Greg McGarity, UGA’s athletics director, explained why he felt like Kirby Smart was the best fit to be the new football coach of the Bulldogs.

“It was critical to identify a person who would focus on a specific, defined process of developing championship football teams on and off the playing field,” said McGarity in a press release.

“Someone who understands the true meaning of a student-athlete by actually experiencing it himself — someone who competed at the highest levels on the playing field, was mentored by some of the very best in the game, and understood the specific ingredients necessary to excel at the highest levels of college athletics — Kirby Smart fits that profile. I believe Kirby Smart is the perfect fit for the University of Georgia.”

McGarity hired Smart, Alabama’s defensive coordinator, exactly a week after firing Mark Richt after 15 seasons as UGA’s head coach.