How long has Kirby Smart been at Georgia: A look at Bulldogs' HC coaching career

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has built one of the deepest programs in all of college football. From playing for the program from 1995 to 1998 as a defensive back to eventually leading the team to NCAA championships two times as a coach in 2021 and 2022, Smart's association has paid dividends.

Kirby Smart is in his third stint with the Bulldogs. Previously, in 1999, he was an administrative assistant. In his second stint, he was the program's running back coach in 2005.

He has been the head coach of the school's football team since 2016. This was his first head coaching job, and he has done an excellent job, as Smart enters the 2024 college football season with an overall record of 94-16, including 9-2 in bowl games, 5-1 in the College Football Playoffs, two SEC championships, and two national championship wins.

Where was Kirby Smart before he was named the coach of the Georgia Bulldogs?

Before Kirby Smart took on the coaching job at the Georgia Bulldogs, he was on Nick Saban's coaching staff at Alabama. Smart started as the assistant head coach in the 2007 season when Saban took over the Crimson Tide, having previously worked with Saban at the Miami Dolphins.

After being the first assistant coach in Alabama's history to win the Broyles Award, he was promoted to the defensive coordinator position with the Crimson Tide in 2008. He coached for eight seasons at that position before agreeing to become the Georgia Bulldogs coach ahead of the 2016 season.

Below is the full breakdown of Smart's coaching career:

1999: Georgia Bulldogs administrative assistant
2000: Valdosta State Defensive Backs coach
2001: Valdosta State Defensive Coordinator
2002-03: Florida State Seminoles Graduate Assistant
2004: LSU Tigers Defensive Backs coach
2005: Georgia Bulldogs Running Backs coach
2006: Miami Dolphins Safeties coach
2007: Alabama Crimson Tide Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs coach
2008-15: Alabama Crimson Tide Defensive Coordinator
2016-Present: Georgia Bulldogs coach