Kirby Smart's growing coaching tree extends an unexpected branch into the NFL

One of the most underrated attributes of Kirby Smart as a head coach is the way he prepares some of his top assistants to take the next step. While Dan Lanning has proven to be the strongest branch off Smart's growing coaching tree, he did have an unexpected branch blossom on Tuesday. Yes, former Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken is going to be taking over the Cleveland Browns.

ESPN's Adam Schefter was all over the news of the Browns shockingly hiring Monken on Wednesday.

While Monken has been a head coach before with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles from over a decade ago, he has long been an NFL assistant throughout much of his coaching career. Prior to his three-year run at Georgia, he had worked for NFL franchises like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He most recently was John Harbaugh's coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens.

Prior to getting hired bt Cleveland, he was rumored to follow Harbaugh over to the New York Giants.

What Todd Monken all can bring with him over to the Cleveland Browns

Look. You have to strike while the iron is hot, or at the very least, take advantage of the situation. For as beloved as Monken is and was by Dawg Nation, this was really only his last best shot at being an NFL head coach. He had interviewed for gigs like this in previous years, but always got passed up. With how dysfunctional the Browns are and were throughout this process, he finally got his shot.

In truth, Monken will have to make the most of Shedeur Sanders at quarterback, especially now that he is a Pro Bowler... His predecessor Kevin Stefanski is the new man in charge of the Atlanta Falcons. He is especially to work for Arthur Blank and Matt Ryan after half-a-decade of having to deal with Jimmy Haslam's nonsense. Monken does knows offense, but he is going from Baltimore to Cleveland.

Overall, Monken's back will be up against it with the Browns. The fact Haslam tried to force defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on everyone but it did not take, only for him to tell the Browns to kick rocks on the way out only further proves this franchise's dysfunction. In short, Monken's unique coaching career has him experiencing all sorts of highs and lows at the various places he has collected checks.

Ultimately, we know how this is going to go for him in the end... Monken is never anywhere for more than three years. In fact, the only two teams he has been employed by for longer than three years are the Jaguars from 2007 to 2010 and the Eastern Michigan Eagles from 1993 to 1997. Odds are that Monken will coach the Browns from 2026 to 2028, and almost certainly no later than through 2029...

With his 60th birthday in a week, this feels like it will be the final job of his illustrious coaching career.