College football has a brand-new king: Kirby Smart.
Well, you could make the argument that Smart was the king of college football all along. But with his fresh new contract, he now officially becomes the highest-paid coach in the country.
Georgia announced that they have signed Smart to a historic 10-year, $130 million deal, a figure that stands on top of the college football world.
Smart, who has been at the helm of the Bulldogs since 2016, expressed gratitude for the unwavering support from the university and administration.
“I continue to be grateful and humbled by our administration’s commitment to our football program,” Smart said in a statement.
“The current culture in collegiate athletics is everchanging and as challenging as it has ever been, so I truly appreciate the leadership that our team is continually provided.”
“I have an immense pride for representing my alma mater and look forward to that relationship continuing for many years to come.”
Under his previous contract, Smart was slated to earn $10.75 million for the upcoming season.
However, with the new agreement, his annual salary jumps to a staggering $13 million, guaranteed for at least the first half of his tenure, extending through the 2033 season.
Additionally, Smart stands to rake in up to $1.55 million in bonuses.
Smart has been phenomenal at Georgia. There’s no other way to put it.
After winning back-to-back national titles, Smart and the Bulldogs came so very close to having a chance at a historic three-peat this past season.
Their crushing loss to the rival Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game doomed their playoff hopes.
If the playoff field was 12-teams, like it will be this coming season, the Bulldogs would have surely gotten in – and may have ended up winning the whole damn thing.
In many ways, college football fans were robbed of what would have been an EPIC Georgia-Michigan title game.
Before his shocking retirement, Alabama head coach Nick Saban was the highest-paid coach in college football.
With Saban gone, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney (temporarily) took the crown as highest-paid with his average annual salary of $11.5 million.
After Swinney was USC’s Lincoln Riley ($11 million), followed by new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer ($10.875 million), Texas’ Steve Sarkisian ($10.64 million) and Florida State’s Mike Norvell ($10.52 million).
Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks also received a significant raise and extension. He is now under contract through 2030 and will earn $1.275 million annually, with incremental increases each year.
As far as Smart and his massive $130 contract, the question everyone wants to know: is he actually worth it???
Well, the answer is a resounding HELL YES.
What are your thoughts on Smart’s new deal?
Do YOU think he’s worth that type of money?
Is he indeed the best coach in all of college football???