Kirby Smart recalls the moment when he knew coaching was in his future

Georgia coach Kirby Smart has quickly ascended the ladder to become one of the top names in college football over the past couple of seasons. After winning back-to-back national titles — including against Alabama in 2021 — some would even say he’s the best right now.

Kirby Smart grew up around coaching as his dad, Sonny, was the coach at Bainbridge High School in Georgia. Smart played safety for his father and later played college ball in Athens for the Bulldogs, where he was a first team All-SEC selection as a senior.

Knowing that background, it makes sense how Smart ended up on the path to becoming a head coach for his alma mater. However, it wasn’t until after college that he fully committed to the decision to pursue coaching.

“It’s all I understood,” he said in a local radio interview. “It’s what I knew. I grew up around it every day. Was at practice sitting there listening to coaches talk, go back-and-forth. When I played, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. When I got told I couldn’t play anymore because I wasn’t good enough, then you’re faced with the fact you’ve got to do something else. That something else led me to coach because I felt like I’d be good at it and I had a passion for it. I really didn’t want a 9-5 or to put a suit on.”

Smart wasn’t drafted after wrapping up his college career, though he did sign as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 1999. Unfortunately, he was cut from the team after the preseason and never played a regular season game in the NFL.

That kicked off his coaching career as he returned to Georgia as an administrative assistant. The next year, he took a job at Division II Valdosta State as defensive backs coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2001.

Smart left after just two seasons and continued to bounce around at programs such as Florida State, LSU and even in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. In 2007, he got the job that would change his career as he took on a role as defensive backs coach at Alabama on the first staff of Nick Saban.

Smart was promoted to defensive coordinator the following season and stayed until 2015, helping lead the Crimson Tide to four national championships in that span. Georgia came calling in 2016 to offer Smart the very first head coaching job of his career.

Smart of course accepted and had the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff by his second season. Just six years later, he won his first national championship against none other than Saban, perhaps his biggest coaching mentor other than his father.

Georgia has gone 29-1 over the past two seasons and shows no signs of slowing down heading into 2023. With the success he’s had on the sidelines since hanging up his pads and cleats, it’s safe to say the path he chose led him right where he needed to be.

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