ATHENS — Georgia now has an opening on its coaching staff with Chidera Uzo-Diribe leaving to take a job with the Dallas Cowboys.

Uzo-Diribe had spent the previous four seasons working on Georgia’s coaching staff after coming over from TCU.

While it isn’t the most high-profile of jobs on the Georgia staff, all three of Kirby Smart’s hires at the position have left for better jobs. Kevin Sherrer became the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, Dan Lanning left and became the head coach at Oregon and now Uzo-Diribe is heading to NFL.

Given how much Georgia spends on its assistant coaches, the Bulldogs will be very competitive in terms of who they go after.

Below are five early names to know when it comes to the coaching search. Kirby Smart has prioritized familiarity in bringing on coaches, but that hasn’t always been the case. Uzo-Diribe and Fran Brown were both unknowns before Smart plucked them from TCU and Rutgers, respectively.

Jarvis Jones — Carver High School head coach

Jones is a Georgia legend who holds the school record for sacks in a single season with 14.5. Jones was a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2013 NFL Draft. He’s also worked recently as an analyst at Georgia, serving as a player connection coordinator and working as an assistant with the outside linebackers.

He left Georgia following the 2025 season to become the head coach at his alma mater in Columbus, Georgia. He led his team to a 15-0 record, winning a state championship in his first season leading the program.

Jones knows the Georgia program well, but it would be a sizable jump for him to make. The Georgia outside linebackers coach job would be the biggest job he’s held in the coaching profession.

Christian Robinson — Alabama outside linebackers coach

Robinson and Jones were teammates on the Georgia defense back in 2012. Robinson also worked as a defensive graduate assistant and quality control assistant at Georgia during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Since then, he’s worked across the SEC, making stops at Florida, Auburn and Alabama as an on-field assistant.

Robinson has spent the past two seasons at Alabama. The two schools have gone head-to-head for a number of prospects, including 2026 Georgia signee Khamari Brooks. In terms of the relationship game, Robinson has recruited a number of active players in the Georgia room.

Georgia did have a chance to hire Robinson following the 2021 season, but it opted for Uzo-Diribe instead. It remains to be seen if Smart has an interest in bringing Robinson back to his alma mater.

Coleman Hutzler — Auburn Bucks/EDGE coach

Another name with strong SEC ties. He’s worked at Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and Mississippi State, working primarily with linebackers.

Hutzler has a strong special teams background, something Smart very much values. He also has a working relationship with Georgia co-defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson, as the two worked together at Florida, South Carolina and Alabama. Hutzler was Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator for the past two seasons.

He had been hired earlier this offseason to coach at Auburn, but if Smart believes he’s the right guy, he will go and get him. Uzo-Diribe, Tray Scott and James Coley had all taken jobs with other schools in the same offseason they were hired at Georgia.

Brian Early — Missouri Pass Rush Specialist / Edges

Early has no ties to the Georgia staff, but it’s hard to ignore what he’s done for the Tigers in recent seasons. Missouri has been one of the better pass-rushing teams in recent years, despite not always having premier talent.

Missouri ranked fifth in the SEC in sacks this past season, with Early getting the most out of Zion Grady and Damon Wilson. Early also has a strong track record of development stemming from his time as the defensive line coach at Houston, where he coached from 2019 through 2023.

Early is the older side compared to Jones and Robinson and it remains to be seen if he is the level of recruiter Georgia traditionally prefers. But in a new age of college football, maybe Smart opts for a different approach at this position.

Nick Williams — Florida State edges coach and pass rush specialist

Another young defensive coach with ties to Georgia. He played for the Bulldogs from 2008 through 2010 and before serving as a student and graduate assistant from 2018 through 2020.

After two seasons as an analyst at Texas A&M, he became an on-field coach at Colorado starting in 2023. He spent the past two seasons as the edges coach at Syracuse. He was hired at Florida State in December.

One other interesting note regarding Williams is that he’s from the same hometown as Smart, with both coaches coming from Bainbridge, Georgia.