Kirby Smart, Billy Napier asked about Jimbo Fisher-Nick Saban feud during SEC spring meetings

Kirby Smart, Billy Napier and the other 12 SEC football coaches are in Destin, Florida, this week for SEC spring meetings.

A major topic of discussion, at least from the media’s standpoint, is the recent public feud between Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban.

However, don’t expect to get many other coaches to discuss it. When asked about the spat, Billy Napier said he’s not “foolish” enough to get in the middle of that beef:

Billy Napier on Saban-Fisher: Coach Saban has been instrumental in my career. A lot of what I learned, I’ve applied. I’m not foolish enough to comment on their issues. I’ll leave that to them. They’ve both been successful. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) May 31, 2022

Smart, meanwhile, also deflected the question, saying things sometimes get heated when competitors are battling on the field or for recruits:

When you just won the national title but everyone just wants to talk about the beef between your former co-workers. pic.twitter.com/uY1Rw2hxe1

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) May 31, 2022

“To be honest with you, my phone started blowing up right when Jimbo’s press conference hit, and I haven’t thought about it a day since,” Smart said. “The world we operate in, you’re worried about what’s in front of you right now. … I’m not really worried about a feud between 2 guys that used to sit in the same staff meetings and had similar conversations. At the end of the day, sometimes things get heated. You’d rather it not be in the public arena, but at the end of the day, things like that happen. … It’s not something I’d prefer to comment on, to be honest with you. I’m worried about what we do at Georgia, and that’s my focus.”

It’s safe to assume every coach will be asked about the spat. And, it’s likely that everyone will have similar answers to what Napier and Smart have provided so far.