“The next Nick Saban” aside from Kalen DeBoer, Kirby Smart still stands as the second candidate for that title. And it’s for a good reason. Nick Saban himself mentioned smart. He takes from Saban’s playbook and has been an amazing HC for the Bulldogs. With Heisman contender Carson Beck on the lead and a team that has some of the most solid defenses in the country, Smart is definitely fighting it hard with DeBoer to take over that title once in for all. However, now we have some problems at Camp Georgia folks.

And that’s exactly what Carl Reed Jr. is here to talk about. “Smart does not have a culture problem. Kirby Smart is a disciplinarian,” Reed mentioned in an interview with Paul Finebaum. This comes fresh off the oven, with Thomas allegedly charged with family violence and arrested by Athens-Clarke County. And Reeds brings in an amazing point in the discussion. “this is one of the unintended consequences of paying players,” Reeds said. At the end of the day, they are kids, and if they have the money, they will use it and have fun and just do weird things. Yes, now getting arrested isn’t such a bright idea, but winning games is what gets them their spot on the team, not a law-abiding citizen certificate. “We’ve decided a long time ago in college football that winning is what gets you paid winning is what gets you able to keep a job,” Reeds further added.

Carl Reed’s main argument regarding this is quite valid. Smart is an amazing coach, but he is there to ensure that the players act right and perform well while on the ground. “Georgia pays Kirby Smart to win football games, that requires the best players,” Reeds had written in his post on X. The team needs the best players, now if they have amazing character as well as its an added advantage, however, the ability to win games always comes before the ability to “act right”. While one coach is more focused on getting wins for the team, another is taking some time to get to know his players.

The perfect competition

Do you know why Kalen DeBoer is the perfect competition to Kirby Smart? Because DeBoer does everything Smart would probably never. Smart went for defense, following Saban’s playbook while DeBoer changed the entire dynamic of the Crimson Tide and switched it to be fully offensive. While Smart only has his focus on making sure his players behave right on the field, DeBoer has made it his mission to ensure that his players do amazing both on and off-field.

The July 25th episode of Get Up by ESPN saw Jalen Milroe unveiling some interesting facts about DeBoer. “Beyond the coaching, he does a really good job of getting to know his players,” Milroe said. DeBoer has gone on to share his personal contact with every player on the team so that anyone can reach out to him at any time. Not only that, DeBoer has also ensured that every player performs well on the field and also does well in their own lives. This is why he is still on the lead for the “Next Nick Saban” title, however only the 2024 season will prove who finally gets it.