Kirby Smart is easily Nick Saban's most successful former assistant coach in college football.
That doesn't mean that he's still not a bit intimidated by the former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach.
While Smart is getting ready for another season with the Georgia Bulldogs, Saban is enjoying retirement by getting paid tons of money as an advisor for Alabama while working as an analyst at ESPN.
Saban served in that ESPN role during SEC Media Days, where he got to chat with a number of head coaches from around the conference. That dynamic really threw off Smart, who had a hilarious comparison for his former boss.
Georgia Bulldogs HC Kirby Smart on Nick Saban now being apart of the media and sharing UGA info with him:
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) July 16, 2024
“I feel like I’m giving answers to Darth Vader” pic.twitter.com/GZigSxBbcu
“It’s weird,” Smart told reporters at SEC Media Days. “The call I did to set up for [SEC] Media Days, I was nervous, like… For 15 minutes I'm going to share with him about my team? I feel like I'm giving answers to Darth Vader or something.”
Before taking over as the head coach at Georgia, Smart had worked directly underneath Saban at Alabama. He had served the majority of his time with the Crimson Tide as defensive coordinator, working for the program from 2007 through 2015 before landing his first head coaching gig.
The move to Georgia resulted in some iconic moments between the two teams, including multiple matchups for SEC and national championships.
Even in the Saban era, Smart was able to establish his own legacy with the Bulldogs. In eight seasons with the program, Smart has led Georgia to a 94-16 record with two SEC titles and back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.
Now that Saban is gone, Smart has an opportunity to continue establishing his own dynasty in Georgia. Analysts are continuing to compare him to the greatest coach in college football history, but Smart still has plenty of work ahead of him if he wants to live up to that comparison.
