Kirby Smart
Encyclopedia
Kirby Smart is the defensive coordinator
for the University of Alabama
.
Bearcats. He then moved on to play defensive back for the University of Georgia
Bulldogs. As a senior, he was a first-team All-SEC
pick. He finished his career with 13 interceptions, which is currently fourth on the all-time Georgia ranks. He was also a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
in 1999, serving one season as an administrative assistant. He then moved to Valdosta State
where he spent two seasons as defensive backs coach then being promoted to defensive coordinator in the 2001 season. Between the 2002–2003 football season, Smart was a graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden
at Florida State
. Smart spent one season in 2004 under LSU
head coach Nick Saban
. Smart then moved back to the Georgia Bulldogs football program as he served as the team's running backs coach for the 2005 season. His only season in the NFL occurred in 2006 in which he served under Nick Saban again, this time as Miami's safeties coach.
In January 2007, Smart once again followed Nick Saban after Saban was named the head football coach at the University of Alabama
. On January 9, Saban named Smart as an assistant coach. On February 27, 2008, Smart was promoted to the team's defensive coordinator.
On December 8, 2009, Smart was awarded the Broyles Award
for the nation's best assistant coach. He is the first Alabama assistant coach to win the award.
Smart considered a lucrative contract to be the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, the University of Georgia
, but chose to stay with the Tide in early January 2010. On February 2, 2010, the University of Alabama System's Board Of Trustees voted to more than double Smart's salary and extend his contract a year making Smart the highest-paid football assistant on head coach Nick Saban's staff.
in 2003. He is married to Mary Beth Lycett, who played basketball for the University of Georgia.
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
.
Playing career
The son of a coach himself, Smart started his football career playing High School ball with the Bainbridge High School (Georgia)Bainbridge High School (Georgia)
Bainbridge High School is a public high school located in Bainbridge, Georgia, USA. The school is part of the Decatur County School District which serves Decatur County, Georgia.- History :...
Bearcats. He then moved on to play defensive back for the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
Bulldogs. As a senior, he was a first-team All-SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
pick. He finished his career with 13 interceptions, which is currently fourth on the all-time Georgia ranks. He was also a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Coaching career
Smart began his coaching career with the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 1999, serving one season as an administrative assistant. He then moved to Valdosta State
Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
where he spent two seasons as defensive backs coach then being promoted to defensive coordinator in the 2001 season. Between the 2002–2003 football season, Smart was a graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
at Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. Smart spent one season in 2004 under LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
head coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
. Smart then moved back to the Georgia Bulldogs football program as he served as the team's running backs coach for the 2005 season. His only season in the NFL occurred in 2006 in which he served under Nick Saban again, this time as Miami's safeties coach.
In January 2007, Smart once again followed Nick Saban after Saban was named the head football coach at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. On January 9, Saban named Smart as an assistant coach. On February 27, 2008, Smart was promoted to the team's defensive coordinator.
On December 8, 2009, Smart was awarded the Broyles Award
Broyles Award
The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles...
for the nation's best assistant coach. He is the first Alabama assistant coach to win the award.
Smart considered a lucrative contract to be the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, but chose to stay with the Tide in early January 2010. On February 2, 2010, the University of Alabama System's Board Of Trustees voted to more than double Smart's salary and extend his contract a year making Smart the highest-paid football assistant on head coach Nick Saban's staff.
Personal
He received an undergraduate degree from Georgia in 1998 and received his master's degree from Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in 2003. He is married to Mary Beth Lycett, who played basketball for the University of Georgia.