Kirby Smart: Bulldogs still built to win

TAMPA, Fla. — Kirby Smart isn’t interested in debating the ever-changing landscape of college football.

While NIL, the transfer portal, revenue sharing and conference expansion continue to dominate headlines, Georgia’s head coach delivered a simple message Tuesday during SEC Media Days: the Bulldogs’ formula for winning hasn’t changed.

“What wins football games has not changed,” Smart said. “If you get really lost and caught up in the landscape and you’re constantly arguing and fussing and complaining … you’re not worried about what matters. And we’re going to worry about what matters first at our place.”

Rather than dwelling on off-the-field issues, Smart repeatedly returned to the values he believes have made Georgia one of college football’s premier programs over the past decade — physicality, consistency, leadership and player development.

“The consistency and performance is probably what I’m most proud of over the last 10 to 11 years,” Smart said. “Can we repeatedly be successful regardless of who comes in and out of your program?”

That philosophy extends well beyond Georgia’s roster.

Smart credited much of the Bulldogs’ sustained success to remarkable continuity among his coaching staff, noting several assistants have remained in Athens for nearly a decade despite opportunities elsewhere.

“When people talk about roster retention, I like to talk about staff retention,” Smart said. “We’ve been blessed to retain our staff and stay intact almost completely for three to four years now. I think that matters.”

Smart also highlighted quarterback Gunner Stockton as an example of the leadership Georgia expects from its players.

Rather than praising Stockton’s arm or athletic ability, Smart shared a story from an offseason leadership retreat. During a whitewater rafting trip, guides asked who wanted to sit in the most dangerous seat at the front of the raft. Stockton volunteered without hesitation.

“He leads from the front,” Smart said. “He takes hits. He embodies everything our program’s about in toughness and culture.”

Georgia’s culture has also been shaped this offseason by an unlikely source.

Smart said the Bulldogs studied NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and embraced the team’s message about being “uncommon” by celebrating teammates’ success ahead of individual accomplishments.

“Our team and program is built on believing in the success of others more than the success of ourselves,” Smart said.

Despite Georgia’s reputation as a defense-first program, Smart pushed back against the notion that the Bulldogs rely solely on defense and the running game.

He noted Georgia has ranked among the nation’s leaders in explosive offensive plays over the past five seasons while emphasizing that every championship contender eventually has to run the football in critical situations.

“Our identity is going to be physical,” Smart said. “When you have to run the ball, you have to be able to run the ball.”

Smart also defended offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, whose play-calling has drawn criticism from some fans despite Georgia’s success.

“I know we’ve got the right offensive coordinator,” Smart said. “He worries about winning football games.”

Although Georgia has won the last two SEC championships, some observers have questioned whether the Bulldogs remain the sport’s dominant program after consecutive seasons without a national title.

Smart dismissed that narrative, pointing out Georgia’s most recent playoff loss came against another SEC opponent and stressing that he evaluates seasons by improvement rather than perception.

“I don’t get hung up a lot on just the finish,” Smart said. “I like to look back and say, ‘What did we do well? What did we do poorly? How do we improve?'”

Georgia enters the 2026 season replacing several key contributors while again carrying championship expectations. But if Tuesday’s message revealed anything, it’s that Smart believes the Bulldogs’ blueprint remains unchanged.

In an era defined by constant change across college athletics, Georgia’s coach insists the focus in Athens will remain where it has always been.

“What wins football games has not changed,” Smart said.