Lane Kiffin: Kirby Smart 'took over' as leader at SEC Spring Meetings after Nick Saban's retirement

During his show on Tuesday, Paul Finebaum admitted he was still waiting for Nick Saban to arrive at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin. It’s the first time not having the former Alabama head coach present, potentially leaving a major hole in the meeting rooms from a leadership standpoint. Somebody would have to step up when conversations began.

With Day One completed, Kirby Smart appears the be the SEC’s new head coaching leader. When speaking to the media, Ole Miss‘ Lane Kiffin revealed Smart “took over” on Tuesday in the absence of Saban.

“Kirby kind of took over and is the lead now,” Kiffin said at SEC Spring Meetings via On3’s Jesse Simonton.

Saban was around the SEC for nearly two decades and spent 17 seasons with Alabama. His first stint with the conference was with the LSU Tigers, winning a national championship before leaving in favor of the NFL. Returning to the college game with the Crimson Tide built his legacy as one of, if not the greatest to ever do it, with many looking up to him.

If Smart takes on a similar role, his length of tenure and on-field success might be a reason why. Kentucky‘s Mark Stoops is the only head coach who has been at their current job longer. Smart was hired ahead of the 2016 season, entering his ninth year with Georgia.

Kiffin is tied for the third longest-tenured coach in the SEC, being hired in 2020 alongside Sam Pittman of Arkansas and Mizzou‘s Sam Pittman. Multiple new faces are in the building too.

The Saban coaching tree has been spread out all over the SEC and Smart has been, by far, the most successful of the bunch. His two national championships brought Georgia to the pinnacle of the college football world, hoping to reclaim the title in 2024. Beating Alabama head-to-head felt like a monkey was off the program’s back.

With the retirement of Saban, Smart likely takes over the role of college football’s best coach on the field.

Now, his off-field presence could shape the future of the sport with multiple important decisions pending. Whether it’s the College Football Playoff, new twists in the NIL world, or finding a way to perfect the NCAA transfer portal — the shaping of college football is still taking place.

And as the SEC leads the way alongside the Big Ten, head coaches and commissioner Greg Sankey will have important voices.