Kirby Smart discusses how coaches balance recruiting on gameday

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has a tall task in front of him Saturday. He must not only execute a gameplan to knock off undefeated Kentucky, but also pay close attention to the recruits who could make the Bulldogs a powerhouse for years to come.

During a Friday interview on the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum Show, Smart broke down how coaches can balance all that happens on gameday. He preached teamwork and preparation, similar to his on-field plea.

“You delegate,” Smart told Finebaum. “I mean, you make sure that you get people in your organization that can recruit and can pay attention to people. Everybody serves a purpose, and you have a good plan for how to entertain people. But the business is the game, right? We have to play a good game.”

This week in particular, the recruiting balance will be important for Kirby Smart and his Georgia staff. On the field, the Bulldogs will face an undefeated Kentucky team which has already upset Florida to takeover the second spot in the SEC East. Off the field, the country’s top recruits have flocked to Athens once again to experience College GameDay, Sanford Stadium and the Georgia atmosphere.

“We’re playing a really good football team and a lot of respect for Mark and the Kentucky team,” said Smart. “So we have to do a tremendous job preparing for that, that’s the foremost important thing. But you can only do so much time with the players. And you got to do a good job in recruiting. And we found that out over years that these experiences they have on game day are the best experiences.”

Using fans to recruit

While talking about Georgia’s second College GameDay experience in three weeks, Kirby Smart called for fans to do their thing. With atmosphere on the mind of every recruit, the Bulldogs have a chance to separate themselves with a loud game.

“You know, we got a lot of great prospects going to be on campus,” Smart told Finebaum. “What better environment to have them in than this, and they enjoy that. Our fans are second to none, what they did that Arkansas game and how they’re going to turn out tomorrow, I think it just brings more energy to the program.”

Georgia continues recruiting well under Kirby Smart, setting a base with five-star recruits and big-time transfers. Now No. 1 with a deep defense, 2021 could separate Georgia from the field.