By the time Kirby Smart gets to Little Rock next week for the Broyles Award luncheon, the Alabama defensive coordinator could have a new job at another SEC school.
Smart, 39, is among the top choices to fill head coaching vacancies at Georgia and South Carolina according to multiple media reports.
"He'll be a great head coach," Florida Coach Jim McElwain said. "He's been trained by the best."
Smart has worked for Alabama Coach Nick Saban as an assistant coach since 2007 and been defensive coordinator since 2008.
In 2009 Smart won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. As one of five finalists for this year's Broyles Award, he has a chance to be the first two-time winner, as does North Carolina defensive coordinator Gene Chizik.
Chizik, who as Auburn's head coach led the Tigers to the 2010 national championship, won the Broyles Award in 2004 when he was the Tigers' defensive coordinator.
Other Broyles Award finalists this year are Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley and Baylor offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.
The 20th Broyles Award winner will be announced Tuesday at the Little Rock Marriott hotel.
Smart has been mentioned for head coaching jobs in previous years, and the chance to lead his own SEC program might finally pull him away from Saban and Alabama.
Georgia figures to have special appeal for Smart because he played for the Bulldogs as a defensive back from 1995-1998. As a senior, he was a first-team All-SEC pick.
Smart was an administrative assistant for the Bulldogs in 1999 and coached running backs at Georgia in 2005. He has been a Saban assistant at three stops -- at LSU, with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL and at Alabama.
"I've said many times before in years past that Kirby has done a fantastic job for us, and I think he'll be an outstanding head coach," Saban said. "I don't think everything you do as an assistant necessarily prepares you as a head coach, but I also think by the same token that Kirby is very capable of doing all the things necessary to be a head coach.
"He's a good teacher. Players respond to him well. He's outgoing. He's got a good personality."
Saban said no schools have contacted him about Smart or any other assistants as the Crimson Tide prepare to play Florida in the SEC Championship Game Saturday in Atlanta.
"I think everybody sort of respects where we are and what we're doing," Saban said.
Saban said he expects other schools to be contact with Smart and other assistants after the Alabama-Florida game
"I would like for our guys to stay focused on what they're doing here right now," Saban said. "I have no reason to believe that anybody isn't totally focused because for us to play well at whatever they're responsible for is certainly going to be helpful to any opportunities that they can create for themselves."
Saban said it was important for him to do well as the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator after he was hired as Michigan State's coach.
"For the players, for the team, for your own personal pride and professionalism, you want to do a good job of finishing the job that you have right now," he said. "I think those values are really, really important, and I think the guys on our staff, I trust that they believe in those as well."
McElwain coached with Saban and Smart at Alabama when he was the Tide's offensive coordinator from 2008-2011. He left Alabama to become Colorado State's coach and in his first season at Florida has led the Gators to the SEC East title and a matchup against Saban and Smart.
If Smart is hired at Georgia or South Carolina, he'll be a division rival of McElwain's Gators.
"He's been waiting for his time, and you know what, he'll get the right one, and he'll do a great job," McElwain said of Smart becoming a head coach. "I just wish he'd get it maybe on the other side of the country where I wouldn't have to see him except in the national championship game or something like that."
Sports on 12/01/2015