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
Cranford
January 11th, 2010
3:30 pm
To all of you who think Kirby is Nick’s puppet – I’ll take Nick’s judging of talent any day over yours.
Smokie Joe
January 11th, 2010
3:30 pm
Hang on boys! We’re gonna get who we are suppose to get. Richt will get his man. For all those that wanna jump ship don’t try to come back when we get to the top.
Paul's Johnson
January 11th, 2010
3:30 pm
Assuming this decision is final—this says a lot of things.
Firstly, Saban probably had a lot of influence in this decision. I don’t not believe this had anything to do with Saban being worried about one of his assistants making a “lateral” move. It has everything to do with Smart possibly moving to a conference rival. I don’t recall him kicking up a similar fuss when Steele left for Clemson.
Senator Blutarski
January 11th, 2010
3:30 pm
ex-Brave Greg Norton needs a job!
cb
January 11th, 2010
3:30 pm
Saban truly is the devil after all.
kl5
January 11th, 2010
3:31 pm
Kirby Smart just tried to make Georgia look bad by saying yes so Richt would make the offer, singing the term sheet, and then backing out. Says a lot about the kind of man Kirby Smart is.
THWUGA
January 11th, 2010
3:31 pm
Was UGA ever smart in the first place?
CovingtonDawg
January 11th, 2010
3:31 pm
Wow. I hope we play them in the SECC game next year and hang 50 on them.
Nick Saban
January 11th, 2010
3:31 pm
Now, Kirby, go to your room…
gdawginkalamazoo
January 11th, 2010
3:31 pm
Really Saban said that? Can we believe anything that guys spews out? I don’t understand why Kirby couldn’t say it himself. Wouldn’t have been hard to do.
TIDE FAN
January 11th, 2010
3:32 pm
HA HA UGA cant get someone that good!!!!!!
Kirby Smart
January 11th, 2010
3:32 pm
Can I take my blankie?
Bremen Dawg
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
Kirby played that one out good, that is pretty crappy to do that. Agread to UGA job, got contract, leaked it out to Alabama that he had a contract and the money terms, didn’t sign it and then gets a big raise from Bama.
heard it all before
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
Isn’t this the same Saban that said he definitely wasn’t going to leave Miami for Alabama and then a few days later was announced as the Head Coach at Alabama????
mcdaviddawg
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
Another in a growing list of failure by the less than great Richt.
Dawg stuck in Bham
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
KD…are you serious? You’re joking right?
Dennisd40
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
http://footballcoachscoop.com just posted that Kirby Smart has been hired as Georgia’s new DC. This was just reported 4 minutes ago????
GODAWGZ
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
just a fan….. you are the one who is irrelevant. The Junkyard Dawgz will rise again!!
Gatorland
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
Very Good Business Decision! UGA would have done nothing to advanced Kirby’s career.
Those are just the Plain Truth Facts. UGA can go out and get Grantham and be just fine.
People like STUCK in BHAM posters really have blinders on and cannot understand the reality that is college football and the paths coaches take to advance.
WINNING gets You Noticed….Look at the last two coordinators in Gainesville, LSU. Being in the BCS run gets you a Head Coaching Job faster than going home to your alma mater.
il5
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
Now Coach Richt can put together his dream team, Sensuri, Grantham, etc.
ain't no thing
January 11th, 2010
3:33 pm
We have punk’d bama big time. He ain’t that good. It’s Saban’s defense.
Craigee, a.k.a. Champ's Hero
January 11th, 2010
3:34 pm
We don’t need the “Human Backpack” anyway! How in the world did that guy make All SEC? He would let a player go past and then hop on their back and hang on.
Big ole dawg
January 11th, 2010
3:34 pm
“Honk if youve turned down the UGA DC job”.
We are officially the new Vandy..
Manny
January 11th, 2010
3:34 pm
Grantham will be announced within 48 hours
jennifer
January 11th, 2010
3:35 pm
Best wishes to Rolando. He will be missed, but he has made a smart decision.
Josh Lopez
January 11th, 2010
3:35 pm
I guess he enjoys working for Hitler Jr. He will rue this day, as Saban will make his life hell from here on out.
Artie
January 11th, 2010
3:35 pm
The rumor mill has Monte Kiffin next in line. He’s just probably trying to get a raise out of his own son!!!
Tech82
January 11th, 2010
3:35 pm
Wanted: Defensive Coordinator for an overrated, third-rate SEC football program. Would replace Willie Martinez so no experience is required. No need to submit resume’, just show up to work.
suwaneedawg
January 11th, 2010
3:35 pm
Shows the integrity of Smart to have his daddy tell the media instead of himself. Chose the big bucks to live in daddy’s shadow rather then make a name on his own. Maybe he knows something about his character that we don’t. I still say we will be better off.
Porty
January 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
I just finished giving Coach Johnson my daily “happy ending” and even though my mouth is full guys, I can still type!
Villa Rica DAWG
January 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
Wierd how Saban is out there publicly turning down an offer made to his DC.
CONTROL FREAK….
'Bama 1
January 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
It sure does suck to be Georgia fan, don’t it?, just being a middle of the road SEC team. But i guess that life. LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MNDAWG
January 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
Georgia needs to establish a new policy. If you are an alum and we offer you a job and you don’t answer your alma mater’s needs you will never be offered another one. I hope he never gets offered the Head Coach job in the future!
cb
January 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
Tech 82–Slick Willie still beat you!
dostadawg
January 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
Enter your comments here Hey Kirby, I thought your daddy’s name was Sonny not SABAN!!!!! Thanks for the slap in the face!
gadawgs
January 11th, 2010
3:36 pm
Wow…did not realize that Kirby was such a **ssy that he could not speak for himself.
Got 12?
January 11th, 2010
3:37 pm
All of this whining is kinda pitiful. Suck it up and get back to your search!
More coaching + less whining = more winning
saban
January 11th, 2010
3:37 pm
made the remark. Interesting isn’t it.
De' truth
January 11th, 2010
3:38 pm
The reason Smart turned down the job? He read this blog! Who(in their right mind)would want to be “associated” with this bunch of semi-illiterate losers? I’ll bet the only “degree” in this bunch is a 3rd degree brown shorts. (What makes the shorts brown? Oh, never mind.)
Football Fan
January 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
I would rather have a guy that would stay more than a couple of years. Smart will leave for a head coaching position very soon and UGA would be looking again. Grantham is probably the better choice for that reason.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
January 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
No UGA VIII and no Smart. Well, I’m still available to serve as the mascot, but I want no paint on my rear end. Maybe Richt can find a DC at West Virginia Tech or Montana State. Somebody out there must need a job. And I’m not including you, Willie.
John
January 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
Saben in the defenses coach. Smart just helps. Smart knows Riche won’t be at Ga. long and Saben will never put a team on the field that loses. Saben also controls his players and they know if they screw up, they are gone.
Got 12?
January 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
Let’s change the subject to something more positive: Bama’s championship parade is this Saturday. I will provide further details as they become available.
Tech82
January 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
cb – Fair enough. He certainly did. And yes, I’ll admit it still hurts.
Dawgfact
January 11th, 2010
3:39 pm
Good…now get someone with experience who won’t be looking for the next job in a year or two.
Villa Rica DAWG
January 11th, 2010
3:40 pm
@Tech82:
Our “over-rated, third-rate SEC” program was good enough to whip your a$$es.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{30-24}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}!!!!!!!!
David
January 11th, 2010
3:40 pm
Enter your comments here
Big ole dawg
January 11th, 2010
3:40 pm
Enter your comments here
GaTruth
January 11th, 2010
3:40 pm
Here we go again. All the “Kirby is a done deal” folks are busy changing their blog handles so they won’t catch the load of crud they deserve. A couple days will go by, a few more names will enter the mix, the ranting and raving will start up, and those same blow hards will start in about how their trucker wives heard and eight year old in a Waffle House who ate buggers with so-and-so’s son and he id definitely coming to UGA. The bottom line is that Richt and Damon Evans better learn how to recruit under the radar so that UGA isn’t hung out to dry again and again and again. Man we look stupid and second rate.
Professor Positive
January 11th, 2010
3:41 pm
We’ve struck out three times and I’m wondering how people are now penciling in Grantham as a done deal. I’d love to believe it, but the pattern doesn’t fit. He’s sure to get a raise, either way, though.