Georgia head coach Kirby Smart’s father dies after New Orleans fall

Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s father, Sonny, died early Saturday of complications from hip surgery after falling in New Orleans ahead of the Sugar Bowl, the school announced.

Sonny Smart, a longtime high school football coach in Alabama and Georgia, fell while walking on New Year’s Eve and fractured his hip. He was hospitalized and had hip surgery at Ochsner Medical Center, where he died surrounded by his family, Georgia said in a statement that did not provide his age.

The Smart family was in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl, which was pushed back a day because a man rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in the French Quarter, killing 14 people and injuring about 30.

Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs lost to Notre Dame, 23-10, in the game, a College Football Playoff semifinal, on Thursday.

Sonny Smart couldn’t make it to the national title game in 2023 when Georgia beat TCU, 65-7, to repeat as national champions because of health issues. Before those arose, he had been a regular at his son’s games since Kirby became head coach at his alma mater in 2016.

Sonny Smart, who coached Kirby when he was in high school, is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their three children, Karl, Kirby and Kendall.

The Smart family said in a statement issued by Georgia that it “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 statement read. “The Smart family treasures everyone’s thoughts and prayers and now prays for God’s comfort, strength, and guidance.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.