In a new world of college football, it seems all of the top programs only care about paying the most to get the best guys on paper. Teams have been dishing out millions of dollars to bring in some of the top names in the coaching carousel despite said names having absolutely no attachment to the program they are joining.
However, Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are sticking to the old-fashioned way. Just recently, Smart has brought on two former Bulldogs onto his coaching staff. Former defensive back Maurice Smith has joined the staff as a defensive analyst while former running back Robert Edwards is joining in a support staff role.
Red and Black runs deep in Athens
Smith, though his time in Athens was short, became an integral part of Smart's early campaign in Georgia. In 2016, he recorded 50 tackles and two picks, with one of those interceptions being an iconic pick-six against Auburn that eventually led to unranked Georgia upsetting the ninth-ranked Tigers.
Edwards was an All-SEC running back in his career at Georgia. Edwards was also a former teammate of Smart's in the late 90s in Georgia's slow rebuild towards success as Mark Richt had not yet entered the picture. Though his career was cut short in the NFL due to a knee injury, it is good to see the Georgia legend back in Athens to hopefully help the Bulldogs win another championship.
What these new hires mean for Georgia
Though these roles might seem minuscule, this is a statement by Coach Smart to the college football world. Georgia is not conforming to the trend of paying millions to go out and bring in coaches that are only there for the money.
Fans already knew Smart was a loyal coach given the hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo a few years ago, but this signals that nothing is changing despite the college football world changing as drastically as it is.
Fans should be happy to see that Georgia is not only not going anywhere, but they are not selling out to stay atop the SEC mountaintop.