Greg McGarity says head coaching job is 'wide open,' but Kirby Smart appears to lead

A lot of attention for Georgia's vacant head coaching job has been fixated on Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.

But athletics director Greg McGarity, who declined to comment much on the upcoming coaching search, said the position is up for grabs as of now.

"I’ll retain the services of a search firm in some capacity," McGarity said. "I think the job is wide open."

But sources have indicated Smart is at the top of Georgia's list for the head coaching position. Smart has been an assistant under Alabama head coach Nick Saban for the past nine years, including the past eight seasons as the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator. Georgia almost certainly would be forced to wait until after the SEC championship game, between Alabama and Florida on Saturday, to announce or make an official move on Smart.

Georgia is forced to hire a football coach for the first time in 15 years. On Sunday, the Bulldogs fired Mark Richt after compiling a 145-51 record during his tenure with the program.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 1:32 PM with the headline "Greg McGarity says head coaching job is 'wide open,' but Kirby Smart appears to lead."