"If you don't do it someone else will": CFB insider credits Urban Meyer and Nick Saban for showcasing greatness to Georgia football

The Georgia Bulldogs won a National Championship in 1980 and then went several decades without winning another. During Mark Richt's tenure as head coach from 2001 to 2015, the team won a few conference championships but was never able to break through as one of the truly elite teams in college football.

However, since Kirby Smart was hired, the team has won two National Championships. On Wednesday, college football insider Josh Pate talked about how he thinks Urban Meyer's success in Florida and Nick Saban's success in Alabama helped Georgia make the decision to hire Kirby Smart.

"Georgia let very good be the enemy of them being great," Pate said on his show (starts at 1:40). "Here was the problem, when I was growing up in Georgia, it had been a long time since anyone had seen them compete for a national championship and win one. So, they didn't really know what excellence looked like. I think Saban did them a favor. I think Urban Meyer did them a favor.

"They came in and Mark Richt was one of the best coaches in the country. Probably wasn't even gonna make Georgia elite. Therefore wasn't going to be the one to kick the hornet's nest. Urban Meyer showed them that if you don't do it, someone else will at Florida. Saban showed them, if you don't do it someone else is gonna do it at Alabama."

Josh Pate explains what Kirby Smart did to turn around Georgia football

Josh Pate went on to discuss the experience that Kirby Smart brought from Alabama helping him with Georgia. Smart was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide behind head coach Nick Saban from 2007 to 2015. He saw firsthand from Saban what it takes to be great.

"Georgia said, we'll take Kirby and Kirby walked in and the first thing Kirby did is say, you think good enough is enough," Pate added. "It's not. I just came from the place you want to basically mirror and I know how to do it. But you got to say yes to this, this, this, and that. And Georgia eventually did."

Since Kirby Smart took over as head coach in 2016, Georgia has established itself as one of the nation's premier programs. The team has won two national championships and three SEC championships.