Donnan, fresh off five straight double-digit win seasons at Marshall and five straight appearances in the Division I-AA (now FCS) final four—including the 1992 I-AA national title—took over a fledgling Georgia program that, under former head coach Ray Goff from 1989-1995, had consistently underperformed.
Sound familiar?
That's pretty much the same narrative that Smart, who was a part of four national title teams as the defensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2008-2015, inherits in his first season as the Georgia head coach.
Donnan, who still lives in the Athens area, has plenty of advice to offer the new top Bulldog.