Seth Emerson reports that Kirby Smart is expected to close the deal in the next day or so, but hasn’t finalized things like staffing decisions yet.
As for offensive coordinator and other positions, one person familiar with his thinking cautioned that Smart’s attention has been on the SEC championship, as well as making sure he had assurances from Georgia on resources for staffing and other financial matters.
Oh, I don’t think you have to be that familiar with his thinking to know that.
Get The Picture 
We have the talent to have a Bama-like D. We’ll have Chubb and a couple of receivers. If we find a QB that is more than serviceable we could be in great shape. Not drinking the Koolaid yet, but starting the mix.
Having just written that, not sure what the change of coaching staffs have to do with it so I’ll be much more interested to see those effects more than anything else.
LikeLike
I have to assume that if there isn’t a press conference tomorrow, we can likely kiss that “more than serviceable” QB good-bye because Jacob Eason will either be heading to the Armpit or to South Beach. That’s not a good way for the Smart era to open and certainly not good for an AD who is going to be raked over the coals if Eason ends up at our most bitter rival in the conference after being committed for 18 months. Justified or not, the whole thing is going to be blamed on both of them: GM for the firing and KS for the refusal to get the deal done in time to recruit.
LikeLike
I’m going to try and not overreact, but Eason to Armpit would be really really bad. At first glace one could look at it like UF whipped us, got our coach fired and stole our QB, but the real story is that the gameplan for UF was so bad that is was literally a program wrecker and it could take us years to recover. That I lay at the feet of Richt. Ok but I promise I’ll not overreact 😉 Alabama type D has beaten Stafford and Tebow among others. Lets hope Kirby can replicate that.
LikeLike
Twist, I can’t disagree with anything you wrote.
LikeLike
“We have the talent to have a Bama-like D.” Mmmmm, Aus, maybe a Bama-lite D” right now, anyway. We have fast pass rushers, but Bama’s look bigger and stronger. The position on the front that I would suspect needs the most work is true defensive ends, with Kirby runs most of the time.
I have no way of knowing for sure, of course, but the main differences I see between what Pruitt ran and what Kirby ran last night are talent driven.
As others have noted, Bama runs true defensive ends except in passing situations. Do we have those guys now?
Whoever coaches our defense should be able to field a competent unit.
What worries me is the offense.
LikeLike
After watching Bama a few times this season, the talent level on defense is off the charts. But then it is Bama.
LikeLike
We don’t have anything like a “bama-type D”. To begin with, we’ve got 4 DLs matriculating. The recruiting class we sign in February will have a huge influence on Smart’s success. We desperately need at least 1 QB, a few WRs, at least two OTs, at least 4 DLs, and a couple kickers.
Smart needs to keep Pruitt. It would be insane to let that recruiter get away.
LikeLike
Forgot to mention we’re losing 3 starting LBs. Good thing is Pruitt signed a very strong class at LB last year.
LikeLike
Kirby won’t have nearly the talent on defense he’s leaving at Alabama. Y’all need to put that thought away. Some players? Yes, and they’re mostly sophomores and freshmen from Pruitt’s half class two years ago and the full effort from last year. Kirby needs the defensive recruits Pruitt has this year BADLY. He’s recruited the first hint of real and talented depth on defense since….hmmm…..BVG
LikeLike
As a UGA fan hope Smart does well here and do hope he gets the control he wants. Look forward to 2016 and opening against UNC. Also, hope the former coach does well at UM and takes a number of lessons learned and applies them. Been around since the Butts years, so change is change. For better or for worse. kinda like a marriage.
LikeLike
Yeah, like a marriage…Smart is younger. 🙂
LikeLike
And this folks is why Jimmy Sexton gets the big bucks.
LikeLike
I know Lane Kiffin is not very popular around here, but it is interesting how Jake Coker has progressed since getting beat out last year…he’s certainly not a beauty queen back there, but his results are not bad.
I will be very pleasantly surprised if Nick comes back full speed next year. Some kids come back from an injury like this pretty quickly, others not so much. If anybody could be ready next fall, I would suspect it would be Nick.
So here’s hoping.
LikeLike
yeah his work ethic certainly bodes well for his recovery
LikeLike
Here’s hoping. Keith Marshall never seems to have regained his pre-injury form.
LikeLike
But Todd exceeded his… so, hopefully whomever Todd worked with is who Nick will work with.
LikeLike
Allegedly one of the best HC jobs in the country and the top one after USC filled their spot and we seem to stumble towards the finish line. All the other key openings have been filled except ours. Everyone and their brother has known it will be Kirby Smart since Tuesday and yet we can’t seem to finally pull the trigger to make it official. This only seems to reaffirm the friction behind the scenes and makes me question how committed the BM crowd truly is to winning. Short of changing the drug policies, I can’t see anything that should be so insurmountable that it would take this long to hammer out an agreement. If we truly want to win, we shouldn’t interfere with who Kirby wants on his staff. Our salaries already took a sizable jump last year and we added a few more support level positions, so I find it hard to believe a few more low paying grad assistants and a few hundred thousand more in overall compensation breaks the reserve fund. If this really is about control, then I wonder if Kirby still isn’t going to have his hands full when he arrives as the negotiations seem to indicate based on the Internet rumors. Hope I’m proven wrong…
LikeLike
Welcome to Muschamp 2.0 Georgia fans. We’ll enjoy having what should have been your quarterback in Gainesville! Chomp Chomp
LikeLike
Honestly, Eason is the least of my worries right now.
LikeLike
If Smart is not hired by Mon. Noontime then something is wrong. If The BM crowd blunder this , then they all should be fired.
LikeLike
ADGM and Kirby continue to haggle about Pruit, LOL.
LikeLike