“Led the team through hard game situations”: Kirby Smart passionately backs Georgia’s stars after disappointing Sugar Bowl Loss

Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs saw their season end on Thursday night against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as they lost in the Sugar Bowl 23-10. During the postgame media availability, captains Jalon Walker and Tate Ratledge were on stage with coach Kirby Smart.

Smart discussed how both players were voted captains by the 130-player team and had 95% of the votes to become team captains, something that has never happened during his coaching tenure. Smart would glowingly speak on how the duo were excellent leaders for the team.

"What they did with this team in the toughest year of at least my tenure," Smart said. "Easily the toughest year. They dominated the room, they controlled the room, they led the room through hard game situations, there were some hard game situations."

Speaking about his memories of the duo, he said:

"I'll never forget this guy (Jalon Walker) against Georgia Tech, chasing everybody down telling them to 'stay in the game'. This guy (Tate Ratledge) with the coin toss saying, 'we're about to win this game in overtime.'"

Both players are not expected to return to the program. While offensive lineman Tate Ratledge is a senior, linebacker Jalon Walker is a junior, and is expected to be in the 2025 NFL draft after winning the Butkus Award this season.

What does Kirby Smart's contract look like?

Jan 14, 2023; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart holds up the coaches trophy at the national championship celebration at Sanford Stadium. - Source: Imagn

Winning two national championships certainly gives you a lot of negotiation power and the championships were certainly a factor in the discussion when Kirby Smart negotiated his deal with the Georgia Bulldogs. He was able to get a 10-year, $130 million contract extension that goes through the conclusion of the 2033 season.

Smart is paid $13 million per year and that makes him the highest-paid public school coach in college athletics. With the incentive in his contract that gives him a bonus for whichever round of the College Football Playoff the program makes, he was able to net an additional $500,000 this season.

The incentives in his contract are:

• Losing in the first round of the CFP: $250,000
• Losing in the CFP Quarterfinals: $500,000
• Losing in the CFP Semifinals: $750,000
• Losing in the national championship game: $850,000
• Winning the national championship game: $1,250,000

Smart also receives an additional $100,000 for making the SEC Championship and another $200,000 if the bulldogs win the conference title.