While speaking to reporters at SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla. Tuesday, Georgia coach Kirby Smart addressed the ongoing feud between Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher. In Smart’s eyes, their feud is pretty tame compared to what gets said in private among coaches.
“You guys should be on the headphones [on the field] sometime,” Smart said, according to AL.com. “You would think that was Mickey Mouse. It just so happened in front of everybody. It’s just not something I’d prefer to comment on, to be honest with you.”
The feud started May 19 when Saban alleged the Aggies got the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class by paying players through their use of NIL partnerships. After Saban’s initial comments, Fisher called a press conference to respond and ripped the seven-time national champion. He called Saban a “narcissist” and insinuated that Saban has not followed NCAA rules in the past in a scathing monologue.
“Some people think they’re God,” Fisher said. “Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don’t want to know. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past.”
During the press conference, Fisher said Saban had called him but he didn’t answer and added “we’re done.” After the press conference, Saban apologized for singling out Fisher during an interview on ESPNU radio’s Off-Campus.
Both Smart and Fisher were assistants on Saban’s LSU staff at one point and Smart made it clear this isn’t the first time the two have exchanged similar words.
“I’m not really worried about a feud between two guys who used to sit in the same staff meeting and have similar conversations,” Smart said. “At the end of the day, sometimes things get heated, and you’d rather it not be in the public arena. At the end of the day, things like that happen.”
