



Head football coach Kirby Smart is apparently about to get paid.

On Wednesday, Georgia football beat writers were sent an email advising of a called telephone meeting of the Executive Committee of the UGA Athletic Association Board set for Thursday at 2 p.m.

The purpose – the email read – was to “discuss and deliberate upon the employment terms and compensation of a public employee.”

Be assured the university would not have sent out an email if the subject involved was not a big deal.

The question is, how much will Smart’s raise be?

Smart – approaching his third year as the Bulldogs’ head coach – signed a six-year deal when he took the job that pays him $3.75 million annually.

For those wondering, Smart currently stands sixth among the 14 SEC head coaches.

Nick Saban – the nation’s highest-paid coach – currently makes $11.1 million, followed by new Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who earns $7.5.

Auburn’s Gus Malzahn was recently given a new deal which pays him $7 million annually for seven years, followed by Florida's Dan Mullen at $6.1 million and new Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt at $3.8 million.

In comparison from a national perspective, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney makes $8.504,600, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh earns $7,004,000, and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer makes $6,431,240.

So, what can we expect Smart to receive?

Based on the current market, it’s probably fair to assume that Smart will come close to doubling his salary, which, after leading the Bulldogs to their first SEC title since 2005 and the National Championship Game against Alabama, could possibly make him the conference’s third-highest paid coach behind Saban and Fisher.

Stay tuned.