Will Coggin

[bulldogcountry1]

The more I read about him, the more he sounds like just the guy we need. He is much more qualified than Cannizaro was at the time. He is praised for his work ethic and recruiting. He seems like a bit of an a-hole, but we need that again. As long as he recruits well, and the players respect him, that is perfectly fine. That seems to be the case.

I?m sure our fans want a sitting head coach, but we?ve been down that road. We aren?t getting an elite HC. Besides, most of those guys are getting up in age. If we go the assistant route, then a former State player and assistant would be more palatable for our fans. He will at least be familiar with our expectations and the pressure that comes with the position, so he won?t be swallowed up by it.

Coggin would probably bring Ammo with him. I would take that combo right now, and we probably wouldn?t have to wait until mid-June to make it happen.

[AlSwearengen]

On the surface, it looks like he should be at the top of the candidate list. I'm sure that our baseball people know him well and I would be interested in their thoughts. I just hope their feelings don't cloud their judgement. I've seen it mentioned that he rubbed some folks the wrong way, maybe burning bridges at some point, but you know how the internet is when it comes to rumors and such.

I'd be surprised if he doesn't get a head job someplace after this season.

[Pancho]

I think the deal with Will is he doesn't play politics at all and very openly speaks his mind. Often times the truth hurts but could be gotten across in a softer tone.

[DownwardDawg]

I think the deal with Will is he doesn't play politics at all and very openly speaks his mind. Often times the truth hurts but could be gotten across in a softer tone.

I like him even more after reading this.

[bulldogcountry1]

I like him even more after reading this.

Yeah. I think a large part of the problem now is that the staff and players are too accessable to some fans.



ETA: And maybe he might give an explanation as to why a key player is MIA.

[KB21]

https://www.redandblack.com/sports/georgia-baseball-hitting-coach-secret-to-bulldogs-2024-offensive-success-was-team-mindset/article_28e91d66-5be1-11ef-a78c-e312dc009d95.html


“[Head coach Wes Johnson] would talk to them all the time about the power of that G,” Coggin told The Red & Black. “How you represent something.”

In a game that praises the long ball, Coggin said Georgia coaches preached the idea of just getting on base. The Bulldogs built the mentality of earning free bases in practice, when coaches threw rag balls at players to simulate getting hit by pitches.

“It's like the movie ‘Moneyball,’” Coggin said. “We don't care how you get to first base as long as you get there.”

The power came shortly after, with the Bulldogs hitting a school-record 151 home runs. More impressively, the big-time numbers paired nicely with a decreased strikeout rate, which Coggin said is due to the team’s adamancy about “learning the strike zone right.”

The Bulldogs used a strike zone box similar to that of a major league baseball game in their scrimmages. Coggin said the TrackMan technology allowed the players to learn the zone, leading to the less-than-expected number of strikeouts.

The emphasis also played a role in Georgia posting a .433 on-base percentage, its first time over .400 since the 1987 season.


“In the SEC when you win, you have a lot of players that are playing really well,” Coggin said of young athletes embracing the team mindset. “So it's like, focus on what do I need to do for Georgia today, and if we win, then [a player] is probably going to have a pretty good year.”

Not trying to do too much and having trust in the players behind them also allowed the Bulldogs to relax at the plate, leading to good outcomes.

“The best approach when you get the batter's box is, 'What does my team need me to do right now?'” Coggin said. “And when you make it more about your team, it takes the pressure off you.”

[KB21]

https://uga.rivals.com/news/talking-hitting-with-georgia-s-will-coggin


“I really felt like we had the opportunity to have a really deep lineup, and we had some guys that could really take another step forward in their career, in their college careers. Definitely, the last couple of weeks, I’ve been pleased with the way we've swung the bats. But you know how it is in this league,” Coggin said. “It's on to the next day, and every weekend you've got to play your best baseball. It's almost like playing ten Super Regionals. But, you know, I wouldn't say I’m surprised. I would say I felt like we had the potential.”

Head coach Wes Johnson said Coggin’s ability to relate to his players through visual teaching is a huge reason Georgia’s hitters are having such success.

“We live in a day and age where visuals are huge,” Johnson said. “I think there are more people that are visual learners than audio, learn more or less by audio, or reading. So, he does a great job with the video and really connects with them. I think the guys like that.”

Burnett and Adams certainly do.


“It's a pretty in-depth little deal here. Yeah, it takes up a lot of your summer. I mean, you spend a lot of time on all the different servers watching video, looking at their metrics, looking at their statistics, a lot of time sitting there watching college baseball games from the past years,” Coggin said. “The portal happens fast in our sport where a lot of them go in there within a few days of a window, so you've got to have a plan in place, and you've got to do a good job evaluating them. You want to find the ones that fit the system that we're trying to run here, which is, like I said, the ability to hit for power. At the end of the day, it's about whatever it takes to score more runs than the opponent.”

[KB21]

https://uga.rivals.com/news/talking-hitting-with-will-coggin


“Anytime things are going good, you try to keep them going good, right? It’s not just about getting hot; it’s about staying hot. Also, it’s not about getting a good swing, but keeping a good swing,” Coggin said. “There’s some day-to-day maintenance, but yeah, sometimes you do have to be a psychologist. Because it’s not always your swing. Sometimes there are a lot of pieces to the pizza in terms of mechanics, approach, timing, and all those things that go into it. But No. 1, you’ve got to believe.”


“This game has so much failure in it. You know the adage, if you succeed three out of 10 times, you’re a Hall of Famer in our game. But no question, sometimes you really have to encourage these guys, because we face good pitchers in our league,” Coggin said. “You play in tough environments, and there are lots of competitive moments in games. So, you have to make them believe. It starts from within. If they don’t believe, it’s hard for anyone else to believe.”

This is what this program is missing. We have talent. The coaching isn't just terrible. However, they are missing the confidence and belief that they can do this, and a lot of that is instilled by the coach.


A different plan for every hitter
Every hitter on the team is given a specific plan of attack, depending on his strengths.

No cookie cutter approaches here.

“Every hitter is different. Every hitter has different strengths. Charlie Condon, we don’t want him to hit the ball on the ground, if possible. Slate Alford, we prefer him driving the ball and prefer him making most of his outs in the air to the outfield,” Coggin said. “Different guys are better at hitting different pitches in different areas, so each guy has a different approach. We don’t have just one generic approach for each guy usually. There are different approaches for different guys. Some guys are more patient, some guys are more aggressive early. We do have a pretty common two-strike approach. The batting average on balls in play last year was .380 at Foley Field.

“In professional baseball, it’s more about continuing to take your swing and do damage, and Foley Field is obviously a great park to hit in. We want to hit home runs here, but we also definitely want to shorten up and compete a little bit more with two strikes.”


"I owe Coach Coggin an enormous amount of credit for my growth and success as a hitter. His extensive knowledge of the swing is extremely hard to find, and would be incredibly valuable to any hitter,” Rooker said upon Coggin’s hire. His relationships with recruits and players are second to none and will no doubt aid in the building and sustained success of any program."

[Todd4State]

I think the deal with Will is he doesn't play politics at all and very openly speaks his mind. Often times the truth hurts but could be gotten across in a softer tone.

I think it may have to do with how he acted during the Johnny Long incident last year in the dugout and if I remember correctly he was jawing with some of our fans.

Also Cann didn't think he was very good from what I was told.

I wouldn't worry about his perception at this time. Cohen had a lot of similar things said about him when he was the head coach at Kentucky.

[Pancho]

Sounds like will would be a vast improvement from where we are now.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Yeah. I think a large part of the problem now is that the staff and players are too accessable to some fans.



ETA: And maybe he might give an explanation as to why a key player is MIA.

BINGO. Been saying it since July 1, 2021. You could see this problem coming from a mile away. It was bubbling up during that 2021 season where we had middle age men and women partying with players at the bars, assts getting drunk with fans at restaurants in Starkville, etc. Polk always had the ability to seem accessible but not be accessible. Cohen was just an a hole so no one wanted to talk to him. Lemonis just doesn't have that same luxury and neither do his players. I will also say that social media has made it 100x worse. I think it was Todd who said it a few weeks ago, but some of these fans see having access to the team and Lemonis as a status symbol. It's extremely weird to me, but is what it is.

I think a coach like Coggin who pulls no punches and is brutally honest will quell some of this and get us back to there being a hard line in the sand that separates the fans from the team and coaches.

[AlSwearengen]

Well, we are wanting a change in culture. I saw where we had a juco pitcher commit in the last couple days and the kid mentioned that Lemonis was talking to his dad about golf. I've been hearing about golf and this staff since they got here.

[Randolph Dupree]

I didn't care for Coggin when he was here BUT have heard from people that run in these types of circles and they think he's the next big time head coaching candidate.

[Pancho]

It'll take a person with his demeanor to retrain all the boosters and fans as to how a program should be run.

[Dawgface]

I would put him at the top of list if i had anything to do with it. Of course I don’t.

[Todd4State]

I think the deal with Will is he doesn't play politics at all and very openly speaks his mind. Often times the truth hurts but could be gotten across in a softer tone.

We don't really know how he will handle all of that as head coach to be fair.

If you are the coach at MSU you have to play some politics in baseball to a degree. Polk did. Cohen did too. Lemonis does as well.

Too many groups that care and have vested interest in the program- which is why head coaching experience is very helpful. Coggin has been around it as a player and a coach here so he has at least been exposed to it.

And I think a coach can only keep players away from fans to a certain degree. We literally have a room behind the clubhouse at Dudy Noble that is essentially a safe space for the players- which I think is a great idea. I'm not sure how much a coach should focus on that anyway. All I would care about is performance. And to me this staff is too patient with certain things and let things go on too long. Most coaches wouldn't have let Hines struggle for as long as he did without doing something drastic for example. And by as long as they did I mean one weekend and it's fixed.

I mean, they can take pictures with Maroon Mary after our coach tells them to get their head out of their ass and start using the whole field like a real baseball player that isn't a douche and actually cares about winning.

[Pancho]

the same maroon mary who polices the omaha club?

[Cooterpoot]

Yall want a guy who has never been a HC and burned bridges in a couple places? Sounds like State fans! The same fans that say we're an "elite" program want to hire a nobody lol

[AlSwearengen]

Yall want a guy who has never been a HC and burned bridges in a couple places? Sounds like State fans! The same fans that say we're an "elite" program want to hire a nobody lol

I think Coggin brings more credibility with top recruits than a head coach at a smaller school will. We aren't getting a top notch sitting head coach from a big school, so they will have to come from a smaller school.

Again, I'm reading tea leaves and going by what recruits and players have to say about the guy, as well as what teams have done that he has been associated with. I know zero about his managerial skills, etc. That is up to the AD to figure out.

[Tbonewannabe]

I think Coggin brings more credibility with top recruits than a head coach at a smaller school will. We aren't getting a top notch sitting head coach from a big school, so they will have to come from a smaller school.

Again, I'm reading tea leaves and going by what recruits and players have to say about the guy, as well as what teams have done that he has been associated with. I know zero about his managerial skills, etc. That is up to the AD to figure out.

Sounds like a Vitello type hire except he has played and coached here already. Intense coach that is a great recruiter and great hitting coach.

It is always a guessing game if someone will do well. Lemonis has recruited well but the hardnosed hustle culture is deteriorating. Also with the portal, recruiting is a mixed bag. Who knows what kind of team you have next year.

[Pancho]

post of the month

[bulldogcountry1]

Yall want a guy who has never been a HC and burned bridges in a couple places? Sounds like State fans! The same fans that say we're an "elite" program want to hire a nobody lol

For a guy who is burning bridges, he is still, somehow, being consistently promoted. He is currently ?assistant head coach ? at UGA.

[Todd4State]

Yall want a guy who has never been a HC and burned bridges in a couple places? Sounds like State fans! The same fans that say we're an "elite" program want to hire a nobody lol

Who else has he burned bridges with besides Cann and our fans who got upset because he defended his players during the Johnny Long incident last year?

It also sounds a lot like Cohen when we hired him.

I do agree his lack of managerial experience is a concern though.

[Pancho]

At this point, I'd figure he would be roughly a 157% improvement over what it is that we have.

[KB21]

We have a lot of MSU fans who fear being great, so they want to go the safe route all the time. That's why you see so many try to crap on the Jeff Lebby hire. The man inherited a complete mess and is working his tail off to build the talent level of the football team back up, but because he was just an assistant coach at the school that Zac Selmon came from, he was a "lazy" hire. It doesn't matter that he was the best offensive coordinator in college football. He was a "lazy" hire to some because we didn't go out and get someone with head coaching experience but a much more limited upside as a coach.

The same thing is going to happen here with these fans. Will Coggin and Josh Elander are the two hottest names in college baseball coaching. You want a chance to get another Tony Vitello, you are going to have to take some risk and give either Coggin or Elander the chance. You are not likely getting a Vitello type if you go out and hire a Mark Wasikowski or a Chris Pollard, who are good coaches.

[StThierry]

I am not sure they fear being great because they have never experienced consistent greatness at MSU. 100% agree with the Lebby take.