From Athens- Friday Thoughs

Good Morning All,

Yes more rain for the Classic City. The lawn looks great seems to need mowing twice a week in between the showers.

This week’s Blue Plate Special – CC- CTRR-WAIAGP

Coaching Changes

I am sure we can go back further than WM and his staff but I will start there.

We said goodbye to WM and his bend and break defense and welcomed TG -aka Towel Toddy

It came to light that he was not our first choice but after several rejections we settled on giving the NFL guy a chance.

Much like a blind squirrel that finds a nut he improved the “D” of WM.

This soon proved a myth and the WTF hand waving became the downfall for the “D”.

With what we have called blinding speed we hired the DC of the then current NC. It has been discussed here that the process was going on behind the scenes for a longer period. I agree.

No question CWF played a large part in CJP coming to Athens. I feel it was also CJP wanting back in the SEC and out of Tallahassee.

He didn’t just want any SEC school he wanted to coach in Athens

Good news for us

We also watched turnover in our DLC.. CRG and CCW..gone and welcome CTR

IMO- CTR brings an increase in both teaching skills and a solid recruiter.

CJP then filled out his staff with highly motivated teaching coaches. They have become known as the Bama Gang and correctly so.

In the space of a short time we saw CMB and CWF head west for new opportunities. Wish them both the best.

We watch CTonyB leave and in a blink a ole dawg returns to his college roots. Welcome CTomB….he will also prove himself a capable recruiter

We know CRB and CBS have replaced CMB and CWF and yes the questions of will they be as “good” waits to be answered,while other would have called the realtor for CMB.

There have been other coaches who have departed other than those named above. The results is we now have a group of coaches who have made a strong statement about winning..and doing what is necessary to reach that goal.

To me this shows that CMR has slowly yes by some measure way to slowly has moved to surround the program with a group of more aggressive minded assistant coaches focused on winning. A very good thing.

Sidebar—something has changed from having to settle for Towel and being able to hire the likes of CJP & CTR. Hmmmmmm???

Coach Tracy Rocker’s Resume……

To me it is interesting that there has been much discussion about the NFL background of CBS

The last job CTR had before coaching the Dawg’s was the DL coach for the NFL Titians which has been spoke about very little.

Yes he had prior success at AU but he tasted the big time of the NFL and could he return to the college game with success.

In his second year in Athens with added talent to coach I feel we will be able to answer that question with an even stronger yes.

Question has been raised about being able to stop the run…and rightly so.

However,watching us play defense last year and what we watched the last year of WTF hand waving.

IMO we got better results in one year with CJP and crew than what we saw out of Toddy in three. Hear the moans wait and see what we do in years 2 & 3 from CJP and crew.

No reason with the returning players and recruits coming in July that we will not see another year of improvement.

Fact is it doesn’t hurt while Coach Rock is out recruiting he can speak firsthand about how he is going to mold a players NFL stock while in Athens. He has the players on his resume to back it up.

He also has coached all Pro players in the NFL. Good all around…

We are in a good place

I have posted before that I like the chemistry between our coaches and how that carries over to the players.

You can learn a great deal about a person when they are asked about their employment and how they view their job.

Me I can pick up when the BS meter goes off the chart and also can see when there is a good match with skill sets and the opportunity at hand.

I make it a point to view any video I can that features our coaching staff

Current or not does not matter…. Looking for signs of “me” rather than “we”… ego building and head trips….

I have not found anything close to what we learned from our experience with Toddy.

This year’s green bean and boneless chicken breast caravan tour has found our HC speaking more clearly and openly than in the recent past.

See Seth Emerson’s report from the Albany,Ga stop a good example.

Me I like that the world thinking Georgia will be Georgia again.

That’s right we would struggle beating OLPH prep school.

This group of coaches and players isn’t reading from our past history…

Just maybe we will have a new meaning to Richting…….

Who’s going to be this year’s NC,SM,IM,LC,JB…. Et al….

Can’t wait to see…. Ya know it coming….yup… bigger and faster… boom!

Pause and give thanks

Have a great weekend…..It’s Derby Time… and a safe week

As always “Go Dawgs”

Been so busy a friend called and told me where Gurley went in the draft.

As always great BPS thanks for doing this yankeedawg.


going to be busy for a little while but will post as much as I can ENJOY THE GREAT WEATHER GO DAWGS!!!!!!

Was glad to see Todd Gurley chosen. Feel as though the Falcons missed out on their chance. sadlerdawg had mentioned in another thread that he would like to see the Falcons select the young man.

Looks like the other Red and Black team is going to try and build their defense under new leadership also.

Not hard to get me started on Tracy Rocker. As yd1 mentioned, Rocker had his time coaching in the NFL. Very difficult, too much money and egos that are enormous. Here is hoping that Tracy Rocker has a long and rewarding stay in Athens. All we have to do is watch him work his magic on the recruiting trail, and then teach the young pups how to advance.

Have to say this . . . . Backs up what was mentioned above.

Dante Fowler and his $7,000 shoes. Sorry, cuts across the grain with me. Real gold footwear. He will be the next player we read about that has filed for bankruptcy. Stupid BS. Guess I am too old to link up with much of what I am seeing both on and off the field this day and time.

Glad TG got the nod.

A lot to this statement made by yankeedawg1, my opinion.

We watch CTonyB leave and in a blink a ole dawg returns to his college roots. Welcome CTomB….he will also prove himself a capable recruiter

Recently Thomas Brown was in Maryland and know that he has no limitations as to where he will travel to encourage young men to find their way to Athens.

Believe this will also aid in some of our local talent looking closer at staying home. X number of scholarships, coaches expanding their recruiting areas, makes for quicker decisions being made and . . . . kept.

A known fact is young players all over the USA want to line up against others in the SEC. Winning seven (7) consecutive National Championships opened a lot of eyes and ears.

Believe it can still be said that the SEC, team for team, top to bottom is the best football conference.

With more television exposure than ever, there are no secrets as to where the best college football is played, year after year.

Takes me back to this Indoor Practice Facility chatter, or as the public relations department likes to tag the new facility . . . . Indoor Athletic Facility, the difference is this . . . . Mahogany Row was "made" to get off of their bottoms and recognize that planning or lack of, was not the way to move up the ladder, call it anything you want, whatever makes one feel better, just get it done. It will as one of our coaches suggested, improve our chances on the recruiting trail.

Has been said in the media recently that Mark Richt suggested the IPF years ago. What I gather from that statement . . . . Mark Richt should take lessons from Jeremy Pruitt on how to deal with the Mahogany Row types. Seems to me Pruitt accomplished in one year what Richt could not in x number of years. Only speaking the truth from where I sit. Enjoy watching the Public Relations Department spinning . . . . that is why they get paychecks. Fact.

Thomas Brown's young star running back at Wisconsin (Melvin Gordon) was chosen 15th in the NFL Draft . . . . I like Thomas Brown's return and his ability to cover several areas, one of which is helping Bryan McClendon do the heavy lifting . . . . known as recruiting. Thomas Brown is a "proven winner" in more than one area. Playing, Coaching, Recruiting, and areas many of us are not aware of. Hell yes, welcome home Thomas Brown.

swampdawg, Gurley left little doubt as to what he is capable of, especially when healthy.

Another very important thing to me was TG being a rah-rah guy. Maybe some won't like the comparison, but . . . . Todd Gurley and Jameis Winston both have that characteristic. On the sidelines during the game both were constantly "pumping" their teammates up. Both taken in the top ten because of their many talents.

Nick Chubb seems to be entirely different. Gets the job done, sits and waits for his next turn on the field. "Quiet Leadership".

Two great backs, both actually with a lot of humility, just shown in a different way. We did get to see TG's "humble side" last night being interviewed after his selection.