Potential possibilities for Georgia’s future offensive coordinator have been identified if head coach Kirby Smart decides to take a risk at the position following two seasons without a National Championship. The Georgia Bulldogs had a poor season in 2024, falling in the second round of the College Football Playoff to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2024 Sugar Bowl. While the defense struggled throughout the season, much of the responsibility was thrown on the offense.
The Bulldogs brought back starting quarterback Carson Beck and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo from an offense that ranked fifth in the nation in total yards per game in 2024. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, injuries at the running back position Starting in the off-season, program exits at the wide receiver position resulted in a drop to 32nd in total offense by 2024. This production is far from acceptable for Bulldog fans, who were not shy in airing their feelings about Bobo on X (previously known as Twitter). While not everyone blames Bobo, the fact is that the Bulldogs have not won a National Championship under head coach Kirby Smart since 2022, and those are the expectations in Athens these days. So, when expectations are not met for two years in a row, it is fair to conclude that significant changes are required.
If Bobo is let go, there will surely be talk about who should replace him, so I wanted to share some possibilities.
Possible replacements for Mike Bobo as offensive coordinator at Georgia.
Todd Monken served as the offensive coordinator for the George Bulldogs under Kirby Smart from 2020-2022. He was present during the team’s back-to-back national championships under quarterback Stetson Bennett. Monken also worked with future first-round wide receiver draft picks Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers, among others, throughout their first two years.
The inventive offenses that ranked first in the country during Monken’s final two seasons at Athens are something the fan base has craved since his departure.
Although Monken has been successful with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL since leaving for the same role, there is a chance that Smart will poach Monken back to college. One of the reasons is that there appears to be conflict on the Eagles’ offense this season between starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and other members, such as wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Egos and locker room politics will always exist in the NFL, so Monken was not surprised. The question remains, though.
Is it a factor that could sway him into returning to the Bulldogs to coach under Smart once more? Joe Brady
You may remember this name from his time as the LSU Tigers’ wide receiver coach and passing game coordinator in 2019. Since then, Brady has played for the Carolina Panthers and the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.
Brady took over as offensive coordinator for the Bills midway through the 2023 season and has succeeded in the post, with the Bills ranked as one of the top offenses in the NFL.
Although Brady was merely the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach during his time with the Tigers, the number of players on the roster that he helped develop is remarkable. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson teamed to help the Tigers mount one of the most prolific offenses in FBS history.
The individuals mentioned would all be future first-round NFL draft picks. Again, Brady was directly involved in this. If Brady is not an NFL head coach by 2025, Smart’s interest in bringing him back to the college levels to coach at one of the top universities in the country might be pretty appealing.
Buster Faulkner
Faulkner is now the offensive coordinator for the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets. Yes, the same Yellowjackets who went to Athens this year and nearly defeated the Bulldogs after eight overtimes.
Faulkner has transformed the Yellowjackets offense in just one season, and he played a role in doing so during his last stint in Athens as quarterback coach on Smart’s staff from 2020 to 2022.
After shown his ability to compete against college football’s finest in Athens and beyond, paired with his relationship with Smart, it would be difficult to find a better fit that Smart would feel more at ease with in Athens.
It is also worth noting that Faulkner was the quarterback for the Valdosta State Blazers when
Smart spent two seasons as a young defensive coach on the staff. While Monken may be a long shot, Faulkner is not widely seen as the frontrunner to succeed Bobo if he leaves.
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