Kirby Paul Smart[2] (born December 23, 1975) is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, his alma mater. As head coach, he led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.
Early life
Smart was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia.[3] His father was a high school football coach.[4] Smart began his playing career at Bainbridge High School and went on to play college football at the University of Georgia, where he was teammates with defensive linemen Antonio Cochran, Emarlos Leroy, linebacker Brandon Tolbert, Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey, and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward.[5] Smart was a four-year letterman at defensive back for Georgia and a first-team All-SEC selection as a senior.[6][7] He finished his career with 13 interceptions, which ranked fourth all-time at Georgia, and led the Bulldogs with six interceptions in 1997 and five in 1998.[8][7][9] He was also a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.[10] Smart graduated from the Terry College of Business in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He went undrafted in the 1999 NFL Draft and signed a free-agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts.[7] He spent the 1999 preseason with the team but was cut before the start of the regular season.[11] In 2003, Kirby attended Florida State University for graduate school.[12]
Coaching career
Early career
Smart began his coaching career with the University of Georgia in 1999, serving as an administrative assistant.[13] He moved to Valdosta State where he spent one season as defensive backs coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2001 season.[14] From 2002 to 2003, Smart worked as a graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden at Florida State while pursuing a master’s degree.[15] He received his master’s degree from FSU in 2003. Smart then spent one season as defensive backs coach at LSU under head coach Nick Saban in 2004.[16] Smart rejoined the Georgia Bulldogs football program to serve as running backs coach for the 2005 season.[17] His only season in the NFL came in 2006, during which time he coached under Saban again, this time as the Miami Dolphins safeties coach.[18]
Alabama
Smart followed Nick Saban to the University of Alabama in 2007. He was hired by Saban as an assistant coach on January 9.[19] On February 27, 2008, Smart was promoted to defensive coordinator.[20] On December 8, 2009, Smart was awarded the Broyles Award as the nation’s best assistant coach.[21] He was the first Alabama assistant coach to win the award.[22] Alabama went on to win the BCS National Championship over Texas.[23] Smart considered a lucrative contract to be the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, the University of Georgia but chose to stay with the Crimson Tide in early January 2010.[24] In 2011, Smart’s defense helped Alabama win another championship, beating LSU in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game.[25] On March 27, 2012, the University of Alabama System’s Board Of Trustees voted to increase Smart’s salary and extend his contract.[26] On November 20, 2012, Smart was recognized as the 2012 AFCA FBS Assistant Coach of the Year.[27] Alabama would win another national championship, beating Notre Dame with a bruising defense.[28] On April 16, 2013, Smart was granted a $200,000 salary increase to make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football.[29] He was part of the Alabama staff that won the National Championship over Clemson in the 2015 season.[30
