Kirby Smart Ranks as the Nation's No.2 Coach, According to CBS Sports

For the second-consecutive year, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart has been ranked No.2 in CBS Sports' annual college football coach rankings.

After leading Georgia to back-to-back national championships and a 29-1 record over the past two seasons, Head Coach Kirby Smart has spearheaded his alma mater’s ascent to the top of the college football landscape and, in the process, has established himself as one of the preeminent coaches in the sport. Yet, while Georgia’s remarkable recent run of success has elevated the perception of both the Georgia program and its head coach, according to CBS Sports, it has not been enough for Smart to surpass his mentor Nick Saban as the nation’s top college football coach.

For the second-consecutive year, CBS’ collection of college football writers christened Saban as the sport’s top coach, while Smart trailed one spot behind at No.2 in the company’s annual college football coach rankings. As explained by CBS sports writer Tom Fornelli, Saban’s position atop CBS Sports’ coach rankings is due largely to the Alabama coach’s unparalleled body of work over the course of his illustrious career.

“He's [Saban] the greatest college football coach of all time and remains No. 1 in these rankings. Seven national titles, 11 conference titles (shout out to 1990 Toledo!) and an army of former assistants running programs nationwide -- including the guy hot on his heels here -- fill out his extensive resume. Saban has been so phenomenal throughout his career that going two years without winning a national title has people wondering whether he's lost a step.”

While consecutive undefeated regular seasons that culminated in national championships did not provide enough of a boost to Smart’s resume to catapult him into the top spot, the fact that the Georgia head coach did receive multiple first place in this year’s rankings indicates that he is closing the perception gap between himself and his mentor. Based on those first place votes, Fornelli believes an unprecedented third-consecutive national championship could be enough to finally propel Smart ahead of Saban in next year's rankings.

“There was an outside chance Smart might have overtaken Nick Saban after winning his second consecutive national title, but while Georgia may be the premier program in the country, all those rings on Saban's fingers still carry too much weight to overcome. How much longer will that be the case? If Georgia wins a third straight title in 2023, I wouldn't expect Smart to remain in second.”

With seven national titles over three decades, Saban undeniably remains the most accomplished coach in the history of college football, but his one-time protege has transformed Georgia into the nation’s premier program and, as a result, has created the conditions that will provide him a realistic opportunity to build a coaching resume that could perhaps one day even surpass that of his mentor.