Two Georgia assistants could be candidates for Florida Atlantic’s head coaching vacancy
A few college football teams have already fired head coaches, so the coaching carousel is already turning. The Georgia Bulldogs have several viable coach candidates on their staff. Last offseason, two UGA assistants found head coaching jobs.
Florida Atlantic parted ways with coach Tom Herman on Nov. 18. According to Athlon Sports, Georgia tight ends coach Todd Hartley and wide receivers coach James Coley could be candidates to replace Herman.
Hartley serves as Georgia’s tight ends coach and assistant coach. Hartley has coached with Georgia, Marshall and Miami. He has also held positions as a safeties coach and a special teams coordinator. At Georgia, he developed Brock Bowers into a star NFL rookie and won two national championships with the Bulldogs.
Coley serves as Georgia’s wide receiver coach. He has coached since 1997, taking positions with LSU, Florida State, Miami, Texas A&M and the Miami Dolphins. He has served as the offensive coordinator for Georgia (2018-19) and Texas A&M (2022-23). At Florida State, he was considered the ACC’s top recruiter in 2011 and 2013. Florida State won a national championship with his recruits.
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Florida Atlantic is rife with recruiting opportunities. FAU’s campus is located in the Miami area, which is home to some of the best recruits in the nation. The Owls opened a state-of-the-art athletic facility in 2021. Whoever gets the chance to coach at FAU will inherit a young program in the American Conference.
Florida Atlantic fired coach Tom Herman on Monday.
Herman, who led the Owls to a 6-16 mark since he took over in 2023, was let go after losing in gut-wrenching fashion to Temple on Nov. 16. The loss dropped FAU to 2-8 on the season and 0-6 in AAC play.
The news, however, is notable for those invested in Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator situation. After firing offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Saturday, the Badgers are in the market for a new play-caller.
That’s where Herman can step in. The former Texas Longhorns coach served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State from 2012-14, the same years Fickell was the co-defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes.
Tom Herman has been working to find a Power 4 offensive coordinator job in recent weeks.
It’s safe to say Herman’s recent resume with Florida Atlantic sells himself short. At Ohio State, he earned the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. He made the jump from Ohio State’s OC to the Texas top job in just three years. While his tenure since that point has trended negatively, he remains one of the well-thought-of offensive minds in the sport.
If hired by UW, Herman’s relationship with Fickell could prove the catalyst. As of Nov. 18, Wisconsin is reeling and in desperate need of rejuvenation. Herman could bring that type of spark if awarded the opportunity.
Florida Atlantic made sure its football team brought the boom this weekend.
The team enlisted TikTok stars A.J. and Big Justice (A.J. and Eric Befumo) to lead the Owls onto the field for its home game against Wagner on Saturday.
Oh yes, the Costco guys who went viral for their love of the wholesale retailer’s food menu are based in the Sunshine State and appear to be big FAU fans. They, y’know, always bring the boom wherever they go and such.
If you have no idea who these people are, don’t worry. That probably means you’re not on the internet much, which is never a bad thing.
We didn’t see the Rizzler, however, so maybe he’ll show up next time?
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney wasn’t too optimistic about Cole Turner’s injury status after the Tigers’ win over FAU.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on wide receiver Cole Turner after the Tigers defeated Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.
After missing last week’s game against Charleston Southern with a lower-body injury, Turner returned to the lineup for the FAU game.
While he was able to play on Saturday, Turner went down on a deep pass to the end zone, grabbing his upper leg as he gingerly walked to the sidelines. He did not return to the game.
After the game, Swinney said that he didn’t have any details on Turner’s injury yet and the Tigers “don’t really know what we’re dealing with there.”
Turner finished the game with one reception for seven yards. He recorded two catches for 21 yards in the Tigers’ season opener at Duke.
As Clemson looks to develop its passing game, losing Turner would be a massive blow.
Photos from Clemson’s convincing win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
Propelled by a dominant first half, Clemson defeated Florida Atlantic 48-14 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
From the first drive of the game, Clemson (2-1, 0-1 ACC) took control on both sides of the ball in the first half. The Tigers scored a touchdown on four of their seven drives in the first half and finished the game with 367 total yards. Defensively, Clemson held FAU (1-2) to zero points and 94 total yards in the first two quarters.
“We got done what we needed to get done,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “That was our main objective, just get better as a team and play our best game and play complimentary football.”
Here are some of the best photos from Saturday’s game:
Clemson will kick off its third game of the 2023 season on Saturday when it takes on FAU.
Clemson will play its third game of the 2023 season on Saturday when it takes on Florida Atlantic at 8 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers (1-1) are coming off a 66-17 win over Charleston Southern last week after dropping their season opener at Duke on Sept. 4. Meanwhile, FAU came up short against Ohio last week, losing 17-10.
The only time Clemson and FAU have met was in 2006, when the Tigers won 54-6.
As ACC play looms, Clemson will look to gain momentum against the Owls in what is the team’s first night game at home of the season.
That said, here are five Clemson players to keep a close eye on:
The Florida Atlantic Owls will meet the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 4 of the college football season on Saturday night from Ross-Ade Stadium.
The Florida Atlantic Owls will meet the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 4 of the college football season on Saturday night from Ross-Ade Stadium.
FAU is looking to rebound after a 40-14 loss as they look for some more offense as they go into their fifth game of the season. Meanwhile, Purdue is in need of a bounce-back game after falling to Syracuse in the final minutes of the game last week.
This will be another great Saturday of college football, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action.
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NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines
NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
FAU vs. Purdue (-16.5)
O/U: 57.5
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Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Hines Ward is returning to the college football ranks as a coach. Ward will be an analyst for the Florida Atlantic Owls.
FAU did not have any full assistant roles, but Ward is expected to work with FAU Owls wide receiver coach Joey Thomas, who is a former NFL and CFL player.
Hines Ward is a Pittsburgh Steelers legend that is close to making the NFL Hall of Fame. Ward played for the Steelers from 1998 to 2011.
Before the Steelers picked Ward in the third round of the NFL draft, Ward played under David Kelly at Georgia, who is Florida Atlantic’s coordinator of player personnel. Ward’s connection and impressive experience helped him secure his new role.
Hines Ward previously has coached with the New York Jets from 2019-2020. Ward will look to continue his coaching career with FAU and will continue to impact young men.
Offensive coach Hines Ward, New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (14), and running back Frank Gore (21) walk off the field after losing to the Denver Broncos, 37-28, at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in East Rutherford.
Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Hines Ward is returning to the college football ranks as a coach. Ward will be an analyst for the Florida Atlantic Owls.
FAU did not have any full assistant roles, but Ward is expected to work with FAU Owls wide receiver coach Joey Thomas, who is a former NFL and CFL player.
Hines Ward is a Pittsburgh Steelers legend that is close to making the NFL Hall of Fame. Ward played for the Steelers from 1998 to 2011.
Before the Steelers picked Ward in the third round of the NFL draft, Ward played under David Kelly at Georgia, who is Florida Atlantic’s coordinator of player personnel. Ward’s connection and impressive experience helped him secure his new role.
Hines Ward previously has coached with the New York Jets from 2019-2020. Ward will look to continue his coaching career with FAU and will continue to impact young men.
Offensive coach Hines Ward, New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (14), and running back Frank Gore (21) walk off the field after losing to the Denver Broncos, 37-28, at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in East Rutherford.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with FAU tight end prospect Harrison Bryant
Playing tight end in today’s NFL is one of the most complex and difficult positions a player can choose. It requires versatility, physicality, athleticism and intelligence, all things that FAU’s Harrison Bryant brings to the table.
One of the most complete prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft’s tight end class, Bryant recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his growth as a football player throughout his career, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: You played some offensive tackle in your past. You also spent some time playing defense. What was the transition to tight end like for you?
HB: I played on the defensive line growing up. Really, I spent my whole life, including a portion of my high school days playing offensive tackle and on the defense. Things didn’t change until my senior year of high school. I really enjoyed that. I actually caught two touchdowns as an eligible tackle during my junior year of high school (laughs). That was in the state finals.
My high school coach had a lot of experience and he told me that my best shot to further my career was to actually play tight end on a full-time basis. He thought that was my best shot to land a full scholarship. Naturally, I had to lose some weight to make it happen. I went through a maturation process and played tight end during my senior year of high school.
I feel like it was a smooth transition. I always felt like I could catch the ball well. The biggest transition was learning how to run routes. It took a few years for me to really grow into the position. It really wasn’t until my sophomore or junior year in college that I really started to master the position. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn and work on, but things definitely changed for me during the early part of my college career.
JM: You flashed your potential as a sophomore when you earned 2nd-team all-conference honors. You took things further as a junior, earning 1st-team all-conference honors. In 2019, you earned 1st-team AP All-American honors and won the John Mackey Award as the best tight end in the nation. What changed for you as the years went by?
HB: I just had a lot to prove. Just like you said, I got better every year. There was a big difference between my sophomore and senior seasons. The biggest thing for me was how I started to mature physically. Things changed for me as I continued to get bigger, stronger and faster. I received a lot of help from our strength staff, and the training staff as a whole. I continued to work on my craft. I started to improve as a route runner. I worked on my blocking ability. There’s a lot that went into it. It was all about self-development. That’s what lead to the improved success each passing year.
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the tight end position?
HB: I can’t pinpoint one specific area as my favorite. I’m able to do a little bit of everything. I feel like my biggest strength is my versatility. I pretty much lined up at every position on the field on our offense this year, besides the quarterback and running back positions. I feel like I had a lot of success this year. I was able to put a lot of good things on tape.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
HB: It was a cool experience. They switched up the format a little bit this year. We didn’t really have a lot of inside information into how the process would go. In years past, our agents would usually have the schedule down to a tee but even they were left in the dark with this year’s event. It was the first of it’s kind. I was just happy to be there. I just went with the flow really. It was a lot of fun. Getting a chance to interact with the different teams and general managers was such a cool experience. I enjoyed meeting all of the other tight ends. We’re all in this thing together. It was a great experience.
JM: Taking every aspect of the combine into account, the interviews, the on-field testing and the medicals, what do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?
HB: I feel like I left a good impression out there. I wish I could have gotten a few of those testing result numbers a little lower or jumped a little higher but it is what it is. I went out there to compete and show what I can do. My medicals couldn’t have gone any better. I was in and out. I knew that my medical checks would check out perfectly. My interviews went really well. I feel like I left a great impression. The teams can go back to my film now and put it all together. I think the tape speaks for itself.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
HB: I was waiting for one of those strange questions, but it never came. I didn’t have anything that you would classify as weird or strange. I’m not sure why I didn’t get any of those. Every question I was asked was about football. I had a few questions about my family and personal life, but it was mostly football.
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
JM: I know that you’re keeping the teams private at this time, but have you met with many teams via FaceTime and Zoom through this unique process?
HB: I’ve had several FaceTime and Zoom meetings. I was actually able to head down to Boca Raton and work out privately for two NFL teams before COVID-19 shut everything down. It’s definitely been a cool and unique experience so far. It’s obviously been different for us than any other draft class really. Usually, we’d by flying around the country right now and meeting with several teams, but we’ve had to handle everything virtually instead. People might ask me for some insight into the process down the road, and I won’t have anything to tell them (laughs). It’s just been so different and unique for us.
JM: Do you have a favorite route to run?
HB: I would probably say that the corner route is my favorite. You can do a little bit of everything with it. I can take it high or flatten it out. I personally feel like nobody should be able to cover me on a corner route. There’s so many different ways that you can run it.
JM: If you could catch a pass from one NFL quarterback, who would it be and why?
HB: Every NFL quarterback is an extremely talented one. If I had to choose one, it would be Tom Brady. That’s still the GOAT right there. He’s the best to ever do it. Catching a pass from him would be amazing. He’s just down the road in Tampa now (laughs). There’s a lot of teams here in Florida but I’m gonna be thrilled to go wherever I end up. I’ll be extremely thankful.
JM: When a team uses one of their draft picks on Harrison Bryant, what kind of guy are they getting?
HB: They’re gonna get a versatile playmaker that’s happy to do whatever’s asked of him. I’m gonna produce at a high level. Off the field, I’m gonna do everything I can to improve the culture in the locker room. My teammates can count on me. I’m a big believer in relationships. I’m gonna bond with all of the guys and have fun with it. I’m enjoying the process.
