I'm thinking back to an interview with Kirby just before (or maybe just after) the 2021 National Championship.
Kirby was asked to reflect on Saban and his relationship with him and he made a comment that has stuck in my mind ever since:
"One thing I've seen in Coach Saban is that in his recent years he's truly come to understand the value of relationships much more deeply". That's not an exact quote, but that's the gist of it.
There is a whole lot happening in that comment. I could almost hear Kirby saying 'I have seen this guy destroy people in a way that he will never be forgiven for, and honestly it freaked me tf out'.
And therein lies the last remaining hurdle Kirby has to clear if he wants to fully become what Saban was. He has to completely embrace the age old wisdom that it's lonely at the top and he's often not going to be loved for doing what needs to be done. That he's going to have to let go of his friends if he wants to keep giving speeches about being elite. That he cannot let a modicum of feeling creep into his decision making process with respect to our program.
The Kirby Smart that sits at the dinner table of recruits cannot be allow to make any more hires. When it's hiring season, he has to be cold and hard and ruthless to the point that he leaves people around him wondering if he understands the value of human connection.
Kirby did not hire Mike Bobo because he was the best for the job. Mike had been fired 3 times in a row before Kirby pulled him out of retirement and put him in charge. Kirby did not hire Stacy Searles after a thorough search for the best available. Kirby hired Mike and Stacy because it was convenient and easy and they were all buddies and it felt good.
Next year probably isn't going to be great regardless, but the years after that are very much up for grabs. Is it back to elite status or back to the Richt years?
Kirby's ability to ignore the value of relationships will likely be the determining factor.
