Missouri coach Barry Odom’s decision to bring Derek Dooley on as wide receivers and quarterbacks coach was a great move, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Monday.
Dooley, who Smart called a “good friend,” was a former graduate assistant at Georgia before moving on to serve stints as head coach at Louisiana Tech and Tennessee and then wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys from 2013-17.
Smart said Monday he thought bringing Dooley onto the coaching staff has already proved beneficial because of how difficult it is to defend the Tigers’ offense.
“The physicality, I think, is what (Odom’s) intent was in getting Derek devoted to running the ball, which they did at the Cowboys and Derek’s been throughout his career,” Smart said. “The commitment to that, to running the ball, even though you got a potential high-round draft pick at quarterback, they still have a commitment to running the ball and being physical. I think that's important in this league.”
Missouri averages 218 rushing yards through the first three games of the season.
Smart said because of Dooley’s leadership on the staff this year, the Tigers will certainly have new wrinkles in Saturday’s game plan.
The Bulldogs and Tigers kick off at noon (ESPN; 95.5 FM and WSB 750 AM) at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo.
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