Smart explains decision to reject UGA (updated)
Athens — Kirby Smart won’t be coming to Georgia as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator, deciding after two days of deliberation to remain in the same job at Alabama.
Smart, a former Georgia player, explained his decision in written comments provided by Alabama:
“I think it was pretty well known that there was an opportunity to return to my alma mater as defensive coordinator,” Smart said. ”I wouldn’t even have considered discussing the position with any other school, but when it is a place I’ve spent some of my best years and had some great memories, I thought it was something I should discuss with my family and figure out what was best.
“After thinking about all the factors over the last couple days, we are going to stay at the University of Alabama. We love it in Tuscaloosa, have made some great friends here and I think we are building something special here at Alabama with Coach [Nick] Saban. I have learned so much in the time I’ve spent with Coach Saban, and every year I feel like a become a better coach.
“I’ve got a great deal of respect for Coach [Mark] Richt and the job he has done there, and the University of Georgia will also have a special place in my heart. Not only did I play there, but my wife played basketball there and we have a lot of friends at UGA.”
Smart had been considering a lucrative multi-year offer — reportedly for three or four years at around $700,000 per year — to return to his alma mater as defensive coordinator. His pending decision had been the subject of intense speculation among UGA fans over the weekend. Saban previously had expressed his disapproval of assistant coaches making lateral career moves.
“We’re very pleased and happy that Kirby is going to be staying here at the University of Alabama with us,” Saban said in a statement this afternoon. ”He’s done a fabulous job for us. He’s one of the finest assistant coaches in the country.
“You expect guys like Kirby to get lots of opportunities to do things, and we want to continue to help him continue to develop his career here so that when he leaves here, it’s going to be to be a head coach and probably in a very good situation. So we’re excited about that. We’re happy for him and his family. It’s very pleasing to us.”
Alabama is believed to have aggressively countered Georgia’s financial offer, but said it would not reveal Smart’s new salary until it is approved by trustees in the spring. Smart’s salary was around $360,000 in 2009.
Richt has been trying to hire a new defensive coordinator since the Dec. 2 firing of Willie Martinez and two other defensive coaches.
Georgia previously pursued two veteran defensive coordinators for the job, Virginia Tech’s Bud Foster and LSU’s John Chavis. Both opted to remain in their current jobs after having their contracts considerably sweetened.
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1,397 comments Add your comment
Vince Dooley
January 11th, 2010
5:47 pm
Wish we were as good as those dead gum Techies…..yeah we got a good one-on-one record against them…..but we’ll never catch up to those 4 national championship trophies…..uga fans need to grow up……me being the former coach of UGA and everything…..the team with more championships is the more prestigious program……dead gum common sense i tell ya!
the truth
January 11th, 2010
5:47 pm
I guess the grass isn’t as green in Athens…I mean the septic tank. Winning is more important than coming home.
Pecos from Vegas
January 11th, 2010
5:48 pm
Well here goes.
SEASON’S OVER.
Can’t wait til next season we’ll get’em then.. oh crap.. I guess we’re stuck with another inferior product yet again. Welcome to the new version of hell. Hmmm maybe since Willie is still unemployed we just give him one more shot and let him prove what a failure he is. Maybe by then someone will take pity on the program and take it over. I’m tired of the CMR love affiar. At this point, why go to the games anymore. Its over. Just burn down Sanford Stadium so that team can’t disgrace the legacies of past greats.
ain't no thing
January 11th, 2010
5:48 pm
The only way to explain it is there must be a coach’s conspiracy going on here. Richt has gotten three DCs big ass raises which is sending salaries through the roof. The whole damn college coaching profession has just got bumped up big time to the point where the faculties on all these liberal campuses will be in the streets demanding reform. Game tickets will cost more, parking will cost more, tailgating will cost more, etc, etc. No way an assistant coach should be getting 750K a year, no way. The players look at this and think, what the hell man? We are the ones playing the game and we don’t get squat. I’m going pro as fast as I can. The whole thing is out of control and all you genius commentators are just more dung on the dung fire. Hey Richt, go after somebody who would consider it a privilege to coach at UGA. Obviously rolling out the red carpet doesn’t work.
UGA FOOTBALL= VANDY OR MISS STATE
January 11th, 2010
5:48 pm
Get used to it ball lickers!
How many of these bama fans...
January 11th, 2010
5:48 pm
are alums (that means graduates)? That’s what I figured. Heaven help that school if even a couple of them are truly fleece-holders from ah, “tha capstone.” Truthfully, I’m glad UA won the BCS trophy. If not, there would be mass suicide all over Alabama. Nothin’ else goin’ on.
I love the Dawgs, but have a life aside from southern football fool-dom.
The Other St. Simons
January 11th, 2010
5:49 pm
Kirby would’ve laughed his ass off if Tech showed up with an offer.
ksleezy
January 11th, 2010
5:49 pm
don’t ever come back then!!! I hope UGA beats your a$$ no matter where you are from here going forward!!!
Troof
January 11th, 2010
5:49 pm
Dawg fans, why can Corch Meyers find a DC in no time flat when he is almost on his deathbed? It’s because people want to work at that program. I don’t recall hearing UF getting turned down repeatedly.
Why would any self respecting coach want to come to a school that will continued to get owned by UF and now Kiffykins at 10RC???
FIRE MARK RICHT!!
Steve
January 11th, 2010
5:50 pm
While being turned down by everyone so far, at least Coach Richt has gone after the best assistant coaches around.
savannahdawg
January 11th, 2010
5:50 pm
In three years or less Saban will jump ship for the NFL again and you Bama girls will be back to crap so enjoy the ride. Smart must like working for a control freak…..so be it. It’s his loss not the Dawgs. We’ll be alright…….Go Dawgs!!!!!!
Matt the Brave
January 11th, 2010
5:50 pm
“I really agonized over this” = I waited until Alabama raised my salary.
Joshin
January 11th, 2010
5:51 pm
Why would anyone move from a legit national continder in Bama to a second tier program such as UGA? Its just not smart, nor does it make sense. When was the last time UGA was even relavent?
GT 51
January 11th, 2010
5:51 pm
other st simons
much like he did when uga offered. laughing all the way to the bank in tuscaloosa
show me kid
January 11th, 2010
5:51 pm
How many times did Nick Saban say that he was not going to Alabama before he actually did?
The Whole Truth
January 11th, 2010
5:51 pm
His last name ain’t Smart for no reason..
Good decision.. Why leave a successful FB school and the ability to work for a great coach?
That Georgia degree did help Kirby.
Bueller......Bueller......
January 11th, 2010
5:52 pm
Enter your comments here
North Georgia Dawg
January 11th, 2010
5:52 pm
I am truly suprised at all of the Alabama fans on here talking smack. I didn’t know that there was anyone in the state of Alabama that could read much less type out a few sentences. There is hope!
Tech Buzz
January 11th, 2010
5:52 pm
After all these rejections, maybe richt can beg willie martinez to come back for another year, but it may cost $500,000 in salary. n
Joe Lee Dunn
January 11th, 2010
5:52 pm
Go get the guy from Air Force and end this thing. Grantham may not be available for several weeks.
Troof
January 11th, 2010
5:53 pm
ksleezy, you jest. Jawja actually beat Bama??/ LOL!!
41 – 30.
Please select a different jersey color next time. Perhaps that may help. And may I suggest a little more dancing also?? LOL!!!
What kind of coach has to result to tactics like end zone dancing and black jersey gimmicks to motivate a team? Oh, that’s right. Mark Richt!!
FIRE MARK RICHT!!
Cobb Dawg
January 11th, 2010
5:53 pm
Next year this time, when we have a young stud DC and Bama’s looking for one bc Smart has been hired as a HC somewhere, we’ll be happy this happened.
Can You Dig It
January 11th, 2010
5:53 pm
Kirby Smart will NEVER – EVER be considered for a head coaching job at Georgia should and when one ever comes available. He has burned his bridges. Georgia should never even consider hiring him for a coaching position again. Does that make Kirby a bad guy…NO…it means that he chose to turn his back on Georgia when they needed him most.I wish him nothing but the best for his future…but as loyal dawg fans we should never welcome him back with open arms. With his decision he showed Georgia that he doesn’t care about them or their football program. He had a chance to show the world that he was his own man..instead he chose to let Saban do his talking for him…He has lost the respect of the Bulldawg Nation….and personally I thought he was more of his own man than he ended up showing.Kirby’s a good coach..but Saban will NEVER let him show his true ability as a coach if it envolves taking the light off of Saban. Have fun in Alabama…I hope you win more championships and all your children end up going to Alabama….but remember everytime you come back to Georgia and your name is meantioned at a gas station, store, golf course etc….those looks you and your family receive will be from loyal Georgia fans that deep inside will be wishing you’d go back to Bama as soon as possible…because you will forever be labeled a turncoat!…Can You Dig It !
darrell starks
January 11th, 2010
5:53 pm
All this talk about kirby is overated please stop this we dont need no kirby smart let rodney gardner become D.C coordinator he bring the junk yard dog back.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!
dishdawg
January 11th, 2010
5:54 pm
What does this say about UGA program? THREE rejects. Yo, Damon. Dump ‘em all. CMR can’t SCORE a DC either. Sorry to be a drag, but don’t get your hopes up for a Top 25 ranking in ‘10. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Well At Least
January 11th, 2010
5:54 pm
Utah never beat us!!! Bama got trashed by Utah in the Sugar Bowl and completely embarrassed on national TV. How about a response on that, toothless inbreds? Utah? Seriously….Utah????????? Ha ha ha ha haaaa!!!
GaGator
January 11th, 2010
5:55 pm
When are you folks going to understand, nobody wants to work for Richt’s sinking ship.
The sooner you get a new head coach(Smart may take that next year) the better off Georgia will be.
Joshin
January 11th, 2010
5:55 pm
North Georgia Dawg
January 11th, 2010
5:52 pm
I am truly suprised at all of the Alabama fans on here talking smack. I didn’t know that there was anyone in the state of Alabama that could read much less type out a few sentences. There is hope!
—————————
Lol, a Gawja fan speaking about someone not being able to read? Pot meet Kettle! Jan Kemp anyone?
JOSHIN-how low is your IQ?
January 11th, 2010
5:55 pm
When was the last time UGA was relevant? It seems they were consensus #1 last yr, Top 10 in producing NFL payers (I think Stafford went first in draft-right?), has won the SEC East & is on track for a Top 10 recruiting class despite not finishing in the Top 25 this year. I think that is relevant???
Smart stays at Bama, and UGA's search goes thud | Mark Bradley
January 11th, 2010
5:55 pm
[...] heard at roughly 3 p.m. EST Monday was of Bulldog Nation’s chin plopping into its doggy dish. Kirby Smart isn’t coming. First Bud Foster, then John Chavis and now a born-and-bred Bulldog has turned down Georgia. And [...]
RTRnGA
January 11th, 2010
5:55 pm
cobbdawg: you are probably right on. i hate to say it, but the whole staff there may be on a limited basis. one of those “get it while you can” situations. hope i’m wrong, but…
Troof
January 11th, 2010
5:55 pm
You Dawg fans see the writing on the wall. Why go the UGA as the DC when the HC job will be available in 2 more years???
Richt is done. Nice guy but not man enough to compete against the like of Meyer and Saban.
For Pete’s sake, Saban almost killed Meyer for winning that SECCG in 2008! How cold blooded is that?
Well At Least
January 11th, 2010
5:56 pm
Utah never beat us!!! Bama got trashed by Utah in the Sugar Bowl and completely embarrassed on national TV. How about a response on that, toothless inbreds? Utah? Seriously….Utah????????? Ha ha ha ha haaaa!!!
darrell starks
January 11th, 2010
5:56 pm
Mark richt if your smart and you want have a winning and dominating defense hire RODNEY GARDNER PERIOD.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!
savanadawg
January 11th, 2010
5:56 pm
Look UGA fans lets just say we are dissapointed. Lets pick up our toys and go play in another sand box. It is going to be O.K. Kirby was never my first choice. And letting the world know how much we were willing to give him only hurts us. I don’t agree with how Coach Richt is handling this, but I am not the coach. I really wonder how serious people are taking Coach Richt. I’ll bet he is conducting himself as he does on the sidelines during games. Keeping all emotions in check. Well someone needs to remind him this is a buisness and nothing that needs to be foolish about. He needs and the UGA faithful need an answer soon. That is all I have to say.
Troof
January 11th, 2010
5:56 pm
UGA relevance ended in 2008 with the Bama Beatdown in Athens. They’ve been on a decline since then.
GaGator
January 11th, 2010
5:58 pm
Can You Dig It !
Is a sore loser.
Mark Richt is a Liar and Cheat
January 11th, 2010
5:58 pm
Everybody knows it and that’s why nobody want to coach at uga.
Troof
January 11th, 2010
5:59 pm
darrell, UGA needs talent to have an actual dominating defense in addition to coaching.
UGA recruits haven’t been up to par. The game has changed in the SEC and UGA hasn’t kept up. UF grabbed 3 5 stars in one day. Bama is stock piliing more and more talent and coaching up that talent.
UGA is done. Enjoy 3rd and 4th place in the SEC East.
Well At Least
January 11th, 2010
6:00 pm
Troof, yeah and look what UGA did to AlaSpama in the many years before that. Domination. Just like Utah ((snicker)) handed you clowns in a BCS bowl last year……………..domination. Deal with it, inbred.
Troof
January 11th, 2010
6:00 pm
Richt is a good guy. Just not enough of a coach to compete with Meyer and Saban.
TheBiggestDawg
January 11th, 2010
6:00 pm
If he wants to keep hiding behind Saban’s skirt, so bet it. The right man will eventually show up.
Vince11
January 11th, 2010
6:00 pm
Thanks for the runaround, greedy, blacksheep trader. Next time you step foot in Sanford, be expecting plenty of boos.
Clayton Smith
January 11th, 2010
6:01 pm
Hire Pollack(47) Forget coaching knowledge, as a true Great Dawg, he will, will them to win and never lose to the geeks(GT) as he never did as a player!
PTC Dawg
Vince Dooley
January 11th, 2010
6:01 pm
I applied for the Tech DC’s job, but got turned down again……dead gum it Tech !!!!
RNB
January 11th, 2010
6:01 pm
Everyone needs to step back and remember when Van Goder came to Athens he was a unknown. There are penty of capable coaches out there. You can’t blame CMR for aiming high just to see if anyone will bite.
ray
January 11th, 2010
6:01 pm
Alabama just pays more…plain and simple. We’re screwed.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
January 11th, 2010
6:01 pm
Surprised he stayed at AL but there are other good DC coaches available. I’m sure UGA had other candidates targeted prior to Smart turning down the job.
wishful thinking
January 11th, 2010
6:01 pm
dear “Mark Richt is a Liar and Cheat” no comment is needed for your trash. Go DAWGS! 30-24
Mark Richt is a Hypocrite
January 11th, 2010
6:01 pm
Bama National Champs Again!