How Kalen DeBoer has been “very Impacted” with Kirby Smart before he became The Georgia Bulldogs head coach

“This is our first conference game and it’s against an opponent that’s No. 1 or No. 2 depending on where you look, but they’re a top-ranked team that brings it each and every Saturday,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “It’s going to be extremely well coached and we know it’s going to be a great test for us. It’s really about the game, and there really isn’t any past history with [Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and me]. I certainly understand everything.

Smart was named Georgia’s head coach on Dec. 6, 2015, and has logged a 97-16 record with two SEC Championships and two National Championships ever since. However, Alabama has had Smart’s number as he’s 1-5 against the Tide. Alabama defeated Georgia in the 2017 National Championship in overtime, but the Bulldogs took the Crimson Tide down in the 2022 National Championship. Most recently, Alabama upset Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship to end the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak, which landed the Tide a spot in the College Football Playoff.

DeBoer discussed Smart’s experience at both Alabama and Georgia on Monday, stating that his efforts and dominance have essentially made him the leader of the current SEC coaches when it comes to meetings.

“You’ve seen from afar what he’s done, not just at Georgia but throughout his career, and it’s so impressive. You can just see that he’s one of those who does everything he can to make the game better. I think coaches who can be upfront and fight for the things that can improve the game of football, at the college level especially, I’ve just been impressed with that when sitting in the [SEC] meetings. He’s one of the guys that’s been around longer and is more familiar with our league, so there’s a lot of experience that we can draw upon to help us make good decisions as we have our SEC meetings.