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.
Please follow me on Twitter for the latest UGA news and notes.
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
1,397 comments Add your comment
David
January 11th, 2010
3:41 pm
Is he allowed to speak for himself or is Saban his Daddy?
222 on Cumberland
January 11th, 2010
3:41 pm
That was the best move for Smart. The move to UGA would be a lateral move at best and in a few more years he’ll be looking for a head coaching position. Hey who knows, after two more terrible seasons maybe he can take Richt’s job.
UGA Grad
January 11th, 2010
3:41 pm
WHo says that Gratham is interested? We may have to wait until after the Super Bowl to get him…Good Lord, Richt has somehow become completely out of his league in the SEC. He is a great coach but other coaches and programs have stepped up and are making him look foolish. Look at the DC hirings of the past few years? They are all big splashes. Hell, no one really understood it when he hired Martinez….He can not get good coaches to coach with him. Plain and simple. He picks Bobo as the OC? That was a joke of a call too. I am very, very disappointed in this direction. I have never been one of those UGA fans who believe that UGA is anything more than an Average-Above Average program, but we have to strive to become another LSU, or Florida or USC or what is the point? Right now our coaching decisions and the ability of our head coach to surround himself in talent leads no one to believe that this is possible.
ButlerDawg
January 11th, 2010
3:42 pm
I tried to tell all you fools last week that Kirby was using us for a big pay raise! Not a good thing to step into a situation where the headman is real close to being on the hotseat + your best friend runs the “O” and will show his loyalty to you by putting your boys in constant bad field position because he is the master of the “3 and out” with his own players. I can’t blame Kirby one bit.
BamaGrad
January 11th, 2010
3:42 pm
To the loser GA fans commenting on the crystal ball being displayed at Alabama Wal-Marts: First of all, you will never have to worry about that will you? Secondly, it was part of an agreement with Dr. Pepper – if TX had won it would be on display at TX Wal-Marts. Thirdly, what is wrong with Wal-Mart, the most successful retailer in the world. You shop there don’t you? Or are you too good? GA fans are so delusional – a regional football power at best. Prior to the AZ State game last year had not played outside the South in 40 years… geez
Dennisd40
January 11th, 2010
3:42 pm
Gatorland are you an idiot? Smart is stupid to turn this down. How many times did Smart get mentioned during the NC Game? Once. The rest of the time it was Musgrave’s and Saban’s defense.
toofless in alabamer
January 11th, 2010
3:43 pm
Smart is no longer a Dawg in my book! Don’t come here wanting the head coaching spot after Richt retires in 4 years either.
fishtales
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
GaTruth you are dead-on. It’s amazing to me that a program with as rich a tradition as UGA has fans that act like total d-bags on these blogs. When we were looking for someone to replace nice-guy Shula…we got turned down by RichRod, Beamer, Mike Riley and St. Steve. I think everything turned out pretty good for us. UGA will get someone good in there…it just might be a little rough until you get there.
dap01
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
De’ truth: Kirby looked on your teams blog, no one was there.
David
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
ill believe it when i see it
Smokie Joe
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
Grow a pair Kirby!!
Dawg in Augusta
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
Smart can’t speak for himself? Seems like he would be more gracious to his own school and thank UGA for the opportunity. Instead, Saban speaks for him. Saban’s ego shining through.
Look at the ego’s on Bama fans in general. They haven’t been on the radar for almost 20 years and now they call UGA a second rate program. Trust me, my eyes are rolling. I guess this is the way the folks who represent their school this way can feel good about themselves sitting behind a computer screen in their trailers.
Got 12?
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
Forget all this football talk: I’m planning to buy Zombieland when it’s released next month but I haven’t seen it.
Has anyone seen it? How was it?
jokurone
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
How about the Swamp Fox, Marion Campbell if we can find the assisted living home he is in!!!Better yet, the Blitz Grits master, Jerry Glanville. It appears to me that UGA is beginning to resemble the Falcons of old nooooooooobody wants the job!!
RHR
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
Guys, Bama went thru this same thing before they landed Saban. You think they regret Rich Rod and whoever else it was turning them down now? It happens, nothing to be embarrassed about. Just calm down. The endless “done deal!” and “UGA plane going to __________” and CMR bashing comments are the most embarrassing thing of all. Chill out and act like you’ve been there.
josh
January 11th, 2010
3:44 pm
Kirby Smart = Benadict Arnold
UGA Grad
January 11th, 2010
3:45 pm
“Grantham”
Screven Dawg
January 11th, 2010
3:45 pm
I got some reliable inside sources saying Grantham is a done deal!
BCS National Champions
January 11th, 2010
3:46 pm
Dog fans on here ripping Smart because Saban commented on his behalf need to understand… that’s Saban’s policy. He does not allow the media to have access to his assistants. Has nothing to do with Kirby Smart, who by the way may very well be your next head coach so I’d take it easy on him. He’s a hell of a recruiter and has been trained by the best. Why go be a DC under a coach who may be on the way out in a few years? This only feels personal because the media leaked out the substantial contract offer that UGA made. Smart is making the right move now… though I could see him ending up at UGA down the road. Good luck next year.
OZZFEST
January 11th, 2010
3:46 pm
THIS IS AMATUER!………DAMON EVANS SHOULD BE FIRED FOR THE WAY THIS WHOLE DC THING HAS PLAYED OUT.
THIS IS THE WAY THE REST OF THE COUNTRY CAN NOW EMPATICALLY GAGE GEORGIA:
VA TECH > GEORGIA
ILLINOIS > GEORGIA
LSU > GEORGIA
ALABAMA > GEORGIA
Ed
January 11th, 2010
3:46 pm
And to those Tech fans who call UGA second rate, funny how UGA has the #10 recruiting team and GT isn’t even on the list!
Can You Dig It
January 11th, 2010
3:46 pm
Kirby Smart has now offically cut ties with Georgia. When Georgia reached out to him he turned us away in our hour of need….he now will NEVER be welcome in Sanford stadium again..nor will his family.Its one thing to go coach at another school but to turn down your school when they truly went out of their way to bring you back by offering you more money than Saban was paying you and more money than you would have made if the offer hadn’t been extended….he showed all Dawgs fans his true colors…He will forever be labeled a turncoat! The very fact that Saban speaks for Smart by telling everyone that he won’t be leaving Bama shows the control he will forever have on you while you are there……Saban will continue to control your future coaching moves and if you don’t believe it I’ve got some swamp land I’d like to sell you. I for one truely thought that you would be your own man and step away from Saban…now you will be viewed forever as his puppet. Georgia will rise above and once again be back on top…believe me dawg fans don’t let this get you down. Good things usually happpen after adversity. Also, please disregard the BS you will be hearing from the Tech fans… they are second rate in every sense of the word just like their football program. Please remember that the dawgs beat the ACC champs handily with grad assistants coaching the team…just think what will happen in the future with a new DC in place…as always Georgia will continue to Run This State…ALWAYS HAVE…. ALWAYS WILL. Can You Dig It!
John
January 11th, 2010
3:46 pm
Tommy Tudervill just said he would take TT to the next lelel. Tha’t a joke. If TT is happy at some 8-4 or 7-5, he will get fired again. Screw him and his sissy azz.
ATL Bama Fan
January 11th, 2010
3:47 pm
All the Dawgs need to shut it about Saban “speaking for” Smart. This happened at a press conference, where reporters generally ask questions. Do you think reporters weren’t asking about Smart? You are just jealous because Smart made the smart choice to stay at a winning school, with a championship history, and a champion coach. How many national titles does your St. Mark have again? How many national titles does UGA have again?
Got 12?
January 11th, 2010
3:48 pm
BamaGrad,
Save the facts and logic for another day. Pain and panic rule the day today.
Gordon
January 11th, 2010
3:48 pm
Wade Phillips has just announced that Grantham will be staying with the Cowboys….
Atlanta Jacket
January 11th, 2010
3:48 pm
From what high school will Uga be hiring their new DC? I hear Bobby Bowden is available.
OZZFEST
January 11th, 2010
3:49 pm
HIRE JIM MORA JR………..NO I AM NOT KIDDING.
KD
January 11th, 2010
3:49 pm
Hey dawg stuck in bham, just showing everyone that anybody can just say anything, i can’t believe Smart wasn’t man enough to stand up to Satan, I mean he’s probably only a few inches over 5 ft anyway. I know the kid from Gainesville that backed out od commitment this weekend knows he will tell you exactly what you what to here, just like meyer & kiffin. He told him he can be their QB for the future and goes out and gets a commitment from one of the top QB’s in the nation, now that’s telling the truth.
cherokee
January 11th, 2010
3:49 pm
Screven Dawg………… where you getting that info?
Logic is a killer
January 11th, 2010
3:49 pm
If Georgia keeps offering the amounts they are and can’t land the big name they will end up paying a second rate the big money. If I know you have 800K to offer Smart you have the same available for the next guy even if he’s not as good. I would like to see what happens with Jack Del Rio at Jacksonville. Van Gorder cut his teeth under Del Rio and he did a great job while at UGA.
KR
January 11th, 2010
3:49 pm
Best to stay in a town where they display the national championship trophy at Walmart…..Seriously.
darriel dawg
January 11th, 2010
3:49 pm
truthfully dudes, did we want him…NO…muschamp definitely, smart no….i just dont think smart is the man for the job..what has he proven…everybody knows bama’s d is because of saban…its like they said over and over never did you hear “smart’s defense” in the bcs championship game…i would have hated to dump all that money on him and end up regretting it…whoever richt gets will be much better than smart..i like kirby but he just dont have a proven track record yet..he has not been at bama long enough to be getting big time offers from other schools…i think this is a good sign rather than a bad one for us…whoever we sign hopefully will have a good track record and be proven…even though muschamp is locked in at texas with as long as his d was on the field against bama and to hold bama to under 250 yds for the game, i thought spoke volumes to what kind of d coord he has become…patience my beloved dawgs, because regardless of who we get, we definitely know two things 1) being he want be no worse than what we previousily had and 2) regardless, WE WILL STILL beat tech…
santa cruz dawg
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
I stated that I would be happy with Smart or Grantham. And the Air Force guy DeRuyter would also be great. I am not mad at Smart. He did what he thought was best for himself and his family. Some people just like to be in the background doing all of the dirty work and not getting any of the credit; I guess?
Saban is a control freak, but he is a winning coach. I would rather work for someone like Richt, but Kirby Smart has got to follow his own path.
cherokee
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
ATL Bama Fan …..all he had to say was no comment right now.
kerryb
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
I guess staying in someone elses shadow is better than carving a name for yourself.
Artie
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
It’s going to be even MORE embarrassing when Richt has to open up the wallet to bring Martinez back!!!
Marion Campbell
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
I canleave the resthome once a week for jello at the cafeteria. I’ll be the DC.
dostadawg
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
GRANTHAM?? This is what UGA’S defensive recruits are saying. This guy will not be able to recruit. Nobody knows who he is??
We beat Vandy-- yeah!
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
Over the past month, all the true Dog fans were claiming they knew for a FACT Smart was headed to Athens and how much they love him. Someone saw a GA plane in B’ham, someone else knew his wife and she told you etc… Now, you all hate him and he is a traitor. You guys are amazing!
loser posters
January 11th, 2010
3:50 pm
GA really needs Grantham more than Smart. This will be a blessing in disguise.
Ok Tech fans, Bama fans, what is your overall record over the past 10 years. Losers. . .even in a great year for Tech they lose to us in a down year. That should scare you more than anything.
Georgia is a premier team with one of the highest average AP rankings over the past 8-10 years.
C from Marietta
January 11th, 2010
3:51 pm
“I guess this is the way the folks who represent their school this way can feel good about themselves sitting behind a computer screen in their trailers.”
More like sitting behind a computer screen at the library. They can’t afford a computer. They spend all their money on Miller Lite.
athenian
January 11th, 2010
3:51 pm
Georgia will get an unknown…probably the defensive backs coach at Cornell or Chattanooga. Hey, I understand…I used to manage a large employer in Athens and it is not easy to get quality people to come live in Athens. Personally, I wish they would take Van Gorder…then the Falcons might get a quality DC. Face it dog fans…georgia is not an “elite” program and quality coaches aren’t looking at georgia for a “dream job”.
GT Joe
January 11th, 2010
3:52 pm
Richt is such an amateur… tanning bed messed up his brain
Gordon
January 11th, 2010
3:52 pm
Here comes the “we didn’t want Smart anyway, we would be better off with an NFL guy…” stage of the blog.
kerryb
January 11th, 2010
3:52 pm
Why would we want someone who is obviously the assistant DC to Saban? He has not proved anything running something on his own yet.
WonderDawg
January 11th, 2010
3:52 pm
Yeah, Screven Dawg, and I’ve got some oceanfront property in the Okefenokee Swamp for sale…..
Rayford Goff
January 11th, 2010
3:53 pm
Yoo hoo — over here!
coachdawg 2000
January 11th, 2010
3:53 pm
The fact is CMR is learning a lesson I picked up in High School you dump your current prom date unless you are certain that you have better one lined up.
Dawg4Life
January 11th, 2010
3:53 pm
We are pathetic. Why doesn;t anyone want to coach our team?? They must not think they can win big as a Dawg…