![Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart gives his son Andrew Smart, 8, a hug after defeating the Gators at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 29, 2022 in the second half. Georgia defeated Florida 42-20. AndrewÕs birthday was Saturday. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Georgia Bulldogs](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/d23c3fb33cc3308a70707e47abb3b239c8031e19a5c1080b9c038444d85302a8.jpg "Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart gives his son Andrew Smart, 8, a hug after defeating the Gators at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 29, 2022 in the second half. Georgia defeated Florida 42-20. AndrewÕs birthday was Saturday. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Georgia Bulldogs")
Seven years ago today, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart officially took the job in Athens. Since that day, the whirlwind of what the program has become is everything Georgia fans could have wanted.
Granted, a couple more national championships would have been great, but those shortcomings taught Smart and his teams’ the lessons that made 2021 happen — not to mention what continues to happen this season. Success does not come easy, and Smart knows this. Despite having so much of it in his first seven seasons as Georgia’s head coach, only the staff and players know how hard it was to get here.
When Smart took over the program, former head coach Mark Richt left it in good shape. The program needed work, but it wasn’t nearly as low as some of the other programs we’ve seen hiring new head coaches every few years. Smart stepped into the perfect scenario — all he had to do was add his touch to the program and implement his culture. While that statement made it sound straightforward, it wasn’t because that took work.
Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart continues to prove he will be one of the best coaches ever.
Richt got Georgia a long way, but Smart took it over the hump and to another level. He got the facility and coaching changes he needed and ensured recruiting skyrocketed to being among the top 3 every year. Smart got the things he needed, which helped elevate Georgia football to the level fans and many individuals knew it could be.
Programs are envious of what Smart has been able to make happen in seven years at Georgia. No one has publically said they are jealous, but if we read between the lines, it makes sense. It shows in the numerous coaching changes the rest of the SEC East and other rivals have made.
In seven years to the date of his hiring, Smart sits at 78-15 overall record, won the eastern division five times, one SEC title and one national championship. Smart also has Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Liberty Bowl wins. He is 1-1 in national championship games, and his only losing record is currently in the SEC title game, where the Dawgs are 1-3 under him.
Smart is seven years into his tenure at Georgia, but it seems like the Dawgs are just beginning to hit their stride. He is adjusting his coaching to the changing world of college football with NIL deals and the transfer portal making it even more challenging to keep guys on the team. Smart has everything it takes to eventually be one of the greatest college football coaches ever, and this year proves that.
After losing 15 to the NFL draft, his Dawgs are once again 12-0, heading to another SEC Championship and eying another playoff run. Georgia is currently on a 27-game regular season win streak outscoring opponents 1,103-273.
Georgia football is currently in one of the greatest runs in this program’s history. The Dawgs dominate every week, and no one seems strong enough to get in their way. Smart will prove himself even more if he can coach this team to back-to-back national championships. That run doesn’t happen often, but those teams go down in history when it does.