Table of Biography
Kirby Smart is a renowned American football coach and former player. Currently, Kirby Smart serves as the head football coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, his alma mater.
Early Life
Kirby Smart was born on the 23rd of December 1975, in Holtville, Alabama, the United States. He is currently 47 years old and has a birth sign of Capricorn. He is an American by nationality and he practices Christianity religion. His full name is Kirby Paul Smart.
Caption: Kirby Smart with his father (Source: On3.com)
The names of his parents are Sonny Smart (father) and Sharon Smart (mother). Additionally, his father was also a high school football coach. He was raised along with his two siblings whose name is Kendall Smart and Kark Smart. His family relocated to Bainbridge, Georgia, where Kirby spent most of his childhood life.
Education and Early Career
He attended Bainbridge High School where he also played for the school team. Later, he enrolled at the University of Georgia and played college football. He performed hard at the University of Georgia, where he earned a four-year letter. As a senior, he was named to the SEC’s first-team All-SEC team.
Additionally, he had 13 inspections and finished fourth every time at Georgia University. Moreover, Smart earned a finance degree from the University of Georgia in 1999. In the 1999 NFL Draft, he went undrafted and signed a free-agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
Moreover, he spent the 1999 preseason with the team but was released before the regular season began. Moreover, he attended graduate school at Florida State University in 2003.
Professional Career
Kirby Smart began working professionally in 1999 when he had yet to complete his education at the University of Georgia. He served as an administrative assistant for the University team. Later, he went to Valdosta State, where he spent one season as defensive back coach. For the season 2001, he received the promotion as the defensive coordinator
He worked as a graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden at Florida State from 2002 to 2003 while pursuing a master’s degree. In 2003, he received his master’s degree from FSU. In addition, he then worked as the defensive backs coach at LSU under head coach Nick Saban for one season in 2004.
Moreover, he returned to the Georgia football program as running backs coach for the 2005 season. His only season in the NFL was in 2006 when he worked as the Miami Dolphins safeties coach under Saban again.
Assistant coach for the University of Alabama
In 2007, he was hired by Saban as an assistant coach for the University of Alabama. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in February 2008. He has played a crucial role in the team’s triumph, aiding them in winning the 2007 BCS National Championship.
Smart’s defence helped Alabama win another championship in 2011 when they defeated LSU in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. He was granted a $200,000 salary increase in April 2013, making him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. Moreover, he was a member of the Alabama coaching staff that won the National Championship over Clemson in 2015.
Appointed head football coach for Georgia Bulldogs
In December 2015, he was appointed as the 26th head football coach at the University of Georgia. Currently, he is serving as the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs football program and has led the team to two CFP National Championships since he took the job.
Caption: Kirby Smart giving suggestions for his players in the match (Source: UGA Wire – USA Today)
After a difficult first season at Georgia, Smart advanced to the National Championship game in 2017, where he was defeated by Nick Saban and Alabama. He would exact revenge in 2021, defeating Saban in the National Championship and winning his first title as a head coach. Moreover, he led the Bulldogs to their second consecutive National Championship in 2022, making them the first CFP National Champions to do so.
Awards
Through his successful career, Smart has earned several recognition and awards. George Munger Award (2017), 3× SEC Coach of the Year (2017, 2021, 2022), Broyles Award (2009), and AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year (2012) are some of his achievements.
Kirby Smart – Net Worth 2024
As of 2023, his net worth is estimated at around $25 million. Currently, he is the head coach of Georgia Bulls, signing a 10-year contract extension in 2021, paying him approximately $112.5 million, which is about $11.25 million per year. Additionally, he is also sponsored by Ford, as he was featured in a Ford F150 commercial in 2019.
Relationship Status
In terms of his personal life, Kirby Smart is married to Mary “Beth” Elizabeth Lycett. They first met when Mary was playing Basketball for Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby was the football coach at the University of Georgia. With the marriage, the couple have three children together, two twins named Weston Smart and Julia Smart, and Andrew Smart.
Caption: Kirby Smart’s family photo (Source: UGA Today)
Smart was recently embroiled in a controversy. He denied allegations that 11 of his players were sexually assaulted.
Body Measurements
This American football head coach is 5 feet 8 inches tall (172 cm) and weighs around 89 kg (196 lbs). In addition, he has a pair of hazel eyes with light brown hair color and his other body measurements are unknown.
Social Media
On his Instagram page ‘@coachkirbysmart’ there are over 65.4k followers. Likewise, there are over 414.3k followers on his Twitter ‘@KirbySmartUGA’ and he is not present on Facebook.