It sounds like our short national nightmare is about to end.
Kirby Smart will officially become Georgia’s head coach early Sunday afternoon. The University announced that it will hold a telephonic meeting with the executive committee of the UGA Athletic Association board of directors at 12:30 p.m. for the purpose of “discussion and deliberation of the hiring and compensation of a public employee.”
As the AJC and DawgNation reported last week, that person is Smart.
There will be no news conference on Sunday, the school said. That is expected to take place on Monday at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
Color me both relieved and excited.
Details to follow, of course. And you know what they say about the devil in those…
Get The Picture 
Relieved. Now lets shore up this recruiting class and find a solid OC.
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I’m going to admit that Kirby was not my first choice. I know, my choice means crap in this but hey, I can have an opinion. I was hoping they would aim higher for somebody like David Shaw or Patterson, but hey, now that he is the guy, I am behind him 1000% and hope he is the second coming of Bear Bryant for UGA. Go Dawgs!
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My thoughts as well
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Jackpot.
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Yeah, bring on the details of the staff and let CKS be on the phone with Eason by 12:31.
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This ^^^^.
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YES PLEASE.
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I agree.
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Glenn Schumann coming to Athens. DB or LB. Chew on that bitches.
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You said a mouthful IMM.
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I think this scenario has played out pretty well for all involved. UGA was able to allow CMR to “step down”, offer him the chance to stay on in an administrative capacity, CMR takes a new job at his old alma mater, everyone has time to absorb everything, and now we are getting a new coach announced.
I wanted CMR gone five years ago, but I always understood he was a good coach that represented UGA well. Watching the roller coaster over the past week has been interesting from my perspective as someone that has been ready for a change for a long time. I had bad scenarios in my head about how it would go down.
I look at LSU and their situation is unenviable. Miles will have a tough time recruiting with the sword of damocles hanging over him. Florida was in a similar situation with Boom two years ago. They lost at home to Georgia Southern, he was on the hot seat for the next year. Recruiting floundered and McElwain inherited a mess on the offensive side of the ball. The fact he was able to put a serviceable team together and make it to Atlanta ahead of UGA was just another nail in CMR’s coffin.
So I have to give ADGM credit for making a quick move and going after the guy he wants to run the program. I never thought they would do it.
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Who’s to say is was Big Ears that made the call? Plenty of conjecture about that.
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Allowed to step down? As opposed to what, ADGM publicly flogging him?
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Richt created this for himself. He could have stepped down himself, with grace. Instead he forced UGA to fire him for excessive mediocrity. In doing so, he cost UGA even more money and divided the fanbase.
Richt got 15 good years and over $35 million dollars from UGA. In return, he gave us some good seasons (hope), some shitty seasons (disappointment), and a respectable face on the program.
But he didn’t know when to say thanks and hang ’em up. Most don’t.
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Good point. After winning 9-10 games this season, Richt should have the decency to pay back all of the money he was paid since 2005. Also, he should work for free, no …, he should pay UGA for the privilege of working in Athens in an administrative capacity.
One thing we can be sure of is that Smart’s contract certainly won’t have multiple years of guaranteed money. What kind of jerk does that to UGA? I’m sure he’ll come in here for minimum wage until he proves himself. At that point, he might ask for a raise up to 6 figures. Just to keep the reserve fund expanding. And the first time he fails to win the East, he’ll have the common decency to tar and feather himself.
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Stay sensitive, Napoleon.
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I’m not the one bawling about how mistreated he was by CMR. Nice projection, though.
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I, like a lot of people, wanted the change about 5 years ago…CMR’s 5-10 against Florida was another nail in his coffin…I dreaded Halloween in Jacksonville as it became Georgia’s trick and Florida’s treat…
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Hopefully Kirby skipped Sunday School this morning to line up some assistant coaches.
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Stay classy, south Ga.
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With a name like that you are telling someone to “Stay classy?”. Jeebus.
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This is a football blog. There’s no room for the “J” name around here.
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Stay sensitive, Napoleon.
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I’m with you. Richt was way too Christian to win. I think most of the coaches in the CFB playoff this year are Muslim. Classy to point it out.
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Wow, hahaha! You just went completely off the rails with this.
Seems like you’re having a tough day. Need a hug, fella?
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So, you didn’t connect the Sunday school comment with religion? How big of a 2×4 do you need to be hit with?
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At least you’re obedient. You obeyed the “stay sensitive” command to a T.
Let me try another one. Stay indignant and reactionary, Napoleon.
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Congrats, Dawgs.
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I know a few posters who need a new narrative now.
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Speak for yourself squirts.
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If CKS doesn’t start the QB that looks best in spring practice, there will be a new narritive born.
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G-Day QBR for the win, baby
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A coordinator is always a risk (especially one whose head coach is from the same side of the ball), but Kirby’s knowledge of the Georgia and the Southeast make him no more risky that, say Hermann, with one year as HC and comparatively little knowledge of the South.
And yeah, I know Hermann is a Mensa member. A guy on the Dawgvent said Kirby was the smartest guy in the SAE house. That’s kind of the same thing, right?
And he’s the of the few people who has the background to make a fully informed call on Pruitt. I’m sure he’s heard a lot on the grapevine already. Now he can get the BM version of whatever it all was, and weigh that against the considerable amount he knows from being his boss over an extended period.
There’s clearly a major upside with Pruitt (see the stats for this year’s defense). And hard to think there isn’t some downside too, given all the smoke we see. Weighing that balance properly is a big deal for the new coach, whoever it is. Good thing our guy is equipped to get it right.
The coach is dead. Long live the coach!
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Great post.
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Stick, while I agree with several of the points you make and will be excited to have Smart in place, I don’t know that Herman would’ve been as risky a hire just because he has “comparatively little knowledge about the South”. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban didn’t come with Southern roots and they did pretty well for their schools. Herman was the Atlanta/State of Georgia recruiter for Ohio State and they’ve done very well pulling top recruits from this state the past few years. Several are currently starting for tOSU and Herman worked wonders with their QB situation last year. As you say, the coach is dead, long live the coach!
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I hear you. If Herman had been a successful HBC for the 3 or 4 years, he would clearly be safer than any assistant. All I’m saying is, Kirby’s background puts him on the “safer” end of the assistants spectrum, and Herman’s short stint as a head coach and relative (not complete, but relative to Kirby) lack of experience in the South puts him on the “risky” end of the head coach spectrum. So, in either case, we’d be taking something of a risk.
I’d be fine with Herman, too (slight preference for him, actually). We didn’t have a Harbaugh out there, and there’s no top coach on the sidelines itching to get back in (ala Urban). So, you roll the dice.
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Very relieved and excited this is finally coming to an end! I realize there’s been talk about Kirby staying on with Alabama thru the CFP, but I really hope that doesn’t happen. With the amount of money we’re paying him and challenges he faces, I’d hate to see him lose another month before getting completely immersed in the job. Assembling a staff, relocating families, media obligations, setting the tone for the team/organization, etc. all takes a lot more time than people realize and the fewer the distractions the better. There’s a very short window before the recruiting dead period sets in and he could really use that extra time getting things in place, so that once the dead period is lifted we can sprint to finish strong with the 2016 recruiting class. With the changing landscape, I think the days of hanging around to coach out the season don’t make nearly as much sense anymore.
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I agree – show us you’re committed to UGA now, KS
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He’s going to stay with Bama through the playoff, and that won’t be a problem. He’ll be pulling double duty, and it won’t hurt at all for future players to see their new coach in the national championship game.
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That whole “recruiting dead period” that’s about to start kind of gums up the argument though. If he can get his coordinators and most of the staff in place quickly, staying on at Bama might not be that bad.
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Has everyone forgotten that Richt stayed on with FSU for their championship game after getting the UGA job?
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I also seem to recall FSU lost that game to Oklahoma, but we’ll never know if he was distracted trying to transition into his HC job. I also bet Richt was making far less money and it was a single game on Jan. 1st instead of 2 games spanning into mid-Jan. My point was that if it was only recruiting he had to worry about, then the dead period probably makes it manageable. However, moving into his job as HC entails far more than just recruiting. Anyone who has built an orginazation (relatively) from scratch knows it’s a lot of work plus throw in some media obligations along with things like who gets what office, meeting the current players, etc. and those daily football practices in Tuscaloosa make it a lot tougher. Time I’d much rather have him on our clock because what good does it help us if Bama wins a NC.
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Welcome home Kirby
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We all know that Kirby is coming in some form or another. I just hope he is more independent and has more control than Richt had. GooooooDawgs, Sic’ ADGM.
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Now that Muschamp is out of the equation, did Kirby get his 2nd choice, whoever it is? GooooooooooooDawgs, Woof, woof.
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Let’s get the OC named to keep Eason on board. GoooooooooDawgs.
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Glory, glory to “young” Georgia.
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Let’s not forget that Eason has signed financial papers, so Smart and the other coaches can have unlimited contact until he enrolls. That should give us an big advantage. Then again, lately, McGarity and The Georgia Way have been a lot like Rodney in this old classic.
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But if he goes elsewhere we get hit with recruiting violations for that contact.
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Really? Are you citing a specific NCAA recruiting rule?
Such a rule may exist, but I hadn’t heard that one before.
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Actually, it is a violation if he goes elsewhere. I don’t recall but I think another SEC team got dinged by that rule last year. It’s a secondary violation so not a major issue.
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LSU got nailed for it. They lost something like 10% of their off site recruiting/evaluation days.
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Now that Kirby is coach, let’s hope that BM building will stay the hell out of ofthe way! GO DAWGS!!!!!!
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Welcome CKS. The sec east is yours for the taking. Only question is how bad do you want it.
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…..really? That’s a question for you?
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Sounds like we made the Smart decision!
It’s time to start a new era in Georgia football. Let’s get some good young men in here and GATA!
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Does coach smart start immediately or after the playoffs?
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