Kirby Smart is about to get paid
GREENSBORO – Kirby Smart is about to get paid.
During Thursday’s annual May meeting of the University of Georgia Athletic Association, UGA president Jere Morehead announced that a new contract for Georgia’s head football coach is being finalized.
Terms will be delivered to the board in the coming weeks. At that time it will be announced to the public.
Speculation is the total compensation for Smart’s new deal could reach $100 million, or more than twice the total ($49 million) he’s currently paid.
“I think what we said is accurate,” Morehead said. “It will be commensurate with what you would expect compensation to be for a national championship coach, but we’re close to finalizing those arrangements. I don’t think anybody will be surprised.”
Athletic director Josh Brooks said final details with Smart’s agent Jimmy Sexton are currently being worked out.
“It’s just going through the process, taking your time,” Brooks said. “This is an important contract for him and for us. It’s just all little details, typical stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
According to published reports, Smart’s annual salary currently sits 11th nationally and sixth in the SEC behind Nick Saban ($9.75 million), Brian Kelly of LSU ($9.5 million), Jimbo Fisher of Texas A&M ($7.5 million), and Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss ($7.5 million).
New Southern Cal coach Lincoln Riley is the country’s top-paid coach, believed to be at over $10 million per year.
Morehead said he expects to bring the new contract to the full board for a vote very soon.
Thursday’s annual meeting provided an opportunity to update board members on the contract’s progress.
“Well, we’re here in session,” Morehead said. “We expect to get it finalized soon, and we’ll just be getting the board to approve that in writing. We thought we needed to update them while they were here in person.”
Georgia’s president said he was not concerned it’s taken so long for the new contract to be finalized.
“Not really,” Morehead said. “We were both with Kirby on fundraising trips this week. We know where we are. We’re all in a good place. We’ll expect it to get finalized over the next few weeks.”
Brooks agreed.
“We work closely with his agent on it. It’s been a great process with him,” Brooks said. “No qualms there. It’s been a great process.”
Smart isn’t the only one getting a raise.
Morehead also announced that Brooks will be getting a bump in pay from his annual salary of $700,000, which was announced during his hire a year and a half ago.
Terms were not released.
