Georgia Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart was seen on the court participating in a college basketball game just days after his season ended and his father passed away unexpectedly.
Smart was on hand to watch the Georgia basketball team take on the No. 6-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday night.
It comes just three days after Smart’s father, Sonny, died due to complications from surgery.
Sonny was in New Orleans before Georgia’s Sugar Bowl matchup against Notre Dame when he fell and broke his hip.
After undergoing surgery to fix the problem, he died Saturday morning surrounded by his family. His passing drew prayers and condolences from across the sports world and the state of Georgia.
“Horrible news this morning to learn of the passing of Sonny Smart.” “I have known Kirby for 25 years and always enjoyed my interactions with his father,” South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer wrote on social media.
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart (center), along with his wife Mary Beth and son Andrew, watch a Georgia Bulldogs basketball game against sixth-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday.
Kirby Smart’s father Sonny (right) died after suffering complications from hip surgery
Smart, his brothers and his mother were at Sonny’s side when he died early Saturday morning.
‘I’m still recovering from the beating that Coach (Sonny) Smart and my father (legendary Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer) gave Kirby and me on the golf course in a “friendly” game between father and son on the 4th of July years ago.
“My heart aches for the Smart family and we send prayers to all of them – God bless them all.”
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey also paid tribute to Smart with a statement about X. “Sonny Smart touched many people in his life and we are saddened to learn of his passing,” he wrote.
‘I had the privilege of visiting Sonny many times and enjoyed every conversation. “Our deepest condolences to Kirby Smart and his family and to everyone who knew his father.”
Smart Sr.’s impact on Georgia football was illustrated by the words of the state’s governor, Brian P. Kemp, who said his family was “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 we should all want to have.”
According AL.comSonny 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 Holtville High School in Alabama and played college football at Samford University, according to ESPN.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey (right) was among those who paid tribute to Smart
“Samford Football extends its deepest condolences and prayers to the Smart family on the passing of Sonny Smart,” a statement read.
“Sonny played center for the Bulldogs and was a proud alumnus of our university.”
Kirby was joined by his wife, Mary Beth, and son, Andrew, to watch the game Tuesday night.
They got a surprise when the unranked Bulldogs beat sixth-ranked Kentucky, 82-69. Asa Newell led Georgia with 17 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Georgia is now 13-2 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Next Saturday they will face 17th-ranked Oklahoma at home.
Smart, on the other hand, is at the end of his season after the Georgia football team fell to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. It was Georgia’s third appearance in the College Football Playoffs in four seasons.
Since taking over his alma mater in 2016, Kirby Smart has never had a losing season at Georgia. In every season except the first, UGA has finished each season in the top ten of the AP Poll and the Coaches’ Poll.