Kirby Smart
Todd Kirkland/Getty ImagesUniversity of Georgia football coach Kirby Smartfather, Sony smart, He died. He was 76 years old.
Sonny had a fall in New Orleans, where he traveled to watch UGA Bulldogs Notre Dame played in the Sugar Bowl. (The championship game was postponed from New Year's Day to Thursday, January 2, after a Texas man intentionally drove a rental truck into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street and killed 14 people. The driver was later killed in a shootout with police.)
“(Sonny) was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery. “Unfortunately, complications have arisen,” a statement released Saturday, Jan. 4, by UGA said, per espn. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome his injuries. The Smart family is deeply grateful to Ochsner Hospital and the medical staff for the exceptional care provided to Sonny.
The statement continued: “In addition, they ask you to continue your 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 are mourning a heartbreaking number of NFL stars in 2024. In February, Tony Hutson died at the age of 48, according to an obituary shared at the time. The cause of death was not mentioned. “I lost one of my favorite teammates and wonderful friends in Tony Hutson last night,” wrote Randall Godfrey, Hutson's former teammate.
Sonny 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 gameday commitments. UGA football team finally Lost to Notre Dame 10-23.
Sonny was a former football star, who previously played at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, before becoming the coach of local Holtville High School. He also coached at Bainbridge High School, where his son Kirby played safety, and Rabun County High School.
Kirby has been frank about the father-son relationship.
“He taught me a lot about the way you approach things, the right way and the wrong way,” Kirby previously told reporters in January 2023. The moment will never be too big if you are prepared. And I've always watched the way he prepares our teams and our staff in high school.
Getty Images (4) Sometimes sports have a way of tugging at our hearts — and 2024 has had more than its share of special moments. In baseball, Freddie Freeman, the World Series MVP, returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers amid warm applause after he left the team to care for his son in the intensive care unit, (…)
“He was a very wise man, and a man of few words,” the college coach added at the time. I tried to follow his motto as a coach. I've definitely grown from going to coach other people, but a lot of my core beliefs came from the way he ran our programs in high school.
the College football community They expressed their condolences on social media.
“Marty, the girls and I are very saddened to learn of Sonny Smart's passing.” Brian KempThe governor of Georgia wrote via X on saturday. “He was a wonderful father and husband and a great coach in his own right, and was a constant presence at Georgia football games with his wife, Sharon. Sonny embodied the values and strength we should all want to have. We are praying for Sharon, Carl, Kirby, Kendall and all their loved ones during this Hard time.
