Daily Dawg Thread: June 10, 2025

Here’s an overview of the UGA coaching staff, including their college football playing experience, NFL experience, and relationship with UGA:

Kirby Smart (Head Coach)

College Football Playing Experience: Smart was a four-year letterman at defensive back for Georgia and a first-team All-SEC selection as a senior. He finished his career with 13 interceptions, which ranked fourth all-time at Georgia, and led the Bulldogs with six interceptions in 1997 and five in 1998.
NFL Experience: Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 1999 but did not make the active roster.
Relationship with UGA: Deeply rooted. He is a UGA alumnus and was an assistant coach at various programs before returning to his alma mater as head coach in 2016. He has since led the Bulldogs to multiple SEC Championships and back-to-back National Championships.

Kirk Benedict (Special Teams Coordinator)

College Football Playing Experience: Benedict was a two-time All-Pioneer Football League fullback at Davidson College before graduating with a degree in political science in 2010.
NFL Experience: None
Relationship with UGA: Joined the UGA staff as Special Teams Coordinator. His tenure is relatively recent compared to some other longstanding staff members, but he is a key part of the current coaching regime.

Mike Bobo (Offensive Coordinator – Quarterbacks Coach)

College Football Playing Experience: Bobo played for the Thomasville High School Bulldogs in Thomasville, Georgia, before playing college football at the University of Georgia. As a senior in 1997, he threw for 2,751 yards, going 199/306 on passing attempts with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
NFL Experience: None
Relationship with UGA: Strong and longstanding. Bobo is a UGA alumnus and has had multiple stints as an assistant coach at Georgia, including a previous successful run as offensive coordinator. His return to Athens for this role signifies a strong bond with the program.

James Coley (Assistant Coach – Wide Receivers)

College Football Playing Experience: Played tight end at Clemson from 1985-1988.
NFL Experience: Played two seasons in the NFL as a tight end for the Chicago Bears (1989-1990) and Indianapolis Colts (1991). He also played in the Arena Football League.
Relationship with UGA: Coley previously coached at Georgia as wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator (2016-2019) before returning for his current stint. He is known for his recruiting prowess and has a strong connection to the state of Georgia.

Josh Crawford (Assistant Coach – Running Backs)

College Football Playing Experience: Crawford played collegiately at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he was a running back from 2004-06.
NFL Experience: None
Relationship with UGA: Crawford is a more recent addition to the UGA staff, bringing experience from other college programs.

Todd Hartley (Assistant Head Coach – Tight Ends)

College Football Playing Experience: None
NFL Experience: None
Relationship with UGA: Hartley has been a consistent and valued member of Kirby Smart’s staff at Georgia for several years, known for developing elite tight-end talent.

Travaris Robinson (Co-Defensive Coordinator – Safeties Coach)

College Football Playing Experience: As a player at Auburn, Robinson was a First Team All-SEC selection by the AP in 2002 after recording 92 total tackles with four interceptions. He finished his collegiate career with 166 tackles and five picks.
NFL Experience: Before starting his coaching career, Robinson played two seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Relationship with UGA: Robinson joined the UGA staff more recently, bringing extensive experience as a defensive backs coach and coordinator from other prominent college football programs.

Glenn Schumann (Fain & Billy Slaughter Defensive Coordinator – Inside Linebackers)

College Football Playing Experience: Did not have a collegiate playing career. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Alabama.
NFL Experience: While he hasn’t played in the NFL, Schumann has been interviewed by NFL teams for coaching positions, indicating his high regard in the football world.
Relationship with UGA: Schumann has a very close relationship with Kirby Smart, having worked with him at Alabama before joining him at UGA as one of his first hires. He has quickly risen through the ranks at Georgia, becoming a highly respected defensive coordinator and is often seen as a future head coach candidate.

Tray Scott (Assistant Coach – Defensive Line)

College Football Playing Experience: Arkansas Tech, ’08 (B.A. in Sociology); ’10 (M.A.) Four-year letterman from 2003-07. He helped Arkansas Tech to a 24-8 record from 2004-06, including a 10-2 overall mark and a national playoff appearance in 2004.
NFL Experience: None
Relationship with UGA: Scott has been a longstanding and crucial member of the UGA defensive staff, consistently developing top-tier defensive line talent.

Stacy Searels (Assistant Coach – Offensive Line)

College Football Playing Experience: A three-year starter on the offensive line at Auburn, Searels earned first-team All-America honors from both The Associated Press and Football News as a senior in 1987.
NFL Experience: He was a fourth-round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 1988 NFL Draft.
Relationship with UGA: Searels has coached multiple stints at Georgia, including a previous run as offensive line coach. His return highlights his strong connection to the program and his reputation for developing strong offensive line units.

Andrew Thacker (Assistant Coach – Nickels/Stars)

College Football Playing Experience: He played defensive back at Furman University from 2004-2007, where he was a three-year starter at safety.
NFL Experience: Served as an assistant with the Atlanta Falcons in 2014.
Relationship with UGA: Thacker joined the UGA staff more recently, initially as a quality control coach, and has since been elevated to an on-field role, reflecting his growing value to the defensive staff.

Chidera Uzo-Diribe (Assistant Coach – Outside Linebackers)

College Football Playing Experience: He played outside linebacker at Colorado from 2010 to 2013, where he was a four-year letterman.
NFL Experience: He signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 2015, though he did not make the active roster. He also participated in the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship Program with the San Francisco 49ers.
Relationship with UGA: Uzo-Diribe joined the UGA staff in 2022, bringing a fresh perspective and energy to the outside linebackers group.

Donte Williams (Associate Head Coach – Defensive Backs)

College Football Playing Experience: Played defensive back at Pasadena City College, Syracuse, and Idaho State from 2002-2005. He was an All-Big Sky first-team selection and team captain at Idaho State.
NFL Experience: Played two seasons in the Arena Football League 2. He also had a summer coaching internship with the Seattle Seahawks.
Relationship with UGA: Williams joined the UGA staff in 2024 and was quickly promoted to Associate Head Coach, demonstrating Kirby Smart’s high regard for his coaching abilities and recruiting prowess. He previously served as interim head coach at USC.