Kirby Smart explains how hard work to build championship culture paid off

Kirby Smart knows a thing or two about championship culture. He was a vital part of Alabama’s success during his time as the defensive coordinator with the Crimson Tide taking home national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015. Now he’s built his own championship culture at Georgia with the Bulldogs winning an SEC championship in 2017 and a national title in 2021.

“That culture’s not something that’s easily achieved. It’s something we’ve worked really continuously – we’re intentional about the way we work at it,” Smart said on Friday to the Crain & Company podcast crew. “We have a lot of exercises to help the older players, to help the younger players, to get buy in.”

“I think your players stay when they have the opportunity to come out,” he added. “Guys like Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt could have easily left last year and probably been second or third round picks. They both end up staying. They both end up going in the first round. That really helps your culture because more guys want to do that. But we wouldn’t have great culture here if we didn’t have a great staff. We’ve got a tremendous staff here that works tirelessly to make sure the culture’s right.”

Smart continued to talk about the NFL Draft, being asked about Georgia’s five first round picks and record-breaking 15 overall. While the players were impressive, he once again went back to the culture and how it helped breed success.

‘it certainly helps in recruiting, but it made me proud. I’m a proud UGA alum already, but to have that happen under our watch, our staff, it’s just incredible,” Smart said. “It spreads a lot of wealth out there. I’m looking out my window, the strength staff, they’re running with the kids, they get a lot of that credit. Our player development staff, they get a lot of that credit. Our recruiting staff, you have all these departments within your organization, and none of it would be successful without the players. All these little parts add up to make for a really great organization that had five guys picked. It was a great honor, it was cool, and we’re trying to do it again. We’re on to the next one.”

On to the next one. That’s Kirby Smart’s mantra too when it comes to winning the National Championship, and it’s a result of the Georgia championship culture. He knows that he’s only as good as his last game and his last season. It’s that, ‘What have you done for me recently?’ mentality that keeps Kirby Smart hungry, even when he’s already satisfied the fanbase more than anybody in the last 40 years.

“It was gratifying because you do it for all the others. You do it for the families of the staff, the organization. It was so gratifying for myself because we never won one while I was here. It was always something that I wanted to achieve, and we want to go achieve again,” Smart said. “For me, it was what you do your job for. You work really hard, try to be the best at what you do, and we were able to accomplish that last year. But the minute that it’s over, as a coach and a competitor, there’s not one competitor that I know that’s not thinking about the next at bat, the next shot you’ll have and how you can do it better. That’s what we’ve done here. Our staff’s turned the page, and we’re trying to get better for the next one.”

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