Report: Kirby Smart to be named UGA head coach, but is it the right hire?

Kirby Smart will reportedly be named the next head football coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, but is Smart the intelligent hire for UGA?

RELATED: Alabama Wants Jeremy Pruitt to Replace Kirby Smart

Nick Saban is losing part of his longtime staff if the Atlanta Journal-Constitution report is correct. Kirby Smart is reportedly leaving the cozy comforts of Nick Saban’s staff to join the tumultuous current in Athens, Ga.

UGA beat reporter Chip Towers says that the announcement of the Crimson Tide defensive coordinator taking over as Georgia’s head coach could come “as early as Sunday or Monday”.

"“The No. 2-ranked Tide will face Florida in the SEC Championship game Saturday. It won’t be until after Smart fulfills his duties in that game that an announcement would be made, people familiar with the negotiation told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.”"

The former Georgia defensive back has been on Saban’s staff at Alabama for nine seasons, and is currently the highest paid defensive coordinator in the nation. According to Towers’ report, Smart would bring his own staff but would likely be retaining defensive line coach Tracy Rocker.

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It was known almost immediately after Mark Richt’s dismissal this past Sunday that Kirby Smart was Georgia’s number one target for a replacement, with an insider telling DawgNation.com over the weekend that the only way Smart wouldn’t get the job was if “he said no”.

Apparently, Georgia got their man.

So the question now becomes, is it the right man?

Kirby Smart may be the most sought after coordinator in the nation right now, but he could be the round peg in Georgia’s square hole.

This hire looks great from a PR standpoint. Smart is a former Georgia player, and even coached under Richt for one season. He’s a known SEC commodity, and comes from an Alabama program that wins national championships about as often as the Bulldogs beat Georgia Tech.

But when you look at the nuts and bolts, it almost looks like this is a desperation move by athletic director Greg McGarity to keep the mob at bay after firing one of the most popular people in the entire state of Georgia (there’s already talk of Richt running for Governor).

Smart is a defensive specialist, and one of the best in the nation, but Georgia’s woes in 2014 and 2015 were on the opposite side of the ball – being much more pronounced this season with the exit of longtime offensive coach Mike Bobo.

Bringing in his own staff undoubtedly means that both offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will be gone. Most Georgia fans will probably applaud the first exit, and lament the second (although Pruitt probably would have been gone anyway, as he’s a target by many schools).

Finding a defensive coordinator who can work hand-in-hand with Smart and keep the young but up-and-coming Georgia defense on point shouldn’t be difficult. But as we are seeing in so many college and NFL programs, finding a quality offensive coordinator is not an easy task.

Oct 10, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Greyson Lambert (11) gets instruction from Bulldogs offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Richt went for Brian Schottenheimer based on his pedigree and NFL experience, thinking he’d be a good fit for working with his pro-style offense. It was the hire that probably ended up costing him his job.

The market for good offensive minds is tapped out at the moment because of so many OCs and offensive position coaches being promoted to head coaching jobs…unsuccessfully many times. Either Smart will have to wait for a good offensive talent to be fired from his head coaching stop, or he’s got someone in mind for the job already.

If Smart doesn’t surround himself with the right coaches, he’ll be another short-lived replacement to a legend, as has been seen in programs such as Georgia before (see: Phillip Fulmer replacements at Tennessee; Pete Carroll replacements at USC; Tom Osborne replacements at Nebraska). And Smart won’t have that Alabama Crimson Tide endless flow of cash at his disposal for his hire either.

The last time Georgia replaced a legend with a former (and very likeable) player? 1989, and Ray Goff.

I’m sure Georgia fans didn’t want to be reminded of that fact.