Kirby Smart Now the Longest-Tenured Coach in the SEC - and Still Setting the Standard
ATHENS - Kirby Smart just added another title to his already stacked résumé: Dean of SEC coaches. And while he won’t turn 50 for a few more weeks, the Georgia head coach now holds the longest active tenure in the conference following Kentucky’s decision to part ways with Mark Stoops.
It’s a symbolic milestone, sure. But it’s also a reflection of the sustained excellence Smart has built in Athens over the last decade.
In his 10th season leading the Bulldogs, Smart has guided Georgia to five consecutive SEC Championship Game appearances - a feat matched only once before, by Steve Spurrier’s Florida teams from 1992 to 1996. That’s not just consistency; that’s dominance in the toughest conference in college football.
As you might expect, Smart wasn’t interested in taking a victory lap when asked about the accomplishment on Sunday. Instead, he did what he always does - deflected credit to the people around him.
“I mean, if we didn’t make it in some of those years, we still had successful seasons and played well,” Smart said. “It’s the goal we want to achieve.
I don’t look back on it personally and reflect about any of that because it’s obviously in the moment. We got to prepare for this game.”
That’s classic Kirby - eyes forward, never satisfied, even as he builds one of the most impressive dynasties the SEC has seen since Nick Saban’s Alabama heyday.
But those around him aren’t shy about recognizing what he’s accomplished.
Former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, who helped lead the Bulldogs to their first SEC title game appearance under Smart back in 2017, put it plainly: “I take a lot of pride in being a part of Kirby’s first recruiting class and helping to build and develop a winning culture.”
Fromm added, “What Coach Smart’s done is an incredible feat, especially when you look at how hard and tough the SEC schedule is. You look back and realize that a lot of these SEC championship games have really been like national championships with how the winners have fared, so I’m proud to say I was there and a part of it when Coach Smart was starting the dynasty we see today.”
That word - dynasty - is starting to feel more and more appropriate.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, who worked under Smart at Georgia, didn’t hold back in his praise either.
“It’s the most impressive thing he’s accomplished in my opinion,” Beamer said. “Winning is hard, and especially in this conference, and to be in that (SEC championship) game five years in a row knowing that every SEC game in the season you get the opponent’s best shot because it’s their Super Bowl is remarkable.”
That’s the reality Georgia lives in now. Every week, they’re the measuring stick. And yet, Smart’s Bulldogs keep finding ways to meet - and often exceed - the challenge.
Even Kalen DeBoer, who succeeded Nick Saban at Alabama and is now preparing for his first SEC Championship Game, tipped his cap to Smart.
“Yeah, that’s pretty impressive, just doing it over and over at the highest level in the toughest conference in the country,” DeBoer said. “Tip the hat to Coach Smart and what he has done.”
DeBoer, who’s quickly made his mark in Tuscaloosa, acknowledged the foundation Smart helped lay during his time on Saban’s staff. “Obviously our program wouldn’t be where it is with the things he did here, too, the work he put in. He’s a great football coach, I know he’s got a great staff there, and you can see the fight his team has every single weekend when they step on the football field.”
That relentless edge - the “fight” DeBoer mentioned - is part of what’s made Georgia so difficult to beat under Smart. His teams aren’t just talented; they’re wired to compete at a championship level every single week.
Even Mark Richt, who led Georgia for 15 seasons before Smart took the reins in 2016, had high praise for his successor.
“First of all, the expectations we see in the SEC for programs, for all of the teams to meet them there would have to be 10 champions a year - it’s impossible to meet expectations these days,” Richt said. “But to do what Kirby has done is so impressive, to be at the top, it’s just awesome, and it doesn’t look like the train is slowing down.”
It really doesn’t. Georgia isn’t just winning - it’s reloading.
Year after year. Class after class.
And now, with Smart sitting atop the SEC coaching hierarchy in both tenure and results, the question isn’t whether he’s built something special. It’s how long he can keep it going.
Here’s a quick snapshot of where the rest of the SEC coaching carousel stands - and just how much turnover there’s been around Smart:
- Georgia: Kirby Smart - Hired Dec. 6, 2015
- Missouri: Eli Drinkwitz - Hired Dec. 9, 2019
- South Carolina: Shane Beamer - Hired Nov. 15, 2020
- Vanderbilt: Clark Lea - Hired Dec. 14, 2020
- Texas: Steve Sarkisian - Hired Jan. 2, 2021
- Tennessee: Josh Heupel - Hired Jan. 27, 2021
- Oklahoma: Brent Venables - Hired Dec. 5, 2021
- Mississippi State: Jeff Lebby - Hired Nov. 26, 2023
- Texas A&M: Mike Elko - Hired Nov. 27, 2023
- Alabama: Kalen DeBoer - Hired Jan. 12, 2024
- LSU: Lane Kiffin - Hired Nov. 30, 2025
- Ole Miss: Pete Golding - Hired Nov. 30, 2025
- Florida: Jon Sumrall - Hired Nov. 30, 2025
- Auburn: Alex Golesh - Hired Nov. 30, 2025
- Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield - Hired Nov. 30, 2025
- Kentucky: Vacant
It’s a revolving door across much of the conference - new faces, new philosophies, new blueprints for success. But in Athens, the formula hasn’t changed. And neither has the man leading it.
Kirby Smart is now the elder statesman of the SEC. But make no mistake - he’s still coaching like he’s got something to prove.