Athens, Ga - With every college football coaching change, the proverbial "change of culture" is imminent. Such is the story in Athens for the first time in 15 years, as new University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has taken over.
What does a culture change mean? In many cases it has to do with cleaning up approach and attitude. It can entail implementation of new philosophies and routines. And in the case of Smart and Georgia, the evolving culture change taking place will be one of no longer accepting just being good.
Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity began that culture change when he fired longtime and popular head coach Mark Richt after winning his ninth game of the regular season. Over the 15-year Richt era in Athens, the Bulldogs won 10 or more games an impressive 10 times. But never appearing in any title game outside of their own conference finally proved to not be enough.
Smart comes to Georgia from the University of Alabama, where the culture has the mantra that anything less than a national championship is a tragedy in Tuscaloosa, whereas answers would be demanded as to how such a calamity could have taken place and what needs to be done to avoid such humiliation next season.
On Wednesday in Athens, Smart met the media for the first time in Athens since winning the national championship at Alabama, and spoke to his ideals and vision of where he wants the culture of the Bulldogs football program under his watch.
“I think culture is very important any time you take on a new job," Smart said. "Not that anything was completely broken before, but this culture has to be created by Coach Smart and Coach Smart’s staff. We’re doing that right now. We’re doing that in the weight room on day one. We’re going to make sure every kid understands that."
Smart will be pulling all the strings in the program, but over the next two months leading up to spring practice the players will likely get more familiarized with new strength and conditioning coach Scott Sinclair (who joins the Georgia staff from Marshall University) than their new head coach.
“I envision it looking very detailed, very organized," Smart said. "We’re going to structure it in a way that I’m comfortable with. Scott and I have sat down and talked about that. That was part of the interview process and that’s probably what intrigued me most about him. He’s very personal. He enjoys being around the players. He thinks if you get to know them that they will work hard for you. They’ll buy into that."
Once Smart gets his players on the field in March, one would believe any and all earned playing time in the past will be just that - a thing of the past. The new culture should have taken root by then, and Smart will begin doing what he was hired to do: coach football. And he seems more than excited to begin the competition.
"It’s a tough, competitive culture," Smart said. "But it’s going to be done through our eyes, our window. That’s what we want to establish in the offseason. That’s the point of the offseason — create toughness. To make kids be comfortable being uncomfortable. I think that’s important for them to have to do. I had to do it as a coach. I think when you step outside that box it makes you a better person. We’re going to challenge these kids to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
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