Kirby Paul Smart, an American football coach and former player, has been married to Mary Elizabeth Lycett for 18 years.
Smart is the current head football coach at the University of Georgia (UGA), his alma mater.
Born on December 23, 1975, he started his career in 1999 as an administrative assistant at the University of Georgia.
Moreover, he served as the head coach of the Bulldogs, leading them to national championships in 2021 and 2022.
Kirby’s Wife Mary Elizabeth Was Also A Collegiate Athlete
Just like Kirby, Mary “Beth” Elizabeth Lycett was also an athlete during her days at the University of Georgia.
She was born on December 23, 1975, in Montgomery, Alabama, and grew up in Morrow, Georgia.
Mary started her basketball career at Morrow High School in Georgia. She was an outstanding basketball player and was named Miss Georgia Basketball in 1999.
She then played women’s college basketball for the Georgia Lady Bulldogs.
Mary played an important role for the team and was declared an Academic All-SEC for a number of times.
She has several achievements, including being the MVP of the team and Miss Georgia Basketball in 1999.
The couple met in 2005 when Kirby was coaching as a defensive back at Louisiana State University.
Meanwhile, Mary worked in the business office of the UGA’s athletic association.
In an interview, Mary was asked who was the better athlete, and she said,
He was definitely the better athlete. I mean, he was All-SEC a couple times and still has some interception records. That’s big time. I was only really a role player in college. The fact that they were both from Georgia and their mutual love for sport made them more compatible with eachother.
Source: Reynoldslakeoconee.com
However, Mary said their first face-to-face encounter was quite funny.
Before finally meeting in Mary’s office in Athens, the two had been talking over the phone for many months.
In February 2021, Mary Beth Smart described her first in-person encounter with Kirby Smart on the “Married to the Game” podcast.
According to Mary, their first in-person meeting was hilarious. She talked about her first physical meeting with Kirby Smart,
“The funniest thing I remember so well. The first time I ever saw him; I was sitting at a desk and he walked into my office,” Mary Beth Smart said. “I’d seen pictures of him but I guess I just thought he was taller. I had on these tall black boots with a three-inch heel. He walked in and I stood up and was looking at the top of his head.”
Kirby Smart and Mary Beth Smart were married on July 15, 2006, and have three children.
The older are fraternal twins Julia Smart and Weston Smart, born in 2008, and a younger boy, Andrew Smart, born in 2012.
Coach Smart and his wife, Mary Beth, live in Georgia, Athens, but have a second home at Reynolds Lake Oconee, which has been their getaway since 2010.
According to Mary, all three of the kids love the Lake Oconee so the family spend time on the boat and playing on the dock.
All of Kirby Smart’s Kids Have A Strong Passion for Sports
The twins, Weston, hold an interest in tennis and golf, while Julia, a soccer player,
On the other hand, the youngest son, Andrew, is passionate about football like his father.
All of the kids love swimming in the lake, which Kirby Smart posted on his Instagram.
Mary said that the youngest, Andrew, is trying out every sport for now.
Other than sports, their kids are a huge fan of Taylor Swift.
Recently, Mary travelled with her 16-year old twins, Weston and Julia traveled to Amsterdam to see the concert on July, 2024.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Kirby Smart has also coached at well-known colleges like Florida State, LSU, and Alabama, as well as NFL teams like the Miami Dolphins.
- Smart has won several awards, including SEC Coach of the Year, thrice.
- He was the defensive coordinator under head coach Nick Saban at Alabama for seven years.
- Mary runs the Kirby Smart Family Foundation alongside her husband, where they help poor children and families.
