STATESBORO, Ga. ? In an announcement Friday afternoon (Jan. 19), Georgia Southern University Director of Athletics Sam Baker announced the hiring of Chris Hatcher as head football coach. A capacity crowd in Bishop Field House was on hand for the announcement.
Hatcher, the sixth full-time head coach in Eagle Football, takes over the Georgia Southern program following a successful seven years at Valdosta State (Ga.). He replaces Brian VanGorder who resigned to take a job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Hatcher inherits an Eagle squad coming off a 3-8 campaign, but one that returns 46 letterwinners. Six of the Eagles’ losses last year were by a combined 21 points, including two in overtime.
“With the timing of Brian VanGorder’s resignation, we had to move quickly to find a replacement. There were a lot of qualified candidates, but Chris Hatcher was someone who I felt embodied all we were looking for,” said Baker. “Chris has a proven track record as a head coach - capturing the national championship in 2004 and recording a .864 winning percentage during his seven-year tenure at Valdosta State. I looked for a coach who knows how to win and I believe Coach Hatcher can do that at the Division I level. I also wanted to hire a coach with strong recruiting ties in Georgia and Florida. Coach Hatcher knows the area well as we are fast approaching National Signing Day on February 7.
“As I said earlier this week, we anticipated last year’s transition would be difficult but I felt we made very visible progress in academics, discipline and facility improvements. Our Athletic Department’s charge was to go out and hire a head coach that will improve on the progress we made off the field, and have that translate to on-the-field success,” stated Baker. “I think we have that coach in Chris Hatcher.”
The winningest coach in Blazers’ history, Hatcher was 76-12 at his alma mater. When Hatcher took over as head coach in 2000, he wasted no time molding the Valdosta State program into his image. In his first year back at VSU, Hatcher took a 4-7 squad the previous year and turned it around to a 10-2 record (8-1 in GFC action) and berth in the Division II playoffs.
His 2001 and 2002 teams posted back-to-back undefeated records during the regular season, part of a Gulf South Conference record 35 straight victories during the regular season. In 2003, VSU went 10-2 and again advanced to the NCAA postseason.
During the 2004 championship season, the Blazers lost their season-opener before rattling off 14 consecutive victories, capped by a
36-31 victory over Pittsburg State in the title game. Hatcher was named ?National Coach of the Year’ by the American Football Coaches Association and was the offensive coordinator for the East squad at the Hula Bowl.
In 2005, Valdosta opened the season ranked No. 1 for four straight weeks and saw the season culminate with a sixth-straight NCAA postseason appearance. Despite an 8-2 record last fall, the Blazers did not receive an invitation to the playoffs, marking the first time that occurred in the Hatcher era.
The Macon (Ga.) native spent one year as quarterbacks/tight ends coach at the University of Central Florida where he worked with Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper, then three years working with the quarterbacks at the University of Kentucky where he worked under former VSU head coach Hal Mumme. During his time with the Wildcats he coached the No. 1 NFL draft pick, All-America quarterback Tim Couch. Hatcher worked as a student assistant coach in 1995 at Valdosta State.
Hatcher’s success as a player helped him develop into one of the nation’s winningest coaches. A two-time All-America quarterback at VSU, Hatcher threw for 11,363 yards and 121 touchdowns during stellar career. During his senior year in 1994 he led the Blazers to their first-ever postseason berth, advancing to the quarterfinals, and when it was all said and done set 29 VSU passing and total offense records. Among the national records he once set were a 68.5 career completion percentage and streak of 20 straight completions in a game against New Haven. He finished his senior year by winning several national honors including: the NCAA Top Eight Award, the CoSIDA Academic All-America National Player of the Year and a postgraduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1994 he won the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year.
Not only did Hatcher excel on the field, he was just as successful in the classroom. Twice he received the Gulf South Conference’s Commissioner’s Trophy which is awarded to the league’s Most Outstanding Student-Athlete.
Hatcher graduated from Valdosta State in 1995. He and his wife Lori, also a graduate of VSU, are the parents of a son, Ty.
CHRIS HATCHER FILE
Head Coach, Valdosta State
Year Record Postseason
2000 10-2 (.833) NCAA Playoffs
2001 12-1 (.923) NCAA Playoffs Quarterfinals
2002 14-1 (.933) NCAA National Championship Runner-Up
2003 10-2 (.833) NCAA Playoffs
2004 14-1 (.933) NCAA National Champions
2005 9-3 (.750) NCAA Playoffs
2006 8-2 (.800)
Totals 76-12 (.864) Six NCAA Playoff appearances;
Two National Championship Game appearances
2004 National Champion
1999 Assistant Coach, University of Kentucky (QB/WR)
1997-98 Graduate Assistant, University of Kentucky (QB)
1996 Assistant Coach, University of Central Florida (QB/TE)
1995 Student Assistant Coach, Valdosta State University