Report: Kirby Smart, Georgia set to hire respected former ACC assistant

Kirby Smart and the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs are expected to hire former Duke special teams coordinator Kirk Benedict, according to a report from FootballScoop.com. Benedict – a well-respected college football assistant coach – spent eight seasons on the Blue Devils’ staff under former head coach David Cutcliffe.

Benedict, a Fairfax, Virginia native, played fullback at Davidson and entered into the U.S. Army following his graduation from the school. After his time in the military, Benedict jumped right into the coaching field – joining Duke’s staff in June 2014.

Benedict most recently served as the Blue Devils’ special teams coordinator, defensive recruiting coordinator and a defensive assistant.

Assistant coach Jahmile Addae pens farewell tweet to Georgia football

A day after it was reported he would leave Georgia for Miami, Jahmile Addae made it official. The defensive backs coach posted a farewell message via Twitter on Tuesday, thanking the Bulldogs for his time with the program.

“I am forever thankful to coach Kirby Smart and Dawg Nation for my time here at the University of Georgia,” Addae wrote. “The players I coaches and the coaches I had the privilege of coaching alongside have been a blessing to my family and I in so many ways. I believe in letting the Lord guide my steps… With that being said, my time in Athens has come to an end but will forever remain with me.”

Reports first emerged Monday evening that Addae was leaving Georgia to sign a two-year deal as the defensive backs coach of Miami. The coach spent one season in Athens after previous stops at West Virginia, Cincinnati and Arizona. He helped coach a Bulldogs secondary that led the SEC with 16 interceptions and 62 passes defended. Georgia also finished 12th in the country in passing defense, giving up just 189.7 yards per game.

The Hurricanes are getting one of the best recruiters in the country. Addae aided the team in landing the No. 3 overall class in 2022 according to On3’s Team Consensus Rankings, including a commitment from five-star safety and No. 6 overall player Malaki Starks.

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.