University of Georgia football coach Kirby Smart’s dad, Sonny Smart, has died. He was 76.
Sonny had suffered a fall in New Orleans, where he had traveled to watch the UGA Bulldogs play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. (The championship game was postponed from New Year’s Day to Thursday, January 2, after a Texas man deliberately drove a rented truck through a Bourbon Street crowd and killed 14 individuals. The driver was later killed in a police shootout.)
“[Sonny] was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, complications arose,” a Saturday, January 4, statement released by UGA read, per ESPN. “He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome his injuries. The Smart family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the Ochsner hospital and medical staff for the exceptional care provided to Sonny.”
The statement continued, “Additionally, they ask for your continued prayers for those affected by the tragic events that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The Smart family treasures everyone’s thoughts and prayers and now prays for God’s comfort, strength and guidance.”
Sonny is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their three children: Karl, Kirby and Kendall. Kirby, 49, spent part of New Year’s Day at his father’s bedside before returning to game day obligations. The UGA football team ultimately lost to Notre Dame 23-10.
Sonny was a former football star, previously playing for Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, before becoming a coach for the local Holtville High School. He also coached for Bainbridge High, where son Kirby played safety, and Rabun County High.
Kirby has been candid about their father-son relationship.
“He’s taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way,” Kirby previously told reporters in January 2023. “Control the controllables. The moment’s never too big if you’re prepared. And I always watched the way he prepared our teams and our staff in high school.”
The collegiate coach added at the time, “He was a very wise man, a man of few words. I tried to follow his mantra as a coach. I’ve certainly evolved from going to coach for other people, but a lot of my core beliefs came from the way he ran our programs in high school.”
The college football community has expressed their condolences via social media.
“Marty, the girls and I are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Sonny Smart,” Brian Kemp, the governor of Georgia, wrote via X on Saturday. “An incredible father and husband and a great coach in his own right, he was a constant presence at Georgia football games along with his wife Sharon. Sonny embodied the values and strength that we should all wish to have. We are praying for Sharon, Karl, Kirby, Kendall and all of their loved ones during this difficult time.”
