Everything Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart Discussed During the 2025 SEC Media Days

A recap of everything Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart talked about during the 2025 SEC Media Days.

The 2025 SEC Media Days are underway as coaches and players from the conference's 16 teams meet in Atlanta to preview their upcoming college football season. As the event continues, each head coach is set to address the media and answer questions surrounding their program.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart recently delivered his speech and answered a handful of media questions ahead of the 2025 season. With Smart's media period lasting nearly 30 minutes, here is a recap of everything the Bulldogs' head coach discussed.

His Relationship With His Wife

Smart began his address by thanking his wife, Mary Beth, whom he was celebrating 19 years of marriage with this afternoon. The Bulldogs' head coach labeled her as "The best teammate he has ever had" and thanked her for her support over the years.

Thanking Ron Courson

Continuing his thanks, Smart thanked the team Athletic Trainer, Dr. Ron Courson, for his years of service to the Bulldogs.

"He is a selfless man who has given to multiple head coaches. He's been basically the primary care physician for every coach and their family and every former player at UGA. So thank you for what you do, Dr. Ron, and what you continue to do for our program."

Gunner Stockton, CJ Allen, and Daylen Everette

Smart previewed the three players who made the trip for this year's SEC Media Days and shared brief stories for each player about what made them special. One notable story was how linebacker CJ Allen was one of the first players in the building each morning during the season.

Second Year Starters

Second-year starters were a major topic for Smart in this year's address. The Bulldogs' head coach revealed that 54% of the Bulldogs' roster were entering either their first or second seasons with the program. Smart noted that the lack of experience has provided the roster with "youthful exuberance".

"Relationships Over Transactions"

Perhaps a shot to the big spending era of recruiting due to NIL, Smart revealed that he and his program prioritize "relationships over transactions" with current and future players.

"We sell relationships over transactions. We think the relationship still wins out because the relationship allows you to push people and demand excellence, and we're going to continue to do that at Georgia."

College Athletics and Their Opportunities

In an ode to the opportunities college athletics provide, Smart shouted out Georgia track runner Kayla Jackson, who was attending Media Days as a shadow member for the university's athletic association. Smart mentioned how Jackson's opportunities would not be possible without collegiate athletics.

Success Against Steve Sarkisian

After the Bulldogs defeated Texas twice during the 2024 season, Smart was asked if he and his staff had any secrets to defeating a Steve Sarkisian-led offense. Smart denied revealing that there was anything "special" he and his program were doing.

Speeding Up Player Development

With so much youth on Georgia's starting roster this season, Smart was asked if he and his staff were looking for ways to "speed up" player development to get them ready to play sooner.

"You don't speed up development. That's a misnomer. If you want to speed up development, then you're probably looking for shortcuts that don't exist. You want to develop somebody, it takes time. It takes reps. We can't replicate reps faster. We can't speed up a guy's transition."

Gunner Benefitting Players in the Locker Room

Smart was also asked if quarterback Gunner Stockton's emergence last season served as a rallying point for the roster. Smart stated that it served more as a reminder to reserve players that they could see the field at any moment and how important it was to stay prepared.

Bringing in the Right Characters

Talent is one of the most important aspects of recruiting. Smart noted that he and the Bulldogs' staff also prioritized bringing in the right characters. He also mentioned how he wants his players to be comfortable being pushed.

Future Non-Conference Games

With a handful of major non-conference games on the docket, Kirby Smart shared his enthusiasm for the matchups, but also stated that he was not sure what the future held for whether all the scheduled matchups would take place.

Eagerness From Underclassmen

Given that the majority of players on the current roster did not compete for a national championship, Smart was asked if he felt a sense of "eagerness" from the current roster, given that it was comprised of mostly underclassmen.

"I do sense in our practices, in our workouts, and the things we've been able to be a part of in the spring, there is a youthful exuberance. That can be positive and negative. I can sit up here last year and tell you how experienced we were. We had all these guys coming back, and they played a lot of football. But are they motivated and are they really wanting to be great, as opposed to sometimes, when it's new, there's a lot more excitement. It's their first time getting a chance to start. It's their first time being a major player in the rotation."

Changing Practice Formats

With roster limits set to take place across the NCAA and overall depth diminished for teams, Smart was asked if he plans on tweaking the extremely physical style of practice his program has become so known for. Smart mentioned that he and his staff were looking into more "creative" ways to develop players.

Nick Saban Returning to Coaching

Arguably the biggest topic of the week thus far, rumors that Nick Saban was eyeing a return to coaching began to swirl as media days continued. Smart was asked his opinion on these rumors, to which he promptly shot them down.

"I've heard all the scuttlebutt about it and almost laughed. It was like someone needed something interesting to talk about yesterday, so they went to coach Saban to do it."

Playing Alabama in Athens

The final question Smart fielded was about hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide in Athens for the first time since 2015. Smart shared his excitement for both the matchup as well as atmosphere.

"It's what college football is about. This game is about playing great match-ups like that. It's what the fan bases want. It's what the nation wants. It's what college football needs. It's what college football and the SEC are about. Georgia and Alabama are at home, at our place, I wish it could happen more often. Seems like we've played over there three or four times since they've come to see us and play. So it's a great opportunity, and I look forward to it."

Smart and his team will now fully turn their attention to the beginning of their 2025 season as they prepare to host the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday, August 30th, in Sanford Stadium. Kickoff for this matchup is set for 3:30 pm.m and will air on ESPN.

Join the Community:

Follow Brooks Austin on Twitter: @BrooksAustinBA
Follow Christian Kirby on Twitter: @Kirby_24K
Follow Jonathan Williams on Twitter: @Dr_JWill
Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE.

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @DawgsDaily