Kirby Smart’s father passed away on Saturday morning, January 4, 2025, after suffering complications from hip surgery.
Kirby Paul Smart is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at the University of Georgia, his alma mater.
He led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 as a head coach.
In May 2024, Smart and the University of Georgia agreed to a ten-year contract extension worth $130 million, making him the highest-paid coach in college football history.
Highlights
- Kirby Smart’s father, Sonny Smart, passed away on January 4, 2025, following health complications after hip surgery.
- Kirby followed his father’s career pathway as a football player and a coach. Sonny was a football coach for Holtville High School.
- Smart’s mother, Sharon Smart, worked as an english teacher in school for about 34 years.
Kirby Smart is mourning the demise of his father, Sonny Smart, who passed away on January 4, 2025, at 76.
His de*th cause is the severe health complications following hip surgery.
According to the statement released by the Uni of Georgia, Sonny fell while walking during the day on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans and fractured his hip.
He was immediately hospitalized and underwent hip surgery. Unfortunately, complications got worse. Though Sonny fought valiantly, he was unable to overcome his injuries.
Kirby Smart’s Father, Sonny, Was A Football Coach At Holtville High School, While His Mother Worked As An English Teacher In Georgia
Kirby was born on December 23, 1975, the middle child of his father, Sonny, and mother, Sharon Smart.
When he was born, his parents were residing in Montgomery, Alabama, around the time his father, Sonny Smart, was a football coach at Holtville High School in Alabama.
Later, he led the school’s baseball team to a state title in 1982. Moreover, Sonny played football at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
Sending love, prayers and strength to the Smart family. Kirby's father, Sonny, passed away early this morning after complications from hip surgery pic.twitter.com/WexITFDVed
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) January 4, 2025
Furthermore, Kriby’s father coached at Bainbridge High in Georgia, where Kriby played safety for him.
Later, Sonny also coached the Rabun County High football team in north Georgia.
Kriby’s mother worked within the school like his father but as an english teacher. She worked as a teacher for almost 34 years.
Per the Plant City observer, Kirby Smart’s mother, Sharon, attended Plant City High School and Samford Univeristy in Alabama, as well as Valdosta College in Georgia.
The article also states that Sharon named Kriby after her grandfather’s name, Kriby Pitts, as she was regarded as a birthday present to her grandfather, born on Jan 31.
Kirby Smart’s parents, Sonny and Sharon, met at Samford University. They had been in a marital union for at least 55 years.
Kirby Smart Credits His Father And Mother In His Life’s Core Beliefs And Professional Influence
Since high school, Kriby’s father and mother have guided him to his career-level achievements.
When his father was a coach at Bainbridge High School, he played under him and followed his instructions in his football career.
Kirby Smart once said to me about his father, Sonny: "I know people probably don't think a high school coach could steer the way you run a college program like Georgia's. But that's only because they don't know my Dad and saw how he ran our high school teams." pic.twitter.com/E3DsA3MaKU
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) January 4, 2025
Kirby often reflects on how playing under his father during his formative years in South Georgia influenced his career. He states,
I’ve evolved as a coach from working under others, but a lot of my core beliefs came from the way he ran our high school programmes”
Kirby Smart
Furthermore, in January 2023, before the College Football Playoff (CFF) national title game, Kirby Smart said his father’s advice and suggestions were always by his side. The football coach says,
He’s taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way. 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.
Kirby Smart
Additional Information
- Kirby Smart is married to his beloved wife, Mary “Beth” Elizabeth Lycett.
- Kirby is the father of three children: twins Weston Smart and Julia Smart and younger son Andrew Smart.
- Smart has two siblings: elder brother Karl Smart and younger sister Kendall Smart Burris.
