Strength program changes coming at Georgia
From Weiszer:
Responding to questions this afternoon about changes to the football strength and conditioning program, Georgia associate athletic director Claude Felton sent an e-mail to media members indicating that changes are coming.
"I can tell you there is some administrative re-organization coming in the football program," Felton wrote. "I should have more info later today so stay tuned."
Dave Van Halanger has been Georgia’s strength and conditioning coach for all 10 years under Mark Richt.
Former Georgia safety Kelin Johnson, who is still close to the program and works out some with the team, posted on his Twitter account this afternoon about Van Halanger.
"Coach Van..You will be missed so much! Thank you for all you have done for me and my fellow teammates! We Love you!"
I spoke to one source connected to the program about if Van Halanger was leaving his position and was told: "That’s the word on the street."
over 1 year ago
Bard Parker
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Best wishes on finding a new position CDVH (if true)
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
Agreed.
As with last year’s firings of Willie Martinez, Jon Fabris, and John Jancek, I take no pleasure in learning that good men have lost their jobs a few weeks before Christmas.
That said, such a move is warranted, and, should this report prove true, it will be to Mark Richt’s credit that he has done the right thing by putting personal feelings aside and acting in the best interests of the program.
Good catch, Bard Parker. Thanks.
Go 'Dawgs!
Good luck Coach Van...thanks for your service
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the Dawgs of war; - Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1
Thanks, but if this...
update is true, it’s"meet the new boss, same as the old boss":
Joe Tereshinski, who has served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and video coordinator, will replace, Van Halanger, according to a source. John Kasay, who served as strength coach under Vince Dooley, will become an assistant strength coach.
So much for “new and modern” approaches to S&C.
I understand the disappointment there,
but you never know what ideas a guy might have that he hasn’t been permitted to put into practice. Think about the number of times that a head coach is fired, an assistant coach is promoted, and the team immediately starts performing better. Then again…there are times that it doesn’t work out as well…whatever.
by hailtogeorgia on Dec 2, 2010 3:59 PM EST up reply actions
I know it reamins to be seen..
…how this will pan out. But I would have liked to have seen some of these names in the mix. This strikes me as some of the “inbreeding” (for lack of a better term) that Richt and UGA seem to perpetuate. He went outside to bring on Grantham, a hire that has worked in my opinion. Why not with this as well?
So far I do not see an “interim” tag to either of those titles.
I agree with you. We'll see when it's official.
by hailtogeorgia on Dec 2, 2010 4:17 PM EST up reply actions
We'll see how it goes
Any change may be a good change at this point. Honestly I think he new S & C coach just needs to schedule visits with Bama and SCAR and see how they do things, then we just mimic that. No sense in reinventing the wheel. Our guys just seem too lean and we get pushed around on both sides of scrimmage. Though our offensive line is big enough, they’re just still getting pushed backwards on almost every play.
That's a good point, andycapps.
In principle, I agree with Bard Parker and hailtogeorgia: I’d rather see someone brought in from outside, but, even though Joe Tereshinski has been a part of the program for as long as anyone can remember, he hasn’t been in charge on this particular area of the program recently; it would bother me more if, say, Dave Van Halanger’s right-hand man was being promoted from within. David Pollack’s description of Coach Tereshinski as “very, very old school” calls to mind the fact that his service in Athens dates back to Vince Dooley’s heyday, when the Bulldogs made a point of winning games by getting tougher in the fourth quarter.
I agree that it could be enough for a hardnosed coach with a strength and conditioning background to go out and see what the S&C coaches at Alabama, Auburn, and LSU are doing to get their guys into shape, then emulate their methods. I’d prefer a bit more in the way of a housecleaning, but, first and foremost, I’m on board for doing what works, and I like the fact that this isn’t just “more of the same.”
Go 'Dawgs!
I disagree - sorry Kyle
This is another in-house promotion or move, it is more of the same. Athletic conditioning has changed by light years in the last 15 years, and “old school” is not what we need. We just had old school. We need someone younger (not just out of school mind you) but young enough to have had formal education on a massive wrath of new technology and training methods.
Going to have to go with the haters on this one – this is CMR doing more of the same. CDVH is still in the program after failing, and we had a promotion within. To say that Joe T hasn’t “had his chance” is what we tried with Willie, Bobo, and really Can Halanger when he came with Coach Richt.
This is highly disappointing, and, not that I want to be right, but this isnt anywhere close to getting a guy like at Alabama. UGA is simply to full of the good ole boys, and this was a chance to give someone fresh a big, big paycheck to radically redefine what S&C is for a decade.
Now, it is more certainly more of the same.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
I see it as more of the same
Richt has a track record of shuffling the chairs – the one exception being last year. I am willing to give it a look but only a very short one. I hope I am wrong but …………..I can’t say this change excites me.
by JRL on Dec 2, 2010 9:38 PM EST up reply actions
My reaction:
On hearing Van Halanger’s being moved: Yay! Now let’s get some new blood, in the mold of Grantham, who will use Rocky IV technology to make our guys into an army of Ivan Dragos.
On hearing JT2 was being promoted: complete and utter disappointment. If this had happened a year ago, I’d still have the confidence in Richt’s decision making, but this made me realize that I don’t have that confidence in the same degree these days.
However, I did feel better after reading David Pollack’s response, which in full was not just that he’s “old school”, but:
Coach T is the 100% opposite of CVH. He is old school, great fit 4 young kids who think they know it all.I like the idea of a hardass coming in and busting kids who think they’re already in shape down a few pegs by making them realize what a truly conditioned athlete should be able to do. I want the Shake Weights out of there, and I want those kids lifting so much weight that the new plates they have to buy raises the price of iron. But mostly I want someone who really is the opposite of Van Halanger, whether we’ve had him all along or not.
It’s not what I would have done, and I’m not optimistic, but I’m hopeful.
"It'll only be reviewed because the guys up in the booth want to watch it a few times too." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf16_mw0nxs
And it now is....
From Georgiadogs.com: Richt Reorganizes Strength/Conditioning, Administrative Staff
ATHENS — University of Georgia coach Mark Richt will implement a reorganization of his strength and conditioning and administrative staffs that will take effect Jan. 1.
Joe Tereshinksi, former player and long-time strength and conditioning assistant and video coordinator, will take over as director of the strength program. Current director Dave Van Halanger, who came with Richt from Florida State, has been named Administrative Assistant to the Head Coach.
“Joe has had a hand in Georgia’s strength and conditioning program for nearly 30 years,” said Richt. “I’m excited about what he can bring to our program in this capacity and the direction he’ll set as we move forward.”
Van Halanger will oversee and/or work with programs that will include character education, a new mentor program, former student-athlete development, and community service initiatives.
Dave Van Halanger: discipline czar?
And License Checking
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
by RedCrake on Dec 2, 2010 4:45 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
If there are more assistants to be added, only better...
I’m hoping for more positions to be created to increase S&C beyond Kasay.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
I agree - I am not happy to hear that Joe T is going to be the man. That is _not_ a change, that is promoting failure.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Perhaps
But Tereshinski was also Asst. Strength coach in the early to mid 80’s, so if he plans to institute his own program instead of just following the lead of the head guy it may not spell failure. For all we know, he may not have been a fan of Van Halanger’s program.
Still, we haven’t had much success with guys named Joe Tereshinski that have waited their turn to be the head guy.
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
by RedCrake on Dec 2, 2010 4:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Right.
While I share tankertoad’s concerns, I think there’s a good possibility that Joe Tereshinski (whose time with the strength and conditioning program at Georgia antedates Dave Van Halanger’s arrival in Athens) will recognize where the team has gotten softer and restore some of Georgia’s historic toughness. He will need to modernize some methods—-which is why I believe tankertoad’s concerns are valid—-but it isn’t just “more of the same.”
Yeah, there have been three Joe Tereshinskis who have played at Georgia, and every one of them left Athens with an SEC championship ring. That counts for something.
Go 'Dawgs!
UGA is a huge, major research university.
Tereshinski may be old school, but is there any doubt that there are ample resources at hand to inform methods? And I’m ready for a medical school in Athens.
Everyone's been demanding a change. Now we got it so I guess we'll have to give it a chance?
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the Dawgs of war; - Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1
UGA players appear relatively weak and out of shape (See recent OL and DL).
Hire Mary Poppins for all I care. Just make a change. We have to get lucky on one of our changes…
Best wishes to all future recently departed personnel. T Kyle is dead on. Hate to fire before Christmas, but need to fire if we want to play after Christmas again.
The Pillar of Pessimism, the Narrator of Negativity, and the Dictator of Doubt is here to rain on your Utopian Parade.
Can't argue with that, VDawg.
Florida’s players actually commented on our defense’s lack of proper conditioning in the 4th quarter, and no one could argue that the defense didn’t look tired in the 4th quarter of the Tech game. Then there’s Auburn (groan).
It sounds like Van Halanger is moving into a less “sports-based” role and more of a “character-building” role with the team. I wish him best of luck, and if all those fancy words from the Athletic Department mean that he’s now the new “discipline czar,” I await his move into this new position with great anticipation.
Discipline Czar...now there is a challenge!
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the Dawgs of war; - Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1
I feel as the creator of my dream "discipline czar" position - I get some leeway
and with that leeway – I say this:
I don’t want the bad guy (AKA #1 for you trekies) to have “We love you….” written as a goodbye.
I want someone they are scared to death of. There are too, too, too, many friends and hugs in this football program. Only CTG is different on that slate.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
JT might just be interim coach
According to a comment on Seth Emerson’s blog. If that’s the case, bravo. Get some new blood in there, preferably somebody from a new generation of coaching that has done good work elsewhere.
a ray of hope, thank you
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
I doubt it...the wording from Emerson's blog makes it sound final...
"Joe has had a hand in Georgia’s strength and conditioning program for nearly 30 years," Richt said in a statement. "I’m excited about what he can bring to our program in this capacity and the direction he’ll set as we move forward."
The bench INSPIRES...
Change is good...
…and so is knowledge.
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
Tell that to the NCAA
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
by RedCrake on Dec 2, 2010 4:54 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I meant to say...
$180,000 and change…
"If we score, we may win. If they never score, we'll never lose."
-Erk Russell
You and I clearly have a case of sour grapes
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
by RedCrake on Dec 2, 2010 4:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Didn't you realize
That losing a football game precludes you from commenting on a major news story? That’s like Blogging 101.
"I want anything wearing red and black to tear the head off anything that isn't." - Lewis Grizzard
by RedCrake on Dec 2, 2010 5:12 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
nice
This gets a gold star. Just a few more and I’ll have a Shrute Buck for ’ya.
by first and thom on Dec 2, 2010 8:21 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Someone on Blutarsky's blog pointed out that Tereshinski...
…was responsible for modernizing our game film program. If that’s the case, he may do the same with the S&C program. As has been mentioned before, even though he has been with the program forever, he’s never been in charge. That can be a good thing; I’ve taught for quite a while, but I’ve never been in charge of a school, and if I was, I can assure you I would do things quite a bit differently from the way any of my bosses have.
Will
by wqueenjr on Dec 2, 2010 9:36 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
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