When the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Ole Miss Rebels this week, it will mark the first meeting between head coaches Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin. And even though they’ll be competing this weekend, it sounds like they have a strong history as friends.
This week, as he prepared his team to take on the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs, Lane Kiffin made it clear just how much he respects and looks up to Kirby Smart, revealing that whenever he needs guidance in his career, Smart is one of the first people he turns to.
“So, he’s one of my first calls a lot of times if I’m looking for advice,” Kiffin said on the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday according to On3.
Kiffin and Smart developed a bond when they both served as coordinators with the Alabama Crimson Tide under Nick Saban in 2014 and 2015. And they’ve maintained that bond over the years – aided by the fact that they rarely face each other on the field.
“With him in the [SEC] East, you’re not playing every year. Been here three years without playing him, been at FAU three years before that. So, he was at Georgia last year. Alabama, we still talk. I just think Kirby’s really smart and I really enjoy talking to really smart, intelligent coaches that you can bounce things off of or ask them how do they do things or how do they deal with a player issue or injury or something,” Kiffin said.
It’s clear that regardless of the outcome of this week’s game, these two will continue to have a strong relationship.
[On3]
