A few years back, the trend seemed to favor offensive coordinators when head coaching jobs were being filled. A classic example of that tendency was that of a man who resided on the other side of the line of scrimmage — Brian VanGorder who was Mark Richt’s first defensive coordinator when Richt became the Bulldogs head coach.
At one time, VanGorder had an off the charts reputation as a defensive coordinator. I recall Pat Dye saying that the Auburn offensive coaches felt that whatever scheme they came with, VanGorder seemed to counter with finger snapping adroitness.
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