Kirby Smart explains why complacency isn't a concern coming off national championship

Some coaches may worry about their team coming out with the same level of hunger and drive the next season after winning a national championship. Kirby Smart practically scoffs at the idea his Georgia Bulldogs will experience any of that sort of complacency this coming season despite winning the first title of his head coaching career with this group in January.

“I don’t worry about it because we don’t have a reason to be complacent,” Smart said at a recent press conference. He looks at what the Dawgs lost after last season and sees a lot of guys stepping in who should be hungry since it’s their time to shine.

“I mean, I’ve been on national championship teams that won it all that I was concerned about complacency — because we got a lot of them back. We don’t really have that problem. So it’s not a problem inherent to us in terms of complacency.”

Smart worries more about complacency when it comes to guys who have been around for a while.

“I worry about complacency every year for a guy that’s started and played for two years, but that was regardless of the record. Like it didn’t matter if you won eight games, 10 games, 12 games or 15 games. You worry about a guy being comfortable who has started multiple years. Can he grow?”

However, Kirby Smart believes there are still a lot of motivations for a guy who’s started multiple years. So long as he has a motivational drive.

“A lot of that’s intrinsic within him. How good does he want to be? Does he want to continue to grow and develop? Does he want to improve his opportunity for the NFL? He want to be the best he can possibly be? Because I know the guys who haven’t played are hungry. We have to keep the guys who have hungry.”

Then, Smart went further to say he doesn’t think his team’s performance will have anything to do with complacency.

“It has nothing to do with complacency. Whether we win or lose every game this year, it’s not going to be because of the complacency. It’s going to be because of the outcomes and what we did on the grass to make that possible. It won’t be because of complacency.”

The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs WILL NOT be complacent, Kirby Smart declares.