Apparently Kirby had a harsh retort when questioned about Mike Bobo:
I certainly agree that coaches need to have a thick skin when it comes to the “noise’ from fans and media.
“I do think football intuition is one of my strengths, and knowing that, I know we got the right offensive coordinator,” Smart said. “What you guys want to write and talk about is completely up to you. I look at the production he’s had, the success he had, the team success where he doesn’t worry about (stats). He worries about winning football games. The way he coaches our players day-to-day is unmatched in this country.”
Question, though: if and when Andrew commits to UGA, will Bobo still be the OC/QB coach?
Damn! Kirby just doesn’t get it! Keeping his frat bro* on staff will kill his career! I read it on the internet.
BTW, I watched “Becoming Hines Ward” last night. Great story. My only problem was it ends with Hines being assistant HC and WR coach at Arizona State. He should be back in Athens, especially since Kirby likes to hire his buddies. (Kirby spoke well of Hines in the show last night.)
*Maybe they were frat brothers. I don’t really know/care.
I think Hines needs to prove to Kirby that he can recruit his position and develop his players. If that happens, I’m sure he will be welcome. Very few really good players end up being very good coaches. Its a tough transition and you have to prove a commitment to the grind. A name and a connection isn’t going to cut it for Kirby.
The elephant walk leaves lasting scars….
Mike Bobo is Kirby Smart’s OC recommend you find something else to try to fix.
Mike will have that job as long as Mike wants that job. Kirby would rather have stability there than having guys rolling through looking for the next opportunity.
I think Kirby thinks that Mike is to him and Georgia what he was to Alabama and Saban. One less thing the HC has to worry about.
Couch coordinators can squall all they like, but having stable guys on staff like Erk, or Mickey Andrews, or Kirby, or George Haffner, or Frank Solich, or John Chavis, etc… are invaluable assets.
Annual retention and replacement issues are not what makes a successful organization. If I’m Kirby, I’d rather have Mike Bobo for 15 seasons than Bill Walsh for 2.
Sure you take the up and coming guy if you have an open position, but given the choice of shitcanning a reliable staff member who is going no where else and playing the lottery with the field, is an easy choice.
Would you rather be (relatively) happily married or trying to scale up down at the bar every Friday night?
Pretty easy choice if you’re rational. You might hit on a Lane Kiffin once in a while, but then you have to live with her.
Kirby also said other programs would die to have Bobo on their staff. That’s just NOT true. Bobo had his chances at the Barn and South Carolina…if he were to try the open market, it’s likely he would not get an OC offer from any major program.
It’s ironic because Kirby spends so much time talking about “iron sharpens iron” and how we use competition to push for the best, but we don’t have that for our OC. When you don’t have someone like Buster sitting in the seat behind you or a Monken in the room, who is pushing you to get better? There’s complacency in job security…
Todd Monken had his chances at Southern Miss:
13–25
Monken recommended Mike for the job after working with him as an analyst.
What does he know as compared with a rando with a keyboard?
Monken didn’t want Faulkner breaking his team’s offensive records.
/s
Agree. If CMB was the OC Kirby gushed about yesterday he’d be in the conversation whenever a HC opening came along. CMB’s career had a long downward trend with CSU, scu and aubie. Until CMB can shut everyone up by winning a natty he’ll be considered a nepo hire by a large percentage of fans and media.
Lincoln Riley certainly proved that OC skills equal HC success.
Lincoln Riley had an .846 winning record at OU and coached 2 Heisman winners there while he was at it.
Sadly, no natties tho.
I thought that was the measuring stick.
If its winning in general that matters, welp Bobo has three straight appearances in the seccg and the last two sec titles.
Doubt that there is an oc out there with a better winning percentage than Bobo in his latest stint. Happy for you to take a gander around.
But I’m sure the goal posts are different for him for reasons as explicable as boldly asserting superior knowledge of football than Kirby.
No playoff wins either.
So, a national title will be the only thing that will shut up the BDS segment of the fan base about Mike Bobo?
What if the Georgia offense scores 45 and the defense gives up 48 in a title game? I’m sure people will blame Bobo for kicking one FG instead of scoring a 7th TD.
They have before, and they will again. It’s always Bobo’s fault.
I hated the call on the goal line against South Carolina in 2014. It was awful compounded by Hutson Mason completely losing his composure under pressure and drawing a penalty. Everyone forgets we missed a gimme (not even a chip shot) FG to tie the game on that drive.
Jeremy Pruitt’s defense gave up 38 that day and didn’t stop South Carolina when we could have gotten the ball back, but Bobo still gets the blame for the loss.
In fact, its bobo’s fault that they blame bobo.
Not trying to be a smart ass, but we were 1st and goal with minutes to play against Ole Miss in the Sugar and settled for 3 to tie it up. The rest is history. Bobo’s job is to call in the winning play there and he flat out did not get it done.
Ok – let’s look at the play chart on that series.
1st and goal on the 8 – Stockton 5 yard run
2nd and goal on the 3 – Bowens -3 yard run
3rd and goal on the 6 – pass incomplete in the end zone (almost picked IIRC)
4th – field goal
Not trying to be a smart ass, but do you think Bobo called a play whose objective was to lose 3 yards? Do you think the 3rd down play’s intent was to throw an incomplete pass and stop the clock to give Ole Miss a free timeout?
Sometimes it comes down to execution or the other guy just beats your guy man to man.
Ok…when we win it’s because Bobo got it done, when we lose it’s because the players did not execute.
I didn’t say that … my point on this is that this argument has always been a hell of a lot more nuanced than many make this.
If Kirby thinks Mike Bobo is the wrong guy for the job but employs him anyway for whatever reason, Kirby isn’t as smart as we all believe he is.
Just like the swallows return to Capistrano each year, we all come here pre-season to discuss Mike Bobo. No other person has divided the fan base like that guy. TBH, I am more interested if Shuman can get our defense back to elite status this year. Bobo should put enough points on the board with an experienced QB, O-line, backfield, and talented TE and WR room.
Good point. Glenn Schumann flies under the radar because Bobo is a lightning rod to the fan base.
I have slung arrows at Bobo in the past when warranted. I was ready for Kirby to take the defense back in 2024 with how bad we were stopping the run most of the season.
Yep. Bobo (like any OC) frustrates me on occasion, but Schuman hasn’t impressed me as DC. This year he has experienced talent so I expect a typical Dawgs defense that shuts down the run.
We shut down the run consistently last year. I believe we finished 4th in the country in that statistic.
Maybe it wasn’t running but third downs that gave me heartburn. We did improve a lot down the stretch until Ole Miss, which is what gives me hope this year.
We’re still vulnerable to video-game QBs, though. As is everyone else.
The difference between the 2 Ole Miss games was that they ran the ball better in New Orleans than they did in Athens (24 carries for 88 yards vs. 27 carries for 111 yards). Lacey changed that game with his ability to get yards on early downs. Also, we rushed for 220+ in game 1 and 127 in game 2.
Time to post this again … the “Bobo is the problem” crowd is Harry. Many Georgia fans are Remus Lupin. Bobo is Severus Snape. Kirby is Dumbledore.
https://youtu.be/8IObAxucyQc?is=iISxmawXzkEE9DPi
If I got paid a lot of money and didn’t have to worry about being fired I wouldn’t give a shit either.
Kirby sure didn’t brag about all the playoff wins bobo has.
I know, I know, we are first place I’ve the last 7 years in 1st down conversions in away games when the opponent has an fpi less than 46 percent in the 2nd quarter or some other bullshit stat.
If your opinion is that Kirby doesn’t give a shit, you really should stop sharing your opinion.
Getting paid a lot of money and not worrying about being fired is an enviable position, usually earned. Nice “fuck off” from Kirby. Go Dawgs.
Speaking to the “Mike Bobo got fired at aubrun after one season” twitter crowd? Speaks volumes about his character as far as I’m concerned. Sometimes you just don’t fit in…
Boy oh boy it, looks like we are in for a 7-5 season with both our Coordinators being dumbasses. Who needs enemies when you have UGA fans. I’m old and can remember when we were lucky to sniff an SEC championship much less a National Championship. Enjoy the Season and let the coach coach.
And how will we ever win 7?
“I think Kirby thinks that Mike is to him and Georgia what he was to Alabama and Saban. One less thing the HC has to worry about.”
You’re wrong about that, bud. Go DAWGS!
You asked him?
Did you?
Unimportant.
If you read my comment and yours, only one of us is suggesting knowing what’s in Kirby’s mind.
And that’s you.
I’m either wrong in guessing what’s in Kirby’s mind, which could only be determined by going to the source OR you’re saying Kirby may think it, but he’s wrong.
Which is it?
Everybody has a blind spot. Mike will continue to do good enough until good enough ain’t good enough.