Kirby Smart was close to Nick Saban before taking over as head coach of Georgia and winning two national titles. Prior to spending eight straight seasons at Alabama, Smart worked under Nick Saban for ten years, first at LSU and then with the Miami Dolphins.
Now that Saban was retired, Smart related the story of the first time he and his staff had heard Saban yell at them. When Smart was originally hired by Saban in 2004 to take over for Lance Thompson as LSU’s defensive backs coach, Thompson informed him that working for Saban was “like dog years.” Smart revealed this to ESPN’s Chris Low and Harry Lyles Jr.
During the interview, Smart made a critical error, so Saban invited him to meet his wife at his house on Super Bowl Sunday.
“I just said, ‘I don’t get it,’ while I was at ease and pleased with how things were going. Here, it’s said that working is similar to dog years. I have no idea why on earth I said it. Just stupid, Smart said to ESPN. “Consider it. Why would you ever tell an employer you’re attempting to acquire a job with something like that? However, I did. I suppose I didn’t feel overpowered or afraid. I wasn’t old enough to understand better.
At the time, Smart had recently completed his second year of graduate assistantship at Florida State, making him 29 years old. The young assistant was suggested by former LSU defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who indicated the following day that Saban was upset that a staff member had made such remark.
“I managed to get the job despite getting the entire staff fired,” Smart remarked.
In the end, Smart made it work, moving up Saban’s staff to become Georgia’s head coach and having a great tenure. But at the time, a young Smart’s big mouth nearly ruined it all.
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