Kirby Smart's UGA roots completely explain his attitude towards recruit flips

Kirby Smart has always brought a special personal aspect to being the head coach at Georgia. He is a former Bulldog player himself, suiting up and playing defensive back between the hedges from 1995 to 1998. His opportunity to play for Ray Goff first and then Jim Donnan, came about because a spot opened up in the Bulldogs' recruiting class.

It's something that he acknowledges and does so without shame. Sure, there was someone, Steve Johnson, that Georgia had recruited for that slot, but he chose not to be part of the class and Smart was the next guy up. It was a classic case of the right guy being around the corner, and it's something that Smart carries with him during these stressful months of recruiting on the trail.

Smart, who appeared with Shannon Spake on the "Sons and Daughters" podcast relayed part of the story that made him a Bulldog:

I went on official visits to Georgia Southern, Southern Miss and Florida. Florida was really recruiting me. And Georgia was kind of off the radar. I loved Georgia and I grew up really wanting to go to Georgia, but I didn't get an offer from Georgia until right around February of my senior year.... Georgia called. A kid decommitted, I will never forget. He said I am not coming to Georgia, I am going to Tennessee because Tennessee was really good at the time. And the coach at Georgia, Ray Goff at the time, called me and said, Kirby, we have a scholarship available. It's yours if you want it."

Kirby Smart uses his own story as an example of the journey in recruiting

Smart is a great recruiter. He and his staff have delivered top-five recruiting classes to Athens since he took the job in 2016. The Bulldogs have been a factor in the recruitment of many of the top recruits in the country for well over a decade and, during that time, Smart has won his fair share of these battles and lost some. There have been times that he received a commitment from a blue-chip prospect, only to see that player end up in another class by flipping on Signing Day or before. It recently happened with Donte Wright and, yes, it is absolutely frustrating for fans and probably annoying for coaches. 

But Smart understands that it also opens up an opportunity for the next guy to take advantage of. He wants to field great teams that can compete for championships, but Smart also wants guys that want to play for him and be at Georgia. It can't be strictly a strictly transactional agreement every time. There has to be some substance there because playing football for the Bulldogs is tough and Smart is going to be tough on his players to get the best out of them. Not everyone is cut out for that life, but Smart knows that plenty of student-athletes are cut out and will jump at the opportunity to be a Bulldog. He was one of them. 

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