On the heels of its first national title since 1980, Georgia announced a 10-year, $111 million contract extension for head coach Kirby Smart after an appearance at SEC Media Days. The new deal runs through the 2031 season and will pay Smart between $10.25 million and $12.25 million per season, making him the highest-paid college football coach at a public university.
Smart, 46, previously earned $7.13 million, according to USA TODAY’s salary database.
“Coach Smart’s impact on the University of Georgia extends far beyond his significant accolades as our football coach,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said in a statement. “He and his wife are Bulldogs, and it’s clear that they mean as much to him as Athens and UGA mean to us. I’m excited for the continued success of our football program under his leadership. The future of Georgia Football continues to be bright. Coach Smart its steadfast leader it is”.
Smart has a 66-15 record in seven seasons on the staff of his alma mater at Alabama after a nine-year career. Since an 8-5 debut campaign in 2016, the Bulldogs are 58-10 and have played in four of the last five SEC Championship Games. The program’s acceleration of success after the Mark Richt era peaked last season when the Bulldogs used a historically dominant defense to finish 14-1 against Alabama and Smart’s former boss, Nick Saban, in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
“Mary Beth, my family, and I are thrilled and grateful for the extension of my agreement with the University of Georgia,” Smart said. “This is our home, our roots here run deep. My commitment to this university and our Football program is unwavering,” said football coach Kirby Smart. “Thank you to President Jere Morehead and Josh Brooks for their continued support of Georgia Football. It’s an honor to be the head football coach at the University of Georgia, and I’m certainly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. , I’m sure the best is yet to come!”
Formalizing his place
Winning a national title is what solidified Smart’s place among the top five coaches in college football, but this big contract extension is Georgia’s formal acknowledgment that it’s in the sport’s top coaching conversation. Smart was ranked No. 2 behind Saban in May’s ranking of the top 25 Power Five coaches, and his pay now reflects that reality. Note: Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney say they have contract provisions that will keep their salaries in line with what the top coaches in the sport are compensated for.
Message to recruits
The likelihood of Smart ever leaving Georgia for another college job has always seemed slim, considering he played at Georgia in the 1990s and has made a significant impact at the school during his seven seasons on the job. Given that Smart spent just one season on an NFL staff — with the Dolphins in 2006 — it’s long been clear that the NFL isn’t on his list of aspirations. But if there was any doubt among the recruits about Smart’s long-term relationship with UGA, Thursday’s announcement makes it abundantly clear. Some coaches are always looking for something bigger and better, but for Smart there is probably nothing bigger or better in the game of football than coaching at his alma mater.
A path to immortalization
As Smart enters his seventh season with 10 years remaining on his contract, he’s poised to continue his ascension among the school’s all-time greats. Vince Dooley, who coached from 1964 to 1988, holds the school’s all-time record with 201 wins. On the same subject : Netflix: The Absolute 49 Best TV Shows to Watch. But the idea of Smart coaching Georgia in the 2030s puts him on a path to one day achieving that record for Dooley. Smart’s predecessor, Mark Richt, is second on the list with 145 wins.
