SEC Coach of the Year? Three times. The Broyles Award winner and the Georgia Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year winner. Wondering who we are talking about? It’s the Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart. So many prestigious accolades by his name, yet the luck did not favor him in the 2024 season. The last time they brought home the National Championship was in 2022. Last season, they were just a few arms away from holding the trophy. So, this season, Smart is rebuilding. On the other hand, the Bulldogs have lost key pieces. Thanks to the 2025 NFL Draft. But Smart did not procrastinate and filled the gap by diving into the transfer portal.   

Smart knows winning. He also knows his SEC history. Back in 2023, the Georgia head coach had brought in Sylvester Croom to talk to Georgia’s team during preseason camp in August. And the result was huge. The Georgia boys carved out a slice of history by breaking one of the most hallowed records for an SEC team with a 31-23 victory over Georgia Tech. And BOOM! The Bulldogs’ winning streak underwent a sharp rise and went to 29 straight games. That’s how Smart is the one who knows the program in and out. Now is the perfect time to usher in some positive changes within the squad. And the head coach did not waste any further time.

On April 28, Georgia insider Jordan D. Hill came up with a big update on X. He informed, “Georgia has promoted defensive backs coach Donte Williams to associate head coach, per the team’s updated staff directory. Williams is gearing up for his second season in Athens and has quickly become a valued and respected part of Kirby Smart’s staff.” And shaking up the coaching roster isn’t new for Smart…

It has not even been a year since Smart made a coaching revamp before the 2024 season. He added Travaris Robinson to help co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann. On the other hand, Donte Williams was hired as the defensive backs coach, and Will Muschamp transitioned to defensive analyst. Smart now hits the ‘REVAMP’ button once again. This time, Williams got some in-house promotion from defensive backs to coach, being the assistant head coach.

Before stepping into Athens, he served as the cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator at USC under head coach Clay Helton in 2020. Being a former defensive back at Syracuse and Idaho, he had some associate head coaching experience when he served as interim head coach at USC. In Smart’s squad, his task has been to coach cornerbacks. And he came off with flying colors. The Bulldogs finished 38th nationally in pass defense, and star cornerback Daylen Everette earned All-SEC Third-Team honors as he came up with three interceptions. Well, Williams’ forte is not limited to coaching.

He showed some sincere efforts in Georgia’s recruiting trail and signed four-star corners Jontae Gilbert and Dominick Kelly in the No. 2-ranked class of 2025. Coming off an 11-3 season, Smart managed to keep their top assistants this offseason while making some notable additions. Ex-Georgia tight ends coach John Lilly has made a comeback as an offensive assistant alongside longtime NFL assistant Philip Rauscher. Now, what about the player’s roster?

No room for error in Kirby Smart’s 2025 plan 

The Bulldogs have lost 13 players in total to the 2025 NFL Draft. Smart’s defensive lineman Mykel Williams went to San Francisco as the No.11 pick, followed by Jalon Walker and Malaki Starks in the first round. In the second round, former Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge went off to the Detroit Lions as the No. 57 pick. Maybe Smart was having a serious feeling of missing out. So much so that they brought home a former local 4-star recruit. That’s none other than UCF transfer offensive lineman from Loganville, Ga, Waltclaire Flynn Jr.

On April 26, On3’s Hayes Fawcett tweeted, “BREAKING: UCF transfer IOL Waltclaire Flynn Jr. has committed to Georgia, he tells @on3sports. The 6’2 300 IOL will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.” Well, having an eye for talent, what made Smart count on Flynn Jr.? He was ranked among the top interior offensive line prospects coming out of Grayson High School. Given his talents, the young chap has been compared to Sedrick Van Pran-Granger by the head coach himself. He brings with him some much-needed versatility as he is blessed with the ability to play center or guard. However, now that he is in Athens, he has to buckle up.

Being a perfectionist himself, Kirby Smart wants his players to be flawless. And to achieve that, he wants them to tap into a ‘hustle and bustle’ mode. Analyst Brandon Adams has sounded an alarm. “Kirby knows, ‘Hey, we cannot lose three games again next year.’ So he’s probably coaching these guys harder than maybe he needs to be or harder than he has in the past.” Flynn Jr. might want to stock up on energy drinks — Coach Smart’s got some serious miles planned for him.