Kirby Smart still trying to solidify Georgia football staff for 2022

ATHENS — Georgia will pay new outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe $450,000 annually, and defensive line coach Tray Scott received a $150,000-a-year raise.

Those were among salary actions executed by coach Kirby Smart since the end of the Bulldogs’ national championship season, according to records turned over at the request of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. The AJC previously reported that co-defensive coordinators Will Muschamp and Glenn Schumann will earn $800,000 annually.

Smart still has some work to do to solidify his 2022 coaching staff. He still has an opening for a defensive backfield coach, and offensive coordinator Todd Monken is seeking a raise and a contract extension.

Monken will earn $1.25 million in 2022 and $1.4 million in 2023 as part of the three-year, $3.75 million contract he signed when he came to Athens from the Cleveland Browns in 2020. That deal called for $150,000 increases each year.

Uzo-Diribe is the latest addition to Smart’s staff, coming to Georgia from TCU to replace Dan Lanning as outside linebackers coach. A 29-year-old former NFL player, Uzo-Diribe previously worked at SMU and Kansas.

Scott’s raise to $750,000 is significant and signals the Bulldogs’ seriousness about keeping the 37-year-old line coach on staff. Scott is credited with developing nose guard Jordan Davis from a 3-star prospect into a potential first-round NFL draft pick.

“He took some guys that might not have been the highest rated coming out of high school, but they might be the highest rated coming out of college,” Smart said on signing day this month. “He is a tremendous teacher. I mean, Tray is a technician. He sells himself on not a lot of flash but a lot of work, developing young men into good defensive linemen but even better people. He has got a little bit of proof to validate that now with Travon Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis all coming out of that (meeting) room. Those are three guys that are going to be really good NFL football players.”

UGA also continues to list special-teams coordinator Scott Cochran as one of its 10 on-field assistant coaches. Cochran, who was Alabama’s strength-and-conditioning director for 13 seasons before he came to Georgia in 2020, took a health-related leave of absence in July and was replaced on the field by Muschamp. Cochran is due to make $575,000 in 2022.

The Bulldogs continue to seek a defensive backfield coach to replace Jahmile Addae, who accepted a position at Miami earlier this month after spending one year in Athens. Smart has had extensive talks with Clemson DBs coach Mike Reed. However, Reed recently received a promotion to assistant head coach for Dabo Swinney and his second raise in a year to $750,000.

While he won’t come cheap, Reed would represent a good get for the Bulldogs. He’s known as an all-star recruiter who is credited for landing 5-stars Andrew Booth and Jeadyn Lukus as well as Westlake High product A.J. Terrell for the Tigers.

Auburn secondary coach Zac Etheridge, with whom the Bulldogs had extensive contact, took his name out of the running last week.

Smart also has added Bryan McClendon to his staff. A former Georgia player, assistant coach and interim head coach, McClendon left Miami as co-offensive coordinator to become the Bulldogs’ passing-game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He’ll make $700,000 this year.

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