Kirby Smart is the new head coach at the University of Georgia, and looks to achieve more success here than former coach Mark Richt. This is Smart’s second coaching job here at Georgia, serving as a running backs coach under Richt in 2005. Smart is more of a defensive minded coach and looks to sure-up the defense in Athens, Georgia. Also a former player at UGA as a DB in the late 1990s.
Kirby Smart comes from the Bobby Bowden/Nick Saban coaching tree so success and hard nose defense should be in the near future. Smart got his coaching start at Georgia as an administrative assistant in 1999 after his playing career at Athens. After a few years at Valdosta State, he joins Bobby Bowden at FSU as a graduate assistant. In 2004, he became LSU’s defensive back coach under Saban. In 2007, joined Saban again at Alabama and became the defensive coordinator from 2008-2015.
In those 8 years, his defense has been number one points per game, yards per play, yards per game and opposing team’s QBR.
The 2015 Georgia Bulldogs were 9-3 in the regular season and tied for second in the SEC East. Kirby Smart’s 2016 Georgia Bulldogs will be returning majority of starters of both sides of the ball, including star running back Nick Chubb recovering from injury. Also a group of QB’s that have game experience and also high school verbal commit, Jacob Eason. Georgia and Smart also have a verbal commit in Julian Rochester, a 6’6 335 pound DL. Georgia is projected to be in the lead in recruiting 5-star ILB, Ben Davis.
“I’ve had opportunities, but I waited on a great opportunity, which is here at UGA,” Smart on how great a job Georgia is.
The pressure from the Georgia fans should not phase a man that has been on an Alabama team that is expected to win every game every year. UGA made a “smart” choice in the hiring of Kirby Smart as their 26th head coach in school history.