Loran Smith: Bobo’s talent wasn’t recognized broadly enough

Published 11:59 pm Monday, December 29, 2014

When Mike Bobo lit out for Fort Collins, Colo., over the holidays, it would have been appropriate if he had first climbed to the top of the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall on the University of Georgia campus and sang in his loudest voice, “You are going to miss me when I’m gone.”

In my experience with the University of Georgia, I have never known a more underappreciated coach than Bobo, who resigned as the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator last week to take over as head football coach at Colorado State. He had been the quarterbacks coach since Mark Richt took over in Athens in 2001, and Bobo became the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator in 2007.

Why fans get it in their craw that they can’t tolerate certain coaches or abide certain decisions is beyond me. Let it go. Why is it lost on them that they are not in position to know all that goes on with a given play that caused a bust or brought about defeat?

It is production, consistency and the body of work that counts, and few get higher marks than Bobo when it comes to the bottom line. The coaches know who missed a block that kept Georgia from winning certain critical games, but what unprintable would throw a college kid making a mistake under the bus?

Damn the social media, full speed ahead was Bobo’s unspoken motto.

My guess is the majority of Bobo critics play golf. If any of them can say they haven’t missed a 3-foot putt for a measly $2, then I’d say they are lying. I recall a second-guesser once asking former longtime Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley in a public forum about a goal-line play that failed, wondering if he had it to do over again, would he call the same play?

“Why, hell no,” was the response. “I know how that one turned out.”

Second-guessing is part of the game. Nobody understood that more than Bobo, who now is the lonely man at the top. Nobody will appreciate him when there are down times except his family and his dog.

Any way you dissect the games we play, we should be forever reminded that it is never easy. The Los Angeles Dodgers last year made Clayton Kershaw, generally considered the best pitcher in baseball, the highest-paid player in the game. He was expected to not only get the Dodgers to the World Series but win it.

He lost two games in the playoffs and the World Series goal was not met. Does this make Kershaw a loser? Not by a long shot. If it takes a village to win a championship, it takes a village to lose one.

None of us have any idea who Richt will tap as Bobo’s successor, but if the new offensive coordinator can: cobble together an offense that scores 40 points per game; teach and train quarterbacks to excel beyond their abilities; recruit the best talent; keep his ego from getting in the way; express sincerity for his employer; and lead the offensive staff to present day competence on the field — then we will have a Mike Bobo clone.

Go back and review Bobo’s playing career and you’ll find he was never flashy as a quarterback. All he did was win games.

His father, George, a successful high school coach, taught him the nuances of the game. The younger Bobo was named 1993 Player of the Year for the state of Georgia by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

At Georgia, it was the same story. Early on, he had the good fortune of coming under the tutelage of Greg Davis, who was an outstanding quarterbacks coach. By the time Bobo graduated, he won a lot of games in Athens despite having to endure a head coaching change as Jim Donnan replaced Ray Goff.

Bobo didn’t have quick feet to leave defenders in his wake. He wasn’t blessed with a fast ball to zip into tight spots in the secondary. But he made plays with his head and his heart, a born competitor. Two games are particularly worthy of recalling to remind us that he has always been a winner.

Against Georgia Tech in 1997, he directed a touchdown drive that covered 65 yards and ended with his 8-yard touchdown pass to Corey Allen with 8 seconds left. The Bulldogs won 27-24 for their seventh victory in a row against the Yellow Jackets.

In the first overtime game in Southeastern Conference (and Georgia) history, he brought the Bulldogs from a 28-7 deficit to a fourth-quarter tie with Auburn via a touchdown pass to Allen with no time left on the clock, completing a Johnny Unitas-like drive. Georgia won 56-49 in the fourth overtime.

It was all about Georgia for Bobo who, at age 40, realized that if he wanted to be a head coach, there are not that many opportunities.

Timing often dictates decisions. Bobo could not afford to become entrapped in Athens. Turn down enough jobs and athletic directors quit calling. Either you change or the head coach changes eventually. You could get left out completely, with no job at all at 60 — too young to retire, but the marketplace turns a deaf ear.

Bobo happens to be similar to former Georgia defensive coordinator Erk Russell in attitude. If things turn dark in Fort Collins, Bobo would likely find happiness elsewhere, even at a smaller school. I remember Russell saying over a beer during good times at Georgia that he could take a high school coaching job and be happy.

And Russell dramatically proved one thing when he took the assignment of restoring football at Georgia Southern — coaching is coaching, and you can enjoy it at any level if you are imbued with the love of the game.

The view here is that Bobo has that love and is headed for greater opportunity.

Loran Smith is a contributing columnist for The Daily Citizen. You can write to him at loransmith@sports.uga.edu.