Georgia football: Staff setup looks good for 2019 and beyond

Georgia football released its new coaching setup with raises and promotions for many and fans can feel confident that their staff is set for a while.

After an official request from the press, we now know exactly how the Georgia football coaching staff will look in the 2019 season. Dawgnation.com broke the story of Dan Lanning’s promotion yesterday when they released the below salaries but there is also a lot more that can be taken from the titles that have been set by Kirby Smart behind the scenes. The most obvious to me is that this staff is being built to last.

2019 Georgia football coaching salaries courtesy of Dawgnation.com:

James Coley: Offensive Coordinator / QB Coach $950,000
Sam Pittman: Associate Head Coach / OL Coach $900,000
Dell McGee: Run Game Coordinator / RB Coach $650,000
Cortez Hankton: Pass Game Coordinator / WR Coach $550,000
Todd Hartley: TE Coach $300,000
Dan Lanning: Defensive Coordinator / OLB Coach $750,000
Glenn Schumann: Co-Defensive Coordinator / ILB Coach $550,000
Charlton Warren: DB Coach $600,000
Tray Scott: DL Coach $470,000
Scott Fountain: Special Teams Coordinator $325,000

While the staff might not have many household names, it is built to be together for some time. Pittman is by far the oldest coach on staff and isn’t going anywhere. The vast majority of the rest are under the age of 40. Despite their age, all of UGA’s coaches have become highly regarded recruiters during their careers.

While some rival fans are making fun of Georgia for the fact that they didn’t officially announce Lanning or any of these promotions, I don’t expect anyone in Athens to care. Kirby seems to have built a very strong culture among his coaches and I doubt any of them worry about what outsiders think.

Having lost both of his experienced coordinators this offseason, I think Smart has hired well in Coley and Lanning. Both are young, hungry coaches who are very, very good at what they do and highly regarded by their players. Neither is going to be offered a head coaching job like Mel Tucker in the next 3-4 seasons either, giving Smart an excellent opportunity to maintain continuity during this crucial stage of his head coaching career.

Lanning is just 33 years old, the same age Kirby was when he took over Nick Saban’s defense. Coley is older at 45 but short of UGA blowing up the league, I can’t see him becoming a hot HC candidate just yet. His previous experience calling plays in Miami was ok but he’s going to need to build a stronger reputation in Athens to take that next step. Both of these coordinators have the potential to be head coaches one day, but it’s unlikely to be in 2020/21.

Tennessee fans might be crowing a lot now that they have brought in two multi-million coordinators this offseason, but I much prefer what Kirby Smart has done with his staff. Where Jeremy Pruitt has done an about-face in less than a year and spent huge cash to bring in big names, Smart is developing guys within his system and giving young coaches a clear path to success and future promotions.

Based off the new job titles, I would expect that Dell McGee is now going to be getting some more involvement in game planning on the offensive side of the ball, ditto Glen Schumann and the defense. You can see the path that he’s trying to build, always having a ‘coordinator in waiting’ ready to step in and take over when the current ones eventually get that big promotion. By bringing guys up through the program, he makes sure that everyone is on the same page and that the heartbeat of the program stays the same no matter the personnel changes.

Both of those coaches will have job offers from elsewhere every season. They’re some of the brightest young coaches in the game and yet for 3 seasons straight, McGee and Schumann have decided to stay in Athens. The blueprint that Kirby is building is one that coaches want to be a part of and develop in. To me, that’s a better environment than going out and throwing millions at coaches from other programs. Its further proof that Kirby continues to build the one thing that permeates every part of an athletic program. Culture.

I feel like every month I write a post rambling on about how I love the culture that Kirby Smart has built in Athens but I do that for a reason. Culture remains the most important element of any organization and Smart continues to make decisions that build on that foundation. There never seem to be any quick fixes or overreactions in Athens. Instead, Smart and his coaches continue their methodical approach to build and grow their program into a juggernaut. It might not be as sexy and splashy as some might like, but neither is the way Bill Belichick and the Patriots do things. And yes, I hate the Pats with the fire of a thousand suns, but if one college was going to follow his lead, I’m happy it’s our one.