3 worst head coach hires in Georgia football history

Georgia made a mistake in hiring Johnny Griffith as Wallace Butts’s replacement. Griffith was a member of Butts’s undefeated team in 1946 that won the first Sugar Bowl in Georgia history. He was a natural replacement, but as with Goff and unlike Kirby Smart, the former player didn’t work out. 

Georgia was smart, however, to move on from Griffith so quickly. After three straight losing seasons, Georgia moved on from Griffith after his 4-5-1 campaign in 1963 and hired Vince Dooley to take over the program. 

In fairness to Griffith, Butts had posted a losing record in five of his final eight seasons in Athens, so the program was not in a good place when Griffith grabbed the reins. Butts was able to steal an SEC title in 1959 in a 10-1 season that ended with an Orange Bowl win, but before that, Georgia hadn't been in a bowl game since 1950.

In his very first season after taking over for Griffith, Dooley won the Sun Bowl and went to a bowl game in five of his first six years.