Georgia’s Kirby Smart, new dean of SEC coaches, still makes history

ATHENS — Kirby Smart, dean of SEC coaches.

The Georgia head coach won’t be turning 50 years old for a few more weeks, but he moved up in SEC seniority with Kentucky’s firing of Mark Stoops.

Smart, in his 10th season leading the Bulldogs, was asked on Sunday to reflect on his success, as his five consecutive SEC championship game appearances are a feat accomplished only once before in history, by Steve Spurrier at Florida from 1992-1996.

Smart deflected the credit to his administration, coaching staffs and players, one of whom expressed gratitude for being a part of it.

“I take a lot of pride in being a part of Kirby’s first recruiting class and helping to build and develop a winning culture,” former UGA quarterback Jake Fromm, who helped lead the Bulldogs to Smart’s first SEC championship game appearance and victory in 2017, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday.

“What Coach Smart’s done is an incredible feat, especially when you look at how hard and tough the SEC schedule is. You look back and realize that a lot of these SEC championship games have really been like national championships with how the winners have fared, so I’m proud to say I was there and a part of it when Coach Smart was starting the dynasty we see today.”

Smart pointed out how much he has appreciated all of his teams and, as typical, was more interested in the future.

“I mean, if we didn’t make it in some of those years, we still had successful seasons and played well,” Smart said. “It’s the goal we want to achieve.

“I don’t look back on it personally and reflect about any of that because it’s obviously in the moment. We got to prepare for this game (Saturday).”

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer told the AJC that Smart’s SEC championship game streak is more than merely notable.

“It’s the most impressive thing he’s accomplished in my opinion,” Beamer said Monday. “Winning is hard, especially in this conference, and to be in that game five years in a row, knowing that every SEC game in the season you get the opponent’s best shot because it’s their Super Bowl, is remarkable.”

The fact Smart has accomplished something that former LSU and Alabama coach Nick Saban was unable to do will not be lost on UGA fans, nor was the significance of the feat lost on the man who replaced Saban, Kalen DeBoer.

“Yeah, that’s pretty impressive, just doing it over and over at the highest level in the toughest conference in the country,” DeBoer said, asked of Smart’s streak. “Tip the hat to coach Smart and what he has done.

“Obviously our program wouldn’t be where it is without the things he did here, too, the work he put in,” DeBoer said. “He’s a great football coach, I know he’s got a great staff there (and) you can see the fight his team has every single weekend when they step on the football field.”

In making his first SEC championship game appearance in his second season leading the Tide, DeBoer becomes only the third active SEC coach to appear in the SEC title game, joining Smart and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.

Mark Richt, who led the Bulldogs for 15 years before Smart took over before the 2016 season, couldn’t say enough about the job his successor has done.

“First of all, the expectations we see in the SEC for programs, for all of the teams to meet them, there would have to be 10 champions a year. It’s impossible to meet expectations these days,” Richt said.

“But to do what Kirby has done is so impressive, to be at the top, it’s just awesome, and it doesn’t look like the train is slowing down.”

Here’s a list of when each SEC coach was hired at their respective school:

Georgia: Kirby Smart, Dec. 6, 2015

Missouri: Eli Drinkwitz, Dec. 9, 2019

South Carolina: Shane Beamer, Dec. 6, 2020

Vanderbilt: Clark Lea, Dec. 14, 2020

Texas: Steve Sarkisian, Jan. 2, 2021

Tennessee: Josh Heupel, Jan. 27, 2021

Oklahoma: Brent Venables, Dec. 5, 2021

Mississippi State: Jeff Lebby, Nov. 26, 2023

Texas A&M: Mike Elko, Nov. 27, 2023

Alabama: Kalen DeBoer, Jan. 12, 2024

Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield, Nov. 30, 2025

Auburn: Alex Golesh, Nov. 30, 2025

Florida: Jon Sumrall, Nov. 30, 2025