Jeremy Pruitt is doing such a good job Bama fans aren't missing Kirby Smart (Photo-Derek Mason)

Kirby Who? Alabama’s Defense May Actually Be Better

By: Larry Burton

It’s one thing to study the Tide. As a journalist, that is a must. But sometimes studying the fans can be more fun. Case in point, I was just remembering how many fans, while glad to see Kirby get a head coaching job at his alma mater,  thought the defense would take a step back without him.

With the regular season in the books, it’s a fair time to make some comparisons and when you do, this defense could be better than any ever fielded by Kirby Smart, except for maybe Smart’s 2011 squad.

Jeremy Pruitt, Alabama’s new defensive coordinator, seems to have been more than just a replacement for the man many men thought Alabama couldn’t live without, he may have possibly been an upgrade. When you see the results on the field as well as his prodigious recruiting ability, it’s hard to argue the point.

This year Alabama leads the nation in total defense giving up just 246.8 yards and 11.4 points per game. Last year they were number three giving up 276.3 yards and 15.1 points per game. Other Smart teams were:

2014 – 12th in the nation – 328.4 yards per game – gave up 18.4 points per game

2013 – 5th in the nation – 286.5 yards per game – gave up 13.9 points per game

2012 – 1st in the nation – 250 yards per game – gave up 10.9 points per game

2011- 1st in the nation – 183.6 yards per game – gave up 8.2 points per game

2010 -5th in the nation – 286.4 yards per game – gave up 13.5 points per game

Whether Pruitt will have Smarts longevity is an arguable point however. Smart was with Alabama for nine years, eight as the defensive coordinator. Smart took his time, turned down less than stellar offers and bided his time. He was content to be the nation’s highest paid defensive coordinator in the history of college football and wait for his dream job.

Pruitt may not wait around as long before jumping for a head coaching job.

Another thing Kirby Smart had over all coaches who had ever coached defense at Alabama was the fact that he was Alabama’s only winner of the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s best assistant coach. It’s hard to believe that no other assistant in the long and successful history of Alabama football had ever won that award.

However, Pruitt is up for that award himself this year and he has just been named a finalist. He may not be in Smart’s shadow then in any way.

Once the season is over, Alabama may indeed have had the best defensive year in the Saban era. If not, the odds are it’s going to be close enough for the fans to still say, “Kirby who?” That is indeed no swipe at the historical and wonderful job Smart did at Alabama. No not at all. But it will be a statement to the age old saying that no one is irreplaceable. No one.

While Auburn fans especially said that Alabama’s heydey was over when Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant retired and that they would never have another coach like that, along comes Nick Saban. And maybe now they’ve also come to terms that life goes on without Kirby Smart.

Larry has been published in almost every media outlet for college sports and now primarily writes here for Touchdown Alabama. Follow Larry on Twitter for inside thoughts and game time comments at https://twitter.com/LBSportswriter

THANKS FOR SHARING THE LINK TO THIS STORY ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE OR A FACEBOOK GROUP YOU BELONG TO, FACEBOOK RESTRICTS HOW MANY PLACES WE CAN POST IT ON, SO PLEASE SHARE!