Sonny Smart, father of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart, has died of complications from hip surgery. He was 76 years old.
Sonny died Saturday, Jan. 4, days after he fell and broke his hip on New Year’s Day in New Orleans, where he was supposed to watch Kirby’s team play in the Sugar Bowl, according to ESPN.
“He was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, there were complications. He fought bravely but was unable to overcome his injuries,” the University of Georgia said in a statement.
The statement said Sonny was surrounded by his wife Sharon and their three children – Karl, Kirby and Kendall – when he died at 12:15 a.m. ET.
PEOPLE reached out to the University of Georgia for comment and did not immediately hear back.
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According to ESPN, Kirby, 49, spent part of New Year’s Day with his father in the hospital after the Sugar Bowl was postponed due to the Jan. 1 terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.
In a statement, the Smart family also expressed their gratitude to Ochsner Medical Center and thanked its staff in New Orleans “for the exceptional care provided to Sonny.”
“In addition, they ask you to continue to pray for those affected by the tragic events that occurred in the early hours of the morning,” the statement said. “The Smart family appreciates everyone’s thoughts and prayers and is now praying for God’s comfort, strength and guidance.”
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Sonny was a famous high school football coach in Alabama and Georgia. Sonny played football at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, then became the football coach at Holtville High School, according to ESPN. He also led the baseball team to the state title in 1982. He later coached at Bainbridge High in Georgia, where Kirby played safety for him.
“He taught me so much about how to handle things, the right way, the wrong way,” Kirby told WJBF ABC 6 News in January 2023. “Control the controllers. The moment is never too big if you are ready.”
He continued, “And I always looked at the way he prepared our teams and our staff in high school. He was a very wise man, a man of few words. I tried to follow his mantra as a coach.”
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Others offered their condolences and paid tribute to Sonny.
“Sonny Smart touched many people in his life and we are saddened to learn of his passing,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey wrote on X (formerly Twitter). I had the privilege of visiting Sonny many times and enjoyed every conversation. Our sympathies go out to Kirby Smart and his family and all who knew his father.”
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer offered his condolences to X, saying his “heart goes out to the Smart family” and adding, “We’re sending prayers to all of them. God bless them all.”
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Source: HIS Education