Georgia head coach Kirby Smart already had enough to deal with this week with a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. That focus was of course tested when an attack on Bourbon Street killed and injured dozens, throwing the entire city and the schedule for the Sugar Bowl into chaos. But Coach Smart likely had other things on his mind as his father, Sonny Smart, was reportedly injured in a fall Wednesday morning in front of the New Orleans hotel where he was staying. Many of us heard about the incident, and that Smart would require hip surgery, but personally I wasn’t aware of the true gravity of the situation.
Sonny Smart passed away early Saturday morning following complications that arose from hip surgery, surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and their children Karl, Kirby and Kendall.
A statement released by the University read:
“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.”
Kirby Smart is indeed a fine football coach, and he’s known as a star pupil of legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban. But it’s no stretch to say that the first legendary coach Smart studied at the knee of was his dad. The elder Smart started at center for the Samford Bulldogs and graduated from the school in 1970 before entering the coaching ranks. At Holtville High in Alabama his football teams won three region championships in three years, and as baseball coach he led the team to a state title.
Smart moved across the state line to Bainbridge in 1982. He became the head coach of the Bainbridge Bearcats in 1988, where he coached his son and a host of other standout players. He later moved to Rabun County to coach that formidable football program before retiring in the mountains and recentering his attention on family, golf, and his son’s promising career as the head coach of his alma mater down the road in Athens. If you followed Georgia high school football in the 80s, 90s, or early aughts, you probably saw Coach Smart’s teams in your playoff bracket.
Our hearts go out to the Smart family and all of Sonny Smart’s friends, former players, and others touched by his generosity of spirit and dedication to coaching and teaching.