Kirby Smart's Concern For College Football is Becoming Reality

Was Kirby Smart right about why coaches are leaving the college game?

Not long after winning the national championship against his former boss and mentor Nick Saban, Georgia's Kirby Smart sat down for an interview with ESPN's Rece Davis. The two talked about the incredible season that Smart and Georgia just concluded, along with gathering Smart's thoughts on the state of College Football. 

As everyone knows all too well by now, the sport is changing rapidly, especially over the last 12 months. The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness by the NCAA made history by allowing college athletes to finally make money off of their name, image, and likeness, along with the increasing popularity of the NCAA Transfer Portal, which is creating College Football's version of free agency. 

While these changes seem all well and good for the natural progression of the sport, it is also showing signs of potential harm. Many coaches, even Smart — a notorious workaholic, are starting to elude to the massive time commitment and chaos it now takes to be a college coach. The coaches are responsible for preparing their teams week-to-week for games. Still, they are also responsible for recruiting not only high school talent but also transfer portal additions and recruiting their roster to try and keep everyone happy. 

There’s no conspiracy theories with Matt Luke.

Kirby Smart told you it was coming. pic.twitter.com/LY4BXuQxEF

— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) February 22, 2022

Smart told Davis that this seemingly never-ending schedule and the impact it has on coaches is one of his biggest concerns, "First concern I have: the best leaders and the best men to run it and be organized with it are leaving. Because you said relentless, the best coaches are going to the NFL because they get more time with their families."

Now fast-forwarding to where we are now, now-former offensive line coach Matt Luke looks to be the first example of good coaches leaving the game of college football. Luke cited in his statement the reason for leaving Georgia is because he wants to "shift my focus to spending more time with my family." 

Smart summed it up best as to why a majority of coaches are leaving college football for the NFL or some leaving the game entirely

“They want no part of NIL, portal, constant recruiting. And you say, ‘Well, why not?’ Go live it and see how long you wanna do it. It’s not what it used to be and I see coaches left and right, you know a lot of them, that have stepped out of this game that are saying, ‘I’m done.’ Good mean, great leaders, they don’t want to be apart of it. That concerns me for the future of it. Where’s it going?”

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