Georgia Football: What You Need to Know about the Bulldogs' 2012 Coaching Staff

Kelly Lambert

Over the summer, I have talked about the players of Georgia such as Abry Jones, Jarvis Jones, Aaron Murray, Malcolm Mitchell, the offensive line, the defensive line and the new recruits.

Now it’s time to focus on the guys who will get these student athletes ready to play every week.

I’m talking about the coaching staff, and the Bulldogs have a fine group of men leading them into battle.

Everybody knows about Mark Richt’s credentials, but many fans don’t know about his staff that gives him a helping hand. Some have been there since the beginning. Others have been there for only a few years. But they all have one goal and that is winning the SEC title and reaching a BCS Bowl.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2012 coaching staff.

Mike Bobo Is Not as Bad as You Think

Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

Over the last few years, fans have been very critical of the job offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has done since he has taken over the job in 2006.

Does Bobo deserve some of the criticism? Sure, but he’s not as bad as fans make him out to be.

Not only is he the offensive coordinator, he is also the quarterbacks coach and has helped players like Matthew Stafford, David Greene and D.J. Shockley see a ton of success during their years in Athens.

Plus, the 11-year relationship he has with Richt is strong. He is one of only two coaches to be with Richt since the beginning, and Richt has a lot of trust in Bobo when it comes to the offense as well as recruiting.                 

Todd Grantham Is on the Rise

Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

One could make the argument that defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is one of the hottest names when it comes to assistant coaches in college football.

With this being his third season, Grantham expects his defense to put up stellar numbers, especially when nine of 11 starters are back from last year.

Grantham has the ability to put his players in the best positions to makes plays. The unit had some growing pains in 2010, but once they understood what Grantham wanted as well as the terminology, they were on fire in 2011.

Grantham is even doing some big things in the recruiting game. He has been able to convince linebacker Jordan Jenkins, one of the top recruits in the state of Georgia, to play for the Dawgs.

He’s also responsible for getting two of the top linebackers in the country, Tim Kimbrough and Shaun McGee, to commit to Georgia. 

Will Friend Has the Toughest Task

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Out of all the coaches on the staff, offensive line coach Will Friend has the most difficult job.

Since the beginning of spring, Friend has juggled the offensive line to find the best fit. That happens when a team loses three starters to the NFL.

As of right now, the offensive line is set and there should not be any more changes; but Friend said back in March that he wants the best five players out there, which means some players will have to play guard and tackle or guard and center.

Friend has a few offensive linemen that can play two positions on the line. Kenariuos Gates can play guard or tackle and Dallas Lee is the starting guard along with being a backup at center.

Is Rodney Garner the Next in Line?

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

If there’s one coach that can do it all, it has to be Rodney Garner, who is the defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach.

Garner has been with Richt since 2001 and has been the assistant head coach since 2005. He has brought in a lot of great players into the program and mentored a ton of talented defensive lineman, including the ones he has on the roster right now.

Garner is a hard-nose coach that is not afraid to get in a player's face. He feels breaking a player down will improve his game.

It seems like Garner has a lot of good things going for him. So this question has to be asked: Will he ever be a head coach?

Will This Be Mark Richt's Year?

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Another question that has to be asked is will this be the year Mark Richt finally comes out on top?

We already know what Richt has accomplished over his 11 years at Georgia. But if there’s one thing that he needs on his resume, it would be a national title.

He has the talent to take the Bulldogs to the promise land, it’s just a matter of going out and executing.

It will be tough for Richt to get that title, but if he has an opportunity to do it, now would be the time. 

It’s not that he needs it to prove that he’s a good coach, but if he won the national title this season, he would go down as one of the best college coaches in modern day history.