What is Kirby Smart's net worth and salary?
Kirby Smart is an American football coach who has a net worth of $50 million. Kirby Smart is probably best-known for being the head coach of the University of Georgia's football team. In July 2022, Kirby Smart signed a contract with the Georgia Bulldogs that made him the highest-paid college football coach in the world. His annual salary under the deal is $11.25 million. He extended the contract through the 2033 season and got a raise to $13 million in May 2024.
Early Life
Kirby Paul Smart was born in Montgomery, Alabama on December 23, 1975. He grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia. He went to Bainbridge High School before going on to play college football at the University of Georgia. He played defensive back for the Bulldogs from 1995 to 1998.
Career
Smart served as an administrative assistant coach at Georgia in 1999. He was the defensive backs coach at Valdosta State in 2000 and was the team's defensive coordinator in 2001. From 2002 to 2003, Smart was a general assistant coach at Florida State. He became defensive backs coach at LSU in 2004 under then head coach Nick Saban before taking the running backs coach job at Georgia in 2005.
In 2006 he served as an assistant coach for the NFL's Miami Dolphins. In 2007, Kirby Smart returned to the college ranks following Nick Saban to Alabama where he became assistant head coach and defensive backs coach. From 2008 to 2015 he served as the team's defensive coordinator. The duo won National Championships in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
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Smart then became the head coach at Georgia in 2016. In 2017 he was named SEC Coach of the Year after leading the team to its first SEC title since 2005. The Bulldogs would make it to the National Championship game but lose to Alabama 26-23. The 2018 and 2019 seasons both ended with 11-1 regular season records and SEC titles. The 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the team ended the regular season at 7-2 for second place in the SEC East.
In 2021, the Georgia Bulldogs would win the National Championship over Alabama, the school's first such title since 1980. After finishing the regular season at 12-0, the Bulldogs lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game 41-24. Now ranked #3 in the country, Georgia would take on the Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Orange Bowl and beat them 34–11 to move on to the rematch against Saban's Crimson Tide.
Highest Paid College Football Coach
Prior to the 2022-2023 season, Kirby Smart's annual salary was $7 million. He had been coaching under a 7-year, $49 million contract extension.
In July 2022, Kirby signed a 10-year $112.5 million contract with the Georgia Bulldogs. This contract, which pays an average annual salary of $11.25 million, made Kirby the highest paid college football coach in history, up to that point. In May 2024 Kirby extended the contract another 10 years, through the 2033 season. His salary was boosted to $13 million with this extension.
