Georgia Football: The Rundown on Kirby Smart
The SEC East has welcomed three new head football coaches since the 2015 season ended; Georgia football went with former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.
Steve Spurrier, Mark Richt and Gary Pinkel are all out of the SEC East. Many would have ranked these three as the top three coaches in the SEC East before they all left rather unceremoniously.
Steve Spurrier resigned due to a variety of reasons, but mostly because his Gamecocks stunk.
Mark Richt was fired/resigned/mutually parted ways with Georgia after 15 years and his replacement has an incredible legacy to live up to.
Gary Pinkel had a terribly disappointing season in 2015 and resigned due to health concerns.
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Southbound and Down will provide you with the rundown on all three and afterwards tell you we’d pick to be taking over as the face of our program. It’s tough to pick, as only one (Will Muschamp) has previous head coach experience in the SEC. We’ll got things kicked off with new Missouri football coach Barry Odom and now move to Georgia’s new coach Kirby Smart.
Like Missouri did with Odom, Georgia football called one of her sons home to take over as the new Georgia football coach — Kirby Smart. Smart has a ton of experience for his age and has been incredibly successful as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator.
Smart began his coaching career with Georgia football as an assistant after his playing days ended in 1998. He didn’t stay with Georgia football long, though, as he became Valdosta State’s defensive backs coach in 2000 and followed that with a stint as their defensive coordinator in 2001.
He wouldn’t be there long either, as he spent 2002-2003 as a graduate assistant with Florida State. His time spent under Bobby Bowden wouldn’t be his only encounter with a college football great. He left Florida State to join LSU as their defensive backs coach under Nick Saban. That began a relationship that would pay dividends later.
In 2005 Smart spent his first season as a full on Georgia football coach, working with the running backs of Georgia. Seriously, who knew Smart had experience as an offensive coach? It didn’t fit well, as Smart returned to coaching under a legend.
This time Smart rejoined Nick Saban, but in the NFL. He spent only one season in the NFL as the safeties coach for the Miami Dolphins. He would remain with Saban when he left Miami, though.
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Smart spent the 2007 season as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach under Saban with The University of Alabama. He became the defensive coordinator in 2008 and remained there until 2015. After resisting an offer from Georgia football to return to his alma mater as defensive coordinator in 2010, Georgia football called on Smart again. This time it was to become head coach, an offer Smart simply couldn’t refuse.
