From OnlineAthens.com
May 31st, 2016 03:04 PM
DESTIN, Fla. | Kirby Smart’s first SEC spring meeting media availability didn’t draw a big crowd.
It was just five media members who cover Georgia. Later, a reporter from Bleacher Report joined in the Emerald Room B at the Sandestin Beach Hilton to speak to the Bulldogs first-year football coach.
It’s not that Smart isn’t a big storyline this offseason because the former Alabama defensive coordinator taking over for Mark Richt at Georgia is one of the most watched new hires nationally. The small group of reporters was because Smart and men’s basketball coach Mark Fox were running late getting a rental car at the Destin airport, which pushed Smart’s time up against that of hs his former boss, Alabama coach Nick Saban, in a room a floor below.
“Oh, is he next?” Smart said. “That’s good planning.”
The rookie head coach wasn’t planning on making a lot of waves during his two days here, but wasn’t going to sit quietly either in the meeting room.
“I don’t have an agenda,” Smart said. “I’ll be doing a lot of listening, but obviously if I’m asked a question or an opinion, I do think I’ve got a little different perspective than maybe some of the guys in the room in that I’ve been on the road a lot more recently in the last nine years than a lot of these guys have. They’re only allowed to go out (recruiting) in January, December. I’m out the whole way and I have been for nine years.”
That gives him a unique insight into some of the issues that will be discussed behind closed doors when Smart and the other 13 head coaches get together Tuesday and Wednesday.
Will Muschamp, the South Carolina coach on his second SEC head coaching stop after being fired from Florida, didn’t sound like he was concerned of his good friend Smart handling another responsibility of his new gig.
“He doesn’t need any help,” Mushcamp said. “He’ll be fine. He’s a good football coach. He’ll be fine. We have talked a lot. He doesn’t need any advice from me.
Smart spent part of his Memorial Day weekend attending a wedding in Rome of a college teammate.
Former Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, now Colorado State’s head coach, attended.
“It was good to catch up,” Smart said. “A lot of ex old players.”
Smart brought along his wife, Mary Beth, to this resort in northwest Florida.
“I don’t know if I’m ever going to see her because we’re flying back out tomorrow,” Smart said. “She came. I think she wanted to find out what it was about. It’s business for me for sure.”
This is Fox’s eighth SEC spring meetings so he knows what Smart has in store.
“It will be a good trip for him,” Fox said. “I know he’s excited. He’s going to do a lot of things for the first time. This is the first time. He’s very well-prepared.”
Smart kept tabs of the issues coming out of the meetings when he was an Alabama assistant and Saban presented a report to his staff on developments.
“Nine years of hearing that, I know a lot of what’s going to go on,” Smart said.
...READ MORE HERE...
May 31st, 2016 03:04 PM
DESTIN, Fla. | Kirby Smart’s first SEC spring meeting media availability didn’t draw a big crowd.
It was just five media members who cover Georgia. Later, a reporter from Bleacher Report joined in the Emerald Room B at the Sandestin Beach Hilton to speak to the Bulldogs first-year football coach.
It’s not that Smart isn’t a big storyline this offseason because the former Alabama defensive coordinator taking over for Mark Richt at Georgia is one of the most watched new hires nationally. The small group of reporters was because Smart and men’s basketball coach Mark Fox were running late getting a rental car at the Destin airport, which pushed Smart’s time up against that of hs his former boss, Alabama coach Nick Saban, in a room a floor below.
“Oh, is he next?” Smart said. “That’s good planning.”
The rookie head coach wasn’t planning on making a lot of waves during his two days here, but wasn’t going to sit quietly either in the meeting room.
“I don’t have an agenda,” Smart said. “I’ll be doing a lot of listening, but obviously if I’m asked a question or an opinion, I do think I’ve got a little different perspective than maybe some of the guys in the room in that I’ve been on the road a lot more recently in the last nine years than a lot of these guys have. They’re only allowed to go out (recruiting) in January, December. I’m out the whole way and I have been for nine years.”
That gives him a unique insight into some of the issues that will be discussed behind closed doors when Smart and the other 13 head coaches get together Tuesday and Wednesday.
Will Muschamp, the South Carolina coach on his second SEC head coaching stop after being fired from Florida, didn’t sound like he was concerned of his good friend Smart handling another responsibility of his new gig.
“He doesn’t need any help,” Mushcamp said. “He’ll be fine. He’s a good football coach. He’ll be fine. We have talked a lot. He doesn’t need any advice from me.
Smart spent part of his Memorial Day weekend attending a wedding in Rome of a college teammate.
Former Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, now Colorado State’s head coach, attended.
“It was good to catch up,” Smart said. “A lot of ex old players.”
Smart brought along his wife, Mary Beth, to this resort in northwest Florida.
“I don’t know if I’m ever going to see her because we’re flying back out tomorrow,” Smart said. “She came. I think she wanted to find out what it was about. It’s business for me for sure.”
This is Fox’s eighth SEC spring meetings so he knows what Smart has in store.
“It will be a good trip for him,” Fox said. “I know he’s excited. He’s going to do a lot of things for the first time. This is the first time. He’s very well-prepared.”
Smart kept tabs of the issues coming out of the meetings when he was an Alabama assistant and Saban presented a report to his staff on developments.
“Nine years of hearing that, I know a lot of what’s going to go on,” Smart said.
...READ MORE HERE...
