Kirby Smart, the head football coach of Georgia, lost his father, Sonny Smart, to complications following hip surgery. His age was 76.
ESPN reports that Sonny passed away on Saturday, January 4, just days after he fractured his hip in a fall that occurred on New Year’s Day in New Orleans, where he was scheduled to watch Kirby’s team play in the Sugar Bowl.
“Unfortunately, difficulties developed after he was admitted to the hospital and had hip surgery. According to the publication, the University of Georgia released a statement saying, “He battled bravely but was unable to overcome his injuries.”
According to the statement, Sonny passed away at 12:15 a.m. ET while flanked by his wife, Sharon, and their three children, Karl, Kirby, and Kendall.
The University of Georgia did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The 49-year-old Kirby spent part of New Year’s Day with his father at the hospital after the Sugar Bowl was postponed because of the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street on January 1, according to ESPN.
The Smart family also expressed gratitude to the Ochsner Medical Center and its staff in New Orleans for “the outstanding care they provided to Sonny,” according to the statement.
The statement added, “They also ask that you continue to pray for those impacted by the tragic events that took place in the early hours of New Year’s Day.” “The Smart family prays for God’s consolation, strength, and direction and values everyone’s prayers and thoughts.”
In Georgia and Alabama, Sonny was a well-known high school football coach. According to ESPN, Sonny was a football player at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and then became a football coach at Holtville High School. In 1982, he also guided the baseball team to a state championship. Kirby played safety for him when he was a coach at Bainbridge High in Georgia.
In January 2023, Kirby told WJBF ABC 6 News, “He’s taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way.” “Manage what can be controlled.” If you are ready, no moment is ever too large.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x238:1001x240)/kirby-smart-georgia-bulldogs-051023-1312b29aef7f49c891664330647f317c.jpg)
“And I always observed how he prepared our teams and our staff in high school,” he added. He was a man of few words but great wisdom. As a coach, I made an effort to live up to his motto.
Others have paid tribute to Sonny and offered their sorrow.
On X (previously Twitter), SEC commissioner Greg Sankey posted, “We are saddened to learn of Sonny Smart’s passing. He touched many people in his life.” I had the honor of seeing Sonny on numerous occasions, and I relished every discussion we had. We send our condolences to Kirby Smart, his family, and everyone who knew his father.
Coach Shane Beamer of South Carolina expressed his sympathy for X, stating, “We’re sending prayers to all of them,” and that his “heart hurts for the Smart family.” God bless each and every one of them.
