Kirby Smart gets a bonus despite missing CFP with Georgia last season

The Georgia Bulldogs didn't make it into the College Football Playoff to pull off a rare college football three-peat but that didn't stop the university from giving him a raise.

The Bulldogs lost just one game in 2023, falling to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Even though they didn't make it into the CFP places, practically everyone in the sport knows they would have been a contender if they'd gotten in.

So, it makes perfect sense to encourage Smart to keep on keeping on with a two-year contract extension and pay raise of $1.75 million annually.

Kirby Smart contract details: UGA coach signed through 2033

Smart's deal is now a decade long will now run through December of 2033, giving the head coach and program a sense of long-term stability. He'll make $13 million per year.

According to Seth Emerson of The Athletic, the head coach will also be able to pick up bonuses of up to $1.5 million.

That's the kind of deal you get when you've lost just two games in the last three seasons. Smart is 94-16 as a head coach and there's little reason to expect him to slow down at just 48 years old.

Smart is the highest-paid coach in college football for a reason. With Nick Saban retired, there can be no argument that he's the best coach in the business.

The Bulldogs come into the 2024 season as national title favorites. ESPN's Too-Early Top 25 ranks them No. 1. While they slipped to No. 2 in 247Sports' post-spring top 25, they're still expected to challenge No. 1 Ohio State for that spot by the time the season rolls around. They're undoubtedly the favorite to win the SEC this year.

Winning the conference and winning another national title would definitely justify the pay raise. Georgia could even say they're getting a steal at head coach.