Kirby Smart Position: Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Experience: Fourth Year Alma Mater: Georgia, 1999

Kirby Smart begins his fourth spring with the Alabama football staff and third as defensive coordinator. A former standout defensive back and scholar-athlete at Georgia, Smart brings an impressive blend of college and pro coaching experience to the Crimson Tide. The 2009 season was a special one for Smart as he not only helped lead UA to the National Championship, but also took home the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the country. Smart will have a busy spring as Alabama returns just one player on defense, safety Mark Barron, who started seven or more games last season.

The Alabama defense was again regarded as one of the top units in the country in 2009, leading the SEC and ranking second nationally in scoring defense (11.7 ppg), pass efficiency defense (87.7), rush defense (78.1 ypg) and total defense (244.1 ypg). In the BCS National Championship Game against Texas, the Tide recorded four interceptions and scored a defensive touchdown. Three players on Smart's defense earned first-team All-America honors - Rolando McClain, Javier Arenas, Terrence Cody - while Barron was a third team Associated Press All-American. McClain captured the Butkus Award and Cody was a finalist for several national awards as well.

The Alabama defense was rated among the nation's best in 2008. The Tide finished third in total defense (263.5 ypg) and seventh in scoring defense (14.3 ppg) in the final NCAA stats. Senior captain Rashad Johnson earned first-team All-America honors as well as first-team All-SEC recognition after intercepting five passes, including that were returned for touchdowns. Alabama recorded 15 interceptions in 2008 and brought back four of those for scores.

Under Smart's guidance in 2007, Johnson led the SEC with six interceptions and earned first-team All-SEC honors along with cornerback Simeon Castille. A third member of the Alabama secondary, Kareem Jackson, was honored at the end of the season as a second-team Sporting News Freshman All-American.

Smart joined the Tide after spending the 2006 season as safeties coach with head coach Nick Saban and the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Prior to his stint with the Dolphins, Smart spent six years on the collegiate level with Georgia (1999 and 2005), LSU (2004), Florida State (2002-03), and Valdosta State (2000-01).

As the running backs coach at Georgia in 2005, the Bulldogs averaged 162.2 yards per game, the third-best mark in the SEC. Smart spent the 2004 season as defensive backs coach under Saban at LSU, where he tutored two NFL draft picks: Corey Webster (2nd round, New York Giants) and Travis Daniels (4th round, Miami Dolphins). That season, the Tigers allowed 157.2 passing yards per game, which ranked second in the SEC and fifth nationally.

Smart was a graduate assistant coach under Bobby Bowden and Mickey Andrews at Florida State in 2002-03, having served as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach (2001) and defensive backs (2000) coach at Valdosta State the two previous seasons. He began his coaching career as an administrative assistant at Georgia in 1999.

As a player, Smart was a four-year lettermen at defensive back for the Bulldogs, where he was a first-team All-SEC pick as a senior. He finished his career with 13 interceptions, fourth in Georgia annals, and led the Bulldogs with six interceptions in 1997 and five in 1998. A four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Smart earned his undergraduate degree in finance from Georgia and his master's degree from Florida State in 2003.

A native of Bainbridge, Ga., Smart is married to the former Mary Beth Lycett of McDonough, Ga. The couple became the proud parents of twins (Weston and Julia) on February 8, 2008.