Georgia Football Assistant Search Continues
With Scott Fountain having gone on to take the special teams job at Arkansas with former Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman, Georgia has had an on-field assistants position open for almost two weeks now. In that time, several names have been rumored and linked to Georgia.
Kirby Smart has taken the slow approach to this coaching search and leads as to where his aim is focused have been few and far between. Though, it is safe to assume that the assistant role will be occupied by an offensive mind that will help further the advancement of the system without promises of play-calling duties.
It is also now known that with Joe Brady off for the NFL and potentially taking LSU coaches with him, the Tigers have entered the same assistant search as Smart and his staff.
Here are a few names that have been linked to the position in Athens:
Zac Robinson
Smart is not opposed to pulling a page from the LSU playbook. Like former Tigers assistant, Joe Brady, Robinson has spent his brief career coaching in the NFL and helping with one of the more dynamic offenses in the league. Robinson was handpicked by Sean McVay to replace Zac Taylor as the Rams QB coach this offseason.
After his journeyman career in the NFL, Robinson spent time as a PFF analyst and Quarterbacks trainer and coach. Then he suddenly landed as Sean McVay's personal understudy in LA. Perhaps he could provide some of that heralded McVay intel in Athens.
Todd Monken
Todd Monken
Monken has spent the last three seasons in the NFL after a three-year stint as the head coach at Southern Miss. Monken is coming off his most recent job as the offensive coordinator in Cleveland, however, it's been reported that he did not have play-calling duties for the Browns.
There is not a play-calling position available in Athens currently. James Coley's position as offensive coordinator was all but sealed with the bringing in of Jamie Newman. Monken's link to the job is expected to be dependent upon play-calling duties one would imagine, and he's been linked to several other OC jobs across the country such as Notre Dame.
DJ Mangas
Mangas could very well be off to the NFL along with Joe Brady. In fact, SI's Ross Dellenger reported that Mangas may not be the only top assistant that Brady may pick off the LSU staff. However, he's a name that could be in the mix for Kirby Smart to run down.
Mangas spent five years as an assistant at his alma mater, William & Mary prior to joining the LSU staff this past offseason. He and Brady were teammates for the Tribe and their bond has only strengthened over the years, so undoubtedly they're on the same wavelength when it comes to offensive schemes and philosophy. This will make him very attractive to programs like Georgia or perhaps LSU backs up the brinks truck in order to keep remnants of the Brady Magic in their program. However, it won't be shocking if DJ ends up in Carolina with Brady and Rhule.
Brandon Streeter
As with DJ Mangas, Streeter could be in store for a position upgrade due to another assistant's departure, as Clemson's Co-Offensive Coordinator Jeff Scott is off to USF as the Bulls' new Head Coach. Streeter has already received the new title as the passing game coordinator at Clemson since Scott's departure and it would be essentially a lateral move at this point for him to join UGA's staff after the promotion.
However, lateral moves happen in coaching all the time, especially for the right price. Streeter's history as a QBs coach for the now fabled Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, along with Clemson's impressive run of recruiting under his watch could cause another power program to come calling with a lucrative contract. QB coaching expertise and recruiting prowess would seem to be fitted for what Smart could be in search of.
Chip Long
Long was recently relieved of his offensive coordinator duties at Notre Dame and is still in search of a new job after spending three years in South Bend. Long has coordinator experience and has a background in developing the tight end position.
Long was a semifinalist in 2018 for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant in the country. He was also rumored to have been targeted by Nick Saban as a potential replacement for Mike Locksley in early 2019 when he left for Maryland. Locksley took then Crimson Tide QB Coach Dan Enos with him, leaving 2 voids on staff, but eventually, Steve Sarkisian made his return to Tuscaloosa and the Long conversation with Saban proved unfruitful in terms of an employment change for Long.
Long has a connection to Georgia as well. He was the Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach at Memphis in 2016 with now Georgia Defensive Coordinator and then Inside Linebacker's Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the Tigers Dan Lanning. The experience with tight ends, as well as Long's run as Special Teams Coordinator at Arizona State in 2014 and 2015, could make him an excellent fit on various levels for the Dawgs, depending on how Kirby Smart wants to utilize the talents of Todd Hartley.
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