Georgia football brings back familiar face to coach offensive line

Stacy Searels will be making his return to the Georgia football program as offensive line coach.

With Matt Luke abruptly resigning last week, the Georgia football program is bringing back a familiar face to coach the offensive line in Stacy Searels.

DawgsHQ first reported the hiring on Monday morning. Searels becomes the fourth new assistant Kirby Smart has hired to his staff this offseason. He worked most recently as Mack Brown’s offensive line coach in North Carolina, but the Trion, Georgia native spent four years on Mark Richt’s staff in Athens from 2007 to 2010. Once again, Georgia goes back to a familiar face.

Searels joins Mike Bobo and Bryan McClendon as former Georgia coaches who have also returned.

Georgia football hires Stacy Searels to become its next offensive line coach

The former All-American offensive lineman from Auburn has coached all over the country since getting into the profession in the early 1990s. He had been with the likes of Cincinnati and LSU prior to coming to Georgia the first time. Since leaving Athens after the 2010 college season, Searels has worked at Texas, Virginia Tech, Miami and North Carolina in the last decade plus.

Though his time in Athens did not overlap with Smart, it is clear that the Dawgs are hunkering down with familiar faces in their offseason approach to rebuild their staff. They added former defensive back and Florida/South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp ahead of last year. Georgia has also hired Fran Brown to coach the defensive backs after Jahmile Addae left for the Miami job.

Ultimately, Searels will be judged by his ability to recruit and develop offensive line talent. He replaces Luke who replaced Sam Pittman, two of the most well-respected offensive line coaches in the Power Five. Though Georgia is in a totally different place as a program from the last time he worked there, Searels re-joins a program coming off its first national championship in 41 years.

Georgia is a great place to go coach at, but the Dawgs have gone from the hunters to the hunted.

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