On Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs announced the hiring of Travaris Robinson. On Sunday, Robinson interviewed for the Alabama Football Defensive Coordinator position.
Rumors circulated for hours on Sunday, that even if Robinson had been officially hired by Georgia, 'never say never' applied to the situation. Sunday night Tide Illustrated tweeted that "Robinson's time at Alabama might not be over."
Alabama Crimson Tide message boards lit up about the possibility that Robinson had changed his mind. Even a Georgia message board admitted the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide were battling over Robinson.
The scoop circulated faster in Tuscaloosa than it did in Athens. On Sunday night Dawn of the Dawg crowed about Kirby hiring Robinson and did not acknowledge anything was amiss.
"Right now, the Georgia empire is rising, and the emperor Kirby Smart is taking the remnants of the Alabama empire and making Georgia even stronger. "Dawn of the Dawg
Not so fast is my response. Maybe Travaris Robinson will end up at Georgia and maybe he will not. But, Alabama has no remnants that Kirby and Georgia can just choose to take. More importantly, if the hiring of Robinson was a 'fait accompli' why, as some solid sources have disclosed, did Robinson interview for the Alabama DC position on Sunday?
What happened in the Alabama Football vs. Georgia Football Tug of War?
My take on what happened comes from what I believe, mixed with some of what I know.
When Nick Saban announced his retirement, Travaris Robinson had a soon-to-expire contract with Alabama. He had to consider other options. Some have said he too quickly tried to pressure Kalen DeBoer into a decision on Alabama's next DC. What may have sounded like an ultimatum from Robinson, was likely a hard deadline from Kirby Smart to accept a Georgia Co-DC role or miss the opportunity.
Of course, DeBoer, just hours into the Alabama job, could not make an immediate decision. So Robinson accepted the Georgia position. It was a sound career choice. But it turned out to not be a simple one. After DeBoer had some time to analyze what the team needs, and perhaps consult with Nick Saban, Robinson was brought in for a Sunday interview.
The late Sunday night buzz was Robinson received an offer on DeBoer's staff in a Defensive Coordinator role. It is not known if is a Co-DC role or as the Tide's sole Defensive Coordinator.
We do know that Robinson is a proven outstanding recruiter. Alabama football insiders state that Crimson Tide players fervently want him back. Maybe it is a coincidence but maybe it wasn't, when before the Rose Bowl, Kevin Steele praised Robinson as a fast-rising coach who would be a head coach before long. No doubt Nick Saban valued Robinson highly as well. Now, so does Kalen DeBoer.
The expectation is for Robinson to make a quick decision, probably on Monday.
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