Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will oversee the outside linebackers and Warren Belin the inside linebackers on Georgia’s new-look staff.
Belin was hired by Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt earlier this month after spending the past eight seasons at Vanderbilt.
“The outside linebackers obviously will come off the edge, but we’ll be bringing a lot of pressure with inside linebackers as well,” Belin said Friday. “If you look at those two positions, they’re going to go hand in hand. There are a lot of things that we’re going to work together with, but there are some things that will have to be separate in order for our guys to be fundamentally sound when they’re going against different personnel.”
Belin has a one-year contract with a salary of $190,000.
Friday marked the end of Belin’s first week in Athens, which included him getting to know some of the players as well as packages that will be implemented in Grantham’s 3-4 scheme. He coordinated special teams for the Commodores during the 2006-07 seasons and said those assignments for the upcoming season are being worked out as well.
Vandy produced several impressive linebackers in Belin’s watch, including Hunter Hillenmeyer, Moses Osemwegie, Jonathan Goff, Marcus Buggs, Patrick Benoist and Chris Marve. Hillenmeyer played this past season with the Chicago Bears, while Goff played for the New York Giants and Buggs for the Buffalo Bills.
“I’ve been blessed to have had the ability to coach some really good linebackers in my years here in the SEC,” Belin said. “I’m looking forward to bringing that tradition along with Coach Grantham and continuing the fine linebacker tradition here.”