Nick Saban's last pregame exchange with Kirby Smart receives renewed interest after retirement announcement
Nick Saban and Kirby Smart had some legendary battles over the last few seasons. The pregame exchange before their final clash in Atlanta may have been an indicator that Saban knew his time on the sidelines was coming to a close.
Saban and Smart seemed sentimental as they praised each other before the showdown in Atlanta that went to the Crimson Tide. The SEC Network shared a clip of the pregame meeting following Wednesday’s breaking news out of Tuscaloosa.
“You’re a hell of a coach.”
Kirby Smart to Nick Saban before the 2023 SEC Championship ?❤️ pic.twitter.com/sgnWkfDfq5
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 10, 2024
Smart and Saban first worked together at LSU during the 2004 season. In 2006, Smart served on Saban’s Miami Dolphins staff as safeties coach.
At Alabama, Smart was on staff for Saban’s first nine seasons (2007-15), including eight as the defensive coordinator. During his time in Tuscaloosa, Smart won the Broyles Award for top assistant in 2009 and was named the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2012. Smart was defensive coordinator and a top Alabama recruiter for the Crimson Tide’s national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
Smart left to become the head coach at Georgia, his alma mater, ahead of the 2016 season. In Smart’s UGA tenure, Alabama-Georgia has been the most frequent matchup of the SEC Championship Game, and there were also two memorable College Football Playoff National Championship meetings.
How did Alabama land Nick Saban back in 2007? Check out Saturday Down South’s amazing “38 Days” feature on how the Tide pulled off the heist that changed college football forever.