Report: Georgia DC Mel Tucker interested in Power 5 head coaching vacancy

For all the success Kirby Smart has had at Georgia, it was only a matter of time before another school plucked away one of his assistants to become its head coach.

That might happen sooner rather than later.

Marc Weiszer, who covers the Bulldogs for the Athens Banner-Herald, relayed a Tuesday report that Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is interested in the vacancy at Maryland. He credited the news to Jeff Ermann of the Terrapins’ 247Sports.com website and tweeted a 2017 quote from Smart about Tucker taking a head job elsewhere.

UGA DC Mel Tucker has interest in Maryland head coaching opening, per @jeff_ermann of that school's 247Sports site. Kirby Smart last year on Tucker: "He’d do a tremendous job. He’s been an interim coach before, and I know he’d do a tremendous job given the opportunity.”

— Marc Weiszer (@marcweiszer) November 6, 2018

Tucker has been a defensive coordinator at both the college and pro levels, even spending a stint as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ interim head coach during the final five games of 2011.

Maryland fired coach DJ Durkin last week in the aftermath of an investigation into whether his program exhibited a “toxic culture,” as was alleged by several people close to the team. Though the investigative committee cleared Durkin of the worst charges and Terrapins administrators initially reinstated him, public backlash caused the school to change course.