Coach Richt makes some changes!

Well, all of the Dawgnation was expecting this and most of them were calling for this. Coach Mark Richt officially let go of most of the assistant coaches on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, defensive ends coach John Fabris, and linebackers coach John Janeck were all let go yesterday from the Georgia coaching staff. Like I said, this was not a surprise to any of the Georgia faithful. But now what? I am confident that Coach Richt will bring on some good replacements, but who? All of the names being thrown out right now are on the silly side. Let me comment on a few of them:

Tommy Tuberville- He is a former Head Coach in the SEC and will be considered for another head coaching role soon. It might not be in the SEC, but it will still be a head-coaching role. If he was to even consider UGA, it would only be a temporary role for him and he would jump at the first offer for a legit head coaching position.

Bryan VanGorder – He is a former Georgia defensive coordinator and now is the current defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. Even though he has spent most of his coaching career at the college level, I think he is now a pro guy and intends to stay with the Falcons. The only reason he might come back to Athens is his relationship with Coach Richt, but I don’t think that will be enough.

Will Muschamp – He is currently the DC for the Texas Longhorns who has a chance to play for a national title this year. Also, he is the Head Coach in waiting. Not real sure what that means, but I am pretty sure he wouldn’t leave that role to come coach under a younger head coach and make his wait to be a head coach even longer. I guess the only possible draw for Will is that he played at UGA and they are in the SEC. Both of those things could be strong factors for him!

Kirby Smart – Kirby is in a similar situation as Muschamp. He is currently the DC for Alabama and they have a chance to play for a national title this year. Kirby did play his college football for UGA as well and we all know that Nick Sabin is not the easiest person to work for. So those two reasons might be enough for Kirby to make the move, even though it is not really a lateral move. But it would give him a chance to make a name for himself.

Charlie Strong – Charlie is currently at Florida who has a chance to play for another national title and he should be considered for a head-coaching job this year. Why would he leave one of the best programs in all of football to come to help rebuild one of their biggest rivals? If he leaves Florida, it will be for a head job!

Ellis Johnson – Ellis is currently the DC at South Carolina and might be the best bet for any of the current DC’s to make a move. The reason is he will have better talent, support and facilities in Athens. It seems pretty clear that Spurrier won’t be at South Carolina too much longer so it might be smart for Ellis to jump now. He has a proven track record and has coached at several SEC schools and knows the importance of a solid defense.

Rodney Garner – Rodney is the only holdover from the defensive staff from this year. He is currently the defensive line coach and head recruiting coordinator. I would not be surprised if he got the promotion, but I also don’t think that will happen. He is one of the best recruiters in the country and I think adding the responsibility of running the entire defense might hamper his recruiting skills.

There are some other names being tossed around as well, but these seven keep coming up in all of the articles I am reading and discussions I am hearing. It will be interesting to see what happens. Also it will be interesting to see if any of the coaches that were let go end up coaching for the upcoming bowl game or do they just leave Athens behind as fast as they can? I view these actions as a positive move and the result will only make the team stronger. But I am anxious to see whom Coach Richt brings in to run the defense. It is a huge decision, keep in mind, defense wins championships!

Go Dawgs!