Georgia’s return to the Sugar Bowl came with a painful reminder for Kirby Smart. While the Bulldogs are firmly focused on rewriting the finish, Smart wasn’t able to get past his personal loss on his last visit. He emotionally recalls his father’s passing during the last Sugar Bowl game.

“I think landing yesterday brought back some memories,” said Kirby Smart at the December 30 press conference. “Because the last time I was here, I was just leaving two or three days after the game with my family, and it was different. It was a different mood, a different time. Very different frame of mind.

You can’t help but think a little bit about the last time I was here and what I was going through. I was going to a funeral home and going to meet with people that I had never met with, and it was a very unique experience.”

Smart’s father, Sonny (76), died on January 4, 2025, after suffering complications from hip surgery he underwent after falling in New Orleans. Kirby spent part of New Year’s Day with his father at the hospital, after the Sugar Bowl was pushed back to Thursday, January 2, due to a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.

Smart’s Georgia lost to Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinals by 23-10 and returned to the hospital shortly after the loss. The following morning, January 4th, UGA announced that Sonny had passed away while surrounded by his family members.

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Sonny Smart was a football coach who taught Kirby to handle things the right way and helped him become a better coach. Kirby also played as a safety for his dad at Bainbridge High School. It was a tough season for Kirby Smart a year ago, but this year’s Sugar Bowl at New Orleans is completely different, as the coach confirms that they have not let last year’s game affect the upcoming game’s preparation.

Kirby Smart’s Georgia prepares for Ole Miss at the Sugar Bowl

While Georgia prepares for Ole Miss at the Sugar Bowl, Smart clarified that they haven’t had any conversation about last season or the regular-season game. They are primarily focused on the upcoming game, as he feels that the past occurrence has nothing to do with the forthcoming game.

“We don’t really talk much about last year,” said Kirby Smart. “We didn’t talk about last year’s games that we played against other teams on the schedule. It’s never really about last year for us. It’s way more about living in the moment and how we prepare for the moment…It’s really about what we can do for the next 48 hours to prepare better, to be ready to play a big game.”

Smart felt proud of their team’s improvement as a playoff team once again and winning the SEC championship. However, Kirby made sure that they would only be judged on how their team performs in the next 48 hours, and not on their past performances.

“Their next opportunity to play is in two days. You’ll be judged by how you play then, not how you played in the past,” said Smart.

Georgia (12-1) will take on Ole Miss (12-1) in an All-SEC Sugar Bowl matchup as a 6.5-point favorite on January 1, with the game scheduled to kick off at 8 pm ET.