Smart made it a priority to put student before athlete, as he recalls many times sitting in the living room of a teenager’s parent’s place during recruitment and getting the joy out of seeing his players graduate five years later.
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Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was set to be introduced Monday as the successor to Mark Richt, who held the job for 15 years but didn’t win enough championships to satisfy the Bulldog faithful.
It’s official! Kirby Smart is the head football coach at Georgia! If Alabama beats MSU, Smart won’t be in Athens until after January 11, when the championship game is played. The new coach was widely regarded as one of the top assistants in the country, with Alabama perennially ranking among the top defensive teams in the country.
Smart said there is no timeline now on naming his coaching staff. “It’s a fluid situation”, he said.
When Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity decided to make a change, it was clear that Smart was his top choice all along.
Smart said it was important to him to finish his job at the University of Alabama, as the Crimson Tide competes in the College Football Playoff.
“We are really excited for Kirby and his family”, Saban said in a press release on Sunday.
Smart went on to thank the Morehead, and UGA Athletics Director Greg McGarity for their faith “demonstrated in asking me to lead one of the truly great college football programs in the country”.
Alabama won its second Southeastern Conference Championship on Saturday with a victory over the Florida Gators. Smart coached Alabama’s inside linebackers in 2015 after tutoring the safeties in 2014.
Following the SEC championship game, Smart headed straight to Athens and was interviewed early Sunday by Morehead.
Perhaps the most revealing moment of a press conference without much sizzle was his observation that the 2015 Bulldogs were “lacking somewhat” in “perimeter guys who can make explosive plays” on offense. He graduated with a degree in finance and added a master’s degree from Florida State in 2003.
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Bainbridge H.S. (1991-93) Three-year letterman in football, basketball, and baseball; first team Class AAAA All-State as a senior; 16 career interceptions. He wants to bolster the offensive and defensive lines through recruiting to better UGA’s chances of beating teams like Alabama. “I believe Kirby Smart is the ideal fit for the University of Georgia”. He is married to the former Mary Beth Lycett of McDonough, Ga., a four-year letterwinner on the Georgia women’s basketball team from 2000-2003.
