Josh Pate shares who has replaced Nick Saban as the most powerful coach in college football

Nick Saban was undoubtedly the most powerful college football coach during his days at Alabama. Aside from his unrivaled success on the field, he commanded a huge level of respect from his colleagues and was able to influence pivotal decisions within the landscape.

Two years on since Saban's retirement, there's been a question of which current coach has taken his place within the realm. In an installment of “Josh Pate’s College Football Show,” Pate named Georgia’s Kirby Smart as the most powerful coach currently in college football.

“I asked this question earlier today of you and most of you answered the same way I would answer,” Pate said (Timestamp 1:14). “Kirby Smart's the most powerful head coach in college football right now because he's won and he's won for a long time.”

“I want to remind you he left Alabama, where he was Saban's defensive coordinator and then he went over to Georgia and he proceeded to build as close of a replica to what Saban had built in Tuscaloosa as anyone did…”

“…He built a model, he built a program that most closely resembled Alabama. They played to the same level of standard, they operated very similarly, they recruited very similarly, [and] there was tenacity.”

Kirby Smart was widely touted to establish the level of dominance Nick Saban had at Alabama in college football when the legendary coach retired. While Georgia didn't win the national championship last season, the program remained a top contender bound for huge success.

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Josh Pate says Kirby Smart commands a respect similar to Nick Saban

The level of respect Nick Saban commanded from his fellow coaches stood out during his tenure in college football. This is an attribute Josh Pate believes Kirby Smart also possesses.

Pate believes that Kirby Smart commands respect from his peers and can get people to listen, especially when it comes to his views and opinions on the college football landscape.

“You'll notice when Kirby Smart talks, I wish he'd do it a little bit more, but when he talks about the sort of existential bigger picture issues facing college football, people listen,” Pate said (Timestamp 2:18).

“He's got near-universal respect amongst his peers. Everybody measures themselves to Georgia and Ohio State right now. That's why Kirby Smart would be No. 1 for me, and then No. 2, if I'm even ranking them in order, would be Ryan Day.”

Kirby Smart spent over a decade working under Nick Saban at Alabama, LSU and the Miami Dolphins. It's safe to say he's learned a lot from him during those years, which helped build a foundation for becoming a great coach on the field and a respected personality off the field.