Kirby Smart facts for kids
Smart in 2023
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Georgia |
| Conference | SEC |
| Record | 105–19 |
| Annual salary | $13 million |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | December 23, 1975 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Georgia |
| Playing career | |
| 1995–1998 | Georgia |
| 1999 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1999 | Georgia (admin. asst.) |
| 2000 | Valdosta State (DB) |
| 2001 | Valdosta State (DC) |
| 2002–2003 | Florida State (GA) |
| 2004 | LSU (DB) |
| 2005 | Georgia (RB) |
| 2006 | Miami Dolphins (S) |
| 2007 | Alabama (AHC/DB) |
| 2008–2015 | Alabama (DC) |
| 2016–present | Georgia |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 105–19 |
| Bowls | 9–3 |
| Tournaments | 5–2 (CFP) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
As a head coach:
As an assistant coach:
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| Awards | |
As a player:
As a head coach:
As an assistant coach:
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Kirby Paul Smart (born December 23, 1975) is a famous American football coach and former player. He is currently the Head coach for the University of Georgia football team. This is also where he went to college! As the head coach, he led the Bulldogs to win two national championships in a row in 2021 and 2022.
Early Life and Playing Career
Kirby Smart was born in Montgomery, Alabama. He grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia, with his parents, Sonny and Sharon Smart, and his siblings, Karl and Kendall. His dad, Sonny, was a high school football coach and even coached Kirby when he was in high school.
Kirby started playing football at Bainbridge High. He then played college football at the University of Georgia. He was a defensive back and played for four years. He was even chosen as a top player in the SEC in his senior year.
Kirby was great at getting interceptions, which is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player. He had 13 interceptions in his college career, which is one of the best records at Georgia. He also did well in school, earning a degree in finance in 1998. After college, he briefly played for the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL preseason in 1999.
Coaching Journey
Starting Out as a Coach
Kirby Smart began his coaching career at the University of Georgia in 1999 as an assistant. He then moved to Valdosta State, where he coached defensive backs. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2001.
From 2002 to 2003, Kirby worked as a graduate assistant at Florida State. He earned his master's degree there in 2003. He then coached defensive backs at LSU in 2004. In 2005, he returned to the Georgia Bulldogs to coach running backs. In 2006, he coached safeties for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.
Coaching at Alabama
In 2007, Kirby Smart joined coach Nick Saban at the University of Alabama. He became the defensive coordinator in 2008. In 2009, he won the Broyles Award as the best assistant coach in the country. His defense helped Alabama win the national championship in 2009.
Kirby's defense was key to Alabama winning more championships in 2011 and 2012. He became the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football in 2013. He helped Alabama win another national championship in 2015.
Leading the Georgia Bulldogs
On December 6, 2015, Kirby Smart became the head coach of the University of Georgia. He has helped many of his assistant coaches become head coaches at other colleges, like Shane Beamer at South Carolina and Dan Lanning at Oregon.
2016 Season Highlights
In his first game as head coach, Georgia beat North Carolina 33–24. The Bulldogs also had a big win against Auburn, 13–7. In his first year, Kirby led Georgia to an 8–5 record. They finished the season with a 31–23 victory over TCU in the Liberty Bowl.
2017 Season Success
The 2017 season was a big one for Georgia. They started 9–0 and won the SEC East division. On December 2, 2017, Georgia won its first SEC title since 2005. They were ranked No. 3 and played Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl. Georgia came back from a big deficit to win 54–48 in double overtime! They then played Alabama in the National Championship Game but lost a close game, 26–23. Kirby Smart was named SEC Coach of the Year for 2017.
2018 and 2019 Seasons
In 2018, Georgia had an 11–1 regular season record. They played in the SEC Championship game but lost to Alabama. They also lost to Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2019, Georgia again had an 11–1 regular season. They beat strong teams like Notre Dame and Florida. They won the SEC East for the third year in a row but lost to LSU in the SEC Championship. Georgia then beat Baylor in the Sugar Bowl, 26–14.
2020 Season Challenges
The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Georgia finished with a 7–2 record. They beat Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl, 24–21.
2021 National Championship
In 2021, Georgia had an amazing 12–0 regular season. They lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship. However, they still made it to the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs beat Michigan 34–11 in the semifinal. Then, in the National Championship game, Georgia defeated Alabama 33–18! This was Georgia's first national championship since 1980. Kirby Smart was named SEC Coach of the Year again.
2022 Back-to-Back Championship
In July 2022, Kirby Smart signed a huge 10-year contract, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. Georgia started the 2022 season ranked #3 and quickly moved to #1. They had another perfect 12–0 regular season. They beat LSU in the SEC Championship game, 50–30.
In the College Football Playoff, Georgia defeated Ohio State 42–41 in a thrilling game. Then, in the National Championship game, Georgia crushed TCU 65–7! This made Kirby Smart a back-to-back national championship-winning coach, a rare achievement. He was named SEC Coach of the Year for the third time.
2023 Season
Georgia started the 2023 season ranked #1. Kirby Smart achieved a record of 85 wins in his first 100 games as an SEC coach, which was the highest win percentage ever. The Bulldogs also set an SEC record with a 29-game winning streak. This streak ended with a close loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, 24–27. Georgia then played Florida State in the Orange Bowl and won 63–3. This was the largest win difference in any major college football bowl game!
2024 Season
In May 2024, Kirby Smart signed another contract extension, making him the highest-paid coach in college football history once more. He earned his 100th career win as head coach when Georgia beat Texas 30–15. Georgia finished the regular season 10–2 and won the SEC Championship against Texas in overtime, 22–19. This earned them a high seed in the College Football Playoff. They lost to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, 23–10.
Personal Life
Kirby Smart is married to Mary "Beth" Elizabeth Lycett. She also played basketball for the University of Georgia. They have three children together. Kirby's father, Sonny Smart, passed away on January 4, 2025.
Coaching Record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (2016–present) | |||||||||
| 2016 | Georgia | 8–5 | 4–4 | T–2nd (Eastern) | W Liberty | ||||
| 2017 | Georgia | 13–2 | 7–1 | 1st (Eastern) | W Rose†, L CFP NCG† | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2018 | Georgia | 11–3 | 7–1 | 1st (Eastern) | L Sugar† | 8 | 7 | ||
| 2019 | Georgia | 12–2 | 7–1 | 1st (Eastern) | W Sugar† | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2020 | Georgia | 8–2 | 7–2 | 2nd (Eastern) | W Peach† | 7 | 7 | ||
| 2021 | Georgia | 14–1 | 8–0 | 1st (Eastern) | W Orange †, W CFP NCG† | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2022 | Georgia | 15–0 | 8–0 | 1st (Eastern) | W Peach†, W CFP NCG† | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | Georgia | 13–1 | 8–0 | 1st (Eastern) | W Orange† | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2024 | Georgia | 11–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd | L Sugar† | 6 | 6 | ||
| Georgia: | 105–19 | 62–11 | |||||||
| Total: | 105–19 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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