The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wide receivers coach accepts position at LSU
Ball says he’s ready for new challenge after 9 years at UGA.
Tony Ball, a longtime assistant football coach at Georgia, confirmed Friday that he is leaving the Bulldogs to accept a job with LSU. He will coach wide receivers, as he did for the final six of his nine seasons at UGA.
“The nine years that I’ve spent here have certainly grown me,” Ball said as he relaxed at home Friday. “I’ve grown as a person, as a man and as a coach. Really and truly, the nine years I’ve spent here have prepared me for this move. The opportunity presented itself, and the timing was right for my family. The timing was just right, and it was a great opportunity. Like Georgia, LSU is a top program. and it’s another challenge that I wanted. So I’m looking forward to it.”
Ball’s two children, Anthony and Keshea, are grown and out of college. Ball, 55, earned $260,000 annually at Georgia. LSU wide receivers coach Adam Henry, who left to join the staff of the San Francisco 49ers, reportedly was earning $320,000 in Baton Rouge.
“Money was not the issue,” said Ball, who will relocate to Baton Rouge on Wednesday. “The No. 1 thing was the opportunity. I wasn’t just going to leave here and to just go anywhere. But you have an opportunity to go to a program that’s like a Georgia and take on a new challenge. That’s what it boiled down to.”
Ball has been with the Bulldogs since 2006, joining coach Mark Richt’s staff as running backs coach and moving to receivers in 2009. A former running back at Chattanooga, Ball has coached running backs or receivers for most of his career, which includes stints at South Carolina, Louisville and Virginia Tech.
Ball leaves behind a group of wide receivers that is very much in flux. The Bulldogs return only two players with significant experience in seniors Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley and will look to blend four signees with a group that includes Reggie Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, Kenneth Towns, Shakenneth Williams and Blake Tibbs.