Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart is a football genius. Bulldog fans may think otherwise, based on some of Smart's statements this season, but these three quotes show how Smart's intense focus keeps all the fan noise and critics' chatter away.
There three quotes stand out the most by far.
1. "PFE is one of the things we're looking for"
As noted by 247sports.com, Coach Smart was talking about passion, fire, and energy for the 2025 season. Those factors were what he looked for in fall camp and what he continues to keep as the focus for the remainder of this season.
Critics point to a close game with Tennessee or the loss to Alabama, but Smart swats all that away with laser intensity on preparing the Bulldogs for the next game.
2. "I don’t lose sleep over that"
Bulldog fans fell all over themselves when Smart said this after the Alabama game, as reported by Dawgnation. But it shows what a great coach he is to acknowledge a loss and move on to preparing for the next opponent. What critics and fans thought might have been flippant is really a statement from a football genius who knows it's hared to win every game.
Maybe, deep down, in places he doesn't talk about at parties (or press conferences), Smart is bothered by being 1-7 versus Alabama. But for the football public, he keeps laser focus on being a coach of elite football players.
3. "I don't think we should have won that game"
As if anyone watching the Georgia's game against Tennessee didn't already know, Coach Smart's admission again reveals his high coaching IQ. Sure, he will take the win, but he knows that luck fell the Bulldogs' way that game. A lesser coach might have been tempted to take credit for the win, like he outcoached the other team. Not Smart. He knows Georgia benefitted from a kicker's miss on the Vols side.
Perhaps critics and fans alike can learn from Coach Smart about how to view college football games, especially those involving the Georgia Bulldogs. Take the wins, celebrate, and move on to the next game. Accept the loss, learn, and prepare for the next opportunity.
The genius of Smart is that he knows he's built a fantastic organization at UGA, from recruiting and NIL support, to coaching and fanbase and beyond. So instead of treating each game as if it's life or death like fans, Coach Smart takes a longer, wider view of it. And that's why he is the best of the best.