Kirby Smart would be taking risk following Muschamp
It doesn't make sense for Kirby Smart to make lateral move from Alabama to Florida.
If we are to believe reports, Kirby Smart is considering leaving as the highly paid defensive coordinator at Alabama to become the highly paid defensive coordinator at Florida, thereby forming “Team Bulldog” in Gainesville with Will Muschamp.
I’ll ask the same question now that I did a year ago at this time when Bulldogs coach Mark Richt tried to lure Smart back to Athens: Why would Smart do it?
Smart is a terrific coach. I know some believe he gets too much credit for Alabama’s defense because he works for Nick Saban. But if he wasn’t highly regarded, he wouldn’t be on Saban’s staff and Alabama wouldn’t have bumped up his contract to $750,000 a year to keep him when Richt phoned.
But Smart’s next move should be as a head coach. He’ll get offers, as soon as next season. We all know there will be some tenuous heading coaching situations going into next season.
If Saban, who has a reputation for burning out assistants, is driving Smart nuts, that’s a factor. If Florida offers to elevate his pay even more, that also would be a factor (although it’s hard to imagine the Gators paying Smart much more than he’s making now). Finally, there’s the opportunity for Smart to work with a close friend in Muschamp.
But if Smart leaves, he will be taking an enormous risk. We know Alabama is going to be a very good team again next season. We don’t know that about Florida. The outgoing Urban Meyer said the Gators are “broken” right now. There’s a transition period for any new head coach.
Mostly, we still have no idea how good Muschamp will be as a head coach. The fact he was the coach in waiting at Texas and deserved this opportunity doesn’t guarantee he will be a success. It’s a different job with different responsibilities when you’re the guy in charge.
If Muschamp struggles, his coaching staff slides down with him. Smart already is a hot commodity. He’s not going to become a hotter commodity in Gainesville.
♦
Win an iPad! Enter the “Sack Schultz” bowl contest and pick the winners. Click here for more info or go to ajc.com/go/sack-schultz to enter.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
353 comments Add your comment
Sanford Drive
December 13th, 2010
5:31 pm
I could care less about Muskrat or Kirby Dumb. CMR has all of the ability needed to return UGA to its rightful place as an elite SEC team. We have the money, the recruits, the facilities, the stadium and the fan base.
Class dismissed.
Jeff the Advice Giver
December 13th, 2010
5:31 pm
Jeff: You can obviously write about anything you wish and give your opinons to your readers. However, do you really think that what you say about what Kirby Smart should or should not do will influence his decision in any way?
Cecil Newton
December 13th, 2010
5:34 pm
Kirby said to Will, “well, we could never beat them, we might as well joun them! Goooooooooooooooo Gators! Duck the Fawgs!!!!”
Cecil Newton
December 13th, 2010
5:36 pm
Sanford Drive said:
“I could care less about Muskrat or Kirby Dumb. CMR has all of the ability needed to return UGA to its rightful place as an elite SEC team. We have the money, the recruits, the facilities, the stadium and the fan base. Class dismissed.”
Toos bad hes don’t knows hows to Coach!!!!!
Tells Lizabeth eyes hassing a heart attack Lamont!!!!!
Ed (The Original)
December 13th, 2010
5:43 pm
Why would Muschamp hire a guy he knows will be looking to leave for a head coaching job after one, two seasons tops?
And if Smart accepts the UF d-coordinator position only one season after turning down the same opportunity at his alma mater, that tells you something is seriously wrong in Athens. No one, not even a loyal alum, wants to jump onto a sinking ship. That’s definitely the perception of the program under Mark Richt right now.
Cecil Newton
December 13th, 2010
5:46 pm
Mark Richt is the Captain of the Titanic, ALL ABOARD~!!!!!!!!
Randy
December 13th, 2010
5:52 pm
Ummmmmmmm bulldawg fans. http://www.gatorsports.com/
Sorry but it’s a done deal it seems.
bank walker
December 13th, 2010
5:52 pm
Florida is easily a better job than alabamer.
Ed (The Original)
December 13th, 2010
5:57 pm
It looks like Smart is going to UF, as well. Leaving Alabama for the same job. Didn’t see that coming.
This is brilliant if UF pulls it off, but if could potentially blow up in their face, too. You’d have to think that Muschamp and Smart would both bring some big egos to the job, and that Smart would have his eye on every high-profile head coaching position that opens up beginning in oh, 12 months from now. If that happens, UF would have three different def. coordinators in as many years. That’s not an ideal situation.
ARdawg
December 13th, 2010
5:57 pm
Schultz
Good column and your remarks are spot on. My email pals and I were having this same discussion and I stated my concerns there. Low and behold your piece appears a little later.
Bottom line is this, if Smart were to take a DC job with Muschamp in Florida he would be telling the college football world he isn’t ready to be a head coach, not now and likely not ever. It would make no sense to go to Florida (a latteral move), leaving a BCS championship program to start from scratch at FL. A career killer in my opinion
Special K
December 13th, 2010
5:58 pm
I hope Kirby does not leave BAMA but I understand. He was only going to be at BAMA one more year before a head coaching jobs come calling. He’s got to do what is best for him. As for BAMA, we will be fine with or without him. Saban will get a great coach to fill his shoes. As the “NFL” rumor goes. I think you guys said Saban was leaving BAMA last year. Keep bringing it up and you might finally be correct. Give it a rest. RTR!!
Randy
December 13th, 2010
5:59 pm
Maybe Smart wants some more National Championships under his belt. Just sayin………..Go Gators
ARdawg
December 13th, 2010
6:00 pm
If that is the case Kirby Smart will be known hence forward as “the coach that ain’t too smart”.
Beast from the East
December 13th, 2010
6:00 pm
Nice story on how Foley decided on Muschamp.
http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=19415
Special K
December 13th, 2010
6:01 pm
Randy, you are correct. That is why he stays at BAMA! lol
From Where I Sit
December 13th, 2010
6:01 pm
Sanford Drive as an elite team? LMAO!!!!
GA has never been an elite team, ugh last time I checked it has been 30 years since a NC. That is not elite status, my friend.
FL on the other hand is!
Enough Said!!!!
Beast from the East
December 13th, 2010
6:01 pm
ARdawg,
Ever thought he may want to get from under Saban’s shadow?
Ed (The Original)
December 13th, 2010
6:02 pm
“Florida is easily a better job than alabamer.”
You must be really young if you think that. Alabama is college football royalty with success that dates before the Depression. Florida has been mostly outstanding since Spurrier arrived in ‘90, but did squat before that. Not even an SEC Championship until 1991. Alabama had something like 20 by that time.
This is something less than a lateral move. From Smart’s perspective, this doesn’t make sense unless he’s had all of Nick Saban that he can handle.
ARdawg
December 13th, 2010
6:03 pm
Florida is very likely a number of years away from another BCS championship. It is a broken program, easily fixed but not immediately
GatorBait 18-3
December 13th, 2010
6:04 pm
The only reason I see for Smart to come to Florida is 1) they are good friends and 2) Smart owes Muschamp for getting him into big time football from Valdosta State. If he doesn’t come, it won’t be the end of the world.
They first coached together in 2000, when Muschamp was defensive coordinator at Valdosta State and Smart was defensive backfield coach. Smart was promoted to defensive coordinator at Valdosta State a year later, when Muschamp left to join Saban’s staff as linebackers coach at LSU. Muschamp was promoted to defensive coordinator at LSU in 2002, and convinced Saban to hire Smart as linebackers coach two years later.
ARdawg
December 13th, 2010
6:05 pm
Beast
Hey, if he wants it that bad he should go join his Pal but, it has been under Saban’s shadow that he’s become a hot commodity. From there would be a well paid coaching gig somewhere. Not a latteral move to DC in Florida. He’s backing way up
Randy
December 13th, 2010
6:05 pm
“Specia; K”
http://www.gatorsports.com/
Beast from the East
December 13th, 2010
6:05 pm
ARdawg,
Yes, we were “broken” this year. We may never win another NC…only one team per year does, but we aren’t as “broken” as the Dawgs. That, my friend, is an undeniable fact.
Mike Bobo 17 INT #2
December 13th, 2010
6:06 pm
(comment) CMR, (comment) CMR, (comment) CMR, (comment) CMR….CMR CMR CMR CMR CMR
DAWG07
December 13th, 2010
6:06 pm
Jeff,
Different situation for Smart and Alabama then last year. Remember, Alabame was undefeated, National Champs and potentially better team for
2010, but after disappointing season for Alabama may be tempting to join his close friend. Would not be least bit surprised to see him in FL But then again Saban may be short timer since he has not stayed in one place long, he may wait for the Alabama job.
ARdawg
December 13th, 2010
6:10 pm
Beast
Now there I think, that you my friend are in denial. You program is broken, badly. If you want to look at UGA and point to it as somehow “more broken” than yours, well then you are not living in the reality that has a hold of the situation. Yes Beast, yours is as bad and if anything, worse than UGA’s. The only difference is, you have the ability to fix it at a faster pace than we suffering UGA fan’s. That is the reality
12-13-09
December 13th, 2010
6:13 pm
KIRBY SMART WILL BE THE GEORGIA’S NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BY NOON TOMORROW, I GUARANTEE IT!
ARdawg
December 13th, 2010
6:14 pm
Alabama was due for a decline. That is all 2010 was for Bama, decline. They will be back next year and a force to be reckoned with. Two years undefeated regular season is quite a feat in the SEC. Expecting a repeat performance in 2010 was complete delusional, and most Bama fans were.
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:14 pm
KIRBY SMART WILL BE THE GEORGIA’S NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BY NOON TOMORROW, I GUARANTEE IT!
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:15 pm
KIRBY SMART WILL BE ANNOUNCED AS THE NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AT GEORGIA BY NOON TOMORROW, I GUARANTEE IT!
trey
December 13th, 2010
6:16 pm
BooBoo won’t ever get fired because he’s married to Vince Dooley’s niece, has 5 little chillen under the age of 6, and attends Church every Sunday with the Richt family. The only hope I see for his departure is for Muschamp to hire him on as his OC because BooBoo is not HC material even in a fantasy world. BooBoo would get a hefty pay raise and Muschamp is his close friend so it’s a good possibility (or maybe I’m just hoping beyond hope)
Meanwhile UGA drags the wagon of mediocrity down the road with square wheels clicking and clacking out loss after loss.
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:16 pm
KIRBY SMART WILL BE ANNOUNCED AS THE NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AT GEORGIA BY NOON TOMORROW, I GUARANTEE IT!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAH
HAAHHAHAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAH
AHHAAHHAAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAAHHHA
ARdawg
December 13th, 2010
6:18 pm
Geesh…..AND speaking of delusional and in denial
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:20 pm
trey:
Bo Bo knows A LOT more about things than a hack troll named trey. Get out of here dude. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA
AHHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA
AHHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA
AHHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH
TampaGator
December 13th, 2010
6:21 pm
ARDawg….
Were you born yesterday or someting. Florida isn’t a BCS championship program? They have won more BCS national titles than Bama has….but not national titles. FLORIDA is a top BCS Championship program….and Smart leaving Bama for Florida is a lateral move to coach with his best fiend…if he does that. The Florida and Bama programs are both BCS championship programs….just that Florida has won more of them (again…not national titles, but BCS titles).
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:22 pm
i FOR ONE THINK mIKE bOBO WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT HEAD COACH. HE’S ONE OF THE BEST QB RECRUITERS IN THE NATION (IF NOT the BEST)
Beast from the East
December 13th, 2010
6:22 pm
ARdawg,
If we have the ability to fix it faster, then doesn’t that mean the situation is not as bad? We’ve made the dreaded coaching change that all programs fear and are heading in a new direction. We all wish Urban the best but it was plan to see he wasn’t the same coach this past season. His heart was not in it and he is to be lauded for making that call before eventually forcing Foley’s hand. The same cannot be said at UGA. Richt continues to head down the same path deeper into the woods. Is there light on the other side? Who knows?
Whopper Dawg
December 13th, 2010
6:23 pm
Jeff,
You are exactly correct. It would be a bad move, no upside only downside. Stay put, ride the BAMA train and move on to HC when someone comes calling.
Whopper
suwanee dawg
December 13th, 2010
6:24 pm
Kirby needs to stay with his daddy, Saban.
Without Saban, Kirby is a nobody.
Does anyone really think Kirby is calling the shots at Alabama?
TampaGator
December 13th, 2010
6:24 pm
ARDawg….
Also…your comment that him going to Florida means he is not ready to be a head coach. Well….dude….check what program has put more assistants into the head coaching relm lately….NOT ALABAMA….IT IS FLORIDA…big time. So….my friend….if you want to be a head coach…become an assistant coach at Florida…not Alabama.
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:24 pm
HEY TREY:
GET IN THE REAL (NON INTERNET) WORLD DUDE! YOU SEE PAPER FOR A LIVING AND COACH POP WARNER POUND BALL TO MAKE YOUR SELF FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF. HAHAHAHA
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:25 pm
HEY TREY:
GET IN THE REAL (NON INTERNET) WORLD DUDE! YOU SELL PAPER FOR A LIVING AND COACH POP WARNER POUND BALL TO MAKE YOUR SELF FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF. HAHAHAHA
Kirby Not So Smart
December 13th, 2010
6:26 pm
Anyone that thinks Kirby is doing such a great job needs to check out the second half of the Auburn v. Alabama game.
Kirby is a ZERO.
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 13th, 2010
6:26 pm
Bobo is getting calls from Clarke Central, Athens Academy, and North Gwinnett. They are looking for a new Equipment Manager. Bobo better jump quick. When the USS Richt sinks Bobo will be unloaded like a LEAD WEIGHT.
GatorBait 18-3
December 13th, 2010
6:26 pm
Ya’ll must be nicer to Bobo, he not the clown you say he is.
With his ears, he looks more like Jumbo, the flying elephant———Gators and elephants just don’t get along.
December 13, 2009
December 13th, 2010
6:26 pm
” MY SOURCES WITHING THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT TELL BE KIRBY SMART WILL BE ANNOUNCED AS THE NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AT GEORGIA BY NOON TOMORROW, I GUARANTEE IT”!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAH
HAAHHAHAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAH
AHHAAHHAAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAAHHHA
oakwood dawg
December 13th, 2010
6:27 pm
Scenario—UF wins SEC east, looses SEC Championship game, goes to good bowl and wins. UGA looses 6 games and CMR is fired. Dawgs offer Muschamp a bundle that UF won’t match and Muschamp returns to UGA(I hope this doesn’t happen). Old saying “blood is thicker than water”. I personally believe there are better head coach prospects than Muschamp. This blog is pure conjecture and highly opinionated(yes I too am opinionated) so lets wait and see what unfolds and talk about the facts next Dec. And by the way, Mike Bobo and his 17 interceptions needs to crawl back under the rock he came from and thats not opinion but instead fact.
TampaGator
December 13th, 2010
6:27 pm
Suawneedawg…
Yes…he calls the defensive shots at Alabama…during games. Have you not seen Saban run up to Smart after a big gain and yell at Smart for a play call he did not like…and Smart yelling back at him what happened on the play? Saban is heavily involved in planning during the week, but Smart is the play caller for the defense on Saturdays….as with any DC in the country.
But…I know…when Smart goes to Florida….he is a nothing without Saban. He ain’t Smart no more!
GatorBait 18-3
December 13th, 2010
6:28 pm
5150 P.O.A.D.
Not to worry, like I said, Jumbo will just fly off the USS Richt.
Beast from the East
December 13th, 2010
6:29 pm
Kirby Not So Smart,
Cam did that to everyone they played this year. He only got better as the year went on and he got better in the second half every game. Whether Smart goes to UF or stays at Bama, I don’t think you can judge him (or any other DC) based on how they did against one of the most dominate players we’ve seen in decades. Not a fair assessment.