Jim Chaney Hired as Georgia OC: Latest Comments and Reaction

New Georgia Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart made his first big hiring Saturday by bringing in Jim Chaney to be his offensive coordinator as the team confirmed, per Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman.

Jake Rowe of 247Sports was the first to report the move, and Football Scoop later confirmed it.

The 53-year-old was the offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh in 2015 after previous offensive coordinator stints at Purdue, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Chaney helped lead the Panthers to an 8-4 record this season under first-year head coach Pat Narduzzi, but the allure of returning to the SEC was ultimately too great to pass up.

While Smart and Chaney were never on the same staff, they clashed often, as Smart was Alabama's defensive coordinator from 2008 through 2015, while Chaney was an SEC offensive coordinator from 2009 through 2014.

Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee is among those who believe Chaney could be a solid fit at Georgia:

"

Jim Chaney at UGA as OC is interesting. Really nice guy. Didn't go well at Arkansas in 2014. Decent hire though.

— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) December 12, 2015"

Cole Cubelic of Alabama Media Group agrees due to the success Chaney has enjoyed in the past with regard to the running game:

That factor is significant for the Bulldogs, as they boast two fantastic running backs in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Chubb's status is unclear after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2015, but he could be in for a monster 2016 if he returns healthy.

Chaney is well aware of the difficulties and rigors of guiding an offense in the defensively inclined SEC, and that gives him a great chance to have success with an offense that boasts no shortage of talent.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.