In the mid-1990s, Kirby Smart was breaking down option routes in the Georgia secondary. Mary Beth Lycett was a few years behind him, trading passes for jumpers as a guard on the Lady Bulldogs’ basketball team. Their paths never crossed. Different sports, different schedules, different stages. That was their life back then. But time has a way of circling back, and the two athletes who once moved through the same campus on separate tracks would later build a life intertwined with the place that first brought them there.
Before she was Mary Beth Smart, she was Miss Georgia Basketball. A standout guard out of Morrow High, she arrived in Athens in 1999 with a quick release and a relentless edge. By the time her playing days were over, she had started 51 games for the Lady Bulldogs and left as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in program history. Kirby Smart, on the other hand, had already wrapped his playing career and was building one in coaching.
In 2005, they found themselves working under the same roof. Kirby had returned to Athens to interview for a role on Mark Richt’s staff; Mary Beth was in the athletic department, helping coordinate logistics. The first spark came with a phone call on a scheduling question. Then another. And another. “Everything he needed, he’d call me,” she later recalled. Hallway chats turned into lunch breaks. The safetyman and the sharpshooter were suddenly teammates. By July 15, 2006, they were married.
She’s not involved in play design or personnel moves, but those around the program know her role runs deeper than appearances. In fact, Smart appeared on Alabama v Georgia’s preview on SEC Media Days and started his speech by acknowledging the unwavering support he receives from his wife. What made the occasion even more special was that the duo was celebrating their 19th anniversary. Although she wasn’t at the event, Smart still poured his heart out with a heartfelt message.
“First and foremost would be my wife, absolutely the best teammate anybody could ever ask for, and 19 years we’ve been together, and this is the 19th anniversary, and here I am celebrating it in Atlanta with you guys. She and I have learned to appreciate the time we do have together. She spent a season with me at the Dolphins in the NFL, nine at Alabama, and nine at Georgia. So there you go, nine and nine, 18 plus one, that’s 19. Getting ready to go on our 10th season at UGA, and she’s been the best teammate I could ever ask for.”
Together, they’ve built a structure around the football grind. One where their three children, Weston, Julia, and Andrew, are as much a part of the Georgia fabric as the players themselves. It’s not uncommon to see the Smart kids on the practice field after workouts or tucked into a corner of the locker room after games.
Apart from making appearances at UGA’s games to support Smart, Mary Beth also runs the Kirby Smart Family Foundation, which focuses on providing support to children and families across Georgia. Mary plays a crucial role in organizing community initiatives. And not only Smart, but everyone who knows him has seen that.
Smart didn’t linger long on the personal note at Media Days. Soon, the questions shifted to his quarterback room, and he was back in coach mode.
Gunner Stockton gets hyped up by Kirby Smart
Last year, Georgia won the SEC championship without Carson Beck having played the full game. So, when Gunner Stockton came in Beck’s place, not many would have thought that the Dawgs would come out winner against Steve Sarkisian’s Texas. But guess what? Stockton proved reliable and led the Dawgs to a well-deserved win as Smart’s signature defense stopped Sarkisian and Quinn Ewers. And this season, Smart expects much more from Stockton.
“He’s just a relentless worker and a relentless competitor who got to play in some big games as a freshman, probably even before he was ready, and that’s paid off for us last year. I appreciate what Gunnar does. He’s going to be a big part of our program this year in leadership, and doing that with the offensive players. He’s already begun to do that in the leadership groups that he runs right now,” said Kirby Smart.
Last year, Stockton led the Dawgs to the SEC championship couldn’t quite replicate the heroics against Notre Dame as Georgia fell 10-23 without Carson Beck. However, in 2025, the dynamic has changed with a revamped receiving corps and a class that is ranked 2nd nationally. Surely, with these upgrades, Gunner Stockton won’t just perform, he’ll thrive.
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