ATHENS – Kirby Smart might not be through tinkering with his coaching staff just yet.
It was thought that Georgia was set for the 2022 campaign when the Bulldogs brought in Chidera Uzo-Diribe as outside linebackers coach this past weekend. However, reports surfaced from Miami late Monday that the Hurricanes and coach Mario Cristobal were pursuing Georgia’s Jahmile Addae for their defensive backfield coaching vacancy. CaneSport.com, the Rivals site that covers Miami, reported that it was a done deal, citing a source.
Credit: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Credit: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Addae has been in Athens only a year, joining the Bulldogs in January 2021 after coaching the secondary at West Virginia the previous two seasons. UGA paid him $500,000 a year, which represented a significant increase.
Three months later, Georgia landed junior defensive back Tykee Smith, one of Addae’s charges at West Virginia, as a transfer. Smith was slated to start for the Bulldogs at the Star position before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Having used his one-time transfer to come to Georgia, Smith would have to graduate to move again. He sent out a tweet Monday night, apparently in reference to Addae’s imminent departure.
Cristobal and Smart, who worked together for three years at Alabama, have been crossing paths quite a bit during the annual offseason coaching carousel. Cristobal left Oregon to become Miami’s head coach, which led to the Ducks hiring Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning as Cristobal’s successor.
Bryan McClendon followed Cristobal to Miami, accepting the position of co-offensive coordinator. Smart lured McClendon away last week and brought him back to UGA as wide receivers coach with the additional title of passing game coordinator. Georgia is going to pay McClendon $700,000 annually, according to records.
It’s unclear who might succeed Addae. Georgia reportedly made a run at Miami’s Travaris Robinson earlier this year. But Robinson, who worked under co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp when he was head coach at South Carolina, joined Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama in late January. Muschamp was handling safeties, while Addae was coaching cornerbacks.
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