Kirby Smart describes his relationship with Mike Leach

Kirby Smart and Mike Leach are readying to do battle this weekend, but there’s a ton of respect between the two coaches.

While Georgia needs a victory over Leach’s Mississippi State program to continue their march to the College Football Playoff, the Bulldogs leader took a moment to elaborate on his past with Leach, and praise his coaching abilities.

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“I enjoy being around him,” stated Smart. “I don’t know him that well, probably as well as I know some others, because he was out west for a large time I’ve been coaching here, but he was at Valdosta State while I was in high school,” began Smart. “His staff recruited me to go to Valdosta State from right down the road, so I knew he was there at that time. Known a lot about him and followed his career. … Got a lot of respect for what he does. He’s evolved too, he’s not stayed exactly the same.

“Their backs and their commitment to the run has been different from the so-called just air raid, and he’s brought that physically to the SEC, in terms of what he does.”

While they’ve never crossed paths on the same coaching staff, it’s indisputable that both Kirby Smart and Mike Leach are tremendous coaches. Both men recognizes that in the other, but only one can find victory over the other when their teams take the field on Saturday.

Kirby Smart previews Mississippi State crowd, compares SEC environments to NFL

Continuing, road wins over Mississippi State and Kentucky are all that stand in the way between Georgia and another SEC title game berth. This week, they head to Starkville, where 50,000 cowbells will serenade the field as the Dawgs attempt to stay undefeated. Few rowdier environments exist in the SEC, or in college football. 

The trip to face the SEC’s other Bulldogs is a rare one for Georgia, who sees the SEC West foe every once every five years. So very few, if any, of the current UGA players have experienced the cowbell ensemble in the Mississippi State stands. 

Kirby Smart considers the cowbells a “huge competitive advantage,” but respects the tradition of it. After all, those sort of longstanding rituals are why SEC crowds and environments are simply the best in sports. He spoke at length this week on that point, explaining that SEC football environments are the best in the sport, even better than the NFL.

“It’s why there’s a home and away and it’s why I always say in the SEC it’s greater than NFL, other than the playoffs. Because the environment is not the same in any conference at the Division I level of football as it is in the SEC when you play on the road. 

“And I’ve been in this conference for 20-something years and I’ve seen it. I know what it does in terms of the effect it has on pass rush, the effect it has on momentum. And it’s something you really can’t measure. So you have to prepare the right way, and it’s a firm reason why I believe in practical crowd noise throughout the year, because both sides of the ball need it.

“I mean, they’re passionate, you know. I can’t say that it’s unique, because every SEC school is that way, I feel. There at Missouri it was loud and passionate. I do think there’s a feeling historical because it’s a rural community that that everybody comes from afar and everybody’s sold out and in love with their football team. That’s what they have to hang their hat on. Their pride in which is usually indicative of all SEC schools, but especially there.”