USA TODAY’s Blake Toppmeyer recently ranked every head coach in the SEC. Toppmeyer ranks Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart as his clear No. 1.
Smart, who recently signed a contract extension to remain at the University of Georgia, is an easy choice as the SEC’s top coach after Nick Saban’s retirement. Smart has won a pair of national championships, which is more than the rest of the other head coaches in the SEC combined (zero).
“He’s (Kirby Smart) the SEC’s unquestioned overlord,” said Toppmeyer. “Smart went 1-5 against Saban. That’s the lone knock on his performance. If not for Saban and Alabama, Smart might have become the only modern-era coach to produce a three-peat. With Saban out of the way, Smart grips the baton as college football’s most dominant force.”
Behind Kirby Smart is LSU’s Brian Kelly (No. 2), Texas’ Steve Sarkisian (No. 3), Alabama’s Kalen DeBoey (No. 4) and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin (No. 5).
Smart has Georgia in an excellent position to win another national championship in 2024. He assembled the No. 1 signing class in the country and added several key pieces via the transfer portal this offseason. Georgia lost eight 2024 NFL draft picks, but returns starting quarterback Carson Beck and several other experienced players at all levels of the team.
This article originally appeared on Bulldogs Wire: Where Georgia football’s Kirby Smart ranks among SEC coaches
