Kirby Smart on Georgia’s Path to NCAA Glory: A Journey Through Pressure and Expectation
When Kirby Smart took over as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs in 2016, he inherited a program rich in tradition but starved for national titles. Under his leadership, Georgia clawed its way to the pinnacle of college football, clinching national championships in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. But as Smart recently revealed, the road to just one title was far more challenging than many realize.
In a candid reflection, Smart emphasized that the burden of expectation in Athens was not just a motivational force—it was an ever-present pressure cooker. “At Georgia, you’re not just expected to win,” Smart explained. “You’re expected to win everything—every game, every recruit, every title. And if you don’t, the criticism comes fast and loud.” That weight, he says, can make every practice feel like a game and every game feel like a final exam.
The first few years under Smart were marked by close calls and heartbreak. The 2017 season saw Georgia fall agonizingly short in the national title game against Alabama, losing in overtime after a dramatic second-half comeback. “That loss hurt,” Smart admitted. “But it also lit a fire. We knew we were close—we just had to figure out how to finish.”
Smart described how building a championship culture involved more than just drawing up plays or recruiting five-star athletes. It required instilling a relentless mindset across the entire program—players, coaches, and support staff alike. “You don’t win a title just on Saturdays,” he said. “You win it on Monday mornings in the weight room. You win it on Tuesday nights studying film. You win it by pushing through the noise and staying focused on the mission.”
One of the biggest hurdles, according to Smart, was managing the psychological toll of being a perennial contender. “Every season begins with people saying ‘this is the year’—and if it’s not, it feels like a failure. That’s not healthy, but it’s reality. You have to shield your players from that and keep them focused on what they can control.”
Recruiting was another arena where the pressure was immense. With Georgia’s talent-rich home state and national spotlight, Smart knew there was no margin for error. “Everyone’s watching. One bad class, one missed eval, and you fall behind. The competition isn’t just Alabama or Ohio State—it’s every school trying to take your spot.”
Even after Georgia finally captured the elusive title in 2021, Smart noted that the pressure didn’t ease—it doubled. “Once you win one, the expectation becomes to win every year. There’s no letting up.”
Still, despite the mental, emotional, and physical grind, Smart remains driven. “Winning that first title was validation. Winning the second proved it wasn’t a fluke. But I’ll tell you—the first one? That was the hardest. That was the one that took everything we had.”
For Kirby Smart, the journey to a national championship wasn’t just about football—it was a battle against history, expectation, and the intense spotlight of the SEC. And while Georgia now stands among college football’s elite, Smart knows better than anyone: staying there is even tougher than getting there.
