As Kirby Smart takes over at Georgia, his alma mater, it begs the question: Does having an alumnus coach matter?

Former Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen coached the Terrapins after being away for many years. For Friedgen, who no longer coaches at Maryland, the experience was mized.

Here's a look at the alma maters of the head coaches around the SEC and the country.

SEC

* Malzahn spent his first two seasons at Arkansas

ACC

* Johnson did not play football at Western Carolina
** Fuente started playing career at Oklahoma before transferring

Other notable coaches

* Leach did not play football at BYU

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Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero watches a play on the video board during a game against the University of Southern Mississippi on Oct. 9 in Statesboro. (Sarah Peacock for the AJC)

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Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.  Palmer was fired less than two weeks after writing a post on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)