Georgia Bulldogs

Arkansas blocks Smart from inquiring about OC Enos

Published Dec. 7, 2015 5:55 p.m. ET

foxsports

Kirby Smart was officially introduced as the new head coach at Georgia Monday. One of Smart's first tasks will now begin as the process of hiring a staff that will likely determine the success or failure of his tenure in Athens has begun.

Working as a defensive assistant under Alabama head coach Nick Saban for the past nine seasons, Smart obviously will know a thing or two about stopping opponents. His first key hire will come in the form of an offensive coordinator.

So who was one of the first names Smart sought to join him in Athens? Current Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos.

“Kirby called me early (Monday), asked me for permission to talk to Dan," Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema revealed. " (I) just basically said … ‘I understand if you’ve got to talk to Dan if that’s something you want to do, but he’s got a non-compete clause in the SEC. So that kind of null and voids those things from really becoming real within our conference.”

Dan Enos is in his first season as the Razorbacks offensive coordinator and came to Fayetteville after leading Central Michigan, serving as the team's head coach, to a bowl game in 2014. According to Enos' current contract, he cannot leave Arkansas for another offensive coordinator job, he can only leave if a head coaching position becomes available to him.

According to Bielema, fans shouldn't praise him for keeping Enos, they should thank athletic director Jeff Long.

“That was strictly a Jeff Long thing that he talked to me about and I was very, very opposed to it. When this issue came up a couple days ago I texted him, ‘Hey, I love you, man’ because he taught this ball coach something good.”

Thanks to Long, Smart will now have to look elsewhere to find his first offensive coordinator hire.