UGA coaches who were not good enough to get jobs at other schools. This is not going to end well.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, is this really the BEST move, are they the two besyt qualified guys to get the jobs? Just like with Bobo or any coach, we have to be asking that question because it seems Richt doesn't. Georgia is Top 10 in $$, recruiting base, facilities etc....so we need to get the very best in coaching and outside of Bobo coaching QBs (versus designing and running the offense and game plan) and Van Gorder coaching the defense, Coach Richt has failed to hire the best. Regardless a change has been needed so we hope for the best.

Anonymous said...

What a completely underwhelming hire. This is nothing more then rearranging the chairs. However, this is the typical M.O. for Richt, who is laziest individuals around when it comes to hiring staff. With the exception from last year with the D overhaul (which Richt didn't really want to do in the first place), he has always just simply promoted from within instead of engaging in an exhaustive national search for the best possible talent. Let's see, when it was time to replace the OC about 4 or 5 years ago, he simply promoted Bobo, when Van Gorder left he simply promoted Willie, and now with CVH being moved aside, he just promotes the assistant S&C coach and AV coordinator.

Anonymous said...

Can you find out if they are bringing in any type of consultants (CES possibly) to design the program etc...and then JT and Kasay would facilitate it?

Anonymous said...

Now I'm hearing that JT is just an interim hire. He will simply take over for the time being until the new S&C coordinator is hired. If this is true, then that is good news and I'll give Richt credit for not doing the easy and lazy thing of simply promoting from within.

Anonymous said...

4:11--Says who? As the post above now indicates, JT isn't just a rumor, it's an actual from-Richt's-mouth hire. No interim tag attached. And if you mean he's interim until 2012, well, hell, that may end up applying to just about everybody.

Here's hoping Seth's former player source is right though. A change needed to be made, I'm hoping this is the right one.

Muckbeast said...

Wow.

Another lazy, incestuous hire. How disappointing.

Seth: I'd love to read a comparison of Richt vs. championship winning coaches when it comes to hiring from within compared to getting the best guy possible.

Anonymous said...

What a joke. Richt creates a fake position for Van Halanger because he doesn't have the balls to fire his boyfriend, and then hires Van Halanger's assistant. Richt needs to go. Everyone needs to take the blinders off and really look at how far this program has fallen.

Anonymous said...

This doesn't mean football can't get a specific strength coach.

Different sports have different strength coaches.

Joe T would be like the principal where the strength coaches are the teachers.

Billy T said...

@5:20 - how far this program has fallen? You do realize that it's been what... 3 years? Since we finished in the top 5 and had a shot to play for a national championship? Not to mention CMR still has one of the best win percentages among active coaches.

The fact is, the more you make changes, the more likely you are to set things back even more. Just because a great team has less success, that doesn't mean anyone is doing something wrong, it's the nature of the game, someone has to lose. Fans on this blog aren't out there on the field, but most of you take losses worse than the actual players.

Joeski said...

Wow, you guys are depressing sunsabitches; the guy hasn't even been on the job a day and you're already trashing the hire.

This is exactly what is wrong with you people: you assume you're opinion carries the weight of authority, when that is absolutely not true.

Have you been coaching for 30+ years? No.
Have you been around a successful S&C program at the DI level? No.

And yet you think you know better... just wow.

The people involved in our athletic department have far more experience than you, far more knowledge than you, and quite possibly are more intelligent to boot. Trust them to do their damn jobs. If we have the same issues next season, you can second-guess then, but right now you have no rational grounds upon which to trash this hire. It's not like Richt just chose Coach T by throwing darts at a dart board, or on a whim. I bet Richt sat down with him and discussed what Coach T would do if he was in charge of the S&C program, and liked what he heard... you know, like a professional business is run (and yes, it's a common best practice that you should have a preference for hiring from within).

Maybe it's arrogance; maybe it's egocentrism; maybe it's just raw stupidity; whatever, it's irritating as hell. Call it the curse of the Internet: it gives everyone a voice... even if they haven't earned it.

Anonymous said...

"Maybe it's arrogance; maybe it's egocentrism; maybe it's just raw stupidity; whatever, it's irritating as hell. Call it the curse of the Internet: it gives everyone a voice... even if they haven't earned it."

Maybe it's misusing semicolons;

Few of the folks doing the criticizing come off as pompous as you.

CSA said...

Joeski,

Nobody could have said that any better. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

This move pisses me off. I guess CMR wants to lose his job

Joeski said...

Anon @ 6:03

Just because you don't like the message doesn't make it pompous. If you care to point out how I'm being sanctimonious, feel free to do so...

but when you're sole canard is that I used too many semicolons-- well, let's just say I didn't realize I needed to break open my Manual of Style to post here.

Is that really the best you can do?

ChrisDawg said...

Most of you Guys who are pissed about this have no idea what your talking about.

Don't get me wrong neither do I. I don't believe that anybody posting here actually works on the UGA football staff. Speak up if you do.

Mark Richt no matter what you guys say is not a stupid man. He understands the way things work in college football more than anybody that post here. You guys act like he just goes around hiring his buddies. You guys have no idea how much more goes into what Richt does.

Richt has almost averaged ten wins a season in his tenure at UGA. We are a couple of seasons removed from nearly playing for a national championship for crying out loud. What do some of you guys do? You turn your back on the man who gave you these high expectations! You want the coach from Boise or TCU to come here! Maybe the coach at Stanford! Coach Richt is crap all the sudden! He hasn't been great in two years, get rid of him! No coach can have two bad years without getting fired you guys say no matter how good they have been. Maybe one day you guys will get what you wish for. Ga will go back to the pre Richt mediocre days. How short of memories do you guys have? You don't remember what Ga was before Richt and you don't remember all the great that Richt has done at Ga.

If at all possible you try to promote from within. You will never see a football team professional or college taking cues from it's fans on how to do things. If they did changes would be made constantly. Consistency wins in football. Make as few changes as possible.

Also the Tereshinski family bleeds red and black! They are UGA! Do you think he will not do the very best job possible? He truly cares about this program! He is not some big name guy who has never stepped foot in Sanford Stadium. He truly cares about what happens to this program.

Dorsey Hill said...

How far back does that former player go? Hell, I'm sure David Pollack & Co. think the world of VH, because he was still an innovator in their day.

An endorsement from a player from another era that one of our coaches is the guy because he had the stuff way back when doesn't really move my meter.

Doug said...

I've got nothing against the Joe T, but I was really hoping for some fresh ideas. It feels like UGA football has just gotten stale.

Hopefully, Joe T will keep the guys working hard during the early summer workouts.

Anonymous said...

Nobody is saying that Joe T doesn't bleed red and black and he will not try his best. This just seems like we are going in the same direction with this hire. Joe T has been around VH for many years and will probably employ the same mat drills and lifting programs that we've had. The field of exercise science has progressed so much over the last 20 years, just hope Joe T and Casey have paid attention. I sure hope that I'm wrong because I sure hate to see us getting whipped in the trenches.

Anonymous said...

Wow, so now the experts here consider David Pollack a relic from a different era. I would bet any amount of money Pollack knows more about S&C than most of you knowitalls.

Dorsey Hill said...

"I would bet any amount of money Pollack knows more about S&C than most of you knowitalls."

This from a guy posting as "Anonymous." *Any* amount of money? Do you sign those checks anonymously as well? God bless the Internet for producing gems like this every day.

Anon, I don't understand your premise. If you're a Van Halanger guy, then I don't see how you're pleased by the news he's been replaced by anyone, be it Joe T or anyone else. If you're not a VH fan, then I don't see how you can an endorsement from one of his proteges that seriously.

That's all I'm saying: Joe T may be hell on wheels. We'll find out soon enough. But an endorsement by proteges of the guy we just fired, or from guys who came up in a completely different era of conditioning is hardly cause for thinking our problems are solved.

Lee Peggy said...

I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire.
I'll never forget the look on my father's face as he gathered me up
in his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement.
I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames.
And when it was all over I said to myself, "Is that all there is to a fire?"

Anonymous said...

great post lee peggy joeski know one accused richt of making decisions by throwing darts.Hell that would be too much to ask of Mark Richt.

BuLLdawg said...

Yes, I am throwing the Offense and Defense under the Bus - and, I took a wide swipe at Special Teams' Kick-off Return team with walk-ons.

I get quite specific.

Coach Richt Threw Dave Van Halanger under the Bus after 6 LOSSES, after Throwing Willie Martinez under the Bus last season after 5 LOSSES last season.

Clearly, that IS NOT WORKING.

1-year quarterbacks' coach at Jacksonville State University, Mike Bobo is NOT going to remain Offensive Coordinator at my alma mater; but, instead be out of here as OC.

Running Backs' coach is a former wide receiver for UGA whose DAD was a great running back here. Perhaps we should HIRE HIS DAD as RB back. What we have CLEARLY IS NOT WORKING.

Wide Receiver coach is a great former RB.

TE coach who wanted Cam Newton as a TE, is a former QB.

The Defensive Coordinator make exact promises that he would evaluate talent and get our best on the field. This is our BEST ? We cannot sack opposing Quarterbacks, tackle backs in the backfield, get no pressure and were it not for Justin Houston, we would have NONE of the PRESSURE Todd Grantham promised us at all. With him, it is POOR.

Rodney Garner has been getting his butt kicked in this state, according to HERSCHEL WALKER.

The players run all over this "coaching staff" that looks WORSE in Game 12 than they did in Game 2. They take EVERY ADVANTAGE of the staff, and the staff has done nothing and has NO DISCIPLINE according again to NOT ME, but according to HERSCHEL WALKER.

4 LOSSES per year last 5 years on the Average is the 20 LOSSES we in fact have over the last 5 years.

I got a freaking idea, why don't we promote posters who don't even have the common decency of putting their bloody name on their post, and let them decide to STAY THE COURSE.

That we are doing JUST FINE obviously.

Right ?

I don't see where any of your statements have EVER SHOWN ANY VALIDITY.

Nor ANY of Coach Richt's HIRES.

Anonymous said...

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

BuLLdawg said...

"Character Developement" is the new "coaching position" for of all people Dave Van Halanger.

Dave Van Halanger could NOT get the guys to get up in the morning and go run.

Thus we have no conditioning and close out games so poorly - gassed as we are every game.

And, so the nation's 2nd worst college football program in Fulmer Cup Standings for the last 5 years, put this guy in charge of "Character Development."

That is like CPJ putting little Joey Hamilton in Charge of "Character Development" at Georgia tek with Joey's DUI, drugs in the ash tray, drunk, causing a wreck, leaving the scene of the wreck and not even having the sense God gave a gnat to get the DRUGS out of the car.

What you are SAYING Coach Richt, is that Dave Van Halanger has had a DIRECT HAND in the inability of even getting the players to give a DAMN about their conditioning, and has DIRECTLY been RESPONSIBLE for the 20 LOSSES the last 4 years as a direct result, so you are PROMOTING HIM to being NOW in CHARGE of "Character Development."

Is this because you are an IDIOT Coach Richt ?

Or, I am ?

It's 1 or the other.

Oh, and the players can PARTY HEARTY between now and January 1, when this change takes affect.

You are told that Joe Tereshinski II - not JT III you blithering babbling fools above trying to hail this move as great because he is our QB who LOST to Florida for DJ Shockley in 2005 and forced him to come back not ready for Auburn 2005 thereafter after having been GIVEN THE JOB by Coach Richt as # 1 in 2006 on the QB Depth Chart with Joe Cox # 2 and Matthew Stafford # 3 based upon his UTTER FAILURES on the field as our QB the 2005 season that showed so much promise with DJ and none with Joe Tereshinski III as QB - that Joe Tereshinski II is the S & C Coach.

1982 he took that job.

After he played OL for us here.

Promote to their level of incompetence.

Peter Principle - strong and alive here.

THIS is Coach Richt's MAJOR FAILING as head coach.

His "COACHING STAFF" hires.

How has Todd Grantham worked out ?

Will he have FIRED every coach he hired for that position, in a 12-month window ?

He certainly should.

We are told more to come.

Rodney Garner, Bryan McClendon, who the frig else Coach Richt will you TRY TO BLAME having been WHOLLY UNABLE to blame it on the players as you and your "coaching staff" TRIED to do as this SEASON UNFOLDED upon last season.

Don't forget it was 2008 that was the WORST FOOTBALL YEAR IN our once proud history. Or have you also forgotten about 29 42 31 to nothing at half only 3 good teams we played and 21 out the night we were ranked # 1 getting drunk arrested beating up hospitals, etc.

Anonymous said...

Who gives a $%@#& if someone's name's on here, like I know who the $%#@& Dorsey Hill is or give a crap, or like that would change what I would post? Classic.

Oh look BuLLDawg and Erked Russell posted....

Anonymous said...

BuLLdawg, you were crazy anonymous feces man for the longest time around here, so it's hilarious that you'll pick on people who post anonymously.

Anonymous said...

Yeah like giving yourself a fake name like BuLLdawg makes your comments more legit, it doesn't.I don't think you can bring yourself to say 1 positive thing about UGA. Go ahead I dare you. That's how I know you're just clowning for attention and either a fan of another team or some lame blog prank.

MarkS31 said...

I saw enough collapses this year and last to know that something needed to be done to the S&C program, and I'm excited by this change. Wish Van Halanger the best in his new role.

I'm not sure why so many people are upset with this move just because it's an inside-the-program move. If Joe T is judged a great choice by a former Dawg like Pollack, then that's good enough for me.

Time for the Dawgs to get back to being the Dawgs again. This should help.

Anonymous said...

They need talent upgrade on the line more. The last great lineman at Uga was probably Max Jean-Gilles.Guys like him are born not made in a weightroom.You can work BuLLdawg out all you want in a gym but he's still BuLLdawg.

Todd said...

The problem with our football program is not Richt. It's the ANONYMOUS "fans" that think they're experts. I'm behind Richt 100%. He knows how to win, he has a history of winning, and he'll have this program back in the SEC Championship soon.

Anonymous said...

I'll go with BuLLdawg is the idiot for $100, Alex....

How's that job search going jackass?

Live from the Liberty Bowl said...

The number of moronic posts on this blog really amazes me at times - I wish there were a way to establish prerequisites to commenting for some of you jocko's who come on here and continually spew garbage. Just so you know, Richt issued an addendum to his official statement yesterday stating that he would, moving forward, run all hiring decisions by the "Bulldogs Blog" commenters prior to making a move. Well hell, it's about damn time, since we have so many qualified head coach and CEO-types following this blog.

It's been less than 24 hours since the announcement, and folks are ready to send Joe T and his prospective staff to the guillotine. Why don't we wait to see what other changes/new ideas come about before rushing to judgment? McGarity and Richt know exactly what they are doing, certainly more so than anyone on this blog, and I'm very confident they are making the right moves.

IT'S STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PEOPLE! There are thousands of ways of designing/implementing a successful S&C program, and it would only be a distraction if we scoured the universe looking for a replacement. We could hire Ivan Drago to run a boot camp year-round, and the posters here would still find something to bitch about.

And lastly, who gives a rip if someone posts anonymously? Putting a name out front automatically legitimizes a post? It's all about the content. Thankfully, I know to keep scrolling past the worthless diatribe when I see "BuLLdawg said..."

Joeski said...

Just to clarify: I'm not ragging on people for having doubts. That's understandable. I'm ragging on the fair-weather fans who think they can judge the quality of this hire.

Look, to be a good judge, you either have to have knowledge, experience, or statistics upon which to base your assessment.

Nobody here can say that they have any of that.

Bottom line: I am neither psyched nor disappointed yet. The people who wanted changes: you got it. Now we're all going to have to wait and see what the results are.

Anonymous said...

So Mr Dorsey Hill, do you sign your checks by that name as well, or is that a fake screen name that is no different than using "Anonymous"? Maybe you should change your name to Dorsey Hypocrite.

And Mr Hill, do you even know what a protege is? Joe T has been at UGA long before VH came along, and according to Pollack, is 100% different than VH. And from what JT has said, he will be much different than VH. And like I said before, I trust David Pollack's opinion much more than some anonymous poster who goes by the name of Dorsey Hill. Just what are your credentials in making an opinion on JT? Have you seen him in action as a coach? Do you know his methods? Unless you can prove otherwise, you have no reason to denounce this move. But you are free to post more of your nonsensical bull.