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Weekly Top 10: Best head coaches in Georgia football history

By Kyle Funderburk

Apr 16, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart greets fans during the Dawg Walk before the spring game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart greets fans during the Dawg Walk before the spring game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart puts the Old Leather Helmet on running back Nick Chubb (27) after the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Georgia Dome. Georgia won 33-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart puts the Old Leather Helmet on running back Nick Chubb (27) after the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Georgia Dome. Georgia won 33-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

6. H.J. Stegeman

Herman James Stegeman may be most known for his time at Georgia as a basketball coach, but he was pretty good in three seasons as head coach of Georgia football.

Stegeman came to Georgia in 1919 to coach Georgia basketball, and he was a football assistant coach under W. A. Cunningham. he led the basketball team to a 9-7 record in 1919 while the football team went 4-2-3 in Cunningham’s last season.

In 1920 he assumed the head coaching role for Georgia football and led the team to their best season in their short history. Georgia went 8-0-1 and won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship. Meanwhile, Stegeman led the basketball team to a 13-4 season and also became head coach of Georgia’s baseball and track teams.

In 1921, the Bulldogs went 7-2-1 and finished in a tie for first place in the SIAA. and the basketball team went 10-5. In his last season as head football coach, the team went 5-4-1. Stegeman became athletic director after the 1920 football season and rained head coach of the basketball team until 1931 and of the track and field team until 1937.

His best season as basketball coach was his last in 1931. The Bulldogs went 23-2 that year. In 1936, he was the personal track coach for Forrest “Spec” Towns in the Olympics. Towns went on to win a gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles. In 1937, Towns and Stegeman led Georgia to an SEC Championship.

Stegeman’s record as head football coach in three years was 20-6-3 while his basketball record was 170-78. And of course, Stegeman Coliseum is named after coach Stegeman.

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