What happened to Kirby Smart’s dad? Latest on the Georgia HC’s father after fall

Coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have had much to deal with off the field in the past few days. The team had its second-round College Football Playoff matchup, the Sugar Bowl, postponed from Wednesday to Thursday after a terrorist attack in New Orleans left 15 people dead and more than 30 injured. On top of that, Smart has been dealing with a family issue.

Smart's father, Sonny Smart, suffered a fall in front of his New Orleans hotel on Tuesday afternoon. It has been reported that he was admitted to a local hospital and is expected to have hip surgery. This event was unrelated to the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.

Kirby Smart's father often travels to Georgia games

Kirby Smart's father was in New Orleans to watch his son's team, the Georgia Bulldogs, try to win the Sugar Bowl over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and advance to the semifinals of the college football playoff. He often travels to where the team is playing to support his son and the team.

The father and son duo have a close relationship. Sonny Smart was a high school teacher and head coach for over two decades and taught Kirby a lot of what he knows. Kirby Smart has often spoken positively about the influence of his father.

"I give a lot of credit to my father, who was my first coach," Kirby said. "And I grew up under his tutelage, and he meant a lot to me as a coach."

Unfortunately, this was not the first time Sonny Smart has needed to miss a game because of medical issues. In January 2023, he was unable to attend the national championship game between the Georgia Bulldogs and TCU Horned Frogs. Although Georgia won 65-7, Kirby Smart spoke about how he was disappointed that his parents could not be there.

"It hurts me that he and my mom won’t be here, but I know it’s the right decision for him," Smart said. "He’s been at almost every game, in terms of home games in Athens and playoff games. It’s tough that he’s not able to make it."

Unfortunately, Sonny Smart will not get another opportunity to watch his son's team this season. The Georgia Bulldogs lost the Sugar Bowl 23-10 to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. As a result, they were eliminated from the College Football Playoff and will not play again until next season.