College Sports

Bill Curry, former head coach at Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Kentucky, has accepted the head coaching job at Georgia State. He has a career mark of 83-105-4 in 17 years as a head coach.

The 65 year old Curry has spent the last 11 years as a TV analyst for college football. He has agreed to a five year contract with Georgia State.

The Panthers will be fielding their first football team in 2010. The time-line currently calls for the first class to be signed in 2009, with the first spring practice later in 2009 and the first games in 2010. GSU is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), which includes Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., which will also be starting a football program with play to begin in 2009.

So, what do you think about the hire (other than, who cares?). I can see GSU’s reasons for hiring Curry. First, you grab the attention of the media for what would otherwise be a story buried on the back page, if printed at all. Second, you can be pretty sure that Curry, at age 65, will be at GSU for the duration, rather than jumping ship the first time a top-tier team comes sniffing around. And he is a native of Atlanta, who played at Georgia Tech.

But 11 years out of the business is a long, long time. The athletes are different now. And Curry was not even the first choice of Georgia State. Dan Reeves, former Atlanta Falcons coach, was the top choice, but felt the job should go to someone with college coaching experience.

I wish him well. But I think he has an uphill road this time.