Georgia makes Kirby Smart the highest-paid coach in college football

Kirby Smart has built a powerhouse football program at the University of Georgia and the school has rewarded with a contract extension and raise that will make him the highest-paid coach in in college football. 

The school announced on Thursday that a new two-year contract extension through the 2033 season has been approved for Smart, one that will increase his annual salary to $13 million per year. That is an average salary increase of $1.75 million per season from his previous contract while his maximum bonus increases from $1.3 million to $1.5 million.

Smart has coached Georgia since the start of the 2016 season, with the program taking an immediate step forward from the moment he stepped on campus.

Smart has already compiled a 94-16 record during that time and has not lost more than two games in a season since 2018.

That run includes three appearances in the national championship game, including back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

Along with the overall success of the program, Georgia has also built a steady pipeline of stars to the NFL and has consistently produced double-digit NFL draft picks in recent years, including multiple first-round selections. There is no sign that any of that will slow down in the immediate future.

Despite a near-universal belief that Georgia was one of the four best teams in the country this past season, the Bulldogs narrowly missed out on the College Football Playoff after losing the SEC Championship game to Alabama.

Smart was previously the second-highest paid coach in college football, narrowly trailing Clemson's Dabo Swinney, who makes $11.5 million per year.

Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Ryan Day (Ohio State) and Kalen DeBoer (Alabama) round out the top-five college football coaches in terms of annual earnings. All make more than $10 million per season.