Kirby Smart further details his thoughts on Nick Saban’s retirement

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart did not believe it when he first heard that legendary Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban would be retiring from college football. Smart had heard that story before and was skeptical initially. However, true to the initial report, Nick Saban ended up retiring.

Smart, who was the defensive coordinator under Saban for four of Alabama’s national championships, coached with Saban at Alabama from 2007-2015. Saban, who goes down as the greatest college football coach of all-time with seven national championships, will be working on ESPN’s “College GameDay” this fall, so he will remain a prominent figure in the sport.

In a recent interview with 247Sports’ Josh Pate, Kirby Smart provided more details on what he thought about Nick Saban’s retirement.

Smart’s intial reaction

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

“I did not believe it immediately,” said Kirby Smart when he heard that Nick Saban would be retiring. It’s hard to blame Smart for this reaction, because rumors of Saban’s retirement had been happening for years.

How Smart heard about Saban’s retirement

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

“I got a text and was like hah. I don’t believe that. I’ve heard that before,” said Smart regarding how he got the news of Saban’s retirement.

On Saban’s lasting impact on him

Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

“I give Nick (Saban) a lot of credit. Nick was very impactful for my career, but every meeting I ever sat in with him — on his staff or as a head coach in the SEC for eight years… he was always in pursuit of what was best for the student athletes,” said Smart.

Kirby Smart absorbed a lot of knowledge from Nick Saban over the years and patiently waited before he accepted the head coaching job with the Georgia Bulldogs ahead of the 2016 college football season.

Smart…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kirby-smart-further-details-thoughts-165432446.html

Author : UGA Wire

Publish date : 2024-03-01 16:54:32

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