Kirby Smart reveals what made him want to work for Nick Saban

Kirby Smart never had any qualms about working for Nick Saban. Three separate times, the Georgia coach chose to work for Saban at three different stops.

First, Smart was hired as a defensive backs coach while Saban was at LSU in 2004. Afterwards, Smart joined Saban in the NFL — hired in 2006 as a defensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins. Finally, Saban brought Smart with him to Alabama in 2007 — the place where the two coaches had an unparalleled level of success together.

In an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay, Smart detailed what led him to follow Saban on multiple occasions.

“Accountability,” stated Smart. “I appreciate everything he’s done for my career. He’s done for a lot of coach’s careers .. a lot for college football. I don’t think he gets enough appreciation for how consistent his teams have performed. I was fortunate to be a part of a lot of that, and he’s done it since I’ve left.

“But the accountability — he holds everybody in the organization accountable for their job. It makes you feel comfortable that you’re going to be successful, and you can go recruit good players. They want to be part of that.”

Kirby Smart is thankful for everything Nick Saban has done for his career. Without him, he likely wouldn’t be coaching the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. Still, that won’t stop him from putting everything into defeating his mentor in the SEC Championship.

Kirby Smart vs. Nick Saban: The Series

It’s the third time Smart and Saban will face off, and Saban had the edge the other two times. In addition to the 2018 SEC title game, Alabama defeated Georgia 41-24 in the regular season last year en route to a national championship.

But things are different this time around. Georgia boasts the best defense in the country, holding teams to just 6.9 points per game. Alabama, meanwhile, has the fifth-best offense in the country, to the tune of 42.7 points per game.

It’s going to be the toughest challenge either unit has faced. Georgia hasn’t faced an offense of Alabama’s caliber, and the Crimson Tide haven’t faced a defense like the Bulldogs’. It should be strength vs. strength on Saturday.

The quarterback matchup should also be interesting. Stetson Bennett will once again start under center for Georgia, and he’ll be facing off against Heisman contender Bryce Young. They lead the two best scoring offenses in the SEC — Alabama averages 42.7 points per game and Georgia is right behind with 40.7.

Alabama is an underdog in the game, which kicks off Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on CBS.