Georgia coach Kirby Smart restricting transfers to Miami, SEC teams
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Georgia coach Kirby Smart defended on Saturday his policy of placing restrictions on athletes who want to transfer schools.
Earlier this week, running back A.J. Turman told Dawg Nation that once he decided to transfer, Smart restricted him from joining Miami, who earlier this year hired former Bulldogs coach Mark Richt, and Florida, an SEC rival.
Saturday, Smart said Truman did not want to transfer to Miami, but he wanted to set an example for future transfers.
“I wanted to set the precedent for the future that kids would not be able to go to Miami right away,” Smart said. “It’s very important that we understand that, and that’s pretty much standard operating procedure when a coach leaves one place, that a kid can’t go there with the coach.”
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The coach also added players would be restricted from joining other SEC teams as well.
“Moving forward, where it’s more important to know that we will not release kids to SEC schools unless it’s a special situation,” Smart said. “...There are very few situations where you want a kid going to somebody on your schedule, or somebody in your league. That’s pretty much standard operating procedure.
The policy is in direct contrast to Richt’s, who during his time at Georgia, did not restrict transfers.
The NCAA’s transfer rules are currently being challenged by a lawsuit filed earlier this month.
