Glenn Schumann happy at Georgia, knows grass isn't always greener

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann enters his eighth year in Athens, but it’s not for a lack of opportunities to leave if he had wanted to move on.

Schumann interviewed with the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles for their defensive coordinator position this offseason and had his name mentioned in connection to the same title at his alma mater of Alabama. This isn’t the first go-around for Schumann either, but through it all, he’s decided to stay at Georgia.

Is it loyalty to Kirby Smart who hired him without any on-field experience back in 2016? Does he not have a desire to be a head coach? Schumann explained what it is that’s keeping him in the Classic City for the time being while meeting with the media on Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of ways to define quality of life, right? One, you’re responsible as a husband and a father to do what’s best for your family and their well-being. And my family’s extremely happy here,” Schumann said. “Two, quality of life in this profession is generally tied to winning, and I’ve been very fortunate between both being here and at Alabama that we’ve been extremely successful. So I have high expectations and standard for what I want to achieve in my career.”

“Beyond that, I think a lot of men, women, people in general — people always talk about the grass isn’t always greener. When you look at it, there’s been a lot of people who have been extremely happy and they tried to become happier, and they ended up miserable,” he continued. “So, you know, I’m extremely happy here. I love the people I work with, I love the players I get to coach, and I love where I live. There’s a lot of reasons why to still be at Georgia.”

Schumann has built himself quite the resume during his time at Georgia. He brought the Bulldogs their first-ever Butkus Award winner back in 2017 with Roquan Smith. In 2021, he helped Nakobe Dean become the second on the way to a National Championship, Georgia’s first in 41 years. Of course UGA would repeat in 2022 with Schumann taking over play-calling duties, and with the help of guys like Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon, the team’s two leading tacklers last season and Butkus Award hopefuls this year, the Bulldogs will be going for a three-peat in 2023.

Whether he chooses to stay or go, Schumann has set himself up for the future. He can make the jump to be a head coach. He could decide college football isn’t for him anymore and go to the pros. Both are likely options that’ll be on the table for him next offseason.

Schumann could also choose to stay put for another season and work with the group of linebackers he’s been able to recruit over the last few recruiting cycles. Georgia signed three of the top 10 linebackers in the Class of 2023 and the Bulldogs have a strong chance to do so again in 2024 with the nation’s No. 1 player for the position already committed.

So, for Schumann, it makes sense to stay patient. His opportunities will continue to come, and he’s seen it pay off for those around him before. For Dan Lanning, his four-year stint at Georgia – spending three as defensive coordinator and play-caller – ended in an opportunity to take over at Oregon as a first-time head coach this past season. Schumann also saw how it paid off for Smart, spending eight seasons alongside him at Alabama before he made the jump to Georgia as a first-time head coach.

In the meantime, Schumann’s plenty happy with the job he’s got. That’s not to be taken for granted, and he understands that.

“That process with the Eagles, I think when you’re successful, opportunities come for everybody. Opportunities come for players, opportunities come for coaches,” Schumann said. “It was an honor to be considered and to be reached out to by them. You know, I appreciate it, and that’s about all that I went through that process and I’m glad to be where I am.”