Kirby Smart
Todd Kirkland/Getty ImagesUniversity of Georgia football coach Kirby Smarthis father Sonny Smart, has died. He was 76.
Sonny had suffered a fall in New Orleans, where he had traveled to watch UGA Bulldogs play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. (The championship game was postponed from New Year’s Day to Thursday, Jan. 2, after a Texas man intentionally drove a rental truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people. The driver was later killed in a police shootout.)
“(Sonny) was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, complications occurred,” said a Saturday, Jan. 4, statement released by UGA on ESPN. “He fought bravely but was unable to overcome his injuries. The Smart family extends their heartfelt gratitude to Ochsner Hospital and the medical staff for the outstanding care provided to Sonny.”
The statement continued: “Furthermore, 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 appreciates everyone’s thoughts and prayers and is now praying for God’s comfort, strength and guidance.”
Football fans mourned a heartbreaking amount of NFL stars in 2024. In February, Tony Hutson died at the age of 48, according to an obituary shared at the time. No cause of death was given. “I lost one of my favorite teammates and great friends in Tony Hutson last night,” Hutson’s former teammate Randall Godfrey wrote (…)
Sunny is survived by his wife, Sharonand their three children: Carl, Kirby and Kendall. Kirby, 49, spent part of New Year’s Day at his father’s bedside before returning to his game day duties. After all, the UGA football team lost to Notre Dame 23-10.
Sonny was a former football star, previously playing for Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama before becoming a coach at the local Holtville High School. He also coached for Bainbridge High, where son Kirby played safety, and Rabun County High.
Kirby is candid about the relationship between father and son.
“He taught me so much about the way you go about things, the right way, the wrong way,” Kirby told reporters in January 2023. “Control the controls. The moment is never too big if you are prepared. And I’ve always looked at the way he prepares our teams and our high school staff.
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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 coaching other people, but a lot of my core beliefs come from the way he ran our high school programs.”
The college football community expressed their condolences via social media.
“Marty, myself and the girls are heartbroken to learn of Sonny Smart’s passing,” Brian Kempthe governor of Georgia, wrote via X on Saturday. “An amazing father and husband and a great coach in his own right, he was a constant presence at Georgia football games with his wife, Sharon. Sonny embodies the values ​​and strength we should all aspire to have. We are praying for Sharon, Carl, Kirby, Kendall and all their loved ones at this difficult time.”
