Sonny Smart, father of Kirby, dies after complications from hip surgery

Georgia has announced that Sonny Smart, who is the father of Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, has died after complications from hip surgery.

Sonny Smart fell while walking in New Orleans ahead of the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame. He underwent hip surgery, but complications arose, ultimately leading to his death. Here is the full release from UGA:

“Sonny Smart passed away on January 4, 2025, at 12:15 a.m., surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and their three children: Karl, Kirby and Kendall.

“Sonny fell while walking during the day on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans and fractured his hip. He was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, complications arose. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome his injuries.

“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 was in New Orleans with his wife, Sharon, to watch their son coach the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff national quarterfinal, which had been rescheduled for 4 pm ET Thursday following the tragic New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.

Smart’s fall was unrelated to the early-morning terror attack, where 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, allegedly drove a pickup truck into a crowd of NYE revelers, killing at least 15 and injuring more than 30, according to local officials.

Sonny Smart is a Georgia High School coaching legend after more than two decades coaching at multiple schools in the state, including at Kirby Smart’s alma mater Bainbridge and Rayburn County High.

Kirby Smart spoke with Sports Illustrated about his father Sonny and what he learned from him a couple of years back, before the Bulldogs went on to beat TCU for Smart’s second national championship.

“He’s taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way,” Kirby Smart said. “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.”