Georgia Coaching History

Georgia has been the premier program in college football the last decade under head coach Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs won their first title since 1980 in 2021 and repeated as champions in 2022.

Georgia has lost just twice since the end of the 2020 season, both times to an Alabama team which would go on to reach the College Football Playoff. Early looks at the 2024 Bulldogs are positive. They’re poised to once again be the team to beat for a national title — even with new conference opponents and a new Playoff system in the mix.

That level of consistency and how quickly it came together is hard to fathom, but Smart has done it regardless. He’s already the most accomplished coach in Georgia history.

It’s impressive given Georgia’s coaching history in the modern era of the game alongside coaches such as Vince Dooley and Mark Richt. Below, we’ll take a look at Georgia football’s full coaching history dating all the way back to Charles Herty in 1892.

Georgia Football Coaching History

Georgia football had 20 coaches come through the program before one collected 75+ wins. Wally Butts was the first to accomplish the feat with the Bulldogs, finishing his career with a 140–86–9 record.

He was far from the last. Vince Dooley, Mark Richt and Kirby Smart have since accomplished the feat, all of whom stayed above a 70% win percentage while doing so.

The first Georgia head coach to provide any sort of continuity was W.A. Cunningham, who led the team from 1910-1919. He finished with a strong 43–18–9 record before re-joining the army following the 1919 season and handing the reigns over to Herman Stegeman.

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. (Georgia’s basketball arena is named after Stegeman.)

Stegeman and Cunningham are figures some Georgia fans may not be too familiar with. There should be more familiarity with the next 2 coaches we’ll cover.

Vince Dooley (1964-1988)

Vince Dooley brought Georgia football its first national title in 1980. He’s a legend in Athens, a College Football Hall of Famer, a 5-time SEC Coach of the Year and holds an overall head coaching record of 201-77-10 across his 25-year career. Dooley’s teams finished under .500 just once; 1977, when the Dawgs finished 5-6.

Dooley is the winningest football coach in Georgia’s history, and it’ll be a while before that 201 number is surpassed. He’s one of just 4 SEC coaches to surpass 200 wins for his career, joining the legendary ranks of Nick Saban, Bear Bryant and Steve Spurrier.

In 1979 Dooley took the job as Georgia’s athletics director, a position he held until 2004. Dooley retired as Georgia’s head football coach following the 1988 season, directing his attention to being AD full-time. Sadly, Dooley passed away on October 28, 2022 at the age of 90 in Athens, Georgia.

Kirby Smart (2016-Present)

Remember when we said it’ll be a while before Dooley’s mark of 201 wins is surpassed at Georgia? Well, if Smart keeps his astronomical pace going, that record will be eclipsed in about 10-12 years. And given Smart is only 48 and has earned himself a job for life at his alma mater, he’s very much in the driver’s seat to accomplish that feat.

Some would argue Kirby Smart is already the greatest college football coach in Georgia history. Want a less controversial descriptor? Smart is by far the best coach in college football today.

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. Not to mention the fact he’s won 2 national titles in 8 years as Georgia’s head man.

Smart is a champion through and through. He won 4 national titles as Alabama’s defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2015 and you’d be crazy to believe he’s done winning titles in Athens.

Dec 3, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs celebrate after their 50-30 victory over the LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Ethan Stone

Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Down South.