The University Of Georgia Football Coach’s Father Passed Away In New Orleans

Bobak Ha'Eri , Wikipedia

Sonny Smart, the father of University of Georgia football coach Kirby Smart, passed away early Saturday, January 4, due to complications from hip surgery following a fall in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. His fall occurred while he was out walking around New Orleans. He was 76. The news of his passing was confirmed by the university and reported by several media outlets.

Smart had traveled to New Orleans to support his son at the Allstate Sugar Bowl but sustained the injury before attending the game, initially scheduled for New Year’s Day. The game was postponed to January 2 following a terror attack on Bourbon Street earlier in the week. Georgia’s season concluded with a 23-10 loss to Notre Dame.

Per SicEmDogs newspaper, the university said “Sonny passed away while surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and their three children: Karl, Kirby and Kendall.” Also, the newspaper posted The University of Georgia statement.

 

“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 The Smart family treasures everyone’s thoughts and prayers and now prays for God’s comfort, strength, and guidance.”

Sonny Smart, a former college football player at Samford University, served as a high school football coach in Georgia from 1988 to 2003.

According to Fox8Live Kirby Smart talked about his father in January 2023 and said,   “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.

 

“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.”

Rest In Peace.