University of Georgia Athletics
John Jancek By Loran Smith
October 31, 2006 | Football
There was something of the old country work ethic handed down to John Jancek when he was growing up in Rothbury, Mich., a small community near Muskegon, which sits hard by Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Muskegon River.
His grandfather, John, "came over on the boat from Czechoslovakia" and settled in the area, raising 14 children on a farm. The hearty and industrious Czech found a way to make do and never had any complaints. In fact, when he first arrived, he appreciated the exceptional opportunity he saw and immediately returned to Czechoslovakia to bring John's grandmother to America.
When John's father, Albert, came along, he opted for self employment, which didn't include life on the farm. However, he and John's mother carried on the family tradition of work hard, mind your manners, tend to your own knitting and underscore good work habits and discipline.
They found it simply overwhelming that the game of football would pay for Jancek's education. One thing was certain, their son wasn't going to blow an opportunity. When he enrolled at Grand Valley State, an exemplary attitude accompanied him to the campus. He practiced diligently and eagerly honored the discipline requirements of football. When class met, he was punctual, alert and conscientious. He didn't take his opportunity lightly.
When it was over, Jancek realized his football experience had been downright exhilarating, which brought about a commitment to become a coach.
A funny thing happened one cold winter day in early 1992 which was to significantly impact his career. Willie Martinez, who had grown up in Miami and had played college football at the University of Miami, arrived in Grand Valley to interview for the defensive coordinator's job.
Jancek picked him up at the airport in a blizzard. The first comment Martinez made was, "How long is it like this?" Jancek didn't have the heart to tell him about Michigan's harsh winters. "I thought that he would catch the next flight back to Florida," Jancek said.
Instead, Martinez stayed two years and a warm friendship ensued, which was to evolve into an appreciation for the defensive philosophy of Martinez and Brian VanGorder, now at Georgia Southern. When the latter bolted for the Jacksonville Jaguars after the Outback Bowl in 2005, Mark Richt offered Jancek the Bulldog linebacker’s position.
In the coaching fraternity, friendships are not simply fraternal. People develop confidence in who they know. Respect is established with familiarity and compatibility of philosophy and ideas. All of that often brings about enduring professional relationships. Jancek was the first choice for Martinez, when he succeeded Van Gorder as defensive coordinator and Richt was soon sold on the idea that the man accustomed to hard winters would fare well in Georgia's more moderate climate.
Jancek, however, didn't come for the weather. He had long admired Georgia's tradition and success. He had watched televised games from Athens and knew of the respect that the coaching fraternity had for Vince Dooley and Mark Richt.
Having grown up trolling for steelhead and salmon on Lake Michigan, Jancek took up bass fishing, which he learned about when he coached at Central Florida with Martinez and Van Gorder. When he isn't occupied with tweaking defensive schemes, Jancek also enjoys golf and cooking. "My French Onion soup is not bad," he winks, "and I use Vidalia onions for sure."
After a season in Athens, Jancek has been uplifted by what he considers an exceptional coaching opportunity. “Georgia’s facilities, available talent in the state—there is something positive in every respect,” he says. The bonus which many coaches come to realize is that the quality of life in the greater Athens community is equally exceptional. “This is a great place to live and you could not find a better opportunity to raise a family.”
Whenever you see John, you often see his wife, Kelly. They, more than likely, will be accompanied by their four sons Zachary, 9; Brock, 7; Jack, 5; and Brady, 3. In addition to the Saturday games, a highlight for the Janceks is the Monday practice.
“Coach Richt wants to underscore the family atmosphere with our team,” John says, “and that includes inviting the coaches’ families to have dinner with our team on Monday and watch practice. Of course, our families are always welcome to any of our practices, but Monday is family night for all of us. We want our players to get to know our families because they are important to all of us.”
