When Kirby Smart was hired in December 2015 to take over the Georgia program, the expectations were sky-high. A former Georgia defensive back and longtime Nick Saban assistant at Alabama, Smart inherited a solid but plateauing team. In less than a decade, he’s elevated Georgia into the upper echelon of college football’s elite. The Bulldogs aren’t just winning—they’re dominating.
Smart’s record speaks for itself. Since 2016, he has amassed over 90 wins and has appeared in three national championship games, winning two (2021 and 2022 seasons). He’s also captured three SEC East titles and consistently finished with top-three recruiting classes, often beating out Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU for the nation’s best talent.
Why Kirby Smart Is No. 1
1. Sustained Excellence
The hallmark of elite coaching isn’t just reaching the top—it’s staying there. Since 2017, Georgia has won at least 11 games every season except the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. More importantly, Smart has engineered the kind of physical, balanced, and defense-first team that reflects his philosophy. His teams are consistently in the top 10 nationally in both scoring defense and total defense.
2. Elite Player Development
Smart’s prowess as a recruiter is well documented, but his ability to turn those five-star athletes into NFL-caliber stars is perhaps even more impressive. Under his watch, Georgia has sent more than 40 players to the NFL over the last five years. In the 2022 NFL Draft alone, the Bulldogs broke records with 15 players selected—five in the first round, including No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker.
He’s not just churning out talent; he’s developing it better than almost anyone in the country.
3. Mastery of the Big Stage
There’s something about Smart’s Bulldogs when the lights shine brightest. In both of Georgia’s national title runs under Smart, the Bulldogs avenged regular season losses or overcame massive hurdles to hoist the trophy. The 2022 team, for example, went a perfect 15-0, dominating TCU in the College Football Playoff National Championship 65-7—a result that felt more like a coronation than a competition.
Smart prepares his teams to play their best in the biggest moments, a critical quality that separates good coaches from great ones.
4. Recruiting Machine
Few coaches have been able to rival the sheer dominance of Smart on the recruiting trail. Year after year, Georgia is in the mix for virtually every five-star prospect in the Southeast and beyond. His connections, eye for talent, and persuasive vision have turned Athens into one of the most attractive destinations for elite high school players.
The 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes are both ranked No. 1 in various recruiting services, including 247Sports and On3. If college football success starts with Jimmies and Joes, no one is getting more of them than Kirby Smart.
5. Cultural Architect
More than just schemes and strategies, Smart has created a culture of relentless effort, accountability, and brotherhood. The “DNA of Georgia,” as Smart calls it, is built around toughness, selflessness, and competing at the highest standard.
Players and recruits rave about the culture in Athens—one where expectations are high, but support is even higher. This culture, more than anything, may be the secret sauce behind Georgia’s sustained dominance.
The USA Today ranking featured several legendary names just behind Smart. Nick Saban of Alabama, Jim Harbaugh of Michigan, and Dabo Swinney of Clemson were all ranked in the top five. But what pushed Smart to the top wasn’t just wins—it was his all-around control of a program firing on all cylinders.
Saban, his mentor, has long been the gold standard in the sport, but even the Alabama legend has acknowledged Georgia’s emergence as the premier program. With Saban’s Crimson Tide entering a transitional phase and Harbaugh off to the NFL, Smart’s grip on the top spot appears secure—for now.
The response to Smart’s ranking has been overwhelmingly supportive. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit tweeted: “Kirby Smart is doing what very few have done—building a program that’s not just elite but intimidating. The standard right now is in Athens.”
Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray added on The SEC Network: “I’ve said for years, Kirby was building something special, but now he’s built it. There’s no debate—he’s the top coach in college football.”
Even rival coaches, speaking anonymously to USA Today, gave Smart his due. One SEC assistant said, “He’s got it all—talent, scheme, culture, and the ability to adjust. What he’s doing at Georgia is the blueprint.”
Despite his top ranking, the journey doesn’t get easier. With the expanded College Football Playoff coming in 2025 and a new wave of competitors like Texas, USC, and Oregon joining the SEC or strengthening their respective conferences, the margin for error shrinks.
Smart has also had to adapt to the rapidly shifting landscape of NIL and the transfer portal. So far, Georgia has navigated these waters with savvy and caution, but the challenges remain ever-present.
Additionally, keeping a massive staff motivated, managing sky-high expectations, and continuing to evolve tactically will test even a coach of Smart’s caliber.
As the Bulldogs look ahead to the 2025 season, they are once again projected as a top national contender. With quarterback Gunner Stockton stepping into the spotlight and a defense led by All-Americans like Malaki Starks and Mykel Williams, the team appears reloaded and ready.
Their schedule, featuring high-profile clashes against Texas and Tennessee, offers a prime opportunity to reinforce Smart’s No. 1 status.
If he wins another national title—or even just makes another deep playoff run—his place atop the sport will only become more entrenched.
What makes Smart’s ascension to No. 1 even more impressive is the long arc of college football history he’s defying. Rarely does a coach rise to this level of prominence so quickly and so completely. He’s taken lessons from Saban, added his own flavor, and created a juggernaut.
At just 49 years old, Smart is far from finished. If anything, this may only be the middle chapters of a coaching legacy that could rival some of the sport’s greatest names—Bear Bryant, Urban Meyer, Tom Osborne, and yes, Nick Saban.
Kirby Smart’s crowning as the No. 1 coach in college football by USA Today is more than symbolic—it’s a recognition of the new standard in the sport. While other programs ebb and flow, Georgia remains the rock.
The bar he has set in Athens is unmatched: National titles, top recruiting classes, elite NFL development, and a culture that breeds success. College football has a new king, and his name is Kirby Smart.
For Georgia fans, it’s vindication. For the rest of the college football world, it’s a warning: the Bulldogs aren’t going anywhere—and neither is their coach.
