• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Georgia’s Kirby Smart Agrees to Record $112.5M Contract

  • Smart’s new $11.25M average salary would surpass the reported $10+ million per year Lincoln Riley is getting from USC.
  • Georgia won its first football national championship since 1980 in January.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

When Kirby Smart led his alma mater to its first football national championship since 1980, it was the crowning achievement for a coach who had worked his way up through the Nick Saban coaching tree.

Now, Smart has financially surpassed his mentor.

On Thursday, Smart signed a 10-year, $112.5 million contract with the Bulldogs, as first reported by ESPN’s Chris Low.

Low adds that the 46-year-old will make more than $10 million in the first year of the deal, which will eventually climb to over $12 million per year by its end.

The massive contract makes Smart the highest-paid football coach at a public school — and possibly the nation’s highest-paid overall.

The $112.5 million is the most ever given to a college football coach, and the $11.25 million per season exceeds the reported $10+ million salary Lincoln Riley is getting from USC (as a private school, USC is not required to disclose Riley’s contract).

Saban now likely ranks third among all coaches with his $9.75 million salary.

Smart’s new contract also tops another sizable investment Georgia recently made into its football program: a newly opened practice and training facility that cost $80 million.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Ohio State

Collectives Funnel $20 Million to College Athletes on Last Day Before Revenue..

Collectives frontloaded payments just before the revenue sharing era begins July 1.

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.
Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium.

Rape Suit Against QB Retzlaff Dismissed, but He’s Still Leaving BYU

Retzlaff admitted to “consensual” sex, violating BYU’s strict honor code.

Pac-12 Hits Football Membership Threshold With Texas State Entry

The school is paying $5 million to leave the Sun Belt Conference.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
Udoka

Knicks Striking Out on Big-Name Tom Thibodeau Replacements So Far

Three teams have denied the Knicks permission to interview their coaches.
Alex Jensen introductory press conference on Monday, March 17, 2025.
June 3, 2025

Alex Jensen Started Utah Utes HC Job While Still Coaching the Mavs

How Jensen began building an NCAA program while patrolling the Dallas sideline.
Jordan Ott
June 4, 2025

Mat Ishbia Goes Back to Michigan State Again in Quest to Fix..

Phoenix has now hired its coach and GM from the MSU tree.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick holds up the sweatshirt worn by his father when he was an assistant coach at New North Carolina Tar Heels new at Loudermilk Center for Excellence.
June 2, 2025

Bill Belichick’s Buyout at UNC Dropped by $9 Million on Sunday

Belichick’s buyout dropped from $10 million to $1 million on Sunday.
Giraldez
May 30, 2025

Is Coach Moving In Michele Kang’s Soccer Empire A Sign For NWSL?

Kang is another owner taking on a multi-club model.
May 14, 2025

The Highest-Paid NFL Offensive Coordinators

Todd Monken of the Ravens and Mike Kafka of the Giants both earn an estimated $3 million annually. 
Dec 27, 2024; San Diego, CA, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown raises the Holiday Bowl trophy after defeating the Washington State Cougars after the game at Snapdragon Stadium.
exclusive
May 5, 2025

Why Syracuse Football Coach Fran Brown Is Signing With an NIL Agency

“There’s no better time to do it than right now,” Brown says.