Nick Saban, Kirby Smart open up on text messages and secret golf trips
Nick Saban and Kirby Smart are enemies on the field, but can still share a smile. During an appearance on the SEC Network on Friday, the two elite head coaches pulled back the curtain on their unique relationship.
“He’s said a lot of nice things to me,” Smart said of Saban. “We had a lot of great times together. My memories and passion, he always took the time — regardless of the outcome of a game — he goes after the game and he congratulates the players. It’s something I still do to this day, I learned from him.
“They’re out there competing and doing things, and then he comes into the coaching staff and he tells them, ‘Good job,’ and those things. But I think he’s opened up a little more as he’s gotten more friendly. He even texted me back for the first time ever this year.”
It’s a big step for Saban. The 72-year-old head coach has little time to learn about technology when he’s consumed with football. Nonetheless, he’s picked up the basics.
Nick Saban fires back
“I learned how to text simple. Like, three words. No punctuations, none of that. That’s way beyond my level of expertise,” Saban said. “But I’ve got to tell you, Kirby managed his time with me better than any coach we ever had.
“I used to sneak out, like, at 3 in the afternoon in the spring and go play golf. Well, there’s two golf courses. So he knew who I played golf with. I had a group of four or five guys. So as soon as I left, he would call and say, ‘Where are you guys playing today?’ Then he would take four coaches and go play at the other course.”
Smart confessed to his ingenious game plan.
“I learned early on in my career, you’ve got to figure out who’s best friends with a coach so you know where he’s headed so you can head opposite,” Smart said. “It was always important. A couple times, we had mistakes where he showed up where we were, we all had to disperse. We had to go hide.”
A history of winning
Jokes aside, Saban and Smart have no shortage of fond memories together. In 2004, Smart spent one season under Saban as LSU’s defensive backs coach. Just three years later, Smart reunited with Saban in Alabama.
Saban hired Smart as an assistant coach on January 9, 2007. Saban promoted him to defensive coordinator just over one year later. Under Saban’s tutelage, Smart boosted Alabama to four national titles. On Dec. 6, 2015 Smart took over as head coach at Georgia.
Since Smart joined the Bulldogs, Alabama is 4-1 against Georgia. However, Smart had the last laugh. The two programs’ last meeting was two years ago in the national championship. Georgia walked away with a 33-18 victory and the first of its back-to-back titles.
Now, the two titans will meet again, and there’s more than a few silly texts and golf games on the line. On Saturday, Alabama and Georgia will square off in the SEC Championship at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on CBS.