Georgia football: It’s simple, Kirby Smart wins SEC Media Days

When head coach Kirby Smart said that Georgia football would not be hunted but do the hunting, it was clear who the winner of SEC Media Days was.

There were so many perfectly executed quotes from the head ball coach that it’s hard to pin down all of them, but it’s simple, Smart nailed his interview and time in Atlanta.

Smart is a veteran at SEC Media Days now, and today proved that. He was confident and poised. The way he carried himself is a walking definition of why Georgia loves having him in charge of its football program.

It doesn’t matter how many SEC coaches remain on today’s or tomorrow’s lineup, and Smart takes home this crown too. He was personable and had just the right amount of sternness in his answers.

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart nails it in Atlanta at SEC Media Days.

From the time he opened his mouth until he finished, Smart had a command of the room that made people listen. There were no silly questions but ones that needed the answers he gave.

One of the best things that Smart did came during his opening statement when he mentioned Title IX celebrating its 50th anniversary — as a female, that meant a lot. As a girl dad and his wife, a former Lady Dog basketball player, that statement was a great way for him to be a little more human and show he has a side outside of football.

The way he defended starting quarterback Stetson Bennett needed to happen. That young man gets more criticism than he does praise, plus learning where Bennett is actually from was another personable and fun moment.

Nolan Smith had to run after giving Smart hair dye to eliminate the gray hairs, which is another great tidbit from the head coach. That bond he and Smith have was quite evident, so hearing fun stories like that is what fans enjoy as much as knowing how the team will be this season.

Sedrick Van Pran also received praise from his head coach for being someone the team can count on and for his leadership. This whole team is full of incredible guys who love wearing Red and Black.

However, it was how he talked about avoiding complacency, discussing the talent this team has, and the NIL comments that truly won him the title at SEC Media Days.

Smart discussed how 95 players have NIL deals on his team and the amount of them. It wasn’t about flashing that NIL to the kid before getting on campus but showing them how it can work to their advantage during their time in Athens.

All head coaches should take what Smart said about NIL deals and use it because that was textbook. Teaching these athletes how to handle their money, among other things, is how you succeed with NIL, and Smart sees that.

The Dawgs won’t be complacent this year because they won one title, and there are more to win. Smart had some great one-liners that should spark excitement across the fanbase. The one-hit-wonder line was another solid one from him, and that alone should ignite a fire within the team and this fanbase.

There wasn’t anything Smart said that raised a red flag. He nailed it in Atlanta. While there are more coaches to talk to, none will be able to top Smart and his time up there.

His presser should eliminate any of the sky is falling nonsense among the fanbase because the Dawgs are ready for war.