Bill Curry

William "Bill" Curry (born October 21, 1942) is an American college football coach and the current head coach of the Georgia State University football team that begins play in 2010. Prior to holding that position, he was a former NFL football player and NCAA football coach. He also currently works as a football analyst for ESPN and the director of the Leadership Baylor program at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is noted for his knowledge of offensive line play.

Player

A 1965 Georgia Tech graduate with a degree in industrial management, Curry also starred as a center for the Yellow Jackets football team from 1963 to 1964.^{[citation needed]}

Curry played pro football from 1965 to '74 with the Green Bay Packers, Houston Oilers, Baltimore Colts and Los Angeles Rams, and was an all-pro center with the Colts in 1971 and '72. Curry was the starting Center for the Packers in Super Bowl I and the Colts in Super Bowls III and V.^{[citation needed]}

Coach

Prior to his first head coaching assignment, Curry spent three seasons in the NFL (1977–79) as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers.

Curry returned to Georgia Tech in 1980 as its head football Coach. While it has been reported his first head coaching decision was to dismiss the quarterbacks coach, Steve Spurrier, this is not true. Curry said, “I never fired Steve,” he said. “(Georgia Tech) fired the (Pepper Rodgers) staff before I got there. Then while I was deliberating who from that staff to retain, Steve took the Duke (assistant’s) job.” During his tenure at Georgia Tech, Curry led his team to a 9–2–1 record in 1985 and a win in the All-American Bowl. For his efforts, Bill Curry was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 1985 by the Associated Press and the ACC Sports Writers. Curry posted an overall 34–43–4 record over seven years at his alma mater, including winning seasons in 1982 (6–5), 1984 (6–4–1) and 1985. In 1985, he suspended seven starting players on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets team that played in the Hall of Fame Bowl when they broke curfew.^{[citation needed]}

Bill Curry then accepted a job as head coach at the University of Alabama. Curry posted a record of 26–10, including one SEC Championship, and three bowl appearances during his three-year tenure. In September 1988, he refused to fly his Alabama team to play Texas A&M because of fears that Hurricane Gilbert would harm his players. The hurricane never reached College Station, Texas, and Jackie Sherrill gave the media an earful as he claimed Curry didn't come because his quarterback was injured. The game was rescheduled for December 1, 1988, and Alabama routed A & M, 30–10. He also suspended Alabama quarterback Jeff Dunn for breaking team rules prior to the 1988 Sun Bowl against Army.

After posting a 10–1 regular season record, his 1989 Crimson Tide squad shared the Southeastern Conference title with Auburn and Tennessee, and earned the berth in the 1990 USF&G Sugar Bowl^[1] where they lost to the University of Miami. As a result the 1989 season, Bill Curry was honored as the SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press. He was also the recipient of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. Curry's three-year record of 26-10-0 gave him the highest winning percentage among Alabama coaches since Bear Bryant.^[2] However, Curry had an 0-3 record against Alabama's arch-rival Auburn University, and never once beat the Tigers in the twelve games he coached against them over his career. Perhaps his best-remembered on-field act with Alabama came during the 1990 Sugar Bowl when he castigated receiver Prince Wimbley for celebrating a first down against Miami with a dance. Curry called Wimbley to the sideline, grabbed him by the jersey, and lectured him. As ABC game cameras showed, Wimbley turned away and Curry grabbed his face mask and brought him into eye-to-eye contact.^{[citation needed]}

After failing to beat in-state rival Auburn for the third straight year, Curry received a new contract offer from Alabama in early 1990 which contained clauses he disliked (no raise and removal of the power to hire and fire assistants).^[3] Curry soon resigned from Alabama and accepted a job as the head football coach at the University of Kentucky. In 1993, Curry's Wildcat squad posted a 6–5 regular season record and earned a spot in the Peach Bowl, which was Kentucky's first bowl game in nine years. The Wildcats lost that game to Clemson, 14–13. Curry never achieved a record better than 6–6 at Kentucky (1993). The Wildcats posted six losing records in his seven years at Lexington, including a one-win season in 1994. Curry was asked to step down after the 1996 season (4–7) and succeeded by Hal Mumme.

On June 11, 2008, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that Bill Curry had been chosen as Georgia State University's first Head Football Coach.^[4] Georgia State will play its first season in 2010, competing at the level formerly known as Division I-AA. The Panthers will play in the Colonial Athletic Association and will play their home games at the Georgia Dome. The first class was recruited in 2009 for practice and in 2010 will also include FBS transfers (they are exempt from sitting out a year if they drop down to FCS play).

Head Coaching Record

Post-football

Curry has spoken for the John H. Daniel Company, a company that manufactures custom made suits.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, Bill Curry accepted a position at Baylor School as head of its leadership program.^{[citation needed]}

Honors

Bill Curry is a member of the state of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the American Football Coaches Association Ethics Committee.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• Ramblinwreck.com profile
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
• 2006 University of Alabama Football Media Guide
• The State Newspaper