Alabama lost a key member of its national-championship defense Monday when junior linebacker Rolando McClain announced he was entering the NFL draft, but the Crimson Tide retained an integral piece when coordinator Kirby Smart elected to stay put.
Smart won the Frank Broyles Award last month as college football’s top assistant and had been pursued by Georgia, his alma mater.
“I wouldn’t even have considered discussing the position with any other school,” Smart said, “but when it is a place I’ve spent some of my best years and had some great memories, I thought it was something I should discuss with my family and figure out what was best.
“After thinking about all the factors over the last couple days, we are going to stay. We love it in Tuscaloosa, have made some great friends here, and I think we are building something special here.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt now may turn to Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham, who the Dallas Morning News reported has been approached about the Bulldogs’ opening. Richt’s search to replace Willie Martinez will reach the six-week mark Wednesday.
A 1995-98 defensive back for the Bulldogs, Smart served as an administrative assistant at Georgia under Jim Donnan in 1999 and as running backs coach under Richt in 2005. He is married to former Lady Bulldogs basketball player Mary Beth Lycett.
Smart was Nick Saban’s secondary coach at LSU in 2004 and his safeties coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and has been his defensive coordinator at Alabama since ’07. Saban said Friday, one day after the Tide defeated Texas in the BCS title game, that he welcomed assistants accepting head-coaching opportunities but didn’t like losing them in lateral moves.
“We’ve very pleased and happy that Kirby is going to be staying,” Saban said. “He’s done a fabulous job for us. He’s one of the finest assistant coaches in the country. You expect guys like Kirby to get lots of opportunities to do things, and we want to continue to help him continue to develop his career here so that when he leaves here, it’s going to be a head coach and probably in a very good situation.
“We’re happy for him and his family. It’s very pleasing to us.”
Alabama’s defense finished second nationally this season behind Nebraska in points allowed per game (11.7) and second behind TCU in yards allowed per game (244.14).
McClain was the highest-rated member of Saban’s first Tide signing class in 2007 and made nine starts as a freshman, amassing 75 tackles. He tallied 95 tackles and 12 tackles for loss during the ’08 season and had 105 and 14.5 this season, when he won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper currently has McClain as the No. 10 draft prospect overall and the No. 1 linebacker.
“I came to school with the goals of being a first-team All-American, winning the Butkus and winning a national championship,” McClain said. “I’ve accomplished those goals.”