Report: Georgia OC Todd Monken receiving NFL interest as offensive coordinator

Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken is receiving NFL interest as an offensive coordinator, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“One college coach I’m hearing has garnered NFL OC interest from teams this cycle: Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken,” Fowler wrote on Twitter. “Has had a successful run with the national champion Bulldogs and is also former OC of Bucs and Browns.”

Monken helped Georgia win back-to-back national titles, going a combined 29-1 under head coach Kirby Smart.

The Georgia offense exploded in the national championship game, winning 65-7 over TCU led by quarterback Stetson Bennett, who became a Heisman finalist this season under Monken.

Monken joined Georgia in 2020 after spending one year in Cleveland as the Browns’ offensive coordinator. He was with Tampa Bay from 2016-18 as the team’s OC and wide receivers coach.

Monken also had NFL experience with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2007-10 as the wide receivers coach.

He began his career in 1989 with Grand Valley State and had stops at Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Louisiana Tech, Oklahoma State and LSU before going to the NFL with the Jaguars. Monken also came back to Oklahoma State after his time with Jacksonville.

From 2013-15, Monken served as the head coach of Southern Miss, going 13-25 overall, but went 9-5 in his final season, leading the Golden Eagles to the Heart of Dallas Bowl. He went to the Bucs the following year.

Kirby Smart on finding meaning outside championships

“It’s awesome (winning the national championship). But I don’t want their careers — I don’t want their self-worth or our program’s self-worth to be built on just championships,” Smart said, noting how the sports world tends to define the great ones by the championships they win.

“I get it. I get that’s what you define Joe Montana on, Tom Brady on, LeBron and Kobe and Michael Jordan on — the number of championships.”

But the reality is…most players don’t end up becoming one of those guys. The names above are immediately recognizable because they are the rare exception, athletes who accomplished absolutely everything there is to accomplish.

Now that he’s summited the mountain, Smart realizes that it’s not the be-all end-all of college sports. There are so many other ways for his players to make their mark other than simply winning titles.

“I don’t want these young men to be defined by that. I don’t want my career to be defined by that because I know tons of coaches and players out there that didn’t get one that had unbelievable careers. So I never hang a hat or say, you validate. All I want to do is be the best I can be today. And I want these kids to know that they need to be the best they can each and every day so they can be successful. If you measure success based on wins in each day, that’s what I want our success to be measured on.”