With Bobby Petrino's mid-season move from the Atlanta Falcons to Arkansas Razorbacks, one talented, nomadic assistant coach may be on the move again. Brian Van Gorder will likely be in search of work three games from now.
I've heard poorly sourced rumors that connect him with the defensive coordinator positions at South Carolina (Nix is out), Arkansas (Petrino will need a DC), and Georgia Tech (Tenuta may leave on his own or otherwise).
If he leaves the Falcons as expected, it would be:
- 2004 - University of Georgia (Defensive Coordinator)
2005 - Jacksonville Jags (Linebacker Coach)
2006 - Georgia Southern (Head Coach)
2007 - Atlanta Falcons (Linebacker Coach)
2008 - ?
UGA also finished in the Top 3 among SEC teams in most major defensive categories this year. In other words, BVG is not coming back as defensive coordinator. Nor realistically should he be allowed to do that given the borderline insane way that he manages his career and complete inability to find happiness professionally...or the quality job that Willie did this year (other than the UT debacle). If we let him back in as DC, who's to say he doesn't blow himself up and leave to become special teams coach for the Montreal Alouettes in a year or two.
That said -- it wouldn't hurt my feelings to bring Van Gorder back as a linebacker coach should we have an opening there for any reason. We also might have an "in" with him given that his son Malloy is currently a walk-on for the Dawgs. The type of "in" that creates some semblance of professional stability?
I would wager that his family would be thrilled to have him on staff with the Yellow Jackets. A move like that would keep the family from moving...again. I personally would have no beef with him working for any of our rivals. The guy has bills to pay and mouths to feed.
But as Kyle King mentioned earlier today, it will be incredibly interesting to see where he lands. Heckuva a good coach and good man, but clearly the guy has no earthly idea how to manage his career or find happiness professionally. Makes you wonder how this story evolves.
See Also:
-- When going gets tough. Van Gorder Bolts GSU - GSB
PWD
23 comments:
If BVG had any brains whatsoever he would be lobbying his ass off to get to Ga Tech should Tenuta be leaving.
To be clear.....
I'd love to see him at ARK as DC or UGA as LB coach.
I don't think it will be GA TECH. He ripped Johnson's option offense when he took the HC job (disastrous) at GSU. Johnson wasn't amused. Hope he finds a good coordinator job.... he doesn't have the people skills to be a headcoach. Can't manage the total game either.... though he is a brilliant DC.
He can come back to UGA so long as he isn't allowed to evaluate talent.
I'll take Jancek's eye for talent over his any day of the week.
Would he come back to UGA as linebacker coach? That's a regression from several years ago although I thought being LB coach at the Jags was a regression from DC at one of the best defensive schools in the country, so who knows...
I always though BVG's dismantling of PJ's offense was in order to be more appealing to primetime 1-A schools...guess that completely backfired seeing as PJ is the one who got the job. PJ at GA Tech with a solid defense is a scary, scary thought.
It's a mixed bag with BVG's talent eye.
For as bad as Verdun and Jackson looked at times...both looked better when playing for BVG in 2004 than Janeck in 2005 and 2006.
BVG also found Thomas Davis and Odell Thurman when no one else wanted them.
So it's mixed there.
I'm with you on Davis. As for Odell--it wasn't a lack of talent that was scaring people away.
Van Gorder had a history of going after poor character guys--many of whom left quickly after their arrivals. Josh Johnson and TKO pop to mind.
Jancek's guys like Hebron are leaving because of getting caught drinking...not for hitting teachers.
I have heard rumors that BVG and a certain member of our coaching staff do not get along, to the point where this person threatened to leave if BVG stayed after '04. Don't know if that's true or not but I just don't see him coming back. He's been here and done that.
I can't see him back at UGA. Whatever values you assign to the various points on his zig-zag course over the past five years, ending up as a position coach back at the place he started as a coordinator would unambiguously be going backwards. He might as well say: "I hereby adopt in full and without reservation Paul Westerdawg's view of my career management skills. In short, I suck."
Also, I can't see MR taking a chance on creating a bad dynamic among the staff and within the fanbase by having BVG work for the guy he once worked for, especially given that fan support for WM is dodgy at best, to coin a phrase.
Add to all this generic stuff that the coach in question is hardly a charmer or a go-along guy. So, no Bulldogs for you, BVG.
Interesting point about the change of offenses at GSU, BVG's comments and PJ's reaction, but I would not be surprised to see PJ choose to look beyond that. As well as he did at Navy, their defenses routinely stank, and he'd have won even bigger with a stouter D. BVH is a loose cannon, but he can coach some D.
Of course, WM worked for BVG before.
Um, when they came to Georgia together, Willie was the DC and Van Gorder was the LB coach. Richt switched them.
IMO, he should bring him back and demote willie back to position coach.
Who cares if he is only here for a year or 2. All we need him for is next year.
If we can tighten up that defense, we should be unstoppable.
And yes, i still hate Willie Martinez, and you all will too after Hawaii puts 35 on us (in a losing effort)
Who cares if he is only here for a year or 2. All we need him for is next year.
What the hell kind of attitude is that? So we're just shutting down our football program after the 2008 season?
Good point, anon 12:55, but it actually cuts the other way.
The WM/BVG history is just too tangled, and the odds are really against those two being able to go about their business in a matter of fact way, however we might want to do it if it was just moving pieces on a chess board.
BVG,
Thank you for your contribution to the UGA program during your tenure. Good luck in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
UGA
....I think that's about the extent of the relationship right now. I hear that CMR and BVG continue to talk periodically. I can only hope that CMR is just giving career advice.
I like the guy. I hope he does well wherever he goes. I hope that his next move is one that he can stick with for a while.
Upstatescdawg, I have heard that, too.
I know a few guys in the media and it's my understanding that one of the coaches on the staff will never work with BVG again.
I just can't see Richt shaking up a coaching staff that has this young team clicking.
In the meantime...what are the chances the next head coach at Michigan taps BVG to be the DC?
He was born in Michigan and coached at a couple of colleges there. He knows the area very well.
Wouldn't surprise me if ended up there...
Well, if it is Eason (and I have no idea who it is), then maybe it's not such a loss. But if it's CRG, then we'll keep the recruiting guru.
Fellas, I don't wanna face a BVG defense any time soon. That guy can make an adjustment like no one else. Here's hoping he goes somewhere that he won't play UGA.
Also, I'm agreed with those of you saying that staff chemistry is an important factor that should not be overlooked. Things are clicking now, and I see no reason to disrupt. What would be risked is simply not worth what stands to be gained.
I disagree that going from college DC to position coach in the NFL is necessarily a bad move.
1) It gives him the option to get promote to being a DC at the NFL level (far better money), or
2) return to college as a DC somewhere if not a head coaching job (personality aside).
However, being a vagabond coach at his level and age is not going to be a good thing.
I can only hope that CMR is just giving career advice.
If that is the case, judging by his resume I hope the advice he is getting is not the advice he is taking.
Send him to Du(i)ke w/ Cutcliffe. That might actually make Du(i)ke competitive again. They would definitely have an improvement in production on both sides of the ball with those two.
The University of Miami needs a good DC. I and many other Canes fans would love to see Van Gorder come to the U.
Well it looks like we are just going to have to whoop you dawgs again next year........this time with a previous coach of yours.......congrats on beating a horribly overanked hawaii thug team......
Dearest spurrierownsyall,
You're welcome for us beating Hawaii. And thank you for not taking any valuable bowl slots away from teams that were more deserving.
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