Is Head Coach Kirby Smart the highest-paid entity in Georgia? Taking a closer look at the veteran's salary and career earnings
Kirby Smart's exploits as a football coach are known both to his fans and opponents. Many also know that the consecutive national championships winning coach has the biggest paying contract among college football coaches.
However, his status as the highest-earning state employee in the state of Georgia comes as a surprise to a lot of people.
Kirby Smart, who became the coach of the Georgia Bulldogs in 2015, received a contract renewal in 2022 which put his annual earnings at $11.25 million. The amount is more than what any other state employee makes in the province, second only to Nick Saban's $11.7 million in the entire country.
Smart's contract is the reward for his coaching excellence, which has brought the Bulldogs to SEC and national glory during his tenure. Under him, they won their first national championship in 41 years in 2021.
His contract renewal is also structured to keep him motivated to win more with increases and bonuses tied to on-field success.
Smart has a history of receiving rewarding contracts in recognition of his outstanding performances. As the defensive coordinator at Alabama, he received a raise from $850,000 to $950,000 in 2012 and then to $1.28 million per annum.
Kirby Smart's career rise
Kirby Smart played college football at the University of Georgia from 1995 to 1998 where he was a two-year starter as safety. He won the SEC championship with the team in 1997.
He began his coaching journey as an administrator assistant in Georgia in 1999. He went next to Valdosta State, first as defensive backs coach before getting promoted to defensive coordinator.
He worked as a graduate assistant at Florida State from 2002 to 2003 as he pursued his master's degree. He joined LSU in 2004 as defensive backs coach under Nick Saban, whom he'll work under for much of his career as an assistant coach.
He worked with Saban in the NFL at Miami Dolphins as the safeties coach. When Saban joined Alabama, he took Smart along with him and he rose under Saban to defensive coordinator.
His tutelage under Saban prepared Smart adequately for the head coaching role he would assume at Georgia in 2015.
He won multiple national championship titles with Saban at Alabama and has now created a winning team of his own at Georgia. Although his mentor earns more than he does on an annual basis, he is on a longer contract that's worth more.