Kirby Smart: ‘looking forward’ to next season with Tide
Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, whom many Georgia fans would love to see in the same job in Athens, made a rare appearance before the media today and said he is “looking forward” to being with the Crimson Tide again next season.
Smart, who like other Alabama assistant coaches is normally kept off-limits to the media by head coach Nick Saban, was made available at a news conference advancing Thursday’s BCS national championship game.
According to this Mobile Press-Register report from the news conference in southern California, Smart did not categorically deny interest in Georgia’s open defensive coordinator position, although that might have been because he wasn’t directly asked about it.
Here is some of what Smart did say at the press conference, according to the Press-Register:
“It’s been great. It’s been great having these players and doing this, and I’m looking forward to it next year. I mean, we’ve got a lot of good players coming back. We’re losing a lot of good ones too, but it’s something that’s special to be around, because these guys bought in and they went through some hard times. And now they’re reaping the benefits, which they deserve.”
On his head-coaching aspirations, he said:
“To be honest with you, I don’t ever think about it or worry about that. I think [longtime Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews] had a hell of a career. He’s a father figure to me. I worked for him for two years, and if I ended up coaching at Alabama for the next 30 years or however long he was at Florida State, I’d think my career was a pretty big success.
“My lifelong goal was to ultimately be a defensive coordinator, and if I ever got a chance at a head job, that would be great. But that’s not something that I’m going to draw my career and say I was a failure, I didn’t get to be a head coach or whatever. I’d be completely content with that. If a better opportunity presents itself, then obviously that’s something down the road. But young as I am, I’m happy to be where I’m at and happy to be at the University of Alabama.”
Since Georgia’s Dec. 2 firing of Willie Martinez, Smart — a former UGA player (1995-98) and assistant coach (2005) — has been at or near the top of just about every rumored list of defensive coordinators that Mark Richt would or should pursue. And if the Georgia job remains open after Thursday’s national-title game, perhaps that possibility would heat up. But to this point Smart still has given no indication he would leave Alabama for another coordinator’s job.
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
356 comments Add your comment
Humanitarian Bowl
January 4th, 2010
7:22 am
It must be time for Halley’s Comet again,Tech is in the Orange Bowl
Now Tech math wizards divide 42 yr into 14 millions
» SEC links: Florida wins on 75-footer at buzzer John Clay’s Sidelines
January 4th, 2010
7:38 am
[...] Tim Tucker of the AJC reports that Kirby Smart says he is looking forward to being at Alabama next year. [...]
Kirby Smart's Coming to Georgia
January 4th, 2010
7:42 am
1) Kirby Smart is looking for a place where he’ll get credit for doing what he does. That won’t happen at Bama, which is par tof the reasson why Steele left in 2007. The other is Saban is a hard guy to work for. He’s an old school berate and tear down type A kind of guy.
2) Richt wins more than Meyer, Saban, or Miles–90 SEC wins in 9 seasons–without all the drama, no one else can claim that. Richt is the #4 winningest coach in the NCAA out of 120 teams. Richt won 2 Natl Champ’s at FSU, helped them finish in the top 5 for 13 years. Richt won Georgia a Natl Champ in 2007, and had another 13-1 year which was tops in the SEC and a Natl Champ type of year.
3) Richt does it all with a style and class that Saban or Meyer will never know how to do–much like a John Wooden or Tresel or Dungy. Richt is known as being LOYAL to his school and coaches, unlike Saban and Meyer who quit on their coaches and players every 1-15 years.
4) Right now, according to every real insider, Kirby is very interested and leaning heavily towards joining Georgia after Jan. 7. Of course, if Kirby changes his mind over the next 3 days, Richt has also contacted Sanseri (Bama’s LB Coach), Steele (Bama’s 2007 DC), and Grantham(Dallas Cowboys).
5) Richt will NOT offer the job to anyone who will turn it down. So if you hear that, it is simply an uninformed person and NOT true.
Kirby Smart's Coming to Georgia
January 4th, 2010
7:44 am
oops, meant to say Saban and Meyer quit on coaches and players every 1-5 years. Check out their resumes, they’re both pathological quitters.
Mass Exodus Hits Florida in 2009!
January 4th, 2010
7:47 am
ESPN predicts a mass exosu of underclassmen heading pro in 2009. Star defensive player Junior already gone.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft10/news/story?id=4792743
Mass Exodus Hits Florida in 2009!
January 4th, 2010
7:49 am
Gators lose 3rd coach after SEC Champ loss, Bedford gone, headed to Louisville with Charlie Strong:
http://blogs.tampabay.com/gators/2009/12/florida-loses-another-assistant-coach.html
ESPN Says End of Era for Meyer in 2009
January 4th, 2010
7:52 am
ESPN is saying, whether Meyer comes back, or doesn’t, it’s over and the end of an era.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls09/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4784908
gtfanfrom1951isadips***
January 4th, 2010
8:00 am
Wow, you Tech fans aren’t as smart as you think you are. Look gtfanfrom1951, you just proved your point AGAINST your vagina conference. ACC- Mighty SEC-0, what a joke. There is obviously a reason why the SEC’s 5th best team (Tenn) played against the ACC’s 2nd highest ranked team (VT @ 11th) in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, and the SEC’s 9th best team played the ACC Runner-up (Clemson) in the Music City Bowl. The ACC is the 5 or 6th best conference in the nation… Honestly, the MWC deserves to take over the ACC’s automatic BCS bid it has gotten so bad. What do you think would happen if Bama played Tech? It would be 72-0, thats what would happen. You see, the SEC has 2 automatic BCS bids, the SEC Champ goes to NC, runner-up goes to Sugar Bowl. I have been saying it all along, there is pairity in the SEC and parody in the ACC.
Fleischman in Chi Towns Bed
January 4th, 2010
8:01 am
Who knows if Kirby will leave. But IF he does, you watch. These delusional fleabags will celebrate how they are going to win it all next year and how great UGAg is. It’s there favorite time of the year, the off-season. The only time they can run their mouths and talk smack. LOSERS
T-MAN
January 4th, 2010
8:04 am
Rumors are swirling around coach Boris Wang(Romanian Rustlers)test results have confirmed no lasting damage after having his a$$ painted white…news flash…He has accepted the job and will hold a press conference after the Championship awards ceromony….(Romanian Rustlers won the European arena football conference)talks heated up with Athens after Wang had his a$$ painted white(tribute to Russ the Standin mascot)and there were no lingering issues.Wang says he’s pround to be the new DC but his wife says it’ll take a while to get used to a big White A$$ walking around the house….So there Dogs fans it’s over…stay tuned for more information on this breaking story…
Three have turned down the Georgia DC job that we know about
January 4th, 2010
8:15 am
I predict there will be 4-6 more before they claim some no name guy was who they really wanted all along.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Three have turned down the Georgia DC job that we know about
January 4th, 2010
8:24 am
1. Brian Van Gorder
2. Vic Koenning
3. Bud Foster
Don’t play with semantics. These three TURNED IT DOWN!
Three have turned down the Georgia DC job that we know about
January 4th, 2010
8:26 am
Kirby Smart WILL also turn it down once he is officially contacted. Bank it.
Dawg
January 4th, 2010
8:27 am
Andy in Blairsville are you a moron? Willie was well overpaid for his results, he made $300,000+ However if Kirby comes to UGA, he will make $700,000-$800,0000+. That is paying a coach pretty well. He makes $400,000 at Alabama. If UGA does not pay well how has Bud Foster & John Chavis got raises off the UGA opening?
Three have turned down the Georgia DC job that we know about
January 4th, 2010
8:27 am
You Georgia people have drank way too much Koolaid. You pregram ain’t that good!
Four have turned down the Georgia DC job that we know about
January 4th, 2010
8:30 am
1. Brian Van Gorder
2. Vic Koenning
3. Bud Foster
4. John Chavis
Dr Phil
January 4th, 2010
8:45 am
I’m still available!!!!
Heck, $1.4 million won’t cover your bail and court costs for this past year!
Eaaasssy
January 4th, 2010
8:53 am
sickandtired,
go back to bed you whiny dbag. check back in after you get thumped by the Hawkeyes. A real football team with a real offense and defense. tool
Nachos
January 4th, 2010
8:54 am
What about Joe Lee Dunn? He is very mediocre, would fit in perfectly.
Kirby Smart
January 4th, 2010
8:56 am
“I’d rather drink turpentine and piss on a brushfire. I ain’t touchin this one.”
HA
January 4th, 2010
9:02 am
DUHHHHHH???? Did you really think they would get Smart???? The guy who bites will be a name noone has heard before. Mark my words.
Emerald Bowl
January 4th, 2010
9:05 am
The only DC not offered the job is Tek’s DC
gatorman
January 4th, 2010
9:14 am
Just like “Hugedawgfan” said, enjoy your non-competitive and non-deserving Orange Bowl buddy. Two (2) second tier SEC teams (namely South Carolina and Georgia) dismantled both your weak Tech team and Clemson on the same weekend. The Orange Bowl should be embarrassed to have either one of the schools representing their game. Your 2nd best team “barely” beat Kentucky in as you say an SEC Bowl. Our #2 team (mighty Gators) would have beat them by 40! Oh and our #1 team (Bama) would beat your weak ass by 40!
Dawg
January 4th, 2010
9:27 am
Thanks to YOU for a great season too!! We beat the Nerds AGAIN! That makes for a great season anytime!!! Go Dawgs!!!
jellybeandawg
January 4th, 2010
9:49 am
Kirby is NOT coming to Georgia. He has already been to Georgia and coached on Richt’s staff in 2005 and Richt in his brilliant wisdom had him coaching the running backs. Kirby is not a big fan of Richt or Garner so no way he comes back.
wreckmaniac
January 4th, 2010
9:52 am
A team that couldn’t keep Erk Russell can’t bs a defensive coach into thinking they’re being offered a “career” position. You have to be a Frank Beamer or a Bobby Bowden to offer that deal.
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
January 4th, 2010
9:54 am
Good morning dog nation! Thanks for admiting georgia (and south Carolina) are “second tier SEC teams”. And though the ACC’s 2nd best team (Clemson) “barely” beat Kentucky, they did in fact beat them whereas georgia lost to them at home. Hahahahahaha. Likewise, Tennessee beat the heck out of Georgia and our number 3 (Virgina tech) beat the stew out of them. Just be glad when we played you caught us looking ahead to OUR conference Championship game. Glad that beating Tech made your year instead of the other way around (Gailey years). Get used to AH’s!
AltamahaDawg
January 4th, 2010
9:58 am
I dont know if it’s accurate to say that we balked at paying Foster 600,000. He’s been there an awfully long time, and I don’t think he was in some kind of a $ bidding war. You assume he would have left if we just beat VT offer, and that’s in no way a given. In fact what he got wasnt a higher base pay, but an annuity if he hangs around long enough, which will probably never come to pass before he is named some new HCIW title, and completely renegotiates his whole deal. Seems a lot more likely that VT just gave him a good excuse to stop entertaining outside offers. 20 years doesnt sound like a guy who really enjoyed the pressure of looking elsewhere.
wreckmaniac
January 4th, 2010
9:58 am
$ 1.4 million: Boy you really pushed trailer nation’s button. Nice job.
I didn’t realize they were so sensitive. Maybe we need to back off. Having to go to the Punishment Bowl and not being able to find a D coach is obviously wearing thin on this group. I think they should all take their trailers to Myrtle Beach and pretend they have a game to play this week.
wreckmaniac
January 4th, 2010
10:00 am
Maybe Richt should run an ad in the AJC.
AltamahaDawg
January 4th, 2010
10:03 am
Well you always will have that “we beat a team that beat your team”. That’s almost as good as winning the actual game when it mattered.
wreckmaniac
January 4th, 2010
10:07 am
SICK and TIRED: Good points but you keep the UGA job for life when you beat Tech and ALWAYS get a top 10 recriting class. Those are the only 2 requirements.
AltamahaDawg
January 4th, 2010
10:08 am
wrechmaniac, he’d be wasting his time running an ad if there was a UGA blog anywhere that day. Couldn’t see through all the teck fans.
T-MAN
January 4th, 2010
10:10 am
Late breaking news….WANG turns down offer….News from Athens,we have not offerred Boris Wang but, have been informed that the Romanian Rustlers have raised the salary of the coach Boris Wang after there stunning victory over the Czeck Checkers in the European Arena Football League…Owner Vladimir Dogsucka gave Wang a raise and contract extension into 2012…we will report on any further news from Athens
FRED
January 4th, 2010
10:11 am
This will happen: kirby will leave alabama to become uga”s DC with the promise that he will become the Head guy with in 3 years. count on it.
YankeeJacket
January 4th, 2010
10:14 am
Lets face the facts the SEC leads the nation by far in having the most arrogant, obnoxious and juvenile fans. If there is no logic, resort to the grade school name calling. This is probably because the states represented by the SEC schools are consistently in the bottom third of the country in terms of spending for education. Not willing to pay for schools and teachers but boastful about shelling out $600,000 for some darn ASSistant coach??? Yes the SEC has two great teams this year, but the others are all mediocre at best. Remember that the whole set of SEC football teams could disappear tomorrow and 99.999998 % of Americans could damn care less.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
January 4th, 2010
10:15 am
I think Coach Richt wants Willie back but he has lost control of the program now and can’t choose his own coaching staff. That’s a lot like what happened to me . . . I was on my way into the stadium and then they took me into this electrical closet and whoosh! Spray painted my a$$. I was not happy. Then some clown talks about it on television and says I don’t have the a$$ to be the permanent mascot. Well, right now Georgia doesn’t have anybody willing to coach the defense even after getting to go to Shreveport and play in a bowl game there. Imagine how much fun that could be if you were Kirby Smart.
wreckmaniac
January 4th, 2010
10:18 am
UGA won a national champ in ‘07. Where was this reported ? The National Enquirer ?
If Saban is a “pathological quitter” why wouldn’t Smart just stay at AL and wait for Saban to quit so he could get the head job ?
wreckmaniac
January 4th, 2010
10:23 am
At least while the dawgs wait for their new DC just as Rome waits to see the cloud of smoke when a new pope is appointed, we don’t have to go through the annual pile of new recruit baloney. Appreciate this because it will never happen again. Every year in January we get nothig but reams about “Johnny from Waycross” and “Bubba Gump from Jujube SC” who will “restore” the dawgs to their “rightfull” place. Right now they are in their rightful place.
Rob
January 4th, 2010
10:31 am
Here’s an idea.. when you have some real news, write it. AT no time did I see anything that remotely indicated that Smart was interested in the UGA job. So why start something that isn’t there? For a sec I had to make sure Terry Moore wasn’t writing this article.
KS
January 4th, 2010
10:32 am
Hey Kirby Smart’s Coming to Georgia, you’re in quite the denial keepin’ that dream alive about Kirby. Smart, who never gets credit but won the Frank Broyles award at the age of 33, will not consider a lower tiered job at GA. The rest of your points are way off base as well…I really missed when Richt won the national championship in 2007! ha ha
T-MAN
January 4th, 2010
10:44 am
Just not a good day to be a Bulldog,story out of Athens has Russ the temp mascot bringing a suite against the University of Ga,seems Russ was accosted on the way to Shreveport and his a$$ was spray painte white by Ga Assistant coaches,after being taken to electrical closet Russ alleges that he was injected with steroids and can no longer Piss on his on….these cahrges are being investigated by the local authorities and members of PETA have step up to protect Russ…stay tuned for further developements…..
AltamahaDawg
January 4th, 2010
10:48 am
Oh my!lectured by a Yankee teck fan. We can tell how little you give a damn by your presence in our football blog.
Fleischman in Chi Towns Bed
January 4th, 2010
10:50 am
Hey dumba$$ Last time I checked UGAg hasn’t won a Natl Championship since 1980.
Delusional leg humpers
Emerald Bowl
January 4th, 2010
11:00 am
And “Buzz” was mugged again in Techwood
T-MAN
January 4th, 2010
11:22 am
The allegations are flying out of Athens,is the Athletic Dept covering up abuse of Ga’s beloved Mascot’s?Rumors are flying that Ga mascots have systematicly have had their a$$ painted white and have been injected with steroids…leading some people to beleive that they are indeed Puggs bulked up on steroids with their a$$’s paint white….undisclosed sources(Russ the Temp)have pointed the finger and now there’s Hell to pay….stay tuned for further information
Kirby Smart: « Football on the Brain
January 4th, 2010
12:00 pm
[...] Kirby Smart: By cousinwalter Leave a Comment Categories: Uncategorized Kirby Smart: ‘looking forward’ to next season with Tide [...]
AMSTERDAM SAM
January 4th, 2010
12:12 pm
I (a UGA alumni) sit here in Amsterdam looking out at the snow while reading these posts with amusement. You Techies seem so angry and I wonder why? I also wonder if there are nearly as many UGA fans on your blogs. I wouldn’t know, for I’ve never visited one myself – mediocrity does not interest me. You guys need a life, especially the guy supposedly in Miami. If I were there, behind the keyboard would be the last place I’d be. Spin it the way you like, but we all know the truth and I guess this is why you are so angry. And drop the HAHAHAHAHAs – it sounds so juvenile. And quit the racist pain you butt remarks – it is beneath even you.
DamnGoodDawg!
January 4th, 2010
2:44 pm
Tech, enjoy your 14 mil…you might consider buying some new uniforms to replace those washed out yellow ones you’re stuck with now. By the way, does the GT on the helmets stand for “giant turds?” It should.
DirtyDawgDaze
January 4th, 2010
3:53 pm
ACC = Ass Clown Conference
339 Yards of cleat on your face at hysterical Grant Field. You got shoved all over the place in that high school stadium. UGA owns Tech minus one area…ugly ass women.