glenn schumann georgia football raise

A year ago, there was some mystery surrounding Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann.

He was set to share the defensive coordinator title with Will Muschamp, a coach who had far more experience in calling a defense. Schumann would also be stepping into a bigger spotlight following Dan Lanning’s departure after serving as one of the architects on one of the greatest defenses of all time.

How would Schumann, still only 32 despite being one of Kirby Smart’s first hires at Georgia, handle the added responsibilities?

Based on his new contract, one where his salary explodes from $805,000 to $1.9 million, Georgia seems to think he did an exceptional job.

Georgia had to replace eight starters from the 2021 defense, five of which were first-round picks. Schumann saw three of his inside linebackers get taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. Like Schumann, the group had a lot to prove and many questions to answer.

As a unit, the Bulldogs still ranked in the top five in rushing yards allowed and points per game allowed. The pass defense wasn’t quite as stellar and Georgia gave up 30 points to LSU and 41 to Ohio State. The pass rush also fell off a bit, as Georgia finished with 15 fewer sacks in 2023.

Some regression was to be expected. That it was limited to a few more yards and not as many sacks while Georgia won another national championship is a major credit to the entire defensive staff, Schumann included.

Schumann was the defensive play caller for Georgia last season, while still instructing Georgia’s inside linebackers. Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon led the team in tackles last season and both seemed poised to earn All-American honors in 2023. That’s another credit to Schumann’s ability to find talent and develop it.

Georgia finished with the No. 2 ranked recruiting class in the 2023 cycle in large part because of what Schumann did on the recruiting trail. In landing CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson and Troy Bowles, Schumann inked one of the top positional hauls in the country, not just limited to inside linebackers.

Allen and Wilson are already on campus and turning heads. The future of Georgia’s inside linebacker position seems to be just as promising under Schumann as the present.

“I think Schumann and the defensive staff have done a tremendous job kind of selling the brand, but these three guys all came out and did,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said during the early signing period. “Look what these two guys are currently doing. Look what the guys we’ve signed last year that are here and playing roles on special teams.”

Of course, Schumann may not be around to see Wilson, Allen and Bowles develop into stars. Multiple teams came knocking at Schumann’s door to see if he could be pried away. Not just at the college level but the Philadelphia Eagles interviewed Schumann for their defensive coordinator opening. Schumann has admirers across the collegiate and professional landscape.

That’s part of the reason Schumann got such a massive raise this off-season. Lanning saw something similar happen to him after the 2020 season when Texas made a strong push to try and hire him. He ended up staying at Georgia and saw his salary jump to $1.9 million.

Lanning lasted only one more season at Georgia as he ended up taking the Oregon job. Georgia’s defense figures to be very strong again in 2023, even as must replace two First-Team All-Americans. Most probably see where this ends up, with Schumann being one of the most coveted names in the coaching carousel next off-season.

For now, Schumann is still actively involved in making Georgia a better program. That’s something he’s strived for since he was hired as a 25-year old inside linebackers coach.

Now, he’s the second-highest-paid defensive coach in all of college football.

“There’s obviously moments anytime that you change roles with anything in life, there’s moments that you grow and there’s moments where you learn on the fly,” Schumann said prior to the game against Ohio State. “There’s nothing like experience, right, in whatever role, but I wanted to always prepare when I was a GA that when I got the opportunity to be on the field, that I had confidence that I had done everything I possibly could to prepare myself for the next step.

“Then I felt like I tried from the day I got here I’ve tried to prepare myself for whatever opportunities come after that and to not wait. You don’t wait.”

More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation