The Georgia Bulldogs have been at the peak of college football for nearly a decade now. Specifically, Kirby Smart is at the mountain top of college football. The head coach for the Bulldogs has won 11 games in a season in eight of his 10 years at Georgia, and one of those was due to the COVID year that cut the season short.
With all the buzz surrounding other programs about job security with their head coach, Georgia fans are comfortable knowing they have Smart for the long haul. Why is that? The reason is loyalty. Coach Smart and the Bulldogs are proof that loyalty still matters in college football.
Alumni coaches stay longer, and so does Kirby Smart
Where else would you want to coach than where your roots are? If you do not coach where you are from, what other factors play into your decision to coach at a certain program? If you are Lane Kiffin, Alex Golesh, or any other coach that has made a recent jump, it is where the most likely place to succeed is. Kiffin left Ole Miss to pursue a better opportunity to succeed at LSU, and you cannot blame him. Kiffin also has no roots at Oxford.
History proves this just the same. Nick Saban had no ties to LSU, so he left for a better job in the NFL before coming back to college football. Brian Kelly had no ties to Notre Dame, so he left for a better job opportunity at LSU. What about those who coach at the school where they once played? Brent Key has stated numerous times he will not entertain leaving Georgia Tech. Mario Cristobal of Miami left his job at Oregon to stick with his alma mater and has shown no signs of ever leaving. Fans of these programs will never be worried of their coaches leaving.
While blue blood programs are offering top dollar to try and land the biggest names in the market, Georgia is the prime example of why hiring former players makes a huge difference. Smart has brought unprecedented success at Georgia, and fans will never worry about him leaving for a different university. The same can be said for fans of the Hurricanes and the Yellow Jackets. Loyalty to your school matters, and other programs should be taking note of that.