Kirby Smart Achieves Milestone Even Nick Saban Never Reached
Kirby Smart is steadily building his legacy in college football, inching closer to the gold standard set by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Widely regarded as the greatest college football coach of all time, Saban’s record of seven national championships remains unmatched. While Smart has a long road to travel to rival that achievement, he’s beginning to approach Saban’s level in other areas, recently accomplishing a feat Saban never managed.
Four Consecutive SEC Championship Appearances
This past weekend, Georgia secured its spot in the 2024 SEC Championship game following a chaotic day of SEC upsets. This marks the Bulldogs’ fourth consecutive trip to the SEC title game—a streak that surpasses anything Saban accomplished. While Saban led Alabama to three straight SEC Championship appearances from 2014 to 2016, he never reached the title game in four consecutive seasons.
For Smart and Georgia, this achievement is part of a broader pattern of dominance. The Bulldogs have now earned a spot in the SEC Championship game seven times in the past eight seasons. They first reached the game in three consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2019, tying Alabama’s best streak. After missing the 2020 championship, Georgia has since exceeded Saban’s record.
Overcoming the Divisional Debate
What makes this year’s achievement particularly noteworthy is that it occurred in the first season without divisions in the SEC. Critics often argued that Georgia’s dominance was aided by the historically weaker East division compared to the West. However, with the divisional format eliminated, Georgia proved its strength by continuing its championship streak, silencing doubters.
Building Toward Saban’s Legacy
While Smart’s accomplishments are impressive, he still has significant ground to cover to match Saban’s historic legacy. Winning more national championships remains the ultimate goal if Smart hopes to be in the same conversation as his former mentor.
However, Smart’s growing list of achievements highlights his trajectory toward becoming one of the sport’s all-time greats. This latest record not only solidifies Georgia’s dominance under his leadership but also places him on a path that few coaches have traveled. The Bulldogs’ continued success may well pave the way for Smart to one day rival Saban’s storied career.