Media coverage or official announcements from the Sugar Bowl organizers

Sonny Smart, High School Coach and Father of Georgia's Kirby Smart, Dies in New Orleans After Hip Surgery

Jan 4, 2025, 04:26 PM

Sonny Smart, the father of Georgia football coach Kirby Smart, passed away early Saturday following complications from hip surgery, the University of Georgia announced. Sonny Smart, a former high school football coach in Georgia, had fractured his hip after falling while walking in New Orleans on December 31. He was in the city ahead of Georgia's Sugar Bowl game against Notre Dame. Sonny Smart coached at Bainbridge High School from 1988 to 1994, where he coached his son Kirby, and later at Rabun County High School from 1995 to 2003. He was surrounded by his wife Sharon and their children Karl, Kirby, and Kendall at the time of his passing.