With the apparent hiring later today of Chris Hatcher as head football coach, Georgia Southern can close the book on the Brian VanGorder era as quickly as possible – a chapter almost all Eagle fans wish was simply a bad dream. Unfortunately, it wasn't, but the appointment of Hatcher gives Eagle Nation hope for a return to greatness.
And while it is the future on which we must focus, we must also look at what made VanGorder such an unpopular figure and, ultimately, the worst coach in Georgia Southern history.
VanGorder came in with credentials stronger that any coach Georgia Southern hired after Erk Russell retired – defensive coordinator at Georgia and linebackers coach with the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars to name a few. He was brought in by athletic director Sam Baker to radically change the entire program, including the beloved triple option offense. VanGorder also set about tearing down traditions Georgia Southern fans grew up with. From the yellow school buses to the practice fence to the feeling that the football program and all its fans were connected.
Finally, he tore down the biggest Georgia Southern tradition of all – winning football games. The bottom line: All the changes would not have mattered if VanGorder fielded a winning team that competed for the Southern Conference title and a I-AA playoff berth.
Instead, VanGorder finished with a 3-8 mark, the worst in modern Eagle history. But we believe Eagle Nation would have tolerated the losses better had VanGorder shared with everybody his vision for Georgia Southern football. Instead, he talked about building a program Eagle fans could be proud of. Everytime he said that, Eagle fans wondered: "We already have a great program that we are proud of. We don't need you to establish a program. We want to know how you are going to make a great program even better."
We believe Eagle fans would have endured the losses if Baker and VanGorder had said from the beginning: "We understand Georgia Southern has a great football legacy of national championships and football traditions. But we believe the football program needs to make serious changes to ensure that legacy continues. That will probably mean a tough couple of years in terms of wins and losses. But the pain we endure now will pay off with a stronger program in the near future."
Instead, all Eagle fans received was arrogance, with VanGorder dismissing criticism and insisting that "truly knowledgeable football fans" understood how much better the program was now than in the past. Apparently, in VanGorder's mind, Eagle fans are too stupid to understand why 3-8 is better. In that regard, he is right – no amount of explaining could convince anyone 3-8 is better.
But if Baker and VanGorder had allowed Eagle fans in on their long-term strategy for the program as a whole, perhaps the reaction as the losses mounted would have been tempered. Instead, they adopted an us vs. them approach, refusing to acknowledge that fans had any reason to be upset that their team that had never lost before was losing.
VanGorder put his players, his staff, Southern Boosters and Eagle Nation through the deconstruction of one of the best I-AA programs in the country and its worst season ever only to quit before even trying to fix it. We believe, however, the future of Georgia Southern's football program is better today now that VanGorder is gone.
We urge you to watch Dal Cannady's insightful interview with VanGorder on WTOC. Go to connectstatesboro.com and click on the “VanGorder Interview” link.
The interview shows VanGorder at his arrogant best – blaming everyone but never himself.
But VanGorder is the past. It's time to look to the future for Georgia Southern football and Chris Hatcher brings a lot of success with him from Valdosta State. His background as a college coach certainly should be encouraging to Eagle fans in that he will be completely committed to Georgia Southern.
Sam Baker said Tuesday that everything is in place for the Eagles to start winning again. It certainly seems he picked the right coach to do just that. We hope Hatcher shares with Eagle fans everywhere his vision for restoring Georgia Southern to its place among I-AA football's elite.
And while it is the future on which we must focus, we must also look at what made VanGorder such an unpopular figure and, ultimately, the worst coach in Georgia Southern history.
VanGorder came in with credentials stronger that any coach Georgia Southern hired after Erk Russell retired – defensive coordinator at Georgia and linebackers coach with the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars to name a few. He was brought in by athletic director Sam Baker to radically change the entire program, including the beloved triple option offense. VanGorder also set about tearing down traditions Georgia Southern fans grew up with. From the yellow school buses to the practice fence to the feeling that the football program and all its fans were connected.
Finally, he tore down the biggest Georgia Southern tradition of all – winning football games. The bottom line: All the changes would not have mattered if VanGorder fielded a winning team that competed for the Southern Conference title and a I-AA playoff berth.
Instead, VanGorder finished with a 3-8 mark, the worst in modern Eagle history. But we believe Eagle Nation would have tolerated the losses better had VanGorder shared with everybody his vision for Georgia Southern football. Instead, he talked about building a program Eagle fans could be proud of. Everytime he said that, Eagle fans wondered: "We already have a great program that we are proud of. We don't need you to establish a program. We want to know how you are going to make a great program even better."
We believe Eagle fans would have endured the losses if Baker and VanGorder had said from the beginning: "We understand Georgia Southern has a great football legacy of national championships and football traditions. But we believe the football program needs to make serious changes to ensure that legacy continues. That will probably mean a tough couple of years in terms of wins and losses. But the pain we endure now will pay off with a stronger program in the near future."
Instead, all Eagle fans received was arrogance, with VanGorder dismissing criticism and insisting that "truly knowledgeable football fans" understood how much better the program was now than in the past. Apparently, in VanGorder's mind, Eagle fans are too stupid to understand why 3-8 is better. In that regard, he is right – no amount of explaining could convince anyone 3-8 is better.
But if Baker and VanGorder had allowed Eagle fans in on their long-term strategy for the program as a whole, perhaps the reaction as the losses mounted would have been tempered. Instead, they adopted an us vs. them approach, refusing to acknowledge that fans had any reason to be upset that their team that had never lost before was losing.
VanGorder put his players, his staff, Southern Boosters and Eagle Nation through the deconstruction of one of the best I-AA programs in the country and its worst season ever only to quit before even trying to fix it. We believe, however, the future of Georgia Southern's football program is better today now that VanGorder is gone.
We urge you to watch Dal Cannady's insightful interview with VanGorder on WTOC. Go to connectstatesboro.com and click on the “VanGorder Interview” link.
The interview shows VanGorder at his arrogant best – blaming everyone but never himself.
But VanGorder is the past. It's time to look to the future for Georgia Southern football and Chris Hatcher brings a lot of success with him from Valdosta State. His background as a college coach certainly should be encouraging to Eagle fans in that he will be completely committed to Georgia Southern.
Sam Baker said Tuesday that everything is in place for the Eagles to start winning again. It certainly seems he picked the right coach to do just that. We hope Hatcher shares with Eagle fans everywhere his vision for restoring Georgia Southern to its place among I-AA football's elite.