A while ago, Kirby Smart declared that he achieved his number one goal of the offseason: successfully retaining most of his players for the next season. While he got that win, the same cannot be said when it comes to his coaching staff, as he lost his outside linebackers coach to the Dallas Cowboys. But the NFL franchise’s raid on the Georgia HC’s coaching tree didn’t stop there, with another key hire signaling a clear strategy from Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys are currently going through a defensive coaching staff rebuilding process. Their owner, Jerry Jones, has been hands-on with the rebuilding process, deciding not to limit the spending budget and hiring Christian Parker as the new defensive coordinator, along with three more names. Chidera Uzo-Diribe was the latest addition to that process, who’s a significant loss for Kirby Smart.

In a special twist, the Cowboys also got their hands on former Chargers defensive quality control coach Robert Muschamp. It shows a pattern between Georgia and the Cowboys, as Muschamp worked under Kirby Smart as an analyst at Georgia. He was a valuable asset to the HC since 2021, and even leveraged his family ties through his uncle, Will Muschamp, who was Smart’s ex-teammate and ex-staffer.

Robert Mushchamp had more of a foundational role than a pivotal one at Georgia. He kept building on his relationship with Smart, without leading major units, which makes it interesting for us to see how he fares in the NFL. But coming back to the Cowboys, they might only be going after Georgia-affiliated coaches.

This focus on Georgia-bred talent isn’t limited to the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys’ offensive staff also features a key member with ties to Athens,  Brian Schottenheimer. He worked as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Georgia Bulldogs during the 2015 season, another sign of the Cowboys-Georgia affiliation. One would think the connection ends here, but there’s one more.

And if you’re a true football fan, you must have guessed it by now. It’s not a coach, but a player. George Pickens, who played for Smart from 2019 to 2021, has joined the Dallas Cowboys. The success of the former Bulldog, who posted over 1,400 yards last season, has likely only strengthened the Cowboys’ front office’s confidence in talent developed under Smart.

While most of the mentioned names are former coaches/players, it is impossible to ignore the connection. But changes aren’t just happening with coaches leaving Kirby Smart for the NFL. There have been some internal changes as well.

A Kirby Smart disciple changes roles

By another coach, we’re talking technicals here, and we’re talking about experienced offensive line coach Stacy Searels, who was under Smart in his second stint at the program for the past four seasons. He didn’t exactly leave the program. Instead, he opted to shift to an analyst role.

But even that felt like a loss to Kirby Smart, who expressed gratitude toward Searels in a statement.

“We’re grateful for everything Coach Searels has poured into our program over the past several seasons,” Kirby Smart said. “His knowledge, experience, and steady leadership have been instrumental to our offensive production. In his new role, Stacy will continue to impact our offensive strategy and provide mentorship for both our staff and players.”

This move, in turn, opened gates for Phil Rauscher, who joined the Bulldogs from the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. After one season as a quality control assistant and Searels stepping down, Rauscher was promoted to offensive line coach for 2026.