Kirby Smart says he’s ready to make jump to head coach
Kirby Smart was sought after as a defensive coordinator, but now he seems ready for top job. (AP photo)
NEW ORLEANS — Two years after saying no to his alma mater, Kirby Smart can take comfort in one thing: The next time somebody picks up the phone to offer him a job, it won’t be for a lateral move.
Georgia wanted Smart back as their defensive coordinator, a position he already held at Alabama. But there was a thought by some in Athens, including Mark Richt, that the promise of a more-than-doubled salary – and the option of an attractive escape route from under Nick Saban’s thumb – could lure Smart back to the Bulldogs.
It didn’t happen — and that was the wisest decision Smart ever made.
When Alabama faces LSU on Monday night, Smart will have a chance to win his second BCS championship in three seasons. He no longer is viewed as merely a hot young assistant ready to jump at any head coaching job. He sounds more head coach-ready than ever before, and, to a large degree, he can be choosy about any offers that come his way.
“I definitely think I’m ready to take the next step,” Smart said. “It’s gotta be the right place, the right opportunity. That hasn’t really presented itself. I’m completely happy being the defensive coordinator at Alabama. It’s the greatest non-head coaching job in the country.”
When Georgia started this season 0-2 and Mark Richt’s job security was tenuous, Smart frequently was referenced as a logical candidate to replace him. An unexpected 10-game winning streak blew up that scenario, and Richt’s not going anywhere now.
Smart will tell you he doesn’t pay attention to rumors. Coaches need to operate with tunnel vision. So it follows that when he was asked Saturday, given his aspirations, if he ever allowed himself to take notice when another major program struggled this season, he laughed.
“If you start doing that, you lose your own job,” he said.
Don’t doubt a man who works for Nick Saban.
Smart presided over a defense that allowed the fewest yards (191.2) and points (8.83) per game this season. LSU’s offense has averaged over 38 points. Alabama held the Tigers to three field goals in November (albeit, they were enough for a 9-6 overtime win).
Smart even looks and sounds like a head coach.
The defense is not all about Smart having Saban above him and great athletes below. He has grown as an assistant in the past two years.
“I look at things from a different perspective now,” he said. “I used to look at things from the secondary, then as a coordinator. Now it’s like, ‘What would I do as a head coach?”
We have been hearing for two years that Saban’s demanding style will wear on the 36-year-old Smart and chase him out of Tuscaloosa. It must mean something that he’s still there.
“When you say, ‘demanding,’ to me the definition of demanding is they require you to do what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it, and how you’re supposed to do it,” Smart said. “That’s what [Saban] does. So is he demanding? Yeah. He requires you to do your job. And I appreciate that. That gives me job security knowing that everyone in the organization is held accountable.”
(Is it just me, or is he starting to sound like Saban?)
Continuing: “To me that’s probably the greatest feature I’ve learned or will take with me when I become a head coach, is you have to be demanding. You have to be able to confront people if they’re not doing their job or not doing it the way you want it.”
Are you sold yet?
Smart officially said no to Georgia on Jan. 11, 2010. Alabama matched the Dogs’ offer ($750,000 annually, which equated to a $390,000 raise). Smart said at the time he “wouldn’t have even considered discussing the [coordinator] position with any other school.”
He added this Saturday: “I felt I still needed to develop as a coach so I could be a head coach, and what better way to do that than under Nick Saban?”
He made the right decision to stay. Before long, somebody will make the right decision to phone him.
By Jeff Schultz
Tweet
Follow me on Twitter (@JeffSchultzAJC). Friend me on Facebook (Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC).
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
382 comments Add your comment
suwanee dawg
January 8th, 2012
10:16 am
I love UGA and the Dawgs but have come to the conclusion we will be good but never great. I am so tired of the conservative play calling when leading by as little as one score. The Mich State game was a great example. We had the ball on our 40 with roughly 3 1/2 minutes to play and a 7 point lead. Rather than giving Murray a chance to get a first down and win the game. We wasted 3 no gain runs and gave the ball to a widely known great quarterback. Did Richt / Bobo really think taking a 1 1/2 the clock would keep Cousins from taking his team down the field against a tired defense? Unlike West VA (coach after half said they were going to keep the offense open after being up 49-20 at halftime) we will never have the ‘go for the jugular’ mentality with a coach and OC to scared to want to win. Sorry, like I said, I love the Dawgs and Richt, but he needs to be more aggressive to get to the next level.
bama mike
January 8th, 2012
10:24 am
The difference in Richt and Saban is style. Some players as well as coaches are more productive under a demanding leader others get same results under a more laid back environment. The key is to recruit and find the right players and coaches to match the style.
Troup Co.Dawg
January 8th, 2012
10:32 am
Maybe Saban goes to Texas, gets Mega $$$$, to the Longhorn Network, dominates til he’s 70, Retires! His wife really digs Dallas you know! That leaves it wide open for Smart. That would be ideal and no moving for the family, I really don’t care !!! I do wish Jon Gruden could leave the booth and come to Georgia !
Terry
January 8th, 2012
10:41 am
Just because a person is a good defensive coach, does not mean they will be a good head coach, I do not look for UGA to hire another intern coach when CMR leaves, it will be some one who has already showed, that they can coach somewhere else. There is a lot of difference in running a Defense and running a whole team. Neither Muschamp or Kirby have proved that they can run a football program we don’t even know if Kirby is running the Bama defense, but one thing I do know Joey, Saban run the NFL Dolphins in the ground, you really think Bellichick needs his help? It was the other way around, man Joey you and your little Git friends need to get a life!
Nick
January 8th, 2012
10:46 am
Yeah those scumbags at bama can keep him. And they won’t be champs if they win monday, so he only has the one title to claim.
boog
January 8th, 2012
10:50 am
whatever…. Smart gets press for one reason…Saban. What average coach in America would not have success in the environment that he operates in. And who really knows how much of that Defense is his? UGA was the real winner when he said no… Grantham is so far ahead of Smart it really isn’t a comparison.
RxDawg
January 8th, 2012
11:04 am
The farther we can get that lying turd Kirby Smart away from Georgia, the better.
ckgator
January 8th, 2012
11:12 am
Why is there any discussion of other coaches on the minds of Georgia fans? I thought the current-state leadership had you “knocking on the door of greatness.”
Baaahaha so funny.
Snake Doc
January 8th, 2012
11:23 am
Its funny how all you boneheads think yourselves to be savants when it comes to figuring out who is or will be a great coach. You boneheads are laughable simple minded twits!
And the Orange CEO is not a great coach. have you Einsteins figured that one out yet? NO!
Timbo
January 8th, 2012
12:51 pm
I can’t believe how Dawg fans are bagging on some of their former players who actually contributed more to the program than just showing up for class. Most of the guys hating are probably nothing more then “sidewalk” fans though. I hope true UGA alumni have more class. I believe they do.
Timbo
January 8th, 2012
12:56 pm
Ridiculous how the hating UGA homers on Smart and Muschamp can’t comprehend that sometimes better opportunity and career moves don’t always leave one back to working for their alma mater. I’m pretty sure they learned that in college. College football is a business. Smart and Muschamp have made business decisions with their careers yet the mouth breathing butt hurt homers on here can’t see past their unhealthy love for their team to comprehend that. Smart and Muschamp are truly American in taking full advantage of their talent, opportunity, and the available choices that their hard work has made available to them. UGA fans should be proud of that. I imagine the intelligent ones are.
You Made your Bed, now Lie in It
January 8th, 2012
1:30 pm
You UGA idiots all swallowed Richt’s Schtick hook line and sinker. That sinker will pull you to the bottom of the SEC.
You made your bed, now you will lie in it. And it will stink…
You will soon be surrounded by superior head coaches, all with ties to UGA, while you are living with a 1990s ACC FSU fossil…
With such stupid alumni, UGA’s credentials should be reviewed for accreditation.
Snoop Dawg
January 8th, 2012
1:31 pm
Precisely, Made Your Bed!
I tried to tell them but was outvoted by all the Richt trolls…
KB
January 8th, 2012
2:27 pm
“… is you have to be demanding. You have to be able to confront people if they’re not doing their job or not doing it the way you want it.”
Sounds like Coach Smart won’t be hiring Mike Bozo any time soon.
Hawg Head
January 8th, 2012
2:34 pm
Do many of you realize that Smart is probably already a better coach than some current SEC coaches and most of the HC’s in the ACC?
GulfShoresDawg
January 8th, 2012
2:35 pm
Muschamp and Smart, two UGA grads…great men and great leaders….both will be fine in the long run…Go Dawgs!
Charles
January 8th, 2012
2:46 pm
Uninformed article. Smart isn’t close to being able to be ‘choosy’ about a head coaching position. He has wanted many of these jobs badly, including the Southern Miss job that he tried to portray as him making the decision to bow out. Fact is, he wasn’t going to get the job. He would’ve loved the A&M job as well, and they didn’t give him a sniff.
Truth be told, Smart staying at Bama under Saban was a stupid career choice. But it worked out great for UGA. This myth that he’s somehow a candidate to land a bigtime head coaching position is really, really ignorant stuff.
LOL...
January 8th, 2012
2:46 pm
so… can someone tell me exactly how a head coach is supposed to “look” …. LOL
Columbus
January 8th, 2012
2:55 pm
Yeah Tenn job will be open before the end of 2012 orf as soon as it is over. He talks the talk but will he walk the walk? Muschamp talked it too but its a whole different ball game when you are actually the head coach. He is under Saban so yeah what better place to learn, but he is under Saban, so who knows? I would take a chance on him though. If he pans out though, he will be UGA coach when Richt retires…..
Just Wondering
January 8th, 2012
3:11 pm
Can you hear me now?
Just Wondering
January 8th, 2012
3:12 pm
Bradley has me blocked from him blog. So let me say it here. ATL is losersville USA. Always has been, always will be. Go Giants!
Hawg Head
January 8th, 2012
3:44 pm
I am glad some of you are not career counselors.
Bob
January 8th, 2012
4:20 pm
K Smart, like Weiss, Muschamp, Zook, Golf, Brad Scott, Richt, etc…great position coaches and/or recruiters, but average HC material.
Larry at the Bridge
January 8th, 2012
4:36 pm
Hey Jeff, you angling to be Smart’s agent? Hope he never comes back to Georgia. He’s a POS and shouldn’t be allowed even to visit the state. When he croaks, the Governor shouldn’t allow his body to be buried here. Leave it in Alabama.
Flo-Ri-Duh
January 8th, 2012
4:55 pm
Saban runs the defense. Smart is a high priced assistant. MusChump is a notch below Smart as a coach and he reminds me of the Zooker.
Red Stick
January 8th, 2012
8:30 pm
5150 UOAD
January 7th, 2012
7:34 pm
“48 even mentioning the Broncos like they have a shot is funny.”
The Steelers aren’t laughing right now.
What say you?
steve whatley
January 8th, 2012
9:54 pm
He is going to ole miss.
Scott in Huntsville
January 9th, 2012
1:14 pm
Maybe GA Tech can get him if Paul Johnson doesn’t work out.
Joe
January 10th, 2012
9:47 pm
You spineless pigs…Kirby is coming to Georgia. Richt has not been offered a contract extension. By the end of the week, Kirby will be named Head Ball Coach at Georgia. GO DAWGS…
GT Grad
January 10th, 2012
10:32 pm
Kirby Smart should be hired by the falcons
Are you delusional?
January 11th, 2012
8:18 am
Kirby Smart to be the DC for UGA is NOT a lateral move Jeff, it would be a step down.
Yelena Artmann
January 11th, 2012
7:27 pm
I am still learning about ZUmba but so far I love what I see!