Georgia coach Kirby Smart hadn’t had to answer reporters’ questions since he left the Superdome in New Orleans after the Bulldogs’ win over Baylor in the Sugar Bowl on New Years Day.
Allotting only 15 minutes Wednesday to discuss Georgia’s latest top-ranked recruiting class, Smart did his best not to talk about anything else. But considering all that has happened since the Bulldogs left New Orleans – coaching changes, transfers, etc. -- there was no avoiding it.
Still, Smart remained as vague as possible on most counts.
Here’s how Georgia’s coach handled those queries:
On the change of offensive coordinators from James Coley to Todd Monken:
"Yeah, we're excited about what Todd brings to us. But as far as the recruiting process, he got involved on most of these late. Most of the work had been done on a lot of these guys. When you think about it, a lot of the wideouts, I think every one of them signed early, so that was not a major factor in this recruiting class."
On how the offense might look different under Monken:
"I don't know the answer to that. I think the roles on our 2020 staff still aren't complete with our assistant coach spot open. I think that will develop as we go along. Certainly excited; I know the kids are excited for the opportunity. But we'll have to see where that goes. I can't honestly say that right now. I think everyone wants to hear some grand speech about opening this up and doing that. That's not necessarily what you need. What you need is to be productive, score points, and (have) explosive plays, which we've talked about consistently."
On how well he knew Monken before hiring him:
"Coach Monken and I crossed paths at LSU. He came in with Les Miles' staff. I was there for, I don't know, a month, three or four weeks, before I came here. So, briefly, we were on the same staff. We've crossed paths throughout time at speaking engagements, recruiting on the road, the Southern Miss job. A lot of interaction in different ways."
On how special teams might be handled with coordinator Scott Fountain following Sam Pittman to Arkansas:
"Like I just mentioned, the 2020 staff roles have not been completely defined yet. We still have a staff spot available and all options are open on that."
On dealing with all the coaching change amid recruiting:
"To me, last year, with both coordinators going, was much greater than this offseason. We're still in the offseason, so all the changes aren't done yet. It's part of the process. Being able to reinvent yourself and be part of the program and develop the players in it is what's going to set you apart and makes you different.
“We’re not completely done yet. This class doesn’t completely wrap it up, there are still moves to be made from a hiring standpoint, moving people around. So, it’s a work in progress. Constant movement, constant growth, it’s what we’re trying to do. I think winning the Sugar Bowl was a big part of the process and really kick-started us into the second part of the recruiting season.”
