By CAL POWELL
Sports Editor

Georgia defensive line coach George Edwards has been hired to coach the defensive line for the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, an employee in the Cowboys’ office confirmed Thursday.

Edwards didn’t return messages left on his voice mail at the Cowboy’s office.

Georgia head coach Jim Donnan, who was in Atlanta Thursday for the Southeastern Conference men’s basketball tournament, also could not be reached.

Edwards’ departure leaves Georgia with eight assistant coaches. Edwards, 31, was hired last February after spending 1996 at Duke.

Meanwhile, former Georgia assistant coach Greg Briner was named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, SMU head coach Mike Cavan announced Thursday.

Briner succeeds Darrell Dickey, who was named head coach at North Texas last month.

"We’re very pleased to have Greg Briner join our coaching staff," said Cavan, also a former Georgia assistant. "He was responsible for running the offense at Georgia and Marshall. He brings some very impressive credentials to our program."