CHRIS HATCHER REMEMBERS the first time he knew Kirby Smart was going to be a great defensive coach.
Hatcher, the current coach at Samford, was hiring his first staff at Valdosta State in 2000, and had used up much of his salary pool for assistants before hiring a secondary coach. His defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp, who was pulling down a cool $31,000, suggested they use their last $8,000 to hire someone he trusted.
Muschamp reached out to Smart, who had played with him as a defensive back at Georgia and finished his career with 13 interceptions.