People talk about Nick Saban’s illustrious coaching tree, but Kirby Smart is also making a name for himself. His former assistant, Todd Monken, recently landed the Cleveland Browns head coaching gig, and others are following a similar path. In a recent development, Kirby Smart’s former assistant defensive line coach has accepted a position at Western Kentucky.

According to FootballScoop’s latest report, Tyson Helton’s Western Kentucky is hiring Dayton LeBlanc, who will serve as a defensive line assistant. This comes just a year after LeBlanc moved on from Georgia to join Eastern Kentucky as the defensive line coach.

That Eastern Kentucky promotion came on the back of LeBlanc’s two seasons as part of Kirby Smart’s staff as the assistant defensive line coach. He was instrumental in developing All-SEC defensive linemen, such as Mykell Williams and Nazir Stackhouse.

Moreover, LeBlanc was part of a defensive staff that established the Bulldogs as a fortress. The defense ranked ninth nationally by allowing just 289.1 yards per game and stifling opponents to rank fifth in scoring defense. Because of the work LeBlanc had put in at Georgia, Eastern Kentucky roped him in April 2025.

“Excited about the new addition of Dayton LeBlanc as the defensive line coach here at EKU,” EKU head coach Walt Wells said after hiring LeBlanc. “He’s been at one of the nation’s premier programs at UGA and has seen it done at an extremely high level. That experience alone will provide great insight for our defensive line and our program.”

The hiring worked for the Colonels, as LeBlanc helped the defense accumulate 63 tackles for loss during the 2025 season. Naturally, when another promotion opportunity came calling, the D-line coach didn’t hesitate to jump ship to Tyson Helton’s Western Kentucky. Under the head coach, the Hilltoppers have displayed remarkable consistency. They have made seven bowl games, including a Conference USA Championship appearance four years ago.

Before LeBlanc’s coaching gigs in the SEC and FCS, he made a name for himself as a defensive lineman at North Texas and had a decent career. He totaled 49 sacks over five seasons, including two. He was selected to C-USA’s freshman team in 2019. Finishing his college playing career, LeBlanc served as a student assistant for the Mean Green in 2022 and helped them win the C-USA title game. Thereafter, Kirby Smart took him under his wing, and now he is transitioning his career from an FCS to a G-5 team.

Kirby Smart’s another assistant charts NFL trajectory

As evidenced by coaches like Dan Lanning and Todd Monken, Kirby Smart’s coaching tree is ever more illustrious. He already has two former assistants as NFL head coaches, and in a recent move, another of Smart’s assistants has joined the NFL. On February 2, NFL Insider Todd Archer revealed that the Dallas Cowboys are set to hire UGA’s LBs coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe.

“The Cowboys are scheduled to have an in-person interview with Georgia outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe on Tuesday for a spot on Christian Parker’s staff, per source,” Todd reported on X. Uzo-Diribe was a lesser-known name in the coaching world when Kirby Smart hired him to fill in departing Dan Lanning’s shoes. The 33-year-old took that responsibility and elevated UGA’s OLB group for good.

Under Uzo-Diribe’s watch, the Bulldogs churned out three first-round NFL draft picks. The departing players included Nolan Smith (2023), Mykel Williams (2025), and Jalon Walker (2025), and they brought players like Isaiah Gibson to Athens. All that happened when he was just 29, and Kirby Smart trusted him anyway. But now in the NFL, Diribe’s career trajectory has elevated for good. Both LeBlanc and Uzo-Diribe represent elite guidance under Smart, which is bound to catapult further in the coming years.