First Look: Georgia Outside Linebackers Coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe

Just two practices into Georgia's spring practice, fans are already starting to get a sense of what the new coaching staff members will bring to the Bulldogs this season. One of those new additions is outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe.

The 29-year old coach came to Athens this offseason to replace the former defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Dan Lanning. Uzo-Diribe spent last season at SMU as the defensive line coach under Sonny Dykes.

Before moving into coaching, Uzo-Diribe had a pretty successful career in his own right, playing at the University of Colorado, where he racked up 20 sacks and 31 tackles for a loss. Uzo-Diribe would then sign with the Saints in 2015 before being cut on the final day of training camp.

Now nine years later, he is on a coaching staff under Kirby Smart that is coming off a national championship season and is hoping to win another. Smart gave us a glimpse of his early impressions on the young coach during his press conference on Wednesday:

"Chidera gives us great energy, enthusiasm, played the position, easy to recruit outside backers and defensive ends at University of Georgia because we’ve produced a lot of them. It’s also easy to recruit to him because he played the position with tremendous success, had an stint in the NFL. He has got a really good track record, high character, very enthusiastic, and we’ve seen the impact on our players with what he’s done."

- Kirby Smart

Smart was not the only one to lend praise towards the work Uzo-Diribe is already putting in, as veteran outside linebacker and team leader Nolan Smith said, "He brings that type of dynamic, that type of energy that you want that a young coach brings," Smith said. "He's really coaching us up a lot, and I love him. I mean, I've known him for about two or three weeks, but he seems like a great guy."

Finding a way to get more production out of Nolan Smith as a pass rusher is at the top priority list this offseason as the Georgia defense will look to make up for the loss of production from last season. The returns of both Smith and Robert Beal can only help smoothen the transition for a young coach like Uzo-Diribe as he settles in at the University of Georgia.

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