On Sunday, the Georgia athletic association executive committee approved the hiring of Smart, the Tide’s defensive coordinator since 2008. He said that he met his wife Mary Beth while in Athens and that so many great men like Vince Dooley, Ray Goff, Jim Donnan, and Mark Richt helped pave the way for Kirby Smart to assume the head coaching position at his alma mater.
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Of course, if you are one of the highest-paid assistants in college football, there is going to be an expectation for a healthy salary as a head coach, particularly in the SEC.
When Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity chose to make a change, it was clear that Smart was his top choice all along.
“Because he’s bright, he really not only learned the system, but he also understood how to implement it and really understands football very, very well”.
“He’s the defensive coordinator”, Saban said Monday. “Not only in the good coaching and development of players, but the kind of person he is, the kind of recruiter he is, and the kind of team player he is”. They respond well to him. That’s one of the biggest strengths I think I have as a coach is managing the whole thing – being involved in special teams, being involved in the offensive and defensive sides and being involved with coaches. Smart was a four-year letterman as defensive back at UGA from 1995 to 1998.
Smart headed straight to Athens after Alabama’s victory in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. He will work with Alabama through at least New Year’s Eve, and potentially through the national championship game on January 11th.
If toughness was the identity that Kirby Smart wants to have his players to have in his coaching regime, he quickly went on to say that the first step is through recruitment.
He agreed to a six-year deal worth $3.75 million annually, plus incentives.
“He’s still our defensive coordinator”, Anderson said.
He did get a chance to meet with the UGA team Sunday night, and conveyed much of the same message he spoke to the media about Monday. Perhaps that is a sign that McClendon does have a place as a part of Kirby Smart’s new 2016 coaching staff.
Rumors surrounding Richt’s job began to swirl following the team’s 27-3 loss to Florida on Halloween. He coached inside linebackers this season.
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Just last month, Muschamp drew a 15-yard penalty in Auburn’s Iron Bowl loss to Alabama for yelling at officials, who had called a Tiger defender for a late hit.
