Dawn of the Dawg
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Who is on the Mount Rushmores of Georgia football

By Kyle Funderburk

KEYSTONE, SD - OCTOBER 01: Mount Rushmore National Memorial towers over the South Dakota landscape on October 1, 2013 near Keystone, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore and all other national parks were closed today after congress failed to pass a temporary funding bill, forcing about 800,000 federal workers off the job. A bulletin issued by the Department of Interior states, 'Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to close and secure national park facilities and grounds in order to suspend all activities ...Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately...' (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
KEYSTONE, SD - OCTOBER 01: Mount Rushmore National Memorial towers over the South Dakota landscape on October 1, 2013 near Keystone, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore and all other national parks were closed today after congress failed to pass a temporary funding bill, forcing about 800,000 federal workers off the job. A bulletin issued by the Department of Interior states, 'Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to close and secure national park facilities and grounds in order to suspend all activities ...Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately...' (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) /
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ATHENS, GA – SEPTEMBER 10: Georgia football head Coach Kirby Smart explains a play during the game against the Nicholls Colonels at Sanford Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA – SEPTEMBER 10: Georgia football head Coach Kirby Smart explains a play during the game against the Nicholls Colonels at Sanford Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Head Coaches

William A. Cunningham

If you’re a long-time reader of Dawn of the Dawg, you know how I feel about Coach Cunningham. But if you’re unfamiliar with Cunningham’s years as Georgia’s head coach, all you need to know is that you should be thankful he came to Athens.

Prior to Cunningham taking over in 1910, Georgia had a losing record in 18 years of football. Cunningham not only gave Georgia consistent winning seasons, Georgia had multiple one-loss seasons under Cunningham as well.

When Cunningham left Georgia in 1919 to rejoin the military, the program had become a winner, but it was still trending upwards. Then the 1920’s proved to be even better than the 1910’s.

George Woodruff

The program that Cunningham, built into a winner continued improving through the 1920’s. First with an undefeated season in 1920 that saw Georgia win their first SIAA Championship.

The George Woodruff took over as head coach in 1923 and by 1927, Georgia was a national championship winning program.

Woodruff’s first four years were rather mild with the best season being a 7-3 year in 1924. But a nine-game winning streak in 1927 was enough for the Polling and Boand Polls to award Georgia as their national champions.

Woodruff left Georgia after that season, but what a way to end a career as the head coach of Georgia football.

Wally Butts

You can probably sense a trend here. So far the Mount Rushmore of Georgia football head coaches have included men who oversaw the most progression in the program. Cunningham turned Georgia from a sub-.500 team to a consistent winner. Woodruff turned Georgia into a National Champion.

Wally Butts turned Georgia into a power house. Georgia only won 10 games in Butts’s first two years in 1939 and 1940. That’s as bad as things would get for a while. In 1941 Georgia finished 9-1-1. In 1942, Georgia were National Champions again winning a school record 11 games, their first SEC Championship and the Rose Bowl.

World War II disrupted Georgia’s success but the team was still one of the SEC’s best. In 1946, Georgia completed their first perfect season since 1896 and went 11-0-0 to win their third National Championship and second SEC Title.

Georgia won another SEC Title in 1948. With two National Titles, three SEC Titles and a record of 78-27-4, it’s no wonder why Georgia is considered the SEC’s best team of the 1940’s.

Next: Five school records that might never be broken

Vince Dooley

Butts may have turned Georgia into a powerhouse in the 1940’s, but the Bulldogs success waned in the 1950’s. By the mid-1960’s the program was on somewhat of a decline. Then came Vince Dooley in 1964.

25 years, six SEC Championships, two National Championships, 201 wins and one Heisman Trophy winner later and Georgia became the program we know it as today.

Vince Dooley is the definitive Georgia football coach. He created the look the team is known for. Brought in the power-run game that made Georgia into Running Back U. But most importantly, made Georgia into one of the top programs in the SEC and kept them there for three-straight decades.

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