Georgia football has had a ton of success under Kirby Smart. That might be the most obvious statement anyone could make about Georgia football, but that statement is what makes the next question such an interesting debate.
Which season was Smart's best as a coach?
Obviously the two National Championship seasons stand out as well as the first season Georgia won the SEC under Smart. But there is an argument for this past season as well, and that is a stance that On3's JD Pickell is taking.
"Georgia in 2024 was Kirby Smart's best coaching job of his career."
JD Pickell of @ON3 had an unpopular opinion on #Georgia’s 2024 football season.👀
— Dawg Recruiting (@DawggRecruiting) February 7, 2025
What are y’all’s thoughts? Was it the best? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/fXtxyYP6v6
Is this claim true?
At this point in Smart's career, it will always be pretty bold to claim that Smart's most recent season is his best coaching job. Reason being that he has already won two National Championships, so how could a season that doesn't end in lifting the College Football Playoff trophy be the best of his career?
While winning a National Championship is the ultimate goal, there are countless other things that go into determining which year was Smart's best as a coach. And most of those things have to do with the adversity Georgia faced and overcame during the season, and Georgia faced more than their fair sure of adversity.
For starters, Georgia's 2024 schedule might have been the most difficult schedule UGA has ever faced in the history of their program. The Bulldogs ended up playing the top four teams in the SEC (behind Georgia) in the regular season with three of them coming on the road, and they were still able to make the SEC Championship game. Not only did they make the SEC Championship game, but they beat Texas for the second time as underdogs to win the conference title.
On top of that obvious achievement, Georgia also had to deal with a lot of tough moments in their locker room. This includes their running back room suffering countless injuries and the wide receivers leading the nation in drops.
So while many Georgia fans (myself included) might still claim one of Georgia's National Championship seasons as Smart's best, there is a good argument for the 2024 season as well. But at the end of the day, it's awesome that this is even a debate because it shows how great Georgia has been throughout Smart's tenure.