Georgia coach Kirby Smart under pressure, facing challenges after national title season

Kirby Smart Georgia coach Kirby Smart smiles while taking a few questions after the team arrived at Indianapolis International Airport on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, in Indianapolis. Georgia is scheduled to play Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) (Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com/AP)

April 13, 2022 at 2:41 p.m. UTC

ATHENS — Georgia’s Kirby Smart might be under more pressure than any coach in college football on the heels of leading Georgia football to the CFP Championship.

To be clear, it’s not financial pressure, because Smart is on the verge of a life-changing payday, due a contract extension believed to be in range of 10-years and $100 million.

It was money well-earned, as Smart delivered a CFP Championship to the Bulldogs in his sixth year as head coach last season.

The pressure Smart is operating is internal, as he’s a ferocious competitor known to hold himself and those around him to elite standards.