Breaking News; The Georgia bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart announced his departure and vow never to return due to…
Breaking News; The Georgia bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart announced his departure and vow never to return due to…
Sonny Smart, the father of Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart, died Saturday morning surrounded by family, as announced by Georgia athletics on Saturday.
“The Smart family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the Ochsner hospital and medical staff for the exceptional care provided to Sonny. 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,” a statement from UGA Athletics said. “The Smart family treasures everyone’s thoughts and prayers and now prays for God’s comfort, strength, and guidance.”
Smart fell while walking during the day on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans, and fractured his hip. He and Sharon missed Georgia’s Sugar Bowl game against Notre Dame as he was hospitalized for surgery, and he later passed away from complications stemming from the surgery.
The fall was unrelated to the terrorist attack in the early hours of New Year’s day that killed 15 people and injured several others, which delayed the Sugar Bowl to January 2.
Smart played college football at Samford University and coached high school football for over two decades in Alabama and Georgia, including coaching his son Kirby at Bainbridge High School. He was inducted into the Decatur County Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Smart was a great influence on his son Kirby, who eventually followed him into the coaching world and often spoke about the lessons he learned from his father.
“He’s taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way,” Kirby said of his father before 2023 the national championship. “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. He was a very wise man, a man of few words. I tried to follow his mantra as a coach.”
Smart is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their three children: Karl, Kirby and Kendall.
