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Kirby Smart Reveals He Contemplated Retirement Before National Title Season

Georgia Football head coach Kirby Smart reveals that he contemplated retirement due to the work schedule in college football prior to winning a national title.

Being a college football coach has always been a strenuous job. With the recruitments of recruiting the next group of players while developing the current group in the best way you can in order to succeed on Saturdays, it's always been a tumultuous job. Though, most college coaches today will tell you that it's never been more time-consuming. 

With the combination of Name, Image, and Likeness combined with the NCAA Transfer portal, the college coach's schedule sees very limited time for family or anything other than football really. 

After spending nearly an entire year and a half during and after COVID restrictions, coaches went from spending time with their families to visitations on campus and constant recruiting schedules in the blink of an eye, something that caught Smart off guard quite a bit. 

When those restrictions were lifted by the NCAA in June of 2021, Smart shared at a coaches clinic in Texas on Tuesday that UGA hosted players every single day from June 1st through the 28th.

"I was ready to step down and resign," Smart shared. "I was done." To combat that this year, Smart scheduled every Monday in June as an off day for his staff so everyone could recharge. Smart also asked his coaches not to come in on Friday mornings and come in during the afternoons so they could focus their energy on recruits Friday nights, per reports from FootballScoop.com

Smart is in the midst of what is expected to be a rather large contract extension currently. So, it's safe to assume that he's since put these thoughts of walking away from the game behind him, especially after winning a national title. 

UPDATE: In a recent report by Dawgnation.com, Smart clarified his comments were not meant to be taken literally. 

Monday, July 18th

12:35 PM (LSU): Brian Kelly with Jack Bech, Mike Jones Jr., BJ Ojulari

2:30 PM (Ole Miss): Lane Kiffin with Jonathan Mingo, Cedric Johnson, Nick Broeker

3:55 PM (Missouri): Eli Drinkwitz with Barrett Banister, Martez Manuel, Isaiah McGuire

Tuesday, July 19th

9:05 AM (Alabama): Nick Saban with Will Anderson, Jordan Battle, Bryce Young

10:30 AM (Vanderbilt): Clark Lea with Ben Bresnahan, Anfernee Orji, Mike Wright

1:00 PM (Mississippi State): Mike Leach with Jaden Crumedy, Nathaniel Watson, Austin Williams

2:25 PM (South Carolina): Shane Beamer with Jovaughn Gwyn, Dakereon Joyner, Zacch Pickens

Wednesday, July 20th

9:05 AM (Arkansas): Sam Pittman with Jalen Catalon, KJ Jefferson, Bumper Poole

10:30 AM (Georgia): Kirby Smart with Stetson Bennett, Nolan Smith, Sedrick Van Pran

1:00 PM (Florida): Billy Napier with Anthony Richardson, Richard Gouraige, Ventrell Miller

2:25 PM (Kentucky): Mark Stoops with Will Levis, Kenneth Horsey, DeAndre Square

Thursday, July 21st

9:05 AM (Auburn): Bryan Harsin with Tank Bigsby, Derick Hall, John Samuel Shenker

10:30 AM (Tennessee): Josh Heupel with Cedric Tillman, Hendon Hooker, Trevon Flowers

12:30 PM (Texas A&M): Jimbo Fisher with Ainias Smith, Demani Richardson, Layden Robinson

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