"The man was in his 70s": Kirby Smart drops his take on Nick Saban's retirement amid claims of college football being driven by NIL money

College football coaching changes like Nick Saban's retirement and Jim Harbaugh's NFL transfer have sparked talk of a coaching exodus. However, Georgia's Kirby Smart isn't buying it and begs to differ.

Kirby Smart disputes media portrayals suggesting widespread discontent among coaches. He acknowledged Saban's age as a significant factor in his decision to step down and retire from coaching. Kirby highlighted that the legendary coach is well into his seventies and college football isn't the reason for his retirement.

“I think there’s been a lot of media portrayal that had something to do (with him retiring). The man was in his 70s,” Smart said Monday night, per The Athletic.

Furthermore, Smart also pointed out that college football isn’t a bad place for coaches.

"I don't hear many coaches complaining about wanting out," Smart said.

“They enjoy the profession. They want the profession to be about relationships, developing talent and rewarding positive performance, both on and off the field,” Kirby Smart added.

According to Kirby, coaches don't feel like wanting out as much as it's shown in the media.

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Coach Kirby Smart jokes about NIL era

Georgia head coach and former player Kirby Smart showed his lighter side during a speech at the Macon Touchdown Club. Kirby otherwise had a serious image in front of everyone. He was cracking jokes about a turbulent flight on Monday. Smart entertained the audience with the idea of borrowing a player's Lamborghini for a faster trip.

"It was the bumpiest plane ride, windiest plane ride I’ve ever been on, so I was thinking. Could I have gone in the parking lot, my players parking lot, and maybe got a Lamborghini and drove down really fast?" Smart said.

"I thought about it, I don’t think I could drive one, I don’t think I could fit in one of those. (But) there’s definitely a different parking lot when it comes to players in the world we live in right now,” Kirby added.

He acknowledged the humor might be lost on some, referencing the privilege afforded to players in today's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era. Currently, Kirby and the team are all set for the Spring games.

What are your thoughts on Smart’s joke? Let us know in the comments section below.