Kirby Smart adapts quickly: "We’ve had it wrong all along"

Social media platforms like Zoom aren’t only being used by college football coaches to communicate with their players during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

During a Thursday appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, head coach Kirby Smart said he and his assistants are also going online to communicate with other programs, both collegiately and in the NFL, in regard to learning and picking up other ideas that perhaps could be used in the upcoming campaign.

“We’re trying to visit with more staffs. It’s been really unique, because professional development is a big part of football. So you want to see what other people are doing, and visit with other people,” Smart said. “I’ve actually found that we’ve had it wrong all along.”

Traditionally, schools like Georgia would take time in the summer to travel to see programs in different parts of the country to exchange ideas.

Now, it’s being done from the comfort of their respective living room couches.

“We were flying to go see USC. Or we would go visit another program, whether it be Miami or whomever, and learn football, learn what they’re doing. Well now, we’re able to visit everybody just by way of Zoom,” Smart said. “We’ve probably averaged 3-4 NFL teams, a couple of colleges per day, just going in the afternoons after we do the work that we need to do. That’s been unique for me, and I’m able to sit in, because I’ve got a laptop, I’ve got a phone, you can be in 2-3 different Zooms at once, kinda watching what’s going on.”

Smart joked that the new technology still takes some getting used to, at least as far as he and Georgia’s coaches are concerned.

“It’s unique. If you’re not ready to embrace a challenge or getting comfortable with being uncomfortable—we always use that statement around our place—this is the ultimate 'get comfortable being uncomfortable,'” Smart said. “When coaches have to go onto virtual networks like Zoom, it’s not always good for guys that aren’t as young as these players.”

But Smart said he and his assistants will adjust.

After all, everyone’s using it now.

“I’ve found that most of our guys are much more compatible with dealing with computers than some of the older guys are,” Smart said. “So, it’s been an experience. We do staff meetings by Zoom. I know NFL teams we’ve talked to are doing the same thing, and we’re able to do Zoom meetings with our players. What’s amazing is how easy it is for them, but how complicated it is for us.”