A year ago, we delivered our “Counting the Days” series (an example with 27 days remaining until the season kicks off). This summer, we explore a topic that has been debated on The Dawgvent for years and years. Twice a week leading up to the season opener, we will post the UGA’s Mount Rushmore of… series, whereby we each present our opinion of the top four Bulldogs representing each positional unit. Whether statistics, big plays, championships won, and/or something else, we have our reasons why these quartets of Bulldogs have been chosen.
Do you agree with our Mount Rushmore of UGA Assistant Coaches? Who would you put on your list?
Dave McMahon—Twitter @dave_mc_stats
Bill Hartman (1939-42, 1946-56, 1974-94): Bill Hartman, an All-American fullback when he played for the Bulldogs in the 1930s, became one of the most important figures in Georgia’s athletic department. He was the program’s backfield coach from 1939 to 1956 except for his time spent with Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps during World War II. In 1960, Hartman served as the chairman of the Georgia Student Educational Fund. He also served as the volunteer kicking coach for many seasons, mentoring such greats as Allan Leavitt, Rex Robinson, Kevin Butler, John Kasay, Bucky Dilts and Mike Garrett. In 1981, Hartman was elected to the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and, three years later, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2006 at the age of 90 years old.
Wayne McDuffie (1977-81, 1991-95): Wayne McDuffie had two stints at Georgia, coaching the offensive line under Vince Dooley, and then in an expanded role as an offensive coordinator under Ray Goff. Several of his linemen were named All-SEC, including George Collins, Mack Guest, Matt Braswell, Ray Donaldson, Tim Morrison, Nat Hudson and Joe Happe. As coordinator, McDuffie was one of the masterminds leading to “The Operation Turnaround” in 1991. In 1990, the Georgia offense averaged only 151.6 rushing yards per game and 130.6 yards passing. The next season, the Dawgs averaged 169.4 yards per game on the ground and 220.7 through the air. The 1992 campaign was even better as it remains the only season in which Georgia has averaged over 200 yards per game rushing and passing. Thriving under McDuffie, quarterback Eric Zeier and scatback Garrison Hearst are still among the Bulldogs all-time leaders. McDuffie was also an outstanding coach at his alma mater, Florida State, where four of his offensive linemen were named All-American. He was also credited with recruiting Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward. Sadly, McDuffie passed away in 1996 at the age of 52.
Bryan McClendon (2009-15): Bryan McClendon was a second-generation Georgia player and assistant coach. He was the running backs coach during Todd Gurley’s time and during Nick Chubb’s freshman campaign. McClendon later became the receivers coach, mentoring Malcolm Mitchell to his best season in 2015. He was also the team’s passing game coordinator and was a major factor in getting several top-notch recruits. McClendon was part of an offensive staff that helped set many Bulldog records. After Mark Richt left to go to Miami following the 2015 regular season, McClendon became the interim head coach and led the Dawgs to a TaxSlayer Bowl victory over Penn State. The only negative regarding this great Georgia assistant is that he currently is the co-offensive coordinator for SEC rival South Carolina.
Erk Russell (1964-80): You knew this assistant coach was coming, as he was one of the easiest selections of this series. After an incredible collegiate career in which he played four sports at Auburn, Erk Russell coached at his alma mater and then at Vanderbilt. In 1964, he joined fellow Tiger alum Vince Dooley, becoming the defensive coordinator for Georgia. With Erk at the defensive helm, the Bulldogs allowed just 11.7 points per game from 1964 through 1973. In 1967, Georgia led the conference in scoring defense and total defense, and a season later, it led the SEC in total defense again. The next season in 1969, the Bulldogs were sixth in the nation in scoring defense. A few seasons later, Erk’s Junkyard Dog defense started to dominate before everything finally came together in 1980 when Georgia won it all. Russell left Athens in 1981 and dominated again, but this time as head coach of Georgia Southern. While at Georgia, All-SEC and All-American defenders were plentiful under his watch. Coach Russell was one of the best motivators the game has ever seen, and a man who deserves to be in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Patrick Garbin—Twitter @PatrickGarbin
Frank Thomas (1923-24, 1929-30): After serving as a quarterback at Notre Dame, Frank Thomas was lured to Georgia in 1923 by head coach George Woodruff, who had become familiar with the Muncie, Ind., native while observing Fighting Irish games. When spring practice opened the following year, absent was Woodruff, who was on a six-week hiatus because of out-of-town business obligations. Left in charge of the team was Thomas, who implemented a radical departure from Woodruff’s old offensive scheme to the innovative “Notre Dame Box.” It was then for Georgia, which had always been recognized for its defensive play, that the Bulldogs became distinguished for their offensive prowess. After just two seasons at Georgia, Thomas, who was still in his mid-20s, became the head coach at Chattanooga, where he achieved a school-record .730 winning percentage in four seasons. Lured back to Georgia in 1929 as an assistant under Harry Mehre, Thomas again was around for just two seasons before being named head coach at Alabama. With the Crimson Tide, he achieved a .812 winning percentage in 15 seasons, and was part of the 1951 inaugural class inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Mike Castronis (1956, 1961-63, 1968-86): Although actually serving the Bulldogs’ varsity team as an assistant coach for only a few seasons, Mike Castronis remains one of the greatest Bulldogs of them all, and perhaps UGA’s No. 1 ambassador. Coach Mike, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., began his association with the program when he was told by Florida’s head coach that he was too small to play for the Gators. Fittingly, the Florida outcast earned All-SEC honors three consecutive seasons as a Georgia lineman and was a First Team All-American in 1945. After a decade of coaching high school football, including for undefeated Hartwell High in 1948 and state champion Hogansville High four years later, Castronis returned to the Bulldogs in 1961 where he filled a variety of roles over the next quarter-century, including head freshman coach, Health and P.E. instructor, director of intramurals, advisor to UGA cheerleaders, and even creating the first costumed UGA mascot in 1975—“Fluffie Dog,” who would later be renamed just plain “DAWG.” Moreover, the one-time overlooked Castronis was considered a tremendous supporter of his university, its people, and was a leader in the Athens community.
Erk Russell (1964-1980): Wow, where to even begin regarding the greatest assistant coach in not only Georgia, but arguably college football history? Arriving at UGA with newly-hired head coach Vince Dooley in 1964, Erk Russell demonstrated an uncanny ability to motivate and inspire while touching so many lives both on and off the gridiron. What other assistant coach-turned-I-AA head coach—one who passed away more than a decade ago—do people still boast about today for having encountered? Personally, my encounter was at five years old leading up to the 1980 season, when Erk and his wife, Jean, a friend of my mother’s, came over to my house and ate dinner. I will forever boast how Erk Russell, sitting in a chair, grabbed me as I was simply walking by, and sat me up on his knee. From what I remember, he asked me if I was a Bulldogs fan—or something on that order. But, catch me in the right story-telling mood, and I might exaggerate a bit and tell you how Erk gave me one of his inspirational talks he was revered for—like this one:
The master of “turning lemons into lemonade,” who was always quick with a quote, Coach Russell is maybe the only defensive coordinator in college football history to have touched the lives of not only the defenders he coached, but everyone else belonging to the teams he was a part of: from the quarterbacks, to the kickers, to the walk-ons, to the trainers—everyone. Through Erk’s approach, there might be no better example of a football coach who got his players to overachieve—strain their potential. Before guiding Georgia Southern as its head coach to three I-AA national titles in just eight seasons—the first resulting in only the fourth season after the program’s restart—Erk’s Bulldog defenders were distinguished for their bend-but-don’t-break style, whereby opposing offenses routinely went up and down the field all game long, yet found it difficult in putting points on the board.
In regards to scoring defense, Georgia’s average annual rank in the SEC, the number of seasons the Dogs finished in the top-half of the conference, and the number of times they finished in the nation’s top 10 in the 17 seasons Erk Russell was the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator (1964-1980), the 17 seasons before his arrival to Georgia (1947-1963), and the 17 seasons following his departure (1981-1997):
Mike Bobo (2001-2014): A few years after quarterbacking the Bulldogs, Mike Bobo became Georgia’s quarterback coach beginning with the head-coaching tenure of Mark Richt. Over the next six seasons, he mentored the likes of David Greene, D.J. Shockley, and Matthew Stafford before being given the responsibility of play-calling starting with the final regular-season game of 2006. It was beginning then and for the next eight years as the team’s offensive coordinator that Bobo was routinely questioned, and even ridiculed, by some Bulldog enthusiasts for his play selection. However, others contended that, comparatively speaking, Georgia’s offense was never as productive and efficient as to when Bobo was calling the plays—a period which, in my opinion, distinguishes him as one of the top four Bulldog assistant coaches of all time. You can see for yourself below.
Georgia’s average number of offensive touchdowns per game, average yards gained per offensive play, and percentage of trips in the Red Zone resulting in a touchdown when Bobo was calling the plays (2006 Georgia Tech game through 2014 regular season), compared to Mark Richt (2001 season through 2006 Auburn game), and the two seasons since Bobo’s departure to become head coach at Colorado State:
Later this week, we will reveal our next in the UGA’s Mount Rushmore of… series. Until then, again, do you agree with UGASports.com’s list? Who would you put on your Mount Rushmore of UGA Assistant Coaches?
UGASports.com's Previous UGA Mount Rushmores:
