“According to Jake Crain from Crain & Company, Kirby Smart would have left Auburn for the Georgia head coaching job if he had been offered it during the search to replace Gene Chizik, as he explained. Smart mentioned in a 2017 interview with ESPN’s Chris Low that the decision not to hire him in 2012 was influenced by Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs’ reservations.
“The others on the search committee [Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan] were good with it, I think, but I don’t think Jay could ever get past the thought of the Auburn coach coaching at Alabama for another month and all that went into that,” Smart said. “I get that, and the truth is it worked out the way it was supposed to. My experience is that it usually does.”
Smart found success elsewhere, notably winning four titles as defensive coordinator at Alabama and back-to-back titles as head coach at Georgia. In hindsight, Jacobs might regret not hiring Smart, especially considering the struggles of recent Auburn coaches like Bryan Harsin and the later years of Gus Malzahn. Auburn is currently showing promise on the recruiting front, and there is hope for improved on-field performance in the upcoming seasons under Hugh Freeze’s leadership, despite a slow start in 2023.”
