Sonny Smart, the father of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart, has passed away.

Per a release by UGA, the elder Smart passed away in New Orleans on January 4, 2025, at 12:15 a.m., surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and their three children: Karl, Kirby, and Kendall.

He was there for the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame.

Sonny Smart fell while walking during the day on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans and fractured his hip. He was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, complications arose. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome his injuries.

His fall was not related to the early Wednesday morning terrorist attack where a man drove his truck down Bourbon Street, killing 15 people and injuring 35.

The release read as follows:

“The Smart family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the Ochsner hospital and medical staff for the exceptional care provided to Sonny Additionally, they ask for your continued prayers for those affected by the tragic events that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The Smart family treasures everyone’s thoughts and prayers and now prays for God’s comfort, strength, and guidance.”

A native of Columbia, Ala., Sonny Smart was a long-time high school head coach in Georgia, posting an overall record of 90-78-1. He coached at Bainbridge High from 1988-1994 and Rabun County High from 1995-2003.

Kirby Smart spoke of his father often.

“He’s taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way,” Kirby Smart reflected on his dad two years ago. “Control the controllables. The moment’s never too big if you’re prepared. And I always watched the way he prepared our teams and our staff in high school. He was a very wise man, a man of few words. I tried to follow his mantra as a coach. I’ve certainly evolved from going to coach for other people, but a lot of my core beliefs came from the way he ran our programs in high school.”