As Georgia continues its College Football Playoff push, the Bulldogs obtained a go to from an enemy on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Effectively, a former enemy, at the very least.
Forward of its Week 12 matchup in opposition to No. 10 Texas, Georgia welcomed former Florida coach Billy Napier to its observe, with Bulldogs coach Kirby Good confirming it on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Napier was fired by the Gators on Oct. 19, seven video games into his fourth season on the faculty and two weeks earlier than Florida was set to tackle the No. 5 Bulldogs of their annual rivalry sport in Jacksonville, Florida.
Regardless of being on reverse sides of a heated rivalry for the previous a number of years, Napier and Georgia coach Kirby Good have an in depth relationship. The 2 labored collectively as assistant coaches beneath Nick Saban at Alabama for 4 seasons and have remained in contact through the years.
“Billy’s an excellent pal of mine,” Smart said Wednesday. “We have coached collectively for years. I’ve identified him. Folks do not perceive relationships and coaches. Coaches have a brotherhood and fraternity collectively. And his dad was good pals with my dad. His dad was actually good pals with coach (George) Bobo (father of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo). All of us grew up within the state of Georgia with our fathers teaching highschool soccer, well-respected folks. He is been a pal for a very long time so he dropped by, yeah, however that was actually it.”
Napier’s cease by Athens may very well be greater than only a pleasant go to to say hey to an outdated pal.
Certainly one of Napier’s last video games because the Florida coach was a 29-21 victory on Oct. 4 in opposition to the identical Texas staff Georgia will face on Saturday. It’s the Longhorns’ solely loss for the reason that begin of September and will supply some perception on the way to beat a talent-laden staff that seems to be rounding into type.
It’s not the primary time a former coach from a rival faculty has been by Good’s program. In March 2023, former Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins was noticed at a Georgia observe, about six months after he was fired by the Yellow Jackets.