Kirby Update,.....

Looks like CMR has made an official offer.....

Updated: January 10, 2010, 5:25 PM ET

Sources: Georgia seeks Bama's SmartBy Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com

Georgia Bulldogs officials have offered Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart a multiyear contract that would make him the third-highest paid assistant coach in college football, sources told ESPN.com.

Smart, 34, is a former defensive back at Georgia and coached at his alma mater during the 1999 and 2005 seasons. He has been a member of Nick Saban's coaching staffs for all but one season since 2006.

A source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com that Smart hadn't yet made a decision as of Sunday morning. The source said Alabama officials have told Smart they would \"do everything necessary to keep him.\"

Sources told ESPN.com that Georgia has offered Smart a contract worth more than $700,000 annually. It is believed Georgia's offer is at least a three-year contract.

Even if Smart stays at Alabama, he is expected to join the sport's highest-paid assistants, after earning $369,350 last season. Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is the country's highest-paid assistant, earning $1.2 million per season. Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who last year was named coach Mack Brown's eventual successor, makes $907,500 annually.

Under Smart's direction, Alabama finished No. 2 nationally among FBS teams in total defense (244.1 yards per game), pass-efficiency defense (87.6 rating), scoring defense (11.7 points per game) and run defense (78.1 yards per game).

The Crimson Tide defeated Texas 37-21 in Thursday night's Citi BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.

After that game, Smart told ESPN.com that he hadn't spoken to Bulldogs coach Mark Richt in several weeks.

Georgia has been searching for a new defensive coordinator since Dec. 2, when Richt fired longtime coordinator Willie Martinez. Georgia finished 38th in total defense (339.3 yards per game) and 63rd in scoring defense (25.9 points). The Bulldogs allowed 30 points or more five times in 2009.

Smart is a native of Bainbridge, Ga., and his wife, the former Mary Beth Lycett, is a former Georgia women's basketball player.

Mark Schlabach covers college football and college basketball for ESPN.com.


MASH HERE: sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4813421

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GO DAWGS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the post . . . .

Pulling one piece from your post NC_Dawg.

A source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com that Smart hadn't yet made a decision as of Sunday morning. The source said Alabama officials have told Smart they would \"do everything necessary to keep him.\"

If Coach Smart decides to stay with Bama, wish him the best. Would be totally surprised if they did not offer the \"necessary\" dollars to keep him in Tuscaloosa. Seriously good defensive coordinators don't grow on trees and Kirby is a seriously good defensive coordinator.

wlayton and I are in the roundup for Coach Grantham with the NFL Cowboys, we get Coach Smart would be more than satisfying to me.

Looks as if we wait a bit longer.

Go Dawgs!

Yes Buc, I would be extremely happy with either. We both like the NFL idea and remember, KS had one year in the NFL and has learned most all he knows from a D genious in Saban. Either works for me too and most all the Dawg Nation I'm sure.

I'm going to check with \"my guy\" just as soon as I hit the office in the morning to see if he's heard anything more definitive over the weekend.

Wlayton, hope he has good news!! The suspense is KILLING me!! I actually had trouble sleeping last night, but that may have had something to do with a few 911 dispatchers making us run calls.

just spoke with a buddy of mine, he said that he was on a pay site and they are reporting that a plane out of PDK with a tail number that UGA is known to use was in Tuscaloosa late last night. Hopefully this is good news.

My source said he didn't hear anything different than what we all have heard over the weekend. He also said that he hoped he would hear something today more definitive. Stay tuned, hopefully he can get some real scoop.

Interesting fire_dawg, my source said rumor was that KS was in Athens last night. Think they missed each other?