Greg Sankey is aware that not every job is the right job at the right moment.

And for the SEC Commissioner, that idea came to mind about Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who was certainly in demand as the Alabama defensive coordinator before he took the Georgia job. South Carolina, for example, was reportedly interested in hiring Smart at the time Georgia offered him the job in Athens.

At the national championship, Sankey reflected on that

“When Kirby won his first SEC Championship, as we were walking up on the trophy stage, I said ‘Kirby, that’s why you wait to take the right job. You see a lot of people, oh I’ve had colleagues and friends, ‘Oh I’ve always wanted to be an athletic director,’ why did you take that opportunity? It wasn’t the right one.”

Sankey recalled Smart taking over for Mark Richt and remembered Georgia’s 2012 team, which was part of the strong foundation in place when Smart took over.

“I’ve never been a part of a championship celebration, and I’ve been around a few of them, that had the kind of joint enthusiasm that was present in Indianapolis last year,” Sankey said. “I think that’s an indication of the passion. But Kirby’s managed that really well.”