Kirby Smart to be named UGA head coach – reports

Georgia will name Alabama defensive co-ordinator Kirby Smart as its head coach as soon as Sunday or Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported. Multiple writers have now backed it up.

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The website, quoting “persons familiar with the negotiation”, said that the announcement will come after the SEC Championship Game, which will be played on Saturday between SEC West Champion Alabama and SEC East Champion – and huge underdog – Florida in Atlanta.

Although Smart has a lot of SEC experience, he doesn’t have any head coaching experience, and Athens – where he played defensive back – which is seen as a major risk by Georgia.

“Smart will bring in his own staff but is expected to retain defensive line coach Tracy Rocker. What other coaches he brings is not immediately known but it will be of his choosing“, the report added, noting that Smart was college football’s best-paid defensive co-ordinator, earning $1.5m. Mark Richt was paid $4.1m as Georgia’s head coach. It is not known how much UGA will pay for Smart’s services, although a SECFootballBlog guesstimate would be around the $2.5m-3m mark, bearing in mind his lack of experience in the head coaching position.