Central Michigan photo
Current Georgia linebackers coach John Jancek was Central Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2004 and will face his former team Saturday.

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez moved up the coaching ranks after two stints at Central Michigan, a school that enhanced his reputation but tested that “for better or for worse” wedding vow.

“It’s the North Pole,” Martinez said. “It’s really cold. I’ve really got a great wife, because we’re still married.”

Martinez coached defensive backs at Central Michigan in 1994 and again from 1998 to 2000. He was given the additional title of assistant head coach in 2000, when his Chippewas led the nation in pass defense, before accepting Mark Richt’s offer to coach Georgia’s secondary.

The No. 1 Bulldogs host Central Michigan on Saturday, and Martinez won’t be alone in facing a former program. John Jancek was hired as Georgia’s linebackers coach in January 2005 after serving as CMU’s defensive coordinator.

In defense of the Chippewas, anything north of Georgia starts getting cold for Martinez. He was born in Coral Gables, Fla., and attended the University of Miami there, and his first three coaching jobs were in the Sunshine State.

In his first year with Central Michigan, the Chippewas rose from consecutive 5-6 seasons to go 9-3 with the Mid-American Conference title and a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl. They didn’t have a winning season in the three years that followed, but when Martinez returned in ’98, they went 6-5.

CMU went 4-7 in 1999 and 2-9 in 2000, but that doesn’t keep Martinez from looking back fondly.

“It was a great time in my career,” he said, “and I’ll always cherish those memories.”

Martinez beat Central Michigan in 1997 when he coached Eastern Michigan’s secondary, but this is the first time Jancek will face a team from his past.

Georgia defensive line coach Rodney Garner goes through this twice each season, having worked at Auburn and Tennessee. Running backs coach Tony Ball had mixed feelings before the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia Tech, where he had spent the previous eight seasons.

Richt, of course, spent 15 years on Florida State’s staff before facing the Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl after his second season at Georgia.

“The only sentimental value for me is getting a win,” Jancek said. “That’s what it’s all about. I cherished my time there, but I’m a Georgia Bulldog and look forward to competing against Central Michigan.”

Said Martinez: “They’ve won the MAC championship the last two years and have a really good quarterback. That’s really what I’ve been concentrating on, but it is great to see them back to where they were in the early ’90s. From that standpoint I’m happy for them, but the other side of it is that it’s going to be a really good football team offensively that we’re going to play.”

Odds and ends

Richt would like to keep getting backup quarterback Joe Cox playing time but isn’t committing to a set schedule. ... Georgia’s remaining defensive tackles may take turns occasionally wearing jersey No. 95 in honor of injured teammate Jeff Owens. ... Redshirt freshman defensive end Neland Ball (hamstring) is expected back this week after sitting out the opener.

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