Kirby Smart was on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta on Thursday discussing the retirement of Nick Saban, with the Georgia head coach saying he “was a little shocked when it came about”.

“It’s one of those things that is inevitable for all of us,” Smart said on “The Steakhouse”. We’re all going to walk away. Sometimes, you walk away on your own terms. Sometimes you don’t. It’s pretty cool that he got to walk away on his own terms. He’s had a huge impact on my career.”

He recalled first meeting Saban at the Senior Bowl while serving under Bobby Bowden as a graduate assistant at Florida State, eventually joining Saban’s staff at LSU as defensive backs coach in 2004.

Fast forward to the present day, with Georgia winning back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 and arguably suplanting the Crimson Tide as the program of record in the sport.

“I have a lot of respect for him as a coach, as a person and as a man,” Smart said. “What he and Miss Terry have meant to the game of football, and especially to Tuscaloosa, they’ve been incredible. He’s put a lot of coaches through his coaching factory. I can assure you of that. He’s really, really good at what he does. From what I hear, he was still working and coaching right up to the last minute. A lot of respect for him. He meant a lot to my career.”