Smart cash: UGA makes Kirby initially $13M coach

• Chris Low, ESPN

  • Senior Citizen WriterMay 2, 2024, 05:12 PM ET Close College football reporter
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of the University of Tennessee

Georgia’s Kirby Smart has received a new 10-year, $130 million offer that was approved by university officials Thursday in its yearly athletics board of directors conference. The deal makes Smart the highest-paid college football coach in the country and its very first $13 million coach.Smart, who was scheduled to make$ 10.75 million this year under his old agreement, will see his salary increase to $13 million yearly, and that money is ensured for at least the first half of his contract. His new offer goes through the 2033 season. Smart could also earn approximately $1.55 million in perks. He is entering his ninth season as Georgia’s coach. His Bulldogs recorded back-to-back championship games in 2021 and 2022 and won an SEC-record 29 straight games before losing to Alabama last season in the SEC champion game.Editor’s Picks

“I continue to be grateful and humbled by our administration’s commitment to our football program,” Smart stated in a declaration. “The existing culture in collegiate athletics is everchanging and as challenging as it has actually ever been, so I genuinely appreciate the leadership that our team is continually provided. I have a tremendous pride for representing my alma mater and anticipate that relationship continuing for several years to come.”

Alabama’s Nick Saban had previously been the nation’s highest-paid college football coach till retiring in January. Smart passes Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who makes a typical annual salary of $11.5 million. USC’s Lincoln Riley is also in the $11 million range in typical income, according to market sources. Others making more than $10 million in average yearly wage include Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer ($10.875 million), Texas’ Steve Sarkisian ($10.64 million) and Florida State’s Mike Norvell ($10.52 million). Sarkisian and Norvell both consented to new deals taking them over the $10 million mark in January about the time of DeBoer’s hiring.Since going back to

his university in 2016, Smart has directed the Bulldogs to 2 championship games, played for a 3rd and won 13 or more games in each of the past three seasons. Georgia is the only group to have actually ended up in the leading 7 of the final AP survey in each of the previous seven seasons. With Saban retired, Smart is unbeaten versus all active head coaches over the past 5 years.Smart told ESPN last month:”I was brought here to win champions, however the thing I’m proudest of has actually been the consistency. I reflect on Year 1 [when Georgia went 8-5] as a failure and not the requirement, however every year after that we have actually been right there. No one else over that period can state they have actually finished in the top seven at the very end for 7 straight years. “Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks likewise received a raise and extension Thursday, taking

his contract through 2030. He will make$1.275 million annually with $100,000 boosts each year of the arrangement.