A Legacy of Leaders: Tracing the History of University of Georgia Football Coaches

The University of Georgia Bulldogs football program boasts a rich and storied history, dating back to its inception in 1892. Over the years, the program has been shaped by a diverse group of head coaches, each leaving their unique mark on the team's identity and success. From the early pioneers to the modern strategists, these leaders have guided the Bulldogs through periods of growth, challenges, and ultimately, triumph.

Early Years and Foundations

The Georgia Bulldogs football program represents the University of Georgia in the sport of American football. The program's early seasons were marked by frequent coaching changes and modest success, though the Bulldogs achieved notable milestones under Glenn "Pop" Warner, including an undefeated season and a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship in 1896. The program survived a near shutdown following the death of player Richard Von Albade Gammon in 1897, after state legislation banning football was vetoed. The first Georgia head coach to provide any sort of continuity was W.A. Cunningham, who led the team from 1910-1919. From 1920 to 1937 the Bulldogs were led by 3 different head coaches, all of whom left the team with a winning record. Stegeman was the best of the bunch, winning 20 of 29 games with 3 ties and just 6 losses before becoming UGA’s athletic director. Stegeman and Cunningham are figures some Georgia fans may not be too familiar with.

H.J. Stegeman (1920-1922)

Herman James Stegeman was a multi-sport college star. He went to the University of Chicago and played football and track and field. Stegeman was part of the 1913 Chicago National Championship squad. Army stationed Stegeman in Athens, Georgia to create PT courses for the University of Georgia Reserves Officers’ Training Corps. He was then hired to be Georgia’s assistant football coach. When the existing head coach, W.A. Cunningham returned to the army, Stegeman took over as Head Coach of Georgia Bulldogs Football from 1920-1922. The first two seasons under Stegeman were impressive, 8-0-1 and 7-2-1 consecutive seasons where they finished Tied first in the division. His last season, he went 5-4-1 and stepped down as the Football Head Coach but became the Athletics Director for the Bulldogs. Stegeman quadrupled up during his tenure, being the Head Coach of the football, basketball, baseball and track and field team. His total record with the Bulldogs was 20-6-3. For coaches that coached for more than a year, he has the best win percentage with .741.

George Woodruff (1923-1927)

A Georgia native, George ‘Kid’ Woofruff attended the University of Georgia in 1907 and played quarter back for the Bulldogs for four seasons. Called ‘kid’ because of his small stature He was the captain of W.A. Cunningham’s winning 1911 team. He replaced Herman Stegeman as Georgia Bulldogs Football Head Coach, at the time, he was the third Bulldogs alumni to become Head Coach. During his five seasons, he never had a losing record, finishing with 32-16-1. He was the first coach to implement a new style as he introduced the ‘Box 4’ shift from Notre Dame. He hired Frank Thomas and Jim Crowley who would later go on to have distinguished coaching careers and be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and Harry Mehre who was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Woodruff worked for a salary of $1 a year, and the Bulldogs definitely got their money’s worth. In 1927, Woodruff’s ‘Dream and Wonder’ team won the Southern Conference Championship, they only lost to Georgia Tech. Woodruff Hall was named in honor of Woodruff and his older brother it stood where the Henry W.Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication currently stands. Their current outdoor practice field is also named in honor of Woodruff. In 1927 - Georgia's famous Dream and Wonder team led by George Woodruff went 9-1. This team was noted for having a win over 1920s power, Yale, in Connecticut. Georgia was ranked No. 1 going into its final game against rival Georgia Tech, where they were upset 12-0 in the rain. Even so, Georgia finished the season ranked No.

Harry Mehre (1928-1937)

Born in 1901 in Indiana, Harry Mehre was only 23 when he joined the University of Georgia as an assistant coach under George Woodruff. Following Woodruff’s retirement, Mehre became the head coach. Mehre coached the Bulldogs for ten years. He led them to a 59-34-6 record before leaving to coach Ole Miss. In his first two seasons, Georgia went a combined 10-11. In 1930 he led the Bulldogs to a 7-2-1 season and an 8-2 season the following year. 1933, marked his most successful season, in the first year of the SEC, Georgia finished 8-2 and 3-1 in conference play, they finished third overall. Mehre was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame in 1971. In 1986, the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall was built in honor of Mehre and fellow former Bulldogs coach Wally Butts.

The Butts and Dooley Eras: A Golden Age

From 1939 to 1960, Wally Butts led Georgia through one of its most successful eras, winning four Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles while coaching Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich and All-American Charley Trippi. Vince Dooley followed as head coach from 1964 to 1988, becoming the longest-tenured coach in program history. Under Dooley, Georgia won the 1980 consensus national championship (following a 17-10 Sugar Bowl victory of Notre Dame), six SEC titles, and produced standout players including running back Herschel Walker (winner of the 1982 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award) and defensive tackle Bill Stanfill (1968 Outland Trophy winner).

Wally Butts (1939-1960)

James Wallace ‘Wally’ Butts is another Georgia native on the list. Butts has the second longest tenure in Bulldogs history, serving for 22 years. Prior to joining Georgia, Butts had lost just ten games in ten years of high school coaching. He initially joined the Bulldogs as an assistant. The Georgia Bulldogs football fans called him ‘Little Round Man’, little did they know how good of a coach he would turn out to be. He led the Bulldogs to their most successful period of that time. They had six bowl appearances, four SEC Championships and went undefeated in 1946. Butts is often credited with starting the passing era of football. His passing routes that he created were studied by other coaches, many referred to him as a ‘genius’. Butts coached Heisman winner Frank Sinkwich, and Maxwell award winner Charley Trippi. Butts finished with a .615 winning percentage and a 140-86-9 record. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997. His football mind was a major part of Georgia Bulldogs Football coaches’ history. In 1942 - Georgia compiled an 11-1 record, shut out six of twelve opponents (including a 34-0 victory over No. 2 Georgia Tech), and defeated No. 13 UCLA in the 1943 Rose Bowl 9-0. Georgia finished No. 2 in the final AP Poll (Ohio State finished No. 1). 1946 - Fueled by the return of Charley Trippi, the 1946 SEC Champion Bulldogs went 10-0, including a 20-10 win over North Carolina in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame finished the season ranked No. 1 in the majority of the polls, but the Williamson poll recognized Georgia as No.

Vince Dooley (1964-1988)

Of all the past Georgia Football coaches, Vince Dooley has been the most successful. He coached the Bulldogs for 25 year's and led them to over 200 wins. He finished his tenure with a 201-77-10 and a .715 record. He is the ninth coach in NCAA Division I history to win more than 200 games. He led the Bulldogs to a national championship in 1980 and six SEC championships. He took them to 20 bowl games, most in Bulldogs history. He was named NCAA National Coach of the year in 1980, SEC Coach of the Year seven times, and NCAA District Coach of the Year six times. Dooley retired at the end of the 1988 season and at the time, he was the second-winningest coach in SEC history. In addition to SEC Coach of the Year, Dooley won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year (1976), Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1978), AFCA Coach of the Year (1980), Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1990) Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year (1980), Walter Camp Coach of the Year (1990), Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1984), Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2001), Carl Maddox Sport Management award (2004), University of Georgia Circle of Honor (2004), Homer Rice Award (2007), Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award (2009). He is the most decorated coach in Bulldogs history and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1968 - The 1968 Bulldogs won Vince Dooley's second SEC Championship as head coach, and finished the season undefeated. However the 8-0-2 Bulldogs tied twice, and then lost to Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. In 1980 - The Bulldogs beat Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl to finish 12-0 and claim the national championship. Georgia finished No.

Navigating the Late 20th Century

Following Dooley's departure, the Bulldogs experienced a period of transition, with coaches like Ray Goff and Jim Donnan attempting to build upon the program's established foundation. While these coaches achieved varying degrees of success, they each contributed to the ongoing evolution of Georgia football.

Ray Goff (1989-1995)

Ray Goff attended the University of Georgia. He played quarterback in 1974-1976 under Former Georgia Bulldogs Football coach, Vince Dooley. He led Georgia to the 1976 SEC Championship. He started his coaching career as the assistant coach for the South Caroline Gamecocks before returning to his alma mater in 1981 as an assistant. His roles included recruiter, tight ends coach and running back coach. When Dooley retired in 1988, Goff, nominated by Dooley, had the big task of replacing him. Goff was the Head Coach of the Bulldogs for seven years after being fired in 1995. He led the Bulldogs to a 46-34-1 record. The highlight of his tenure was in 1992 where Georgia finished with a 10-2 record. They were the SEC Easter Division Co-champions and the Florida Citrus Bowl Champions. He’s fondly remembered as one of the best coaches for Georgia Bulldogs Football.

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Jim Donnan (1996-2000)

A former North Carolina State quarterback, Jim Doonan jumped straight into coaching and served as an assistant for 15 years at various universities before becoming the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma in 1985. He got his first head coaching job at Marshall in 1990, then became head coach of the Bulldogs in 1996. His overall head coaching record is 104-10. During his five-year tenure with Georgia, he led them to a 40-19 record. He was the first coach in Georgia history to win four consecutive bowls; they won the 1998 Outback Bowl, 1998 Peach Bowl, 2000 Outback Bowl and the 2000 O’ahu Bowl. Doonan was fired after the 2000 season despite the win over Virginia in the O’ahu Bowl when the Bulldogs finished with an 8-4 record. His overall record wasn’t bad, but Doonan kept losing to the wrong teams. They had a 2-3 record against Georgia Tech and Auburn and a 1-4 record against Florida and Tennessee. In 2009, Doonan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The Modern Era: Richt and Smart

Mark Richt coached the Bulldogs from 2001 to 2015, guiding the program to two SEC championships, multiple division titles, and sustained national relevance before parting ways with the university. UGA alumnus Kirby Smart, hired in 2015, ushered in a period of unprecedented dominance. Under Smart, Georgia reached the national championship game in his second season and won College Football Playoff national titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, becoming the first program to repeat as playoff-era champions. It’s impressive given Georgia’s coaching history in the modern era of the game alongside coaches such as Vince Dooley and Mark Richt.

Mark Richt (2001-2015)

A future NFL quarterback prospect, Richt spent a short spell behind John Elway at the Denver Broncos before focusing on coaching. Prior to joining Georgia, Richt spent over ten years at Florida State where he helped them win seven ACC titles and two national championships. His success with FSU created a buzz of excitement when he was hired as the Bulldogs Head Coach. Richt spent 15 seasons with the Bulldogs. His 145-51-0 record and .740-win percentage leaves him third among all Georgia coaches. Richt led Georgia to two SEC Championships and was named SEC Coach of the year in 2002 and 2005. He is one of the few coaches in history to win two SEC Championships. He had five consecutive ten plus winning seasons between 02 and 05. He took the Bulldogs to a bowl/playoffs in every season of his tenure. Richt had a big impact off the field too, more than 300 players earned their academic degrees with his guidance. He also founded the Paul Oliver network, a program that supports players in their transition to life after football. Richt has a strong claim to be one of the best Georgia Bulldogs football coaches. During his 18 years as a head coach, Mark Richt established himself as one of the top coaches in the history of college football, winning nearly 72 percent of his games at Georgia and Miami (FL) and never failing to make the postseason. Richt is one of only five coaches in FBS history to record 145 or more wins in their first 15 seasons, including Hall of Famers Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne. At the time of his retirement, he ranked No. Richt headed the Georgia program for 15 years, winning 74 percent of his games, which ranks first all-time among Bulldog coaches, and amassing an overall record of 145-51. His UGA win total is second to only Hall of Fame coach Vince Dooley. He led Georgia to 15 consecutive bowl appearances (10-5), including three New Year's Six bowls (Sugar Bowl 2002, 2005, 2007). His Georgia teams appeared 11 times in the Top 25 rankings, including seven Top 10 finishes (No. 3 in 2002, No. 7 in 2003, No. 7 in 2004, No. 10 in 2005, No. 2 in 2007, No. 5 in 2012, No. 9 in 2014). He led Georgia to two SEC titles, including the Bulldogs' first in 20 years in 2002 and then again in 2005. The Dawgs appeared in a total of five SEC championship games (2002, 2003, 2005, 2011, and 2012) during his tenure. Returning to his alma mater (where he played quarterback from 1979-82), Richt led Miami to a 26-13 record for the final three seasons of his head coaching career, securing three more bowl appearances, including one more New Year's Six Bowl, the Orange in 2017. Two of his three Miami teams posted top 20 finishes, the 2016 team at No. 20 and the 2017 team at No. 13. Richt coached 15 First Team All-Americans, including 2020 College Football Hall of Fame inductee David Pollack. Richt began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Florida State from 1985-86 after being hired by College Football Hall of Fame Coach Bobby Bowden. Richt spent 15 seasons in Tallahassee, with a one-year break in 1989 as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina. Prolific in the community, Richt is active with H.E.R.O. for children, Eagle Ranch orphanage facility and led two mission trips to Honduras. He has been a celebrity spokesperson for the National Guard Youth Foundation and a key supporter of The Healing Place of Athens for men with addictions. While at UGA, he founded the Paul Oliver Network, a program that supports lettermen in their transition to life after football. In 2016, Richt was named the first-ever honorary head coach of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his commitment to giving back to others. In 2013, Richt received the Stallings Award given for commitment to humanitarian and community service efforts, and in 2010, he was named to the AFCA Board of Trustees.

Kirby Smart (2015-Present)

As mentioned earlier, Smart is the current Bulldogs Head Coach. He started his coaching career with Georgia as an administrative assistant before spending time at Valdosta State, Florida State, LSU, Alabama and even the Miami Dolphins, all in various assistant roles. He was announced as the 26th Head Coach in 2015 and led the Bulldogs to an 8-5 record and Liberty Bowl in his first season. Now his eighth season as head coach, he is yet to have a losing season and has taken the Bulldogs to a bowl/playoffs in every season. His most impressive period to date was his last two year's where the Bulldogs finished with a 14-1 record in the 2021 season and a 15-0 undefeated season in 2022. He led them to back-to-back National Championships and has started the 2023 campaign with the same intent, currently sitting at 3-0. He has a 84-15 overall record and the way Smart is going, he might become the best coach in Georgia Bulldogs Football history. Some would argue Kirby Smart is already the greatest college football coach in Georgia history. Want a less controversial descriptor? The reason why is simple: Consistency. Smart hasn’t lost more than 3 games across a single season following Year 1 in Athens, and even then he surpassed expectations for a first-year head coach with an 8-5 record. Georgia has won 24-straight SEC regular season games dating all the way back to Nov. 7, 2020. Smart is a champion through and through.

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