Kirby Smart was the highest paid coach for all of a month

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart signed a Brinks-truck-sized contract in July, but it didn’t take long before his mentor Nick Saban got an even bigger contract to become the highest-paid coach in college football once again.

No, we’re not shocked. We’re not even upset that Smart isn’t the highest-paid coach anymore because, at the end of the day, it’s just money. Both men love what they do and have the jobs they want, so whoever holds the title of the highest-paid coach is truly irrelevant.

Don’t tell Alabama fans that because they will argue until they’re blue in the face, but Georgia fans should be happy with Smart’s $10.25million salary. That money is a massive step up from what he was making, which should keep him happy and in Athens for a long time.

So while it was great that Smart got the hefty contract, Saban took the title away from him not even a full month after Georgia announced their extension.

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart is the second-highest-paid coach.

So, how much money will Alabama’s long-time head coach make moving forward? Saban will make $11.7 million annually, which is an astronomical amount for a college football coach, but he is the best.

There is a reason Saban got that money, and Georgia fans should respect that. He is the greatest coach in modern football and proves it every year.

The blessing in disguise here, though, is Smart is just getting started in his head coaching career while Saban is on the tail end of his. Saban now has a contract through 2030 but has a clause that will allow him to leave in 2025 if he wants to.

He can leave on his terms after four years because he is Saban. So maybe the Tide should reevaluate because to think Saban will be around until 2030, putting him at 78 years old, it’s hard to believe he will still want to be coaching. Maybe I’m wrong, and he will want to coach at that age, but it’s hard to imagine.

Smart is heading into his seventh season with the Dawgs and just signed that 10-year contract in July. If he continues to have similar success, there is no reason Georgia wouldn’t want him to stick around even longer. Smart is a young and flourishing coach, so having that option is a recipe for long-term success.

Georgia football doesn’t want to lose Smart, so reevaluating that contract when the time comes will be a priority. Let Saban have the highest-paid title for now because Smart is playing the long ball and is next in line for greatness.