Going To Miss Coach Will Friend

Seems every year close to LOI time we some how lose what appears to be a solid offensive lineman to another SEC school.

I have had high hopes for offensive tackle Chidi Valentine-Okeke, another young man with enormous talent and a huge upside with good coaching.

Chidi Valentine-Okeke was set to play between the Hedges up until Coach Will Friend departed. Not knocking the move to Colorado, but as has been said here more than once, something is not making sense in Athens.

Will Friend had Georgia back in the wars with his offensive line coaching. Building depth was a high priority with Friend.

Take note in the article below, head coach was not mentioned. Will Friend was the main reason that offensive tackle Chidi Valentine-Okeke was heading in the direction of Athens.

Seems that Eason likes the newly appointed head coach at Michigan. Would not be surprised to see Eason end up playing for Michigan. Harbaugh played for Michigan, quarterback at that. Then there is the quarterback that has several super bowl rings who also played at Michigan.

Football is going to tighten up, days of seven straight National Championships are over.

Key departure from Athens in my world . . . . Will Friend. Might be that Mike Bobo understood his first hire should be an offensive line coach, that will also carry the title of offensive coordinator. At some point in the future, Colorado will have a very good offensive line. Bet it.

Pulled this paragraph from the article below. Auburn and Alabama recruiting the player hard . . . . Georgia?

"Alabama and Auburn, they both have a great program," said Valentine-Okeke during preparations for Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas. "They are recruiting me so hard. The people and the coaches all of that stuff looks good, so I am looking at those two schools and I am gonna go to one of them.

www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/nige...di_valentine-ok.html

Buc...

Losing recruits is why I have such a hard time making a lot of comments about them.

I prefer to wait until I see them enrolled in school before I count on them. You are of course correct about the line, but I'm still not sold that Richt feels the same way.

While Friend may have been responsible for some increased emphasis on the OL, I think most of that was driven 100% by his ability to get gets to sign. As for Richt... I worry he will never really "get it", and our only hope there is
replace Friend (and the OC) with someone else who can really make linemen want to come here. I just don't see Richt ever really driving that bus all that hard.

Wartdawg, never doubted for a minute your ability and reasoning when it comes to what I call the "overall picture".

Our head coach never got enough playing time to understand the real importance of a talented offensive line that has more than one player with D1 skills, much less having "depth" along the front. Will Friend is leaving some very talented players that will make our head coach look like he is all that.

Have to say this. Many believe that a pro style offense is the way. Can't really say that in the past that was not true. If however a team is going to reach the heights that fans want, a pro style offense has to have not a mediocre offensive line, receivers and running backs, talent is required at all of the positions.

Guess that takes me to this.

Our head coach has been with us for a long period of time, and have yet to see his ability to build a "total team". This has been said several times here. Any time we play a team that we play yearly or often, there is not much to game plan for, other than the talented players at the so called skill positions. Play calling has remained virtually the same for 14 years. Break out the film from year one or two and advance forward 14 years.

Personally, think it is time for the head coach to mix with the coaching staff. Believe that not to be as it should be at this point. Feel too much time is being spent with Public Relations group(s) that do not understand that a head coach is about leadership on the field, reason being, that is their job, coaching and building close relationships with the coaching staff. I prefer coaches like Pruitt, Friend, Rocker and others that get down in the dirt with the players.

Many of the teams that are moving up seem to run more than a conventional pro style offense. Do believe this . . . . our head coach does not have the background or desire to make any changes in the way he wants his offense to run.

At this point, appears to me that our defense is being ran the way Will Friend ran the offensive line, Pruitt and Company are building a defense with "depth" and I emphasize "depth". The shotgun approach that has been used too often for many years leads to folks like myself barking about leadership.

As you have said as long as you have been on this board and that is a long time . . . . No Excuses.

Buc, it's Bulldog Shannon. been a way for a year (did't want to pay the$12 fee for awhile but what they heck......).
I don't think losing WF will hurt that much. The top 9 OL prospects inGeorgia this year have all committed to other schools. Seems to me we could have at least gotten a couple of them. (Unless my information was wrong).

Good to be back.

I've heard Mike Bloomgren from Stanford for OC. BBut what about Damyune Craig or Tee Martin? Maybe take an OL / RB coach from Oregon and promote to OC and let them run that hurry up? Buc you are right, we may need a younger mind on offense. Oregon the other night were running plays every 10-15 seconds!!!!

Would love to see what Chubb would do to a defense if we did that

Bulldog. Welcome back you have been missed. Yup thinking that some names are still playing

College and pro. CTR. Happy to be back coaching in the SEC. Others might like the

Opportunity to be teacher again



Hey thriller need you to spark it up.... Go Dawgs