The Georgia Bulldogs have hired Todd Grantham to be their defensive coordinator. Grantham comes from the Dallas Cowboys, where he was defensive line coach.
This wasn't the homerun hire the Dawgs--who were turned down by Bud Foster, Kirby Smart, and John Chavis--were hoping for. However, it looks like a good hire to me. Grantham comes with an impressive resume, including experience as an NFL defensive coordinator. He also comes with the approval of Nick Saban, whom Grantham worked under at Michigan State. Saban, apparently, pursued Grantham to be his DC for the Miami Dolphins. Saban is one of the game's best defensive minds, so his approval carries weight. Grantham is unproven as a college coordinator, but I'm thinking he's someone we'll have to contend with.
Regarding scheme, expect Grantham to implement a much more aggressive, attacking style than his predecessor and king of the soft zone, Willie Martinez.
Reports are coming out that the Tennessee Volunteers are hiring Derek Dooley to replace Lane Kiffin. Dooley, of course, is the son of legendary Georgia coach Vince Dooley. This isn't official yet, but it may be soon. You can follow this story as it develops at Rocky Top Talk.
This hire I'm not so sure about. Dooley has a career losing record at Louisiana Tech, and while he inherited a rebuilding project, one would think that a coach with some acumen could win a few more games in the WAC even without a wealth of roster talent. That said, Dooley did seem to have the Bulldogs heading in the right direction. Dooley also served as recruiting coordinator at LSU under Saban, so he has that to his name. Still, I need to learn a little more about the guy before I offer judgment, and I suspect we won't really know what to make of this one until we see what he puts on the field.
One thing is for sure: this has been a hell of a week for Vols fans. They lost Kiffin, have been turned down by numerous coaches, including ones at Air Force and Duke, and now they're turning to a largely unproven commodity to try to right their ship.