Kirby Smart has done many things since taking over the Georgia Bulldogs. But one thing he’s struggled with is beating Alabama.
Granted, a lot of that had to do with their now-former coach. Nick Saban patrolled the sidelines from 2007 to 2023 before he retired this January. Smart would know, as he served under Saban since he arrived in 2007 and then as his defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2015.
But the record is what the record is. Smart is 1-5 against Alabama in his coaching career. That one win came in the National Championship Game; certainly, something to hang your hat on, but that’s still 1-5. Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt highlighted that less-than-stellar record in this series on The Joel Klatt Show on Wednesday.
“I actually think there’s more pressure on Kirby Smart,” Klatt declared as it related to him and Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. Klatt continued his argument.
“Kirby Smart has done everything in the sport, and he has dominated everybody in the sport. He is, as I just proclaimed, the best coach right now in college football. However, the only thing that he did not do was really overtake his mentor, Nick Saban.”
Klatt then brought up Smart‘s 1-5 record. He noted that Alabama was their only struggle even during this dominant run.
“So this narrative around Kirby Smart, at least for me, is he’s the best coach in college football. But he couldn’t beat Nick Saban. So, if Kirby Smart were to actually lose this game on Saturday, that’s actually a giant issue,” he said. “Because it goes from a Nick Saban problem Smart had to an Alabama problem he still has.”
It’s an undercurrent right now, but if Georgia falls to Alabama, Klatt is right that it’ll soon become an issue discussed in much broader ways.
