How Vince Dooley gave Kirby Smart a good omen about championship game

Kirby Smart felt confident heading into the national championship game on Monday night, and some of that confidence came from what he considered to be a sign from above.

Smart became only the second one of Nick Saban’s former assistants to beat the Alabama coach when Georgia defeated the Crimson Tide to capture the title. After the game, Smart revealed to reporters that he ran into Georgia legend Vince Dooley by coincidence last week. He took that as a sign from God.

Kirby Smart says he got a good sign from God earlier this week when he was on the elevator in the team hotel and it opened on the 15th floor and there was Vince Dooley, sitting on a bench in the hallway. He was locked out of his room.

"God put him there," Smart says.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 11, 2022

Dooley was the last head coach to win a national title with Georgia. He did so in 1980. The 89-year-old coached the Bulldogs from 1964-1988, winning six SEC titles in addition to the national championship. He was also the athletic director at Georgia from 1979-2004.

Smart was 0-4 against Saban prior to beating him on Monday. If you want to know how excited the Georgia coach was about the victory, just look at how high he jumped while celebrating.

Photo: Nov 25, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shown on the sideline against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first half at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports