News

Kirby Smart To Sign 7-Year, $49M Extension As Georgia’s Head Football Coach

Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart is set to get a seven-year contract extension with the Bulldogs worth $49 million, according to ESPN.

Georgia Football Extends Kirby Smart With Seven-Year Deal

Smart, 42, will thus be under contract until the end of the 2024 season. A former defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2008 to 2015, Smart joined Georgia in 2016. However, he had previously worked for the Bulldogs as a running backs coach in 2005, the year they won the SEC title.

Georgia also won the SEC championship this past season and appeared in the College Football Playoff National Championship. In two years, Smart has led the team to a 21-7 overall record.

The Bulldogs finished 13-2 in 2017, and lost to Alabama 26-23 in overtime in the CFP National Championship Game.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

According to ESPN — which cited publicly disclosed contracts and industry sources — Smart is set to be the fifth-highest-paid coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision based on average annual salary through the duration of his deal.

Currently, Urban Meyer of Ohio State ($8.49 million) is the top-paid coach in the FBS in terms of average yearly pay. Next on the list is Alabama’s Nick Saban ($8.28 million) and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh ($7.73 million).

Smart’s annual salary will also surpass that of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, ($6.75 million), who signed a major extension last summer. Smart previously played defensive back at Georgia.

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

Georgia lost several players in this year’s NFL Draft, including running backs Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. Chubb went to the Cleveland Browns in the second round, and Michel went to the New England Patriots as a first-round pick.

Nevertheless, the Bulldogs are still expected to succeed next season.

 

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

10 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

10 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

2 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

3 days ago