Georgia HC Kirby Smart hilariously recalls terrifying moment with Nick Saban while playing golf

Kirby Smart and Nick Saban are two of the most successful college football head coaches of all time. The duo has coached classic clashes between the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide.

However, it's important to note that Kirby Smart and Nick Saban have a tight friendship off the Gridiron. On an SEC Now panel recently, Smart spoke about a hilariously terrifying moment with Saban while playing golf.

He recalled an incident where Smart, along with other members of the coaching staff, had arranged to play at a golf course. They believed Saban would be playing at some other course, based on which they had chosen a different venue. But when Saban landed on the same golf course, the coaches' reactions were seemingly one for the ages.

Smart said,

"We all went out there about 25 guys, and he pulls into the one we were in. I had never seen coaches scramble and scatter. They were all running away. I was like, what is it, guys? They were like, look, it's coach. He was supposed to be on the other course."

When asked why he was at the coaches' course that day, Saban simply replied that it was instinct.

Nick Saban and Kirby Smart go way back

Nick Saban and Kirby Smart had a great rivalry on the Gridiron in the last few years of Saban's illustrious career, but the coaches go way back.

According to Athlon Sports, the duo coached together at Alabama, winning four national titles with Nick Saban as head coach and Kirby Smart as the defensive coordinator.

Kirby Smart gave his former boss his flowers at an SEC Media day when he said,

"What he's meant to me, my family as a mentor, friend, and competitor. He drives you to get better. There was never a day in the 11 years I worked for him that we didn't share a room of some sort...And I think it made me who I am today because the demand for excellence is met by none other than him."

The Georgia Bulldogs head coach continued, speaking about Saban's legendary high standards. He said,

"That standard he set for me, day in and day out, he met himself. Every coach that has ever worked with or for him will tell you that he does it all himself, too. He doesn't hold you to anything different than he holds himself to."

The duo might have faced off numerous times as coaches, but it's clear that Smart still thinks highly of the most successful head coach in modern College Football history.

What to expect from the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide in 2024?

The Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide had phenomenal seasons in 2023 and were in the race for the Championship until the final weeks.

The Bulldogs had an almost perfect record in 2023, with their only loss coming against the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game. That loss knocked them out of National Championship contention. They'll be looking to go all the way in 2024.

The Crimson Tide had a similarly impressive season in 2023. They lost just one fixture in the regular season and defeated the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game to grab their ticket to the CFP Semifinals. However, they narrowly lost to eventual national champions, the Michigan Wolverines, thus ending Nick Saban's legendary tenure. They'll be looking to go one further in 2024.