Georgia Football: Maybe Jim Chaney isn’t so bad

Going into last year, Jim Chaney was under a huge amount of pressure from Georgia Football fans. Fast forward 12 months and it’s a very different situation.

Jim Chaney probably doesn’t care much about what I think. He’s been coaching college football for as long as I’ve been alive and he’s done pretty well so far. Having built a spread offense at Purdue that put Drew Brees into the league, he then went there himself and has brought a pro-style offense to UGA.

In 2017, The Dawgs dramatically improved on his side of the ball. Chaney went from being the butt of UGA fans complaints to someone that everyone had to have some grudging respect for. Any offense that averages 35 points a game with a freshman QB is doing something right.

This past weekend, Chaney did his once a year press conference. Kirby Smart likes to keep his assistant coaches off limits during the season so it’s rare we get to hear much from Chaney. That’s a shame because in the few times I have seen him speak, he’s come across very well. He’s an affable guy who has a sense of humor while also being very focused. In short, he comes across just how Kirby Smart would want him to. This is one of the main reasons that I would really like Smart to let Chaney and Mel Tucker do more press conferences.

There are big expectations on Chaney this year. Many expect the UGA defense to take a bit of a step back with so many talented players leaving. Few, however, are expecting the same from his unit. Yes, he lost two of the best running backs in program history and first-round left tackle. But the talent he has at his disposal in year three is quite simply unparalleled.

UGA’s offensive line looks huge and ready to take a step up again this year. Three of its starters will be sophomores or younger. It has time to grow and get better. The offense has weapons all over the field, many of them young and explosive. Lastly, he has two QB’s that both look ready to star at the next level.

It’s a big responsibility but then again Chaney seems ready to handle it. Rather than banging on about his success last year, he instead pointed to how every year is different. He was also very keen to point to the talented group of coaches that he currently works with.

Whether it’s James Coley or Dell McGee or Sam Pittman or even off the field analyst Jay Johnson, Chaney always finds a way to give credit to others. One of the good things about Chaney is how little ego he seems to have. That’s a quality that fits in well with this staff and the culture Kirby Smart is trying to build. It’s also not particularly common in top-level college football. Cough Lane Kiffin Cough.

There’s a long way to go before we can declare Chaney a great coordinator at UGA. However, he seems to be on the right track after his two seasons. The pressure is certainly on for year three even more so than last season. But Chaney seems like he’s very much looking forward to the challenge that awaits this year. If he rises to it, the Dawgs could well be looking at a very exciting season.