Kirby Smart like a son, according to Nick Saban
By John Buhler
Kirby Smart is “like a son” to Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. Saban spoke very highly of UGA’s new head coach during today’s CFP presser.
With the College Football Playoff National Championship Game only a day away, Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban spoke very highly of incoming head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs Kirby Smart, who will close out his commitment to Alabama as its defensive coordinator on Monday.
Nick Saban said the following Kirby Smart during this morning’s press conference at the J.W Marriott’s Camelback Inn in Paradise Valley, Arizona, “Kirby has done a fantastic job in every way, in terms of relationships with plays, development of players, recruiting players, doing a good job of implementing scheme, system, getting people to buy in and believe…he’s stuck here with us and done a really good job as far as trying to finish this year for our players. I think that’s the number one reason he’s here.”
Smart had mentioned previously that he couldn’t in good conscience leave the Alabama program during their College Football Playoff run. He took a page out of what former Ohio State offensive coordinator and current Houston head coach Tom Herman did last year during the Buckeyes’ title run by sticking with his former employer until their season’s completion.
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Saban, well aware that this is the final game that he will have Kirby Smart with him on the sideline, he added that “it’s sort of like [having] a son and he’s moving away, and you want to see him do really, really well.”
Kirby Smart has been with Nick Saban in three different stops: the LSU Tigers, the Miami Dolphins, and the Alabama Crimson Tide over the last twelve plus years. Part of being a national powerhouse like the Alabama Crimson Tide means that great coordinators and position coaches like Kirby Smart will eventually become head coaches at great programs in the Power 5.
Saban has done a great job of replacing coaches like Jim McElwain, Doug Nussmeier, and now Kirby Smart. Former UGA defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will go back to his alma mater and lead the Crimson Tide defense.
Smart will bring with him Alabama defensive backs coach Mel Tucker as his new defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia, as well as Glenn Schumann, a defensive quality control assistant that has been on Smart’s defensive staff the last four years at Tuscaloosa.
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With nearly the entire 2016 coaching staff in place, Kirby Smart just needs to hire an inside linebackers coach before being fully committed to the Dawgs for 2016 spring practice. Classes start in Athens on Monday and UGA will have six early enrollees including quarterback Jacob Eason, offensive tackle Ben Cleveland, and newly committed tight end Isaac Nauta. Go Dawgs!