The Georgia Bulldogs announced Wednesday afternoon that St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has accepted the open OC position with UGA.

“This is a great opportunity to become a Georgia Bulldog for both my career and my family. I’m thrilled to be part of an elite program with such national tradition and a great staff already in place,” Schottenheimer said in a statement released by Georgia. “I look forward to working with young men and being a positive and significant influence on their lives as we develop them athletically, academically, and socially.”

While Schottenheimer’s move to the SEC may come as a shock to some, it’s a hire that brings some obvious advantages to the Bulldogs.. Not only is Schottenheimer a big name in the football world, he’s also been an offensive coordinator at the NFL level for the past nine years, something which should be a bonus for the ‘Dawgs in recruiting.

“I’m excited to have Brian join our coaching staff,” UGA head coach Mark Richt said in the release. “His NFL experience will be a perfect fit for how we like to play offensive football here at Georgia. He’ll be excellent in developing our players in both the running and passing games, which will benefit them while they are at Georgia and for their future.”

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said as recently as last week that he did not expect any staff changes in the upcoming offseason, despite a sluggish offensive season.

NFL.com’s Bryan Fischer speculated that this was Fisher’s way of politely showing Shottenheimer the door in St. Louis.

Regardless of what Schottenheimer’s move means for Fisher or the Rams’ staff, this is certainly a flashy hire for Richt and the Bulldogs. Schottenheimer’s wealth of NFL experience won’t be matched by many assistant coaches in college football, let alone the SEC.

In addition to being the offensive coordinator, Schottenheimer will also coach the quarterbacks, something he also did at the NFL level from 2001-05 with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets.