Glenn Schumann ‘really happy’ as Georgia’s DC despite head coaching opportunities

Yet there’s no frustration from Schumann in being passed over. Like more than a few college students, he’s got no issue spending another year in Athens.

“I’m really intentional about my family’s happiness and kind of the things that matter to me internally, kind of keep within our family circle and the people that support me,” Schumann said. “But I’m really happy to be here, and I’m here intentionally.”

Schumann is confident that his time as a head coach will come. Friends and family ask him about those potential opportunities and what an exit from Athens might look like.

For now, he’s laser-focused on getting the most out of a Georgia defense that has improved throughout the season.

When the coaching carousel kicked into high gear in November, Schumann’s defense ascended to another level. In Georgia’s last four games, the Bulldogs have allowed just two total touchdowns. Opponents have a combined 128 rushing yards and are 10 of 48 on third-down.

It’s a far cry from how the unit looked against Ole Miss, Georgia’s upcoming opponent in the College Football Playoff game. The Rebels scored touchdowns on each of their first five possessions in that game.

Georgia’s defense responded with a shutout in the fourth quarter. Many see those 15 minutes as a turning point in the season. Yet Schumann always believed this defense was going to get better.

It was a matter of when, not if.

“Obviously there were a couple games there that were — a couple, a half-game, whatever it was — that we did not perform to the expectations,” Schumann said. “But credit to the guys, their growth and their level of confidence and their focus on the task at hand. The guys in the room came to work every day not worrying about any outside noise, not worried about what it said statistically, and they trusted that if we continue to go through our process the way that it’s been proven here that it works, that it would sort itself out in the end.”

Having junior linebackers like CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson helps tremendously. They’ve helped shepherd the defense along, with Allen being named a consensus All-American for his play this season.

Even as Schumann faced early-season criticism — something rare for him in his time at Georgia — his players have a strong belief in what he brings as a defensive coordinator and eventually, a head coach.

“Schumann’s probably one of the smartest guys I’ve been around,” Wilson said. “He knows how to scheme stuff up, and he leads the right way, he leads the defense the right way, and he’d be a great leader if he was a head coach.”

Schumann, like his boss Kirby Smart, can afford to be picky when it comes to head coaching jobs. He’s one of the best-compensated assistants in the country, making over $2 million this year. Because of his recruiting ability, the Georgia defense is routinely stocked with the best young talent in the country.

Smart spent nine seasons on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff before taking the job at Georgia. Schumann is in his 10th season as an on-field assistant in Athens. He’s the only on-field assistant to be with Smart for all 10 years of his time in Athens.

The Georgia defensive coordinator is only 35 years old. He and his family are very comfortable in Athens.

If the defense continues to play like it has to end the season, all parties should continue to be very happy with Schumann’s current status in life.

“All I focused on all year was getting better because we needed to get better,” Schumann said. “And so, when things happen in life, they happen when they’re meant to happen. But the family’s really happy here.”

Glenn Schumann explains why he’s more than comfortable as Georgia’s defensive coordinator