Report: Kirby Smart tried to get Mike Bobo

Per a report, Georgia football coach tried to hire Mike Bobo, who ended going to coach the South Carolina Gamecocks offense.

Former Georgia offensive coordinator and Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo became South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach this week.

Bobo agreed to a two year contract with South Carolina on Tuesday.

Bobo, a former Georgia quarterback from 1993-97, worked for the Dawgs from 2001-2014, where he manufactured some incredible offenses and more than a few of the program’s best passers of all-time.

Given Georgia’s offensive struggles the past few seasons and the lack of certainty currently at offensive coordinator with James Coley, of course rumors spread about Bobo returning to his alma mater and coaching under his former teammate and friend Kirby Smart.

And though there were no actual reports of Smart trying to land his old teammate in Athens, there was some truth to those rumors according to to Andy Staples of the Athletic, who mentioned Smart’s efforts on Thursday.

“I think Smart will try to change the offense,” Staples wrote. “The question is how far he’ll be willing to go. (Smart) tried to hire (Bobo) … but South Carolina coach Will Muschamp won the tug-of-war between former Georgia teammates to hire their former teammate Bobo. Bobo would have opened up the offense …”

Muschamp is another Georgia guy. He, Smart and Bobo are all good friends and all overlapped during their playing careers as Bulldogs.

Bobo, 45, was fired by the Rams last Thursday after 3-9 and 4-8 seasons the previous two years. He started out with three consecutive years of 7-6 records.

South Carolina finished 4-8 overall and 3-5 in SEC play, under fourth-year head coach Will Muschamp.

Staples went on to write about coaches that he thinks would be a good fit to replace Coley, if Smart were to let him go.

You can read it all here.