ATHENS — If you’re going to have an elite team as often as Kirby Smart has had, you’re going to need great assistant coaches.
For as much credit as Kirby Smart deserves for getting the Georgia program to this point, he wouldn’t have succeeded without the help of his stable of assistant coaches. He’s had five assistants hired directly off his staff into head coaching roles.
So as the Bulldogs get set to start the College Football Playoff, the DawgNation team elected to dole out some kudos to the assistant coaches on Geogia’s staff by sharing their opinion and which assistant coach has had the best season.
Unlike other Cover 5s, there was some real dissension here, with four different assistants being nominated.
Which assistant coach has done the best coaching job with his position?
Brandon Adams: Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann
Why: Georgia’s defensive coordinator might seem like an unlikely candidate for this honor, but UGA’s defense has probably had a better season than many realize. In its four games so far this season against teams that made the College Football Playoff, Georgia is allowing 13.5 points per game.
Mike Griffith: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo
Why: Shocker? Not when you consider Bobo has had to manage an offense that lost its top two WRs to suspensions, three veteran RBs due to injury, shifted its starting O-line multiple times and had to come from behind to win the SEC Championship Game with a back-up QB. Oh, and there’s only one first-team All-SEC pick, per coaches’ vote, guard Tate Ratledge.
Kaylee Mansell: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo
Why: When things would go wrong for the Dawgs, all hands pointed to Bobo for the blame. However, considering what little talent and injuries Bobo had to work with, I don’t think he got enough credit for how well he adapted. The two games UGA lost weren’t because of bad offense but instead bad defense. Bobo found a way to keep the Dawgs in games they had no business being in.
Connor Riley: Running backs coach Josh Crawford
Why: Georgia had to replace both of its leading rushers from last season. Crawford’s three most veteran scholarship running backs have all missed time due to injury this season. He’s had to ride a freshman with ball security issues and yet the running backs have found ways to be difference-makers for Georgia. Crawford had massive shoes to fill with Dell McGee leaving and he’s done a more than adequate job given the circumstances.
Jeff Sentell: Outside linebackers coachChidera Uzo-Diribe
Why: We could get cute here and tout the coordinator of Georgia’s most consistently excellent unit by naming special teams coordinator Kirk Benedict. We will opt for another position group leader instead. Chaz Chambliss has played inspired football this season. Nobody had him down for 6.5 sacks this season. That’s the leader of Uzo-Diribe’s room. We’ve also noticed an improved Damon Wilson (3.0 sacks) in his sophomore year.
