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Kirby Smart ‘disappointed’ in Georgia’s string of driving violations but ‘very pleased’ with UGA’s process
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Kirby Smart is once again left to address Georgia’s string of driving violations that players within the program have incurred over the past year and a half. He answered questions about the matter from SEC Media Days on Tuesday.
Smart admitted he remains “very disappointed” but also said he tries to avoid being “outcome-related” on-and-off the field. Instead, he’s focused on the process of how UGA handles each situation, and Smart claimed to be “very pleased” with the process.
According to the head coach, the Bulldogs have tried educating, suspending and even dismissing players for driving incidents. Smart also revealed players have been “fined” in NIL payments by the Classic City Collective and confirmed suspensions will be coming for some of the recent incidents. (H/T Marc Weiszer)
Smart believes those measures are among the stiffest in college football but reiterated he is disappointed by the specific incidents that have occurred.
“I think the number one thing is disappointed. Any time you have a situation like that, you want your kids — your players — to make better decisions,” said Smart. “I always say you can’t be outcome-related, and I’m very disappointed with the outcomes, but I am very pleased with our process we’ve put in in terms of education, driver safety, requiring defensive driving, education, talking about it, having leaders stand up and talking about it, suspending players, dismissing players.
“I don’t know to this point any coach in college football who has suspended a player for a driving citation. We have. We have, and we’ve also dismissed players based on driving citations. Nobody has done that. Hopefully they get the idea and the information, but we have a really good locker room. I love the players we have.”
Georgia HC Kirby Smart on his team’s driving incidents:
“I’m very disappointed in the outcomes but I am very pleased with our process we’ve put in, in terms of education, driver safety, requiring defensive driving” pic.twitter.com/JnXWNLCowl
— Max Cohan (@MaxCohan) July 16, 2024
That choice of words is a bit confusing on multiple levels. Mainly, Smart can believe in his process, but the results indicate there is a disconnect between his process and the players, and that’s a problem. Being “very pleased” with any part of it is hard to digest with what has happened in the past year and a half.
Remarkably, Smart faced the same issue at SEC Media Days last year just 7 months removed from the auto accident that resulted in the deaths of offensive lineman Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy.
At that time, Saturday Down South’s Matt Hayes tackled the topic and admitted there would be only 1 true answer to eliminating the problem if the speeding, reckless driving and racing continues: Permanently eliminating playing time.
Here we are one year later, and the issue has not been resolved. In fact, it’s hard to say the matter has even improved, regardless of Smart’s feeling about UGA’s process.
Through that lens, it is time for Hayes’ recommendation to take effect if the Bulldogs are truly serious about dropping the hammer on the issue.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
