Sports Page Atlanta

Georgia State Head Coach Bill Curry has started the hiring process early and for some of his choices he didn’t have to go to far to do so.

The Panthers hired John Bond, John Thompson and George Pugh to join the team that begins playing in 2010.

Bond was the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech last season.  Thompson was a former defensive coordintator at South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, LSU and Ole Miss.  Pugh has been a head coach and assistant in many places and has ties to area when he was a head coach at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross.

Bill Curry was just named the head coach of the Georgia State Panthers football team. The Panthers will start action in 2010, but got the ball rolling, but nabbing of the influential coaches in this area and in the country.

Bill Curry played college ball at Georgia Tech and was a star lineman before having a all-pro NFL career with the Packers, Oilers, Colts and Rams. He was an assistant coach with the Packers under Bart Starr for 3 seasons before getting his head coaching gigs.

He started at his alma mater, Georgia Tech. He led the Yellow Jackets from 1980 to 1986 and had an overall record of 34-43-4. He was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 1985 and was also the winner of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.

He then switched conferences to the SEC where he led the Crimson Tide. At Alabama he replaced Ray Perkins and coached from 1987 to 1989 and finished with a 26-10 record. He won the SEC in 1989 and was named the SEC Coach of the Year. The following season he switched teams and started coaching Kentucky. His success did not follow. From 1990 to 1996, he finished with a 26-52 record.

After coaching, he started working for ESPN and has been a college football analyst for 11 seasons at the sports network.

Oh yeah, my stat….

Bill Curry is one of four people that have played for Georgia Tech and has been their head coach. The other three are…

William Alexander

Bill Fulcher

Pepper Rodgers

(I think Coach Curry is the only one to coach Georgia State, though)