Coaching changes and searches are really, really messy. Rarely do the neat and logical things actually happen, such as:

• Mark Richt taking the head coaching job at his alma mater, Miami (FL)
• Kirby Smart then taking the head coaching job at his alma mater, Georgia
• Jeremy Pruitt then returning to Alabama to become the new defensive coordinator

This could work out for all involved.

Richt gets a fresh start, and Miami gets a proven winner who has ties to the school but—and the administration reportedly cares about this a lot right now—doesn't project the bad stuff associated with its "The U" history.

Smart would be a first time head coach and therefore a risk, but Pruitt, being a Saban disciple like Smart is, will have paved the way for his defensive scheme for a couple of years. UGA could then lean on that defense, which is young in the back end now but will be pretty set next year, while whoever Smart gets as new OC rebuilds the offense (because Brian Schottenheimer would be gone, gone, gone).

And then, of course, Pruitt could fall into a job where he won't be a disruptor anymore because A) he's worked there before, and B) Nick Saban keeps his assistants in line. Pruitt would then run several top shelf defenses in a row, putting himself in position to get a head coaching job because everyone wants to get Saban's defense despite there only being one Saban.

But again, college coaching is messy. Miami may not want Richt. Richt may stay at Georgia, or Georgia may not want to hire a coordinator. Pruitt may not want to disappear in Saban's shadow. This all probably won't happen, even though it would make a lot of sense.