Jimbo Fisher says Georgia assistant he tried to hire has 'earned everything'
James Coley had a chance to reunite with an old friend.
Instead, the Georgia assistant football coach earned a substantial raise to stay where he is at. Following a 2017 regular season that saw the Georgia finish with an SEC regular season title, Coley was pursued by Jimbo Fisher, who left Florida State to take the Texas A&M head coaching job.
Coley was offered the offensive coordinator job and was believed to be taking it. In the end, however, Coley elected to stay with the Bulldogs. By doing so, Coley earned a $400,000 raise and will make $850,000 this season at Georgia. He also earned a promotion to co-offensive coordinator and will coach quarterbacks.
Asked about Coley during SEC spring meetings in Florida, Fisher had nothing but positive things to say about him.
"Listen, that’s part of this business. There’s nothing wrong with that," Fisher said. "I saw him in high school, brought him as a (graduate assistant) when I was at LSU. We brought him in. Listen, James has done a great job. He’s earned everything he’s had and is a heck of a coach and a heck of a person."
As a co-offensive coordinator at Georgia, Coley won't call plays. That would have potentially been the case at Texas A&M too as Fisher said he will call plays this season. Fisher said offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey, who he hired instead, will be involved in the play-calling process.
With Coley, who oversaw receivers a year ago, coaching quarterbacks, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney was moved to coaching tight ends. This allowed head coach Kirby Smart to hire former Vanderbilt assistant Cortez Hankton to coach receivers.
Smart was pleased with how the adjustment to his coaching staff went through the spring.
"I think it was a very smooth transition. It was a very easy transition," Smart said. "Chaney is still over the top of the offensive staff. We have a new dynamic in Cortez, which was great for the receiver room. Coley provides a lot of energy in the quarterback room. I’m very pleased with where it is and am excited with where it goes."
Coley and Fisher's working relationship began in 2003, when Fisher, the LSU offensive coordinator at the time, hired Coley to be a graduate assistant. Coley later worked on Fisher's Florida State staff from 2008-12, and was the Seminoles' offensive coordinator in his final three years. Fisher called plays every year he was head coach at Florida State, however.
In 2013, Coley took the offensive coordinator job at Miami, which included play-calling responsibilities. Following former head coach Al Golden's ouster, Coley was hired to Smart's staff at Georgia.
Prior to Georgia's win over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, Coley was asked why he elected to stay with the Bulldogs. While it was later revealed that he received a promotional title and a raise, Coley said there were other personal factors involved.
"I think during this time of my life, Coach Smart was a big part of me staying," Coley said. "The way they’ve embraced our family, the community has embraced our family. I just feel at home in Athens. I feel at home at Georgia. I really love the direction our program is going with Coach Smart. I can’t say enough about the guy. I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve got the same respect for Jimbo. I think he’s going to do a great job. But I just thought I was a better fit here."
This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Jimbo Fisher says Georgia assistant he tried to hire has 'earned everything'."