Georgia Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart was spotted courtside taking in a college basketball game just days after his season ended and his father unexpectedly passed away.
Smart was on hand to watch Georgia’s basketball team take on the No. 6 ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia on Tuesday evening.
It comes just three days after Smart’s father, Sonny, passed away due to complications from surgery.
Sonny was in New Orleans ahead of Georgia’s Sugar Bowl matchup against Notre Dame when he fell and broke his hip.
After undergoing surgery to fix the issue, he died on Saturday morning surrounded by family. His passing led to prayers and condolences from across the sports world and the state of Georgia.
‘Awful news this morning hearing about the passing of Sonny Smart . I’ve known Kirby for 25 years and always enjoyed my interactions with his dad,’ South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer wrote on social media
‘I’m still recovering from the beat down Coach [Sonny] Smart & my dad [legendary Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer] gave Kirby and I on the golf course in a “friendly” July 4 Father-Son match years ago.
‘My heart hurts for the Smart family and we’re sending prayers to all of them -God Bless them all.’
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey also paid tribute to Smart with a statement on X. ‘Sonny Smart touched many people in his life and we are saddened to learn of his passing,’ he wrote.
‘I had the privilege to visit with Sonny many times and enjoyed every conversation. Our sympathies go out to Kirby Smart and his family and to all who knew his dad.’
Smart Sr.’s impact on Georgia football was illustrated by the words of the state’s governor, Brian P. Kemp, who said his family were ‘heartbroken’ by the loss.
Kemp called him ‘an incredible father and husband and a great coach in his own right,’ adding: ‘Sonny embodied the values and strength that we should all wish to have.’
According to AL.com, Sonny was a native of Columbia, Alabama, and a high school football coach in Georgia.
He reportedly posted an overall record of 90-78-1 while coaching at Bainbridge High and Rabun County High. Before that, he coached at Alabama’s Holtville High School and played college football at Samford University, per ESPN.
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