Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs coach, had an outstanding 2024. Smart led Georgia to a 10-2 record despite facing the most difficult schedule in the FBS, according to ESPN’s strength of schedule rankings. He defeated Texas for the second time in the SEC championship, giving Georgia a first-round bye and the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff.
As a result, Smart is a finalist for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award. Along with Smart, this year’s contenders are Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State), Spencer Danielson (Boise State), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Dan Lanning (Oregon), James Franklin (Penn State), and Steve Sarkisian (Texas). Each of these coaches led their teams to the playoffs.
Smart will take face Freeman in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day at 8:45 p.m. ET. Later, he might coach against Danielson or Franklin on the path to the title, and if Georgia wins the national championship, he’ll face either Dillingham, Sarkisian (for the third time), or former Georgia assistant Dan Lanning.