SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum calls UGA’s Kirby Smart a “superstar” coach

The SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum had high praise for Kirby Smart this week.

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Finebaum is the host of The Paul Finebaum Show on the SEC Network, which is one of the most popular SEC and college football-based shows in not only the Southeast but also the entire country. Finebaum has covered the Southeastern Conference for many years, and people listen when he talks SEC football.

On Tuesday, Finebaum fielded a phone call from a caller who asked which Saban disciple would have more success in their coaching careers – South Carolina’s Will Muschamp, Florida’s Jim McElwain or Georgia’s Kirby Smart. Finebaum said that Kirby Smart would have more success in the long run and lavished praise on the first-year head coach,

“I think it’s a close call between McElwain and Kirby Smart, but I think it’s Kirby Smart. Short term, I think it is McElwain, but I just think Kirby Smart is a superstar.”

Finebaum elaborated further on his feelings,

“I like him (McElwain) immensely, but he is a little bit different as you know, and I think Kirby Smart is so much like Saban. I think they both will be successful. I think Kirby Smart will ultimately win championships.”

That is big praise from a guy who is not known to dish it out lightly. Finebaum truly believes the things he says when he says them. That is why this stood out to me so much.

To have Smart be picked over McElwain as the better coach by Finebaum should be a huge encouragement to all UGA fans. That is a great place to be in.

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McElwain is an outstanding coach who had an excellent first year at Florida, and I believe was a big reason for the demise of Mark Richt. McElwain came into a rough situation at Florida last year and led the program to an unprecedented double-digit win season and an SEC Eastern Division Championship. For his efforts, he was named the 2015 SEC Coach of the Year for the incredible coaching job he did in his first year in the Swamp.

So safe to say, Finebaum picking Smart as a better long-term coach than McElwain is certainly saying something. Smart has yet to coach a regular season game as a head coach in his career, but the expectations for his success are through the roof.

Smart has certainly said all the right things, recruited extremely well and created a new buzz about the program. Let’s see if he can live up to this high billing on the field starting this fall.