Kirby Smart was formally introduced as Georgia’s football coach on Monday but he won’t be fully committed to his new gig until Alabama’s season is over.
Smart, 39, plans to continue as defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide through the College Football Playoff. Alabama faces Michigan State in a semifinal contest on Dec. 31.
He will receive time to start putting together a coaching staff together over the next week. Then he will return to Alabama for its bowl preparations and might not be available to guide the Bulldogs again until after the Jan. 11 title game.
Other than that, Smart is prepared to dig into his new role. He replaces Mark Richt and understands there is pressure to get Georgia in position to compete for a CFP spot.
“There’s no greater pressure than (the pressure) I put on myself, I can tell you that,” Smart said at his introductory press conference. “That’s the way it should be. You put pressure on yourself and you demand excellence from everybody in your organization. We’re going to go out there and have the intent to win every game we play.”
Smart agreed to a six-year contract that will pay him $3.75 million per year. The Georgia athletic association executive committee approved his hiring on Sunday.
Smart has been the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator since 2008. He had a big role in three national championship squads and discussed the success in his first meeting with the players.
“We’re going to challenge them and demand toughness and effort out of every person and every aspect of their life,” Smart said. “We’re going to push them harder than they’ve ever been pushed. But I think to be excellent, they have to do that.”