Goin' Up

It would be so easy to say it’s all the head coach. Take a look at his success, his overall record, his impact on the program and the fact that seven of his assistant coaches have left the program in the past three years and moved on to higher levels of college football and the program hasn’t skipped a beat, and it’s easy to say the head coach must be the reason. But what about the university? The tradition of the program? The town? The fans? The local fervor for football? The geographic talent base? Is this a program built for success, with multiple reasons to success and few excuses for failure? Then again, it’s hard to ignore the head coach of a successful program, isn’t it? Especially when he’s a 30-year-old charismatic up-and-comer with a bright future in the business. “Valdosta’s a great place,” says former Valdosta State and Kentucky coach Hal Mumme, who is now