Georgia Bulldogs Coach Kirby Smart 'Has Not Responded' To Lane Kiffin Ahead of Ole Miss Rebels Matchup
The Ole Miss Rebels have a chance at a season-defining win on Saturday when they travel to Athens to take on the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges at Sanford Stadium.
Ahead of that massive tilt, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has reached out to Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart.
Unfortunately, Smart has yet to respond to Kiffin's messages and has stayed silent while his team prepares to defend its home field against its second top-15 opponent in as many weeks.
"I tried to get that (group chat) going on Sunday and this morning," Kiffin joked Monday. "Other people responded. He's not responded yet on it. I was asking if anybody has advice. I added (Eliah) Drinkwitz so he's on there. But Kirby didn't really respond. We haven't played them before, so maybe he has a rule that during the week of the game, he doesn't respond to you."
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban (left), defensive coordinator Kirby Smart (center), and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin (right) react during the second quarter of the 2015 SEC Championship Game.
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Kiffin and Smart, of course, go way back and were once assistants together on Alabama's staff under Nick Saban in 2014 and 2015, and have remained close friends to this day.
"I just think Kirby's really smart," Kiffin said. "And I really enjoy talking to smart, intelligent coaches that you can bounce things off of, or ask them how they do things, or how they deal with a player issue or injury or something. He's one of the first calls a lot of times if I'm looking for advice."
Kiffin left the Tide in 2017, where he led Florida Atlantic until 2019, before coming to Ole Miss in 2020.
Meanwhile, Smart would leave in 2016 to become the head coach at Georgia, where he went on to win two national titles, two SEC Championships, and five SEC East Division titles, with three College Football Playoff appearances in total.
And Kiffin has nothing but respect for what his friend has accomplished in his time in Athens.
"He's done an unbelievable job," Kiffin said of Smart's 26-game winning streak and two-straight championships. "The only way that ever happens is a combination of phenomenal players and phenomenal coaching," Kiffin said. "Otherwise, you would have lost a couple along the way."
The Rebels and Bulldogs will kick off between the hedges at 6 pm CT.
