Saban: Kirby's ours for postseason

The paperwork has been signed and an announcement has been made. Kirby Smart is officially the new head coach at Georgia.

Smart is already out on the recruiting trail for the Bulldogs.

But what about his duties as the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator as the second-ranked Tide enters the College Football Playoff vs No. 3 Michigan State?

Alabama coach Nick Saban said Sunday that Smart would be with the team for the remainder of the postseason.

"Kirby is going to do what he does over there for the next week or ten days, and when we come back and start practice, he's going to come back and do what he does here," Saban said. "And I know the professional integrity that Kirby has and the commitment that he has to our players as well as his new job. And I feel very comfortable that he'll be able to manage that."

Saban went through a similar situation when Jim McElwain accepted the Colorado State job in 2011. Saban helped set up a plan and schedule for McElwain so that he could perform his duties out west, and continue to help the Tide prepare for LSU in that season's national championship.

Saban commended Georgia for their role in this process.

"I think University of Georgia has been first class in how they've sort of handled this transition and helping us both be able to do this the way we're going to do it," Saban said.

Contact Anniston Star Sports Writer Marq Burnett at mburnett@annistonstar.com, on Twitter @Marq_Burnett.

This story was originally published December 6, 2015 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Saban: Kirby's ours for postseason ."