Kirby Smart receives extension to keep him at Georgia for foreseeable future

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is getting paid. The seventh-year leader of the Dawgs received an extension on Thursday that will keep him in Athens through the 2031 season worth $10,250,000 in 2022 with annual increased culminating at $12,250,000 the final year.

In total, Smart will make well over $100 million over the course of the 10-year deal. And while it’s speculative to rank Smart among all of College Football’s coaches with Lincoln Riley at USC, a private school that does not have to disclose contract information, reportedly making $111 million on his contract, Smart is the highest paid coach at a public university and there’s no doubt that he’s one of the top paid coaches in the country.

“Mary Beth, my family & I are excited and grateful for the extension of my agreement with The University of Georgia,” Smart said in a written statement. “This is home for us, our roots run deep here. My commitment to this University and our Football program is unwavering. I’m thankful to President Jere Morehead and Josh Brooks for their continued support of Georgia Football.  It’s an honor being the head football coach at the University of Georgia, and while I’m certainly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, I’m confident the best is yet to come!”

“Coach Smart’s impact on the University of Georgia extends far past his significant accolades as our head football coach,” Georgia Director of Athletics Josh Brooks added. “He and his wife are Bulldogs through and through, and it is evident that Athens and UGA mean as much to him as he means to us. I am excited for our football program’s continued success under his direction.  The future of Georgia Football remains bright with Coach Smart as its steadfast leader.”

Smart previously signed an extension in 2018 for six years at $7 million per year, a raise from his initial $3.75 million per year agreement in 2016. At the time of his first extension, he was in the top five of highest paid college football coaches. He dropped out of that range based on recent deals signed across the country.

In his previous six years at the helm, Smart has led Georgia to five New Year’s Six bowl games including two appearances in the College Football Playoffs. The Bulldogs first made the Playoffs in 2017, winning the Rose Bowl over Oklahoma in the semifinals before falling to Alabama in the National Championship. In their second trip in 2021, Georgia defeated Michigan in the Orange Bowl to make the finals where they got redemption against the Crimson Tide for an earlier loss to Nick Saban’s team that season.

“I am pleased that Coach Smart has made a long-term commitment to the University of Georgia,” University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead said. “I look forward to seeing his continued success with the Georgia Bulldogs for many years to come.”

Smart’s extension has been in the works for quite some time…

University of Georgia president Jere Morehead and the school’s athletic director Josh Brooks announced during the Georgia Athletic Association’s Board of Directors meeting in May that a contract extension was upcoming for Smart, saying that the deal would fall in line with what a National Championship winning coach deserves.

“I think what we said is accurate. It will be commensurate with what you would expect compensation to be for a national championship coach, but we’re close to finalizing those arrangements,” Morehead told media after the meeting. “I don’t think anybody will be surprised.”

“It’s just going through the process, taking your time,” Brooks added. “This is an important contract for him and for us. It’s just all little details. It’s just typical stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Smart is represented by agent Jimmy Sexton who also serves as the agent for several other SEC coaches including Brian Kelley, Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher and Lane Kiffin, the four coaches in the conference previously paid more than Smart on an annual basis.

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