Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was driving through Mississippi, from Tupelo to Starkville, on Saturday morning before their game when he texted Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Smart checked to see what Sarkisian was doing.
“I said, ‘Well, I just got to work out, have breakfast and watch you play, bud. So good luck,’” Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian and Smart give each other a challenge each time they play against each other. Last season, it was Georgia that bested Texas twice, once in the regular season and again at the SEC Championship.
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And now this season, they face each other again at Sanford Stadium. The stakes are high for the Longhorns, who still need to win out to guarantee a spot in the playoff.
“I always love competing against him. It’s a great challenge, and this week’s no different,” Sarkisian said.
However, despite the competition, Sarkisian and Smart have developed a friendship over the years. They are part of several group chats with other coaches in the league, and keep up with each other as the season goes along.
“He’s become a good friend of mine,“ Smart said. ”He does a tremendous job. He’s at one of the premier programs in the country. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been. He’s done a great job and I enjoy his friendship and look forward to another great matchup on Saturday night.”
Their friendship extends beyond occasional texts — now that they are in the same conference, it helps them to be aligned on certain issues.
Sarkisian mentioned on Monday that sometimes they disagree because, as an offensive coach, he wants the conference officials to rule in favor of the offense, while Smart favors the opposite. However, on major issues, Sarkisian said it helps to be on the same page.
“One thing about him being the head coach at Georgia, and myself being the head coach at Texas, I think that we have an opportunity to be influential on trying to do what’s best for our game, not only in our conference, but in the state of college football,” Sarkisian said. “And I think us being aligned on as many issues as we can be aligned on is good for the sport.”
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