Everything Georgia Football Coach, Kirby Smart had to Say Today

Georiga Football head coach, Kirby Smart joined 680 the Fan's The Front Row in Atlanta today to talk about everything from a weight loss challenge between several of his buddies, to the QB battle that he intends to have come this fall.

Here's everything Smart had to say:

Smart was asked how his father (former high school coaching legend) and mother (former teaching legend) are doing during this time:

"Doing really well. Thanks for asking. Mom and dad moved up to Raven a little while back. So they're in Rabun County. They're kind of buttoned-up up there and shut up and they don't have much access. They go on a walk every day. You know, we're checking on them, hadn't seen them in a long time and neither have the grandkids. So that's the toughest part is the separation. You know you can only do so much through Zoom and FaceTime before you actually want to reach out and touch somebody you love. And you can't really do that with those things. So it's been tough on them."

What he's learned about himself over these last few weeks:

"Ah, man, probably the slow down you can't control everything. You know, it's a bit in hyperspeed warp speed. All coaches are no different than any other coach or anybody else that's in love with their profession. You just go go, go, go Go and this has been stop, slow down, smell the roses kind of moment. But the issue is I've smelled all I need to smell you know, it's like I'm ready to go on now, I mean, golly, how long can I do it? But it's been, it's been tough and not knowing the future is probably the hardest part because we all like to plan and we can't really plan when we don't know what's coming."

Smart on staying in the right frame of mind.

"Well, I've tried to certainly, you know, reading books, educating yourself exploring other offenses, defense, and special teams. We've done a lot of that. I mean, we've done more professional development trying to just get better, and there's only so much time in the day you can recruit you to know, you could turn a kid off by talking to him too much recruiting so biggest part of me is getting healthy with myself. I've been in a weight loss competition with some buddies from college, which I know Sandra is aware of and I've been hard at making myself right and try to correct some health things that I haven't taken care of. And that's been important for me. Because there's only so much time in the day you can do ball."

When asked if he felt better, Smart said yes and gave a shoutout to his "teammates":

"I'll say this I feel 10,000 times better. You know how you hear you get those endorphins from the workout and you enjoy it so much. I've always been like, hey, look, I worked out a lot in college. I don't need those endorphins. I'm tired of those squat endorphins and those power clean endorphins. But I've thoroughly enjoyed the exercise part of it. It's made me feel a lot better. I got a little team that I'm holding accountable and they're holding me accountable this week. Big shoutout to big Rusty Mansell, Trey Sipe, and Brandon Tolbert. We’re all four getting after it, trying to beat another group of guys."

Smart on his excitement to host a Virtual G-Day this weekend:

"Well, I think it's an opportunity you know, we're looking for every opportunity we can to get in front of number one our loyal fan base donation to our boosters and McGill members, I mean our recruits and what better way to showcase that than a home game against Notre Dame that was just a spectacular presentation put together by the athletic department with the lights and different things. So we're jumping on it. They'll have a retailer cast at two o'clock on the SEC Network and I'll be live-tweeting throughout that. There's a chance I go Facebook Live with a radio crew and give them a few minutes Facebook Live and just go on with them in between tweets. So I'm looking forward to it. It's an opportunity to share some of the things thoughts and insight and what's going on during the game that, you know, maybe the average fan somebody not like you guys that are so smart might not know what's going on."

Smart on the limited opportunity that Georgia had prior to the temporary hold on everything due to the coronavirus:

"Yeah, we're very fortunate that you get a little time prior to spring practice. You know, we went on spring break. And for spring break on, we really have never come back together as a team. And we're going to have our first practice returning for spring break. So we are allowed, you know, we were getting in, you know, two hours a week of football time, which when you divide it up over five days is not a lot of time. So we're getting 15 to 20 minutes, couple days a week and sharing that time. You know, whether it's install, defensive IDs for the quarterbacks, they're allowed to go out and throw and yes, Brian, they were doing that they were going out and throwing with receivers we did some seven on seven but we weren't allowed to be out there with them you know it had to be the quarterback lead quarterback run and those guys have done a great job look D'wan Mathis, Carson Beck, Stetson Bennett all those guys are doing a really good job. And Jamie is you know, the oldest, most mature of those guys. But it was very nice to see them learn and understand some of the language changes that we may be going through"

On how the offense might look different in 2020:

"Yeah, I think the biggest thing we're looking for the difference is going to be who the playmakers are. You know last year D'Andre Swift was a feature presentation, (Lawrence) Cager early in the season was that you know, who are those guys going to be? Because every offense as you well know is built around who the guys are we got to get the ball to. So it was a Zamir white, James White. You know, we got two tight ends in that we think are gonna be good players. I'm sorry, not James White, James Cook. We will have some really good players there. Hopefully to get the ball to. George is another one. We got some wideouts that we got to get involved in the offense to be as successful as we want to be. So, how different will it look that's just going to be based on who those playmakers are. I just hope we get the opportunity to find that out."

Kirby Smart was then asked if Jamie Newman was the No. 1 guy coming in:

"I don't know that you'd have a number one, to be honest with you. I mean, every kid we've ever had grad transferred in, competed for the job that's all the way back to the Tyler Catalina that came in and competed for the job. Kickers we've had come in to compete for the job. So he knows that it's a competition he knows he's got to beat guys out. That's the way it's always been. Certainly, he's gonna be thrust to the forefront and be given reps. Just like Stetson Bennett is, just like D'wan Mathis, just like Carson's gonna be given that opportunity. So I don't ever look past it and say it's just this guy's job. He just has the most gain experience. And that's the advantage. Yes."

Smart on taking care of players who might not have access to the nutrition and attention that they might need:

"Well, it's delicate, to say the least. I mean, it's like an algorithm to figure out what you can and can't do with the NCAA as far as money, financials, institution, what you're willing to do, what's your institutions willing to do up against this budget and what might be coming? You know, you just got a lot of tight-knit things to do there. So our kids are really fortunate. Our athletic department has really stepped up and helped our kids tremendously, they get a normal weekly meal check that they would have gotten if they were here, number one that helps a lot. It makes it you know, tough when you're at home, and you might be helping out with siblings, or you might be helping with mom or dad who are laid off or may be unemployed. And we've been able to check with each one of our kids. Also, like, you know, some of our kids get Pell Grant and that money is able to help out and go with them. And then we've also been able to send it just a few snacks out and things, specific things. If a kid has protein and usually gets protein here, we've been able to supplement that protein and get that to him in certain instances. So it's been tough, but we keep in touch with our kids, we FaceTime with them across positions. So the O-line coach might be calling the receivers coach might be calling running backs, just trying to get in front of these kids and check on their health and well being. The toughest thing is these guys are so used to being led around and being kind of, you know, hosted by us and taking care of by us while they're here. That now they're on their own and some of them they don't have as good of a situation back home. So we have to make sure they're still doing their academics. They're still doing all the things we can require of them and we can't require them to lift the work out but we certainly encourage it."

Smart continues on the situation that some families are currently in and the tough time that we are all currently in:

"Absolutely. It is. We've had different instances of different kids that have parents that are laid off and don't know when it's coming back from small business parents that you know struggle to make it and they really don't have an opportunity right now and they're fighting their tail off doing the best they can."

He was then asked what was on tap for today's workout:

"Oh, jumped up this morning and hit the treadmill hard and got a 30 minute in and then did a 15-minute cardio with my wife those things, man, those ladies screaming at you on that video. That's not my cup of tea man. That's like, I'm like, she's gotta chill out a little bit."

Smart on what his wife, Mary Beth as probably been bothered by the most:

"I would prob right now would probably be nitpicking my food. I mean, I'm trying to eat right. And the adjustments have been tough, you know? So if it doesn't taste good or doesn't taste the same she's like, hey, that's that's this healthy buddy, right? That's what you got. Right? What you get is what you get."

Q: What's been the toughest thing to give up:

"Man? I'd probably have to start with some kind of fried food. I mean, just no fried chicken. No. Fried fish. Nothing. Nothing. Probably not touching it. You know, french fries. French fries have been tough to give up. It's all it's all tough. I'm enjoying the new things though."

As for how much weight he's lost, Smart isn't giving any information away:

"Well, if I told you that the other team would hear. Yeah, I was down six last Saturday. Okay, I got some ears out there that they're listening and they want to know the scoop. So I'm gonna hold that in."

Smart on what he will be twitter about this weekend and if he will be giving any behind the scenes information away.

"Well, I would love to do that. the problem is that would go over the large percentage of people's head in my opinion so we're gonna do a little of both we're gonna get some juicy generalities and let people enjoy its fans enjoy it and then might try to get in-depth and go over somebody else's head. So I know you'll be watching ready to criticize that field goal I kicked, but that's okay."

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