The Georgia Bulldogs football program has undergone significant changes in its coaching staff this offseason, with former Offensive Coordinator (OC) Todd Monken departing for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.
The team hired Mike Bobo to replace him, a former UGA quarterback who worked as an analyst on head coach Kirby Smart’s staff in 2022. Bobo has had some success as a coach but has also faced struggles.
After serving as an offensive coordinator from 2007-2014 at UGA, he was named head coach at Colorado State University in December 2014.
In his first three seasons, the team struggled to a 7-6 record each year and lost in low-level bowl games. The 2018 season was particularly rocky, with Colorado State suffering humiliating losses to Hawaii, Colorado, Florida, and even an FCS team.
The team’s lone victory during this stretch was a come-from-behind win against Arkansas at home. Unfortunately, the Rams finished the season with a dismal 3-9 record, their worst since the Steve Fairchild era.
Calls for Bobo’s firing grew louder as the 2019 season progressed, and he and Colorado State agreed to part ways. However, he went on to serve as the offensive coordinator for South Carolina, helping them to a 2-5 record under Will Muschamp.
When Muschamp was relieved of his duties, Bobo stepped in as the interim head coach leading the Gamecocks to a 0-3 finish.
The following year, he left for an offensive coordinator position at Auburn. They secured six victories, falling short of the other seven, including a 17-13 loss against #20 Houston in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
Despite these setbacks, UGA head coach Kirby Smart is optimistic about Bobo’s addition to the team. He cites his experience as a successful SEC play-caller and over 20 years as a player and coach at UGA.
During the 1990s, both played for the Georgia football team and later reunited in 2005, coaching together when Smart served as an assistant on Mark Richt’s staff.
However, while Monken did help elevate the Bulldogs’ offense to new heights, it’s important to remember that his overall record as a head coach is not impressive. Given Monken’s head coaching record of 13-26 in the NCAA, it’s clear his failures as a head coach aren’t correlated to being a successful offensive coordinator.
Bobo has big shoes to fill, as Monken completely transformed Georgia’s offense during his tenure at the program. Bobo’s last offense at Georgia averaged 41.3 points per game, slightly more than the 41.1 Monken put up this past season with Georgia. However, his experience in the SEC and with the Bulldogs could give him a leg up in the transition.
He’s faced struggles as a coach, but there is hope that he will build on the success of the team’s offense in the coming seasons.
And some analysts attribute his lackluster record as a head coach to a lack of roster talent. Fortunately for Bobo, he should have no shortage of talent in Athens. The Bulldogs recently signed the second-best 2023 recruiting class.
Moreover, the Bulldogs are bringing back several key contributors on offense. Players returning include center Sedrick Van Pran, tight end Brock Bowers, and wide receiver Ladd McConkey.
While it remains to be seen how he will fare in his new role, fans are hopeful that he will continue the success of the team’s offense.
There may be some uncertainty surrounding the transition from Monken to Bobo, but it’s clear that Bobo brings a wealth of experience and a successful track record.
What do you think?
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