“Coaching isn’t just about tough love”: Cam Newton sends clear message to Kirby Smart after he calls out “offended” players

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has built one of the strongest football programs in the nation. He has won two national championships during his tenure as head coach and has kept Georgia as a contender in the SEC nearly every season. However, in spring practice he had issues with how players were practicing.

On March 18 after practice, Kirby Smart spoke with reporters and told them it feels like an inexperienced group. He lamented their conditioning, saying they could not do all of the drills because, "they're all tired." In particular, he called out the freshmen for being out of shape.

On Wednesday, former Heisman winner and NFL MVP Cam Newton released a new episode of '4th&1 with Cam Newton.' On the podcast episode, he reacted to Kirby Smart's comments and said he understands where he is coming from:

"Yeah, I receive that because this is the thing that coaches need time for and that's to implement their formula. No matter who you are, no matter what your coaches' caveat, you still need time to implement your formulas for your players to buy in.

"You need good players to understand what they're supposed to do so they can take their good skill and play faster which makes them great."

Cam Newton then spoke about how he feels that this generation of players is more sensitive than previous generations. However, he admitted a good coach knows how to coach without pushing players over the edge:

"There's a lot of sensitivity from players in this generation. Those coaches that tell it how it is to get the best out. Hard coaching, but it's not the way of doing certain things, it's how it comes off and how it's perceived.

"Coaching isn't just about tough love, it's about knowing how to push without pushing over the edge."

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have the No. 2-ranked recruit class in 2025

While Kirby Smart complained about the conditioning of his freshmen, there is no denying that he has a strong group of players. The team has the No.2-ranked recruiting class in the nation behind the Texas Longhorns with five five-star and 20 four-star recruits.

If Smart is able to help the freshmen improve their conditioning, the Bulldogs should be set up for even more success in the coming years. Smart noted that these freshmen could play a big role this season because the team lacks experienced players. While there are upperclassmen on the roster, Smart said that there are not as many as in recent years.