Tag: Todd Monken

Georgia football: Kirby Smart just keeps reloading

Georgia football and Kirby Smart just keep reloading.

Georgia’s 2019 offense left a lot to be desired, even with three year starter Jake Fromm under center.

The defense is what ultimately got Georgia as far as it went last season, while other SEC powerhouses – Alabama and LSU – were able to adapt to the current trends and put up record breaking offensive numbers.

Georgia, though, stayed behind, sticking to its possession-style offense. And it did not work great.

So, when Fromm announced he was declaring for the NFL Draft and skipping his senior season, there was real concern among DawgNation. If Georgia’s offense was mediocre with Fromm, how bad would it be next year with potentially a true freshman slinging it around?

Luckily for Georgia, Kirby Smart went out and secured graduate transfer quarterback Jamie Newman from Wake Forest. In Newman the Bulldogs get an experienced signal caller who can make any throw on the field and is more than capable of taking off and running if asked to.

And then there’s offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who left to take the head coaching job at Arkansas. When he left, so did four of our starting offensive linemen. Three declared for the draft and one, Cade Mays, transferred to Tennessee. We can’t bring back the four departed linemen, but Smart did the next best thing by hiring former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke as offensive line coach — a move that has been praised nationwide.

And today, Friday, Smart made another big splash when it was reported that he has hired Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken to replace James Coley. With Monken now calling the plays, Coley is expected to slide into another role within the Georgia offense, ESPN’s Schlabach reported.

On a recruiting level, Smart has been to his same old success. The Dawgs have the third ranked recruiting class and could still climb to No. 2 if all the chips fall in place.

Just a few weeks ago, Georgia fans were in their annual widespread panic about the future of the Bulldogs. And as he’s done the past 4 years, Smart quickly put an end to that panic.

With two big hires and securing Newman in Athens, there’s no reason to think the Dawgs won’t be back contending for a title again next year.

Georgia hires former NFL coordinator to take over play calling

After a mediocre offensive performance last season, Kirby Smart has hired NFL offensive coordinator Todd Monken to take over the call playing duties in 2020. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Monken’s hiring and a reshuffling of the offensive staff. …

After a mediocre offensive performance last season, Kirby Smart has hired NFL offensive coordinator Todd Monken to take over the call playing duties in 2020.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported Monken’s hiring and a reshuffling of the offensive staff.

“Monken will take over playcalling duties for the Bulldogs this coming season, after their offense struggled at times in 2019. Georgia was fifth in the SEC in scoring (30.8 points per game), total offense (408.1 yards), passing (223.0) and rushing (185.1). Georgia assistant coach James Coley, who called offensive plays this past season, is expected to move into a new role. Former Ole Miss coach Matt Luke previously joined Georgia’s staff to replace offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who left to become head coach at Arkansas.”

Monken, 53, spent the 2019 season as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. He directed the NFL’s top passing offense while calling plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016 thru 2018. He is considered an expert in the “Air-Raid” style of offense. The coaching move appears the Georgia offense will open up next season and fit the talents of incoming grad transfer Jamie Newman.

He was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Oklahoma State in 2011 and 2012, where the Cowboys ranked second in the nation in scoring offense (48.7 points per game) and second in passing offense (387.2 ypg) during his first season and third in the nation in scoring (45.6 ppg), fourth in total offense (547.0 ypg) and seventh in passing (331.7 ypg) during his second year. He also was the quarterbacks coach under Les Miles at LSU and head coach at Southern Miss for three years.

Georgia’s offense ranked 61st in the nation in total offense (408.1 ypg) in 2019, 72nd in passing (223.0 ypg) and 50th in scoring (30.8 ppg).