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Georgia Football

What is Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart Due in a New Contract?

February 13, 2023
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ATHENS - So when is the right time for the Georgia Bulldogs agree to new terms with coach Kirby Smart? And what should those terms be?

This usually happens in the spring, but a year ago UGA released news of Kirby’s contract adjustment in the summer just after SEC Media Days. That said, the landscape around college football has moved some of late. There’s even more money coming into the SEC because of broadcast rights going up. So that’s going to push the number for Kirby even higher than before. 

Other coaches have piggybacked off Kirby’s success, and his moving the market higher in the middle of the summer. 

Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban agreed to a new contract just before the start of the 2022 season - making him the highest-paid coach for another year. Saban’s contract is worth 93.6 million over eight years. 

Your boy Dabo Swinney then swooped in and nabbed a 10-year, $115 million contract in September. Swinney and Saban had both come off seasons that included losses to Georgia. Saban lost in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Swinney in the opening game of the season. The Tigers concluded their season without an ACC title in 2021. 

Saban and Swinney didn’t do much better in 2022. Bama ended the year without a conference or national title for the first time since 2019. Clemson finished outside the AP top ten for a second year in a row. 



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It is unlikely Swinney will get another extension for winning the ACC, but losing to lowly South Carolina and getting whipped out by the Irish and Vols. Then again, he had not done much to earn an extension after the 2021 season, either. 

Saban and the Tide took a step back in 2022 as well. But it is hard to know if Saban and Alabama would be OK with UGA’s Kirby being the most-paid coach in college ball. A move up for Kirby could certainly be a move up for Saban. 

Those three coaches are the only ones with multiple national titles coaching in college football today. Lincoln Riley is reportedly being paid $11M by USC. That number is significant, but shows how much the Trojans had to pay out to get the man they wanted. LSU’s Brian Kelly is at $10M. 

Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh are sure to get raises. Day entered 2022 at $9.6M. Harbaugh, if you remember, took a $4M cut to stay at Michigan. Reporting early this year has Harbaugh signing a new extension with the Wolverines - even though he continues to flirt with the NFL. 



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All that said, what is the correct number and time length for Kirby and UGA? Remember, with only a few exceptions, Kirby is going to be due the bulk of this money if he doesn’t break any NCAA bylaws or commit any crimes. So UGA has to be careful in what it lays out. 

Right now, Kirby and UGA have an agreed contract that is $112.5M over ten years. It would not be out of the question that the new contract be anywhere from $120 - $130M over ten years.

Why? 

First, the success of the program under Kirby. Second, because of the revenue generated primarily from the new TV contract with Disney. Georgia’s contract with Nike expires in 2024. But the shoe maker has the right of first refusal and can match offers from other companies… so Georgia will in Nikes for some time to come. But the contract value (currently around $4M per year) could go up significantly. 

So the money is there to lay out for Kirby. The question is what the right term and dollar amount should be. 

 
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