The college football world is experiencing a second wave of the coaching carousel as NFL teams now look to fill out their coaching staffs. After most programs believed they had their staff set in place, the coaching carousel in the NFL is hurting teams as valuable assistants make the jump to the next level. The latest head coach to suffer from this effect is Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.
After falling short in the College Football Playoff, it was expected to be a quiet offseason for the Georgia Bulldogs. While both coordinators remained in place, the Bulldogs are now tasked with replacing a vital piece of the defensive coaching staff.
The Cowboys' poach Chidera Uzo-Diribe away from Georgia
On Tuesday Night, Georgia suffered a massive blow to the coaching staff as the Dallas Cowboys hired outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe to serve the same role in the NFL.
The #Cowboys are expected to hire Georgia’s Chidera Uzo-Diribe as outside linebackers coach, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 3, 2026
Uzo-Diribe, who has been considered a top rising star in the college coaching space, had worked under Kirby Smart at Georgia since 2022. Now headed to Dallas. pic.twitter.com/MXBT8sjvze
Chidera Uzo-Diribe was a standout at Colorado as a player, as a 4-year letterman finishing his career 6th all-time in program history in sacks. After his playing career, he'd start his coaching career in Boulder as a Graduate Assistant before making the jump to Kansas.
After two seasons with the Jayhawks, Chidera Uzo-Diribe joined Sonny Dykes at SMU where he helped Elijah Chatman earn All-AAC Second-Team honors. He'd briefly follow Sonny Dykes to TCU, but Kirby Smart nabbed him to become the Bulldogs outside linebackers coach.
The decision panned out perfectly as Chidera Uzo-Diribe and the Bulldogs would win the National Championship while beating his former boss, Sonny Dykes, in the Championship game. Chidera Uzo-Diribe has been great for Georgia as a recruiter and developing talent which will leave a void on this staff.
While the hiring is a big loss for Georgia, the Bulldogs have the perfect coach to find the next rising star to take his place. Kirby Smart has been great at identifying coaching talent, and the Bulldogs will be an attractive job for whoever becomes the top target.