He said goodbye, and he did it in style.
There was a quiver in his lip as he addressed the media for the final time. No tears were shed but there was a silent and bittersweet moment as he slowly walked away from a program he helped to build. Yet he wasn't wanting to talk about the game that just took place. Nor did he want to talk about the people he wanted to follow him east to Athens.
Kirby Smart wanted to talk about his family and how great he was for their patience over the past several months.
"My kids are 7,4 and 3, Tuscaloosa is all they've ever known." Smart said late into the hours of Monday night. "My wife and my family have been so patient with me. This makes it a special moment."
It has been a long month for Kirby Smart who barely had time to sleep between visits to recruits houses to staying and coaching his team to their 16th National Championship. No one really expected him not to leave after this season, it was a smart move from the start.
"I would be mad at him if he didn't take the job," safety Geno Matias-Smith said after the 2015 SEC Championship. "He's ready for the big leagues, we know that and he should know that."
Smart joined the Alabama staff back in 2007 when Nick Saban arrived. A simple assistant who would help out on the defense, Smart would become a key factor for the Crimson Tide's defense in 2008. He grew onto Nick and Nick grew onto him.
For the man who never shows emotion, the now five-time National Championship head coach was quiet but almost in tears saying goodbye to his nine-year partner in crime.
You know, it's sort of like you have a son and he's moving away, and you want to see him do really, really well because we all go through stations of life where things change, so now someone else will have a better – an opportunity," Saban said. "Kirby will have an opportunity. Somebody will have an opportunity to do what he does, and hopefully we can provide a little leadership and guidance that will help him along the way have a chance to be successful."
It would be hard for Smart not to take the head coaching job down in Athens, Georgia. While replacing Mark Richt, who led Georgia to four 10+ wins seasons, home calls to the heart and the heart is ready to go home.
"I'm headed to a great university," he said addressing the media after Alabama's 16ht National title win. "It's my alma mater calling me back. It's a special moment for me."
Smart leaves Alabama a champion, but also takes away one of the key factors to the success; recruiting. Smart has been a key factor in the recruiting game and has helped Alabama win five consecutive recruiting titles.
"He did it right," linebacker Dillion Lee said. "We got one on the road and he's going to be fine when he leaves."
As for the city of Tuscaloosa, that may be a harder breakup for them then it is for Smart. So many people in the town look to Smart like the city of Austin looked at Will Muschamp. They didn't want him to leave, they wanted him to be groomed. Be groomed to take over, to lead Alabama in the future. To keep the process going.
For fans, it's sometimes more than they could bear.
But he's ready to go, whether Alabama is ready to let him go or not. In the coming days, more will be released on who will stay and who will make the trip with the first time head coach to Athens. However his players, well former players, know this is what he's ready for.
"He finally getting a chance to branch out in his own," linebacker Reggie Ragland said. "He's going to show everyone he's ready to become a great head coach."
In the end, a smile protrudes across his face one final time as the team loads up the bus and heads back to the hotel. He doesn't know his new players as well as he would like, but he's ready for the challenge.
"I'm leaving a lot of good people, people who helped my family and worked really hard for this University so it's emotional for me." he said as the clock strikes midnight.
It's always hard to say goodbye, but Kirby is smart enough to know when it's time to go.
Pun intended.
