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Hines Ward to be hired as Arizona State wide receivers coach
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Hines Ward to be hired as Arizona State wide receivers coach
Former Georgia legend Hines Ward is back in the college game, as ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that Ward will be the new wide receivers coach at Arizona State.
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man, we messed up by not getting when we had the chance
Maybe he’ll get some experience as a coach at AZ St. then come to UGA. We can hope !!
Trust Kirby. Hines may be following Kirby's instructions.
I don't know what they are, but I'm sure Kirby has his reasons for not hiring Hines. THere is nothing (Ibelieve) that Kirby doesn't think about when it comes to improving the team. It's not like he's never considered hiring him before. My guess is Hines is a legend and how do you get on a legend's patoot when you need to? Be sort of, but not exactly like, hiring Herchel to coach your running backs. How would you ever chew Hercsel out, especially in front of the players that idolize him? JUst a guess.
While Hines Ward, who went from a smaller high school option quarterback to an NFL Hall of Fame WR despite lacking measurables (5'11", 4.55 40) and innate WR talent through sheer hard work, is the ideal guy to teach the WR position - especially to guys moving there from other positions like he did - for the other aspects of being a coach at a big time SEC program he would have to learn on the job. Unfortunately circumstances don't give UGA that luxury. WR is not a position of strength for UGA. This isn't Kirby's fault. It's an issue that goes back decades. But some of Kirby's decisions have kept it going.
But it is an issue that has to get fixed. With Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC and the playoff expanding, building a consistent contender is going to mean having the same sort of talented difference-makers at WR thatUGA has at OL and on defense. So getting an SEC veteran with coordinator experience who is a proven recruiter in a region that reliably produces good college WRs is the best move for UGA right now and Coley - been on 3 SEC staffs plus Miami and FSU, an OC at 4 schools, great south Florida recruiter - fits the bill.
It is also the best for stability. WR coach to OC to head coach is the 2nd most popular pipeline right now (behind QB coach to OC to HC). Coley, who has used up all his OC chances, is going to stick around awhile. But Ward, an NFL Hall of Famer that (nearly) everyone likes? Not a chance. After 2 years in Athens - 3 as an absolute max - he will be an NFL WR coach at minimum. A real possibility? Head coach at a 2nd tier Big 12 or ACC school or 3rd tier SEC or Big 10 one. Let Ward start landing the top 100 WR recruits that so far have mostly evaded Smart and his staff. Let UGA starting WRs go from 500-700 yards a season, which has been typical under Kirby, to the more usual 900-1100 yard seasons (let alone the insane numbers that Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma etc. WRs put up when those programs are rolling). Programs like Mississippi State, UNC, Indiana, Houston etc. would line up to hire him.
I know a lot of people are thinking that he would be loyal to UGA because Ward is an alum, but if Pitt - a low revenue program in a low revenue conference - pays Pat Narduzzi $5 million a year for 8 wins a season you can imagine how much money Ward could get in the right situation. So while Coley isn't a hire that excites people, he is simultaneously far more likely to be effective in the short term and still be UGA's WR coach 5 years from now (the same sort of success that would have Ward be WR coach for the Texans or head coach at Minnesota would only get Coley a $200,000 a year raise and the basically meaningless "assistant head coach and passing game coordinator" titles).
Best of luck in your new career Coach Ward! Hines Ward has always been one of my favorite UGA Bulldogs of all time. And voted 1 of the top 50 Pittsburgh Steelers all time, that speaks volumes. No doubts that you will find success in your coaching career as well..GoDAWGS!