Why Georgia's Kirby Smart spent five days in Mississippi this offseason in lieu of Italy
NASHVILLE — Georgia football coach Kirby Smart used part of his opening statement at SEC Media Days on Tuesday to detail what he did with his time off in late June and early July.
A chunk of that time, Smart said, was spent in Mississippi.
In lieu of Italy.
Smart's son Andrew, 11, played in a travel baseball tournament in Southaven, home to Snowden Grove Park, which offers a 17-field baseball facility.
"I got to spend five days in the SEC footprint in Mississippi," Smart said. "Travel baseball dad, which is fun and exhilarating, and my wife wants to go to Italy and the Amalfi Coast, and instead we spent it in Mississippi for five days in Southaven. I enjoyed every minute of that, and getting to be a travel baseball dad is something I enjoy."
Smart's Bulldogs went 15-0 last season on their way to their second consecutive national championship. Georgia has beaten Mississippi State in two of the past three seasons, and the Bulldogs are scheduled to host Ole Miss on Nov. 11. That will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2016.
KIFFIN: Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin's 5 best media days moments, including Tennessee
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Kirby Smart spent five days in Mississippi in lieu of Italy in 2023
