Georgia Bulldogs: Willie Martinez
Saints reportedly interested in Grantham
February, 6, 2013
Feb 6
12:28
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- On the eve of national signing day, a report surfaced that one of Georgia’s most important assistant coaches -- defensive coordinator Todd Grantham -- will interview for a job in the NFL.
While ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night that the New Orleans Saints are expected to hire former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for the same job with the Saints, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Grantham will interview for the position Thursday.
Georgia's recruiting class currently ranks No. 9 with 30 committed prospects expected to sign letters of intent Wednesday.
Grantham has been the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator since 2010, using his 3-4 scheme to lead a defensive revival in 2011, when Georgia finished fifth nationally in total defense. The defense took a step backward in 2012 while contending with a number of suspensions and injuries but still finished 18th nationally in scoring defense.
Grantham had been a longtime NFL assistant when Mark Richt hired him to replace Willie Martinez after the disappointing 2009 season. Grantham was the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator from 2005-07 and also coached the defensive lines in Dallas, Houston and Indianapolis during his 11-year stint in the pros.
His name surfaced last month as a possible candidate for the still-vacant defensive coordinator spot on Chip Kelly’s new Philadelphia Eagles staff, but Grantham has not commented on that job or any other NFL vacancy since the end of the season.
Richt and Grantham are scheduled to participate in a signing-day news conference at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall on the UGA campus.
While ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night that the New Orleans Saints are expected to hire former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for the same job with the Saints, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Grantham will interview for the position Thursday.
Georgia's recruiting class currently ranks No. 9 with 30 committed prospects expected to sign letters of intent Wednesday.
Grantham has been the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator since 2010, using his 3-4 scheme to lead a defensive revival in 2011, when Georgia finished fifth nationally in total defense. The defense took a step backward in 2012 while contending with a number of suspensions and injuries but still finished 18th nationally in scoring defense.
Grantham had been a longtime NFL assistant when Mark Richt hired him to replace Willie Martinez after the disappointing 2009 season. Grantham was the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator from 2005-07 and also coached the defensive lines in Dallas, Houston and Indianapolis during his 11-year stint in the pros.
His name surfaced last month as a possible candidate for the still-vacant defensive coordinator spot on Chip Kelly’s new Philadelphia Eagles staff, but Grantham has not commented on that job or any other NFL vacancy since the end of the season.
Richt and Grantham are scheduled to participate in a signing-day news conference at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall on the UGA campus.
ATHENS, Ga. -- The 11th-hour decommitment is perhaps the recruiting fan’s greatest nightmare as national signing day approaches. And Georgia has had its share of both the heartbreak that accompanies a prospect’s flipping and the elation that comes when a committed player has a change of heart and instead decides to sign with the Bulldogs.
Let’s review some of the notable players who switched their commitment to or from Georgia at the last minute before signing day:
The losses
Let’s review some of the notable players who switched their commitment to or from Georgia at the last minute before signing day:
The losses
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ESPN 150 cornerback Shaq Wiggins (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) spent Sunday morning eating breakfast with South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, then ended that night on the phone with Georgia coach Mark Richt.
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What if ... assistants leave UGA program? 
December, 7, 2012
12/07/12
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Mark Richt has consistently credited his coaching staff for its ability to work together and produce outstanding results.
It’s inevitable, however, that members of the staff will leave for other opportunities. After all, both coordinators -- Mike Bobo and Todd Grantham -- are starting to see their names mentioned as potential head coaches. And plenty of other UGA assistants would be in demand if they opted to seek employment elsewhere.
So the big question is how Richt and the Bulldogs will fare once the group dynamic changes within his staff.
It’s inevitable, however, that members of the staff will leave for other opportunities. After all, both coordinators -- Mike Bobo and Todd Grantham -- are starting to see their names mentioned as potential head coaches. And plenty of other UGA assistants would be in demand if they opted to seek employment elsewhere.
So the big question is how Richt and the Bulldogs will fare once the group dynamic changes within his staff.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- No. 5 Georgia got the win it needed to clinch the SEC East title against Auburn -- and it did so without any resistance whatsoever from a Tigers team that is stumbling toward the finish line.
The Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) thoroughly dominated every aspect of Saturday’s game, handing the Tigers (2-8, 0-7) a defeat that might have sealed the fate of embattled head coach Gene Chizik and his staff.
Let’s recap some of the highs and lows of Saturday’s victory:
The Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 SEC) thoroughly dominated every aspect of Saturday’s game, handing the Tigers (2-8, 0-7) a defeat that might have sealed the fate of embattled head coach Gene Chizik and his staff.
Let’s recap some of the highs and lows of Saturday’s victory:
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Big 3: Richt facing former assistants
November, 7, 2012
11/07/12
2:06
PM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
Mark Richt and his fifth-ranked Georgia team (8-1, 6-1 SEC) need a win against slumping Auburn (2-7, 0-6) to return to the SEC championship game, but Saturday’s matchup is even more personal than usual for Georgia’s coach.
Richt used his time Wednesday on the SEC’s weekly teleconference to discuss facing Auburn assistants Brian VanGorder and Willie Martinez, both of whom served on Richt’s original Georgia staff in 2001 and at some point held the defensive coordinator title at UGA.
1. Emotional connection
Richt used his time Wednesday on the SEC’s weekly teleconference to discuss facing Auburn assistants Brian VanGorder and Willie Martinez, both of whom served on Richt’s original Georgia staff in 2001 and at some point held the defensive coordinator title at UGA.
1. Emotional connection
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Most college football coaches adopt a business-first mentality out of necessity.
Many of them -- particularly well-traveled coaches -- cross paths with former co-workers several times per season, but they understand their loyalties must be to their jobs and not to friends with other programs or even their alma maters.
Despite that fact of life within the coaching ranks, Georgia coach Mark Richt and several of the coaches involved in Saturday’s meeting between the fifth-ranked Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1 SEC) and rival Auburn (2-7, 0-6) will face highly unusual circumstances in that regard.
All three men who have served as defensive coordinator for Richt at Georgia will be coaching Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium -- Todd Grantham, who has held the position at Georgia since 2010, and Auburn assistants Brian VanGorder (2001-04) and Willie Martinez (2005-09).
“I love both of them, I love their families, but I think we all know that we’ve got to prepare our teams to play ball and that’s what will be going on from kickoff till the end,” Richt said when asked about VanGorder and Martinez, who were both members of his original staff at UGA.
VanGorder helped Richt put Georgia’s program on the map with a fearsome brand of defense that regularly had the Bulldogs among the national leaders in most defensive statistical categories. He won the 2003 Frank Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach, before holding a variety of positions in the interim -- most recently defensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons before accepting the same job at Auburn in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Martinez was at Georgia recently enough to have coached with most members of Richt’s staff. Several veteran Bulldogs played under Martinez, as well, which is a more irregular occurrence for players and their former coaches.
“He taught me a lot of things when he was here, so I’m kind of happy to see him because I haven’t seen him in a long time,” said senior safety Bacarri Rambo, who was a freshman in 2009 when Martinez was in his final season as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.
That doesn’t mean the reunion will be entirely comfortable, however.
Many of them -- particularly well-traveled coaches -- cross paths with former co-workers several times per season, but they understand their loyalties must be to their jobs and not to friends with other programs or even their alma maters.
Despite that fact of life within the coaching ranks, Georgia coach Mark Richt and several of the coaches involved in Saturday’s meeting between the fifth-ranked Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1 SEC) and rival Auburn (2-7, 0-6) will face highly unusual circumstances in that regard.
All three men who have served as defensive coordinator for Richt at Georgia will be coaching Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium -- Todd Grantham, who has held the position at Georgia since 2010, and Auburn assistants Brian VanGorder (2001-04) and Willie Martinez (2005-09).
“I love both of them, I love their families, but I think we all know that we’ve got to prepare our teams to play ball and that’s what will be going on from kickoff till the end,” Richt said when asked about VanGorder and Martinez, who were both members of his original staff at UGA.
VanGorder helped Richt put Georgia’s program on the map with a fearsome brand of defense that regularly had the Bulldogs among the national leaders in most defensive statistical categories. He won the 2003 Frank Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach, before holding a variety of positions in the interim -- most recently defensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons before accepting the same job at Auburn in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Martinez was at Georgia recently enough to have coached with most members of Richt’s staff. Several veteran Bulldogs played under Martinez, as well, which is a more irregular occurrence for players and their former coaches.
“He taught me a lot of things when he was here, so I’m kind of happy to see him because I haven’t seen him in a long time,” said senior safety Bacarri Rambo, who was a freshman in 2009 when Martinez was in his final season as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.
That doesn’t mean the reunion will be entirely comfortable, however.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.