ATHENS – The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann referenced that well-worn platitude when asked Tuesday why he hasn’t accepted one of the many attractive job offers that have come his way the past couple of years.
No one on the Bulldogs’ staff has spent more time working alongside Kirby Smart than the 33-year-old Schumann. He assisted Smart as an undergraduate analyst while attending the University of Alabama, continued to serve him as a graduate assistant and director of player development with the Crimson Tide and was on the private jet that brought Smart to Athens from Phoenix, Arizona, in January of 2016 after Alabama defeated Clemson in the 2015 College Football Playoff Championship.
Schumann stepped off that jet as Smart’s first inside linebackers coach. Schumann still has that duty, but he has added the responsibility of defensive coordinator, as well. In fact, the “co-” that preceded Schumann’s original distinction as coordinator of the defense has now been removed.
So have any financial concerns for the immediate future. Schumann received his third raise in as many years this offseason. He is now one of the highest-paid assistants in the country at $1.9 million.
That raise also came with a one-year contract extension, which was revealed via an open records request. As first reported by the Athens Benner-Herald on Tuesday, Schumann has agreed to remain the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator through June of 2026.
“You know, I’m extremely happy here,” Schumann said when he met with reporters before Georgia’s practice Tuesday. “I love the people I work with. I love the players that I get to coach and I love where I live. So, there are a lot of reasons to still be at Georgia.”
It wasn’t from a lack of trying by other entities. The NFL beckoned on the heels of the Bulldogs winning their second consecutive national championship. The Philadelphia Eagles conducted multiple interviews with Schumann about their defensive coordinator’s vacancy.
It’s unclear whether the NFL franchise ultimately offered Schumann the position. It ultimately went to former Seattle Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai. But Georgia’s moves to secure Schumann long term indicate the discussions were quite serious.
The interest in Schumann was not limited to the Eagles. Other NFL franchises also made overtures. So did Alabama, which was seeking a new coordinator to replace Pete Golding.
Hence, Schumann’s salary nearly tripling this year from the $805,000 he made in 2022. He earned $325,000 before being promoted to co-coordinator in 2019.
Smart talked about his relationship with and confidence in Schumann last month at SEC Football Media Days in Nashville.
“First off, Glenn Schumann is an incredible man and person,” Smart said. “You know, he’s a graduate of Alabama. He came there on the Bear Bryant scholarship. His dad played football at Alabama. He’s the son of a football coach. He’s extremely bright. He’s extremely passionate. I rely heavily on Glenn for input on practice schedules, defensive design and thinking outside the box. … ‘Schu’ is that guy who knows what we want and what we need.”
Georgia’s inside linebacker position certainly has been in good hands during Schumann’s tenure. His pupils have won two Butkus Awards (Roquan Smith in 2017 and Nakobe Dean in 2021) and virtually every one of his starters have landed in the NFL.
That trend stands to continue with the Bulldogs’ current middle-linebacker duo of Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon. The rising juniors and defensive stars of the 2022 project as the latest NFL early entries from UGA.
A bunch of the previous ones now reside in Philadelphia. Dean, Jordan Davis, defensive lineman Jalen Carter, linebacker Nolan Smith, and cornerback Kelee Ringo all currently play for the Eagle. In fact, Schumann said, he just recently exchanged texts with Ringo.
“You try to the best of your ability to keep in touch with all your former players,” Schumann said. “I have a unique vantage point in that I’m going on eight years now and the relationships are consistent because I’m where I am -- the place they played.”
And there Schumann remains, which remains a very good thing for Georgia. The Bulldogs returned eight defensive starters from a team that allowed only 14.3 points and 2.9 yards per carry a year ago.
Schumann is still very young in comparison to most college coaches holding his station. He and his wife Lauren live in Oconee County where they’re raising two children, both under the age of 4.
“So, there’s a lot of ways to define quality of life, right?” Schumann enumerated Tuesday. “One, you’re responsible as a husband and a father to do what’s best for your family and their well-being. My family is extremely happy here. Two, quality of life in this profession is generally tied to winning. I’ve been very fortunate in being both here and at Alabama, where we’ve been extremely successful. So, I have a high expectation and standard for what I want to achieve in my career.
“Beyond that, I think a lot of men, women, people in general, like, they always talk about the grass isn’t always greener. And if you look at it, there’s been a lot of people who have been extremely happy and they tried to become happier and they ended up miserable.”
Life in Athens, Georgia, is very good for the Schumanns at the moment. No sense in rushing off to grab the next shiny thing.
