How Does UGA Football Coach Kirby Smart Battle Complacency?
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NASHVILLE - Kirby Smart had a lot to say on Tuesday during SEC media days.
However, what he talked about the most was fighting complacency, building leaders, and not focusing on the past.
Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are focused on the future. And the future is bright.
That’s because Kirby Smart has built a monster. There’s no “7-5” talk around these 2023 Bulldogs. Hell, under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs may never go 7-5 again. But in order for that to happen, Smart and his Bulldogs can’t get complacent.
“Everybody here has talked about the emphasis on a three-peat”, Smart said during his press conference. “What are you going to do next? How are you going to top that? The threat for us is complacency. The first thing you have to do, is acknowledge it’s a threat. That’s the first step of stomping it out.”
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It would easy to be complacent after winning two consecutive championships. Going back-to-back is hard. Doing it a third time is even harder. Winning becomes normal. It becomes easy for teams like Georgia. Especially with a schedule that most are calling “cupcake”.
But Smart knows he’s built his team, and his program, with players, coaches, and administrators who won’t let complacency get to them. This is a program full of people who all have one common goal.
To bring championships to the University of Georgia.
“We look for two things when we look for people to join our organization”, Smart said. “I’m not talking about just players. I’m talking about everyone in our organization. Do they love football? Do they embrace being part of something that is bigger than themselves? Are they selfless? Those qualities are not dependent on outcomes. We’re not looking for guys who are dependent on outcomes. So when you see complacency take over, it’s when a team’s ego starts to worry about outcomes. That’s not what we do at Georgia.”
So what will drive the 2023 Bulldogs?
“Intrinsic motivation”, Smart said. “We’re not going to be controlled by outside noise and narratives. The intrinsic motivation comes from within and what we decide to do. This team is still defining itself. That will happen over the rest of the summer and in fall camp, but I like where it’s at. I love the buy-in. I love the fact that these guys love being around each other. They love to compete and they love football.”
If there’s one big takeaway from Smart’s press conference, it’s his excitement for this team. This is his 8th season at Georgia. The machine is rolling. The trophies are stacking up, and they’re just getting started.
He’s happy. He knows the challenges ahead, but he knows his team is hungry to meet those challenges. There’s still a long way to go until September, but Smart seems locked in. He knows his team isn’t getting complacent. He’s using different strategies to keep his guys focused, motivated, hungry, and looking for more.
It looks like Smart knows a special 2023 season is right around the corner.
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