(OT) SHOCKING NEWS: Georgia to name Kirby Smart as head coach

Submitted by Mr. Yost on

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14269857/georgia-bulldog…

This is of course is a shocking development. In all seriousness, we all saw it coming.

This is step one of my prediction...

  1. Kirby Smart to Georgia
  2. Mark Richt to Miami
  3. Jeremy Pruitt (if he doesn't get the S. Carolina head job) to Bama as DC

Obvious coaching hires if you ask me...

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Sione's Flow

December 1st, 2015 at 10:30 PM ^

Jim McElwain has done well since leaving the Saban dynasty. Kirby Smart has been with Saban for awhile and he's probably as prepared as he's going to be for HC position. Unfortunately the same goes for Muffin, a couple more years under Saban and someone is going to hire him as a HC.

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madmaxweb

December 1st, 2015 at 10:38 PM ^

The main question now is how this affects Nauta and Hardman. I'm guessing Hardman will like this move but not sure about Nauta. My have to wait and see who he brings on as OC. 

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Jeff09

December 1st, 2015 at 11:12 PM ^

Seems like a bit of a reach. In contention with the USC job as best open position and they take a coordinator. Interesting, and if I'm a Georgia fan not sure if I'm happy

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Mr. Yost

December 1st, 2015 at 11:53 PM ^

That's what I don't think people understand...there are more "good jobs" out there than their are good coaches to fill them.

There are exactly 3 elite coaches in college football. You add Chip Kelly and maaaaybe you get a 4th. Maybe.

  1. Michigan
  2. OSU
  3. Penn St.
  4. ND
  5. Florida
  6. FSU
  7. Bama
  8. LSU
  9. Auburn
  10. Georgia
  11. Tennessee
  12. Texas
  13. Oklahoma
  14. USC
  15. UCLA

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but I just rattled off the first 15 that popped in my head. 15 elite coaching jobs and you only have 3 elite coaches. Not everyone is going to get Saban, Meyer or Harbaugh.

After that, you have Dabo who isn't leaving Clemson unless it's to go to Bama and replace Saban. You have Jimbo Fisher who isn't leaving FSU unless it's to go to LSU and replace Miles.

After that? You're looking at a bunch of what you already had in Richt. Guys like Dantonio, Kelly, Shaw, Miles, Gundy, Patterson, Briles, Stoops, Sumlin, etc. ---- there isn't much seperation between those guys and some of their success depends on where they are. They're not like the Big 3 that could win in Maine if given the time. 

Dantonio was an elite DC for a top program at one time.

So if you've fired that 3rd tier of very solid coaches...taking Smart isn't a letdown. He's got pedigree from an elite guy and the last guy from that same dynasty was smoke and mirrored his way into an SEC Championship to face his former mentor.

You're hiring an alum, so you get the Harbaugh effect to a small extent.

You're hiring an elite coordinator who's proven himself in your conference...why not take a chance to see if he can be the next elite head coach? I don't see him getting to Georgia and them being WORSE, I just don't know if he can make them better...but if a chance was needed, they could do far worse than Kirby Smart.

 

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Mr. Yost

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:55 AM ^

But again, you just had that in Richt. Is David Shaw an upgrade from Mark Richt? They're kind of the same thing.

So you try and hit with the unknown thinking you can get something better. Saban/Meyer/Harbaugh all had to start somewhere. Jimbo Fisher was an OC at LSU and FSU not too long ago.

So I think the thought process is we know that we have in those coaches...let's go unknown and see if we can't get better because we feel good that at worse, he'll be at that Dantonio/Shaw/Richt level we're already used to.

I mean, I don't know...I'm not in that room making that decision. I can only assume.

But you're correct, Smart isn't that level of a coach - at least not now. But if you feel he's got that potential or better, you have to start somewhere.

I think it's a solid hire, but I don't think in 5 years we're going to be talking about Saban/Harbaugh/Meyer/Smart either.

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funkywolve

December 2nd, 2015 at 1:02 AM ^

I think I'd put Stoops in his own level just a tad lower than Meyer/Saban but above your Richt,, Shaw, Gundy, etc.  Stoops has a NC, coached in 4 BCS title games and has won 9 Big 12 titles. I realize that most of the guys you grouped with Stoops haven't coached as long as Stoops has but Stoops accomplishments are pretty fricking good.  

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Mr. Yost

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:50 AM ^

He should be in the Jimbo/Dabo level.

I was going off a previous I conversation in the ND/Stanford game...if you just look at the time when Shaw's been a head coach. Stoops and Shaw would be on the same level. If you open it up a little longer, Stoops obviously continues to pile on the wins and the hardware which would bump his profile in this discussion.

Good call.

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I Just Blue Myself

December 2nd, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^

How did you pick those programs as "elite?" 

Right off the top, I don't think you can count Auburn or UCLA as elite since that job will never be as attrative as their instate rival, so therefore, how can you list them in the same category?

Michigan, OSU, Oklahoma, USC, Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Texas are really the only programs that I would consider "elite" in college football. 

And I'm not sure if you can list Harbaugh in the same category as Meyer or Saban yet. Those guys have each won multiple titles at multiple schools. They are clearly in their own category.

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erald01

December 1st, 2015 at 11:29 PM ^

This is a good hire and Kirby has a lot of experience under Saban. Dont forget this is sec so you dont have to be Harbaugh or Meyer to bering in star players. A decent coach can do well in sec, a really good coach (Saban, Meyer when he was in Fl and Les) can be championship contenders year after year. Its a lot easier to win with ex-coordinators as HCs in sec vs other conferences due to the talent pool.



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erald01

December 2nd, 2015 at 12:17 AM ^

Malzahn was an OC, Freeze was a no name/flashy coach who came from Arkansa St, Sumlin came from Huston, even Muschamp (floridas version of Brady Hoke) was able to recruit well but couldnt produce on the field, McElwain goes to CSU and can barely win until his 3rd year then comes to florida and wins 10 games in his first year with back up QB last 3 games.



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Horseface

December 2nd, 2015 at 12:10 AM ^

They're basically making the same hire that they made with Richt, just on the other side of the ball. Prior to UGA, Richt had been wrecking face at FSU as Bobby Bowden's OC. FSU got all the talent and was the reigning dynasty at the time (sound familiar?)

Hopefully this means that Saban hires Alabama Jeff Bowden and craters the program.

 

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UofMfanJJ (not verified)

December 2nd, 2015 at 3:40 AM ^

If I got crucified for a "Misleading title" how does this not apply here? This is no way at all shocking news.

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BroadneckBlue21

December 2nd, 2015 at 5:52 AM ^

Bama's only weakness has been its secondary? Trying to diss Saban when he's had how many first round safeties and corners? I'll take that weakness. Saban is one of the great coaches for what he's done at Bama, period. He was solid at State, and he failed at the pros like Carroll and Spurrier before him. He failed earlier like Belichek did with the Browns. All these responses and this season's game day blogs tell us is that Harbaugh is going to be tuning out ridiculous fan expectations in a few years if he doesn't win the NC by year 4. Does Harvard not hire the best professors to teach their overwhelming amount of 5-star scholars?

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Firch

December 2nd, 2015 at 9:01 AM ^

Smart! He played at Georgia, has said Georgia was his dream job, can recruit with the best of them. Has ties all over the south. His defenses have been amazing (This may have come from Saban but let's give some credit when we know it is due) and he has an excellent last name for headlines. Easy decision.

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LSAClassOf2000

December 2nd, 2015 at 9:27 AM ^

I was reading the AJC story earlier - Smart hasn't signed a memorandum of understanding yet, but this is essentially thought to be as good as done with an announcement pending after the SEC Championship Game, at least according to them. I like how they called this a "healing" hire for UGA,  but then I believe Smart actually played for the Bulldogs, so perhaps that's part of that.

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