NEW ORLEANS — Kirby Smart is no stranger to the Sugar Bowl. This is his fifth.
He’s no stranger to pressure either. He’s been Alabama’s defensive coordinator since 2008, and in that time has been named the 2009 Broyles Winner as college football’s top assistant coach and the 2012 AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year.
“There’s a lot of pressure during the game to make the right calls, to put the kids in good situations, and make good in game adjustments so that you’re not exposing the kids to a lot of risk, and that’s what we’re always trying to do,” Smart said.
In his seventh season coaching at UA and sixth as defensive coordinator, Smart has put together a defense that allows an average of 11.3 points per game, second in the FBS. The defense has shut out opponents three times this season.
“Just in a week in the season, the coaching staff and our scout report, they do so much, and they do a great job of putting us in the right position so when we get however many days, I think 13 practices or something like that… there’s not a lot that you don’t know,” senior linebacker C.J. Mosley said.
Mosley said that the preparation the defense made before the 2011 National Championship against LSU helped in 21-0 victory, but it has to be ready for anything an opponent throws at it.
“Kirby Smart does a great job of putting us at the right place at the right time to make plays and making good decisions,” junior safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said.
Smart’s play calling has earned him the trust of his players like junior defensive lineman Jeoffrey Pagan.
“Coach Smart, you know, he brings a lot of energy every day, you know, he’s a really smart guy, he tries to put us in positions to make plays, and I trust him 100 percent,” Pagan said.
Sophomore linebacker Trey DePriest said Smart always keeps his energy up and keeps the defense alert.
“He’s always fired up,” DePriest said. “I mean, he takes it real serious which he’s supposed to. I mean, he’s the defensive coordinator, and actually, he’s my position coach, and so in our meeting, he’s a little bit more laid back. I mean, we would get into teams as far as group with the whole defense, he’s fired up about it, asking questions, making sure everybody’s alert. Sometimes he’ll throw water on us if we sleep, stuff like that it.”
It’s Smart’s success on the field and with his players that has put him in the spotlight as a candidate for a head coaching job.
“Well he deserves it because of all the work he puts in,” Mosley said. “He’s one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in the league, so if he gets the opportunity I hope he takes it because he does a great job as far as being a players’ coach. He treats us well. He puts us in the right position.”
