Coach Tereshinski To Step Down: Where Does Georgia Go From Here?

Seth Emerson broke the news this afternoon that Georgia Director of Strength & Conditioning Joe Tereshinski, Jr. will be stepping down after the Bulldogs' bowl game. Tereshinski lettered in football for the 'Dawgs from 1968 to 1972 and has been with the program in one capacity or another every since. He took over the strength and conditioning program four years ago with a mandate to turn a Bulldog team that had begun to appear soft and winded late in games into one that could win the fourth quarter.

Tereshinski appears to have largely accomplished that objective, especially along the lines of scrimmage where the Bulldogs have become masters of the late game clock-killing drive of death (South Carolina 2013, Clemson and Auburn 2014, for example). So it seems unlikely that this decision is a matter of poor results. Instead it may simply be that Tereshinski is moving into a different position with the program.

Where do the 'Dawgs go from here? That's an excellent question, but first let's talk about the directions Georgia is not likely to go in. I think there's a good chance Georgia hires from outside the program despite the presence of an experienced staff backing up Coach T. Chief assistant John Thomas for example served as the director of strength and conditioning at Penn State under Joe Paterno for two decades, but in the fast-evolving world of sports conditioning that makes him practically Cro Magnon. Speed coach Sherman Armstrong and Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning Gus Felder also are unlikely to be given the reins. That doesn't mean that a new Director wouldn't retain them.

Speaking of staffing, I also don't expect Greg McGarity to green light a major expansion of the strength and conditioning staff. I'd love for him to because more staffing means more supervision (and therefore more accountability) in the weight room, and also makes it possible to further individualize workouts programs to specific players' needs. But it's not in McGarity's nature to spend $10 when $5 will do.

So I think what we're looking at is a hire from outside the program who'll be tasked with looking at what we've done pretty effectively under Tereshinski and trying to make it better, perhaps updating things a bit. While I don't exactly keep a file of potential strength & conditioning hires in the old filing cabinet, I have a couple of ideas. One intriguing hire would be Atlanta-area private conditioning trainer Ryan Goldin of Goldin Athletic Training in Duluth.

Goldin is a Tucker native and decorated power lifter who's trained an impressive roster of pro athletes, including baseball players Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman, Jonny Venters and Dan Uggla. He's also worked with several current and former Bulldogs, including NFL players Matt Stafford, Shaun Chapas, Clint Bolling, Drew Butler, and Kris Durham. Anyone who saw the transformation of Bolling and Durham from the beginning of their Georgia careers can appreciate Goldin's results. Goldin has also trained non-Bulldog NFL linemen Marcus McNeil and D.J. Fluker.

It also wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for Georgia to go after a rising star from another program, like Mississippi State's Rick Court, a former Ohio State assistant who recently took over supervision of the Bizarro Bulldogs' strength and conditioning and has already reaped good results for Dan Mullen. Or perhaps UAB Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Zac Woodfin, a Prattville, Alabama native who has also served as a conditioning assistant at Alabama and with the Green Bay Packers (as well as training NFL Draft prospects) following an NFL career. Now that the Blazers are getting out of the football business and evaluating their athletic budget (thanks, Little Bear!) Woodfin might be willing to come to Athens on a budget even Greg McGarity can love.

Fair warning though, there's a reasonable chance that none of the above candidates will be the new guy. There's also a very good chance that Georgia will take its time with the hire, or at least the announcement. I wouldn't expect much of anything until after the bowl game.

Until later. . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!