RABUN GAP — Karl Smart remembers his elementary school friends in South Georgia were afraid of his dad.
A former college football offensive lineman turned coach and teacher, Sonny Smart was an imposing figure known for delivering firm corrections. But Karl also recalls times when, as a high school student diagnosed with leukemia, his dad would carry him to the bathroom because chemotherapy treatments made him too weak to walk.
“In his gentle kind way, he reassured me,” Karl said. “He made me feel OK.”
Clyde J. “Sonny” Smart Jr. died last week after complications from surgery after falling in New Orleans while there to watch the University of Georgia football team, coached by his son Kirby Smart, play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Sonny Smart was 76.
Sonny Smart was for decades known across the state because he guided two high school football programs to historic titles. He helped Bainbridge High School, in a small town about 15 miles north of the Florida state line, win a 1982 state title as defensive coordinator and to a state semifinals appearance as head coach in 1993.
He moved to Rabun County, in the northeast Appalachian region of the state, and led its football program to the state quarterfinals in 1998, finishing 11-2 and winning the first region championship in school history. In retirement, he often was present on the sideline in Athens at Sanford Stadium to give his son a hug after victory.
Kirby Smart told those gathered Saturday at Rabun Gap Presbyterian Church that his father’s standard for discipline was legendary. Kirby added that his dad was wise but at the same time simple. Comfortable in the quiet. Never stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.
“He was strong, but soft when he needed to be,” Kirby said.
Sonny Smart’s leadership led to victories on the field. But his planning and organization translated to the real world.
As in 1968, when an umbrella that Sonny Smart, a student at Samford, had just grabbed provided an icebreaker introduction to offer help to the woman, named Sharon, who would become his wife.
Or in the late 1980s, when Karl was diagnosed with cancer that required trips to Atlanta for treatment. Some weekend stays lasted 72 hours, with Sonny racing up the interstate highway after games on Friday nights.
“He had a plan for our family immediately,” Kirby Smart said. “I put myself in that situation every day today. As a parent, I think about how I would handle that.
“During that time, (dad) was our rock.”
After retiring from coaching, Sonny founded Georgia Mountain Senior Golf, organizing tournaments for players age 50 and over. Bill Forrester, a friend of Smart’s, said they figured roughly 20 people would join. By 2024, the group had 160 members, with a wait list so long that the Rev. Don Barber joked made it “easier to get tickets to Augusta National.”
Going through photographs this week, Karl Smart noticed something about his dad.
In almost every image, Sonny has his arm around somebody — Sharon, one his three kids or eight grandchildren — or was holding a dog. One scene remains in Karl’s mind, from a school trip to Washington, D.C., when he was a kid. Sonny Smart’s arm is wrapped across his son’s chest, Karl’s tired eyes almost closed after a long day of sightseeing.
“This is how I imagine him,” Karl said. “Strong. Solid. But also soft, kind and loving.
Sonny and Sharon Smart took their honeymoon trip to New Orleans 52 years ago. Last week, back in Louisiana to support their son in the College Football Playoff, according to Barber, Sonny offered a message for Sharon before he went in for surgery.
“It’s been great.”
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