Support Staff
Mike Cavan Special Assistant To The Head Football Coach Former University of Georgia quarterback Mike Cavan returned to his alma mater as a Major Gifts Officer in August of 2002, after a career in coaching that included 16 years as a head coach. Since his return, he has also served as special assistant to the athletic director and was named special assistant to the head football coach in January, 2016. Before returning to Georgia, Cavan served as head football coach at Valdosta State (1986-91), East Tennessee (1992-96), and SMU (1997-2001). Prior to his head coaching tenures, Cavan served as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs under Vince Dooley from 1975-85 after two seasons as a graduate assistant. He was highly regarded as a recruiter and is credited with signing record-setting tailback Herschel Walker who went on to earn three straight first team AllAmerica honors at Georgia and the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He is a former star quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1968-70. As a sophomore in 1968 he led Georgia to an 8-0-2 record, the Southeastern Conference Mike and Becky Cavan championship, and berth in the Sugar Bowl. He was named to the All-SEC Sophomore team by the Associated Press outpolling such stars as Archie Manning at Ole Miss and Scott Hunter at Alabama. A native of Thomaston, Ga., Cavan was an all-around athlete at Robert E. Lee High School where he played for his father, legendary coach Jim Cavan who was himself a former Georgia halfback in 1936-37. He is married to the former Becky Pittard of Duluth, Ga. They have two children, son Michael, Jr., and daughter Mima (Mrs. Derek Walley), and two grandchildren, Charlie (2008) and Annabelle (2013).
Lukman Abdulai
Jay Chapman
Bryant Gantt
Director of On-Campus Recruiting
Assistant Director Football Operations
Director of Player Wellness
Lukman Abdulai, who came to the University of Georgia as a Recruiting Student Assistant in 2013, was named the Assistant Recruiting Operations Coordinator in 2015, and then Director of On-Campus Recruiting in January of 2016. Prior to joining the UGA football staff, Abdulai was the Varsity Football Manager at the University of Illinois from 2012-2013. During the summer of 2013, Abdulai was a Football Intern at IMG Academy under former Florida State Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke. As the Assistant Recruiting Operations Coordinator, Abdulai assists in the coordination of on-campus recruiting through travel, film, and visits. He also assists with marketing efforts through social media and graphic design. Abdulai is a native of Calumet City, Illinois, but his family is originally from Nigeria. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 2013 with a B.S. in Sport Management and received M.S. Kinesiology from the University of Georgia in December 2014.
Jay Chapman, a native of Birmingham, Ala., joined Georgia’s football operations staff
in January, 2016. Chapman spent the previous five seasons at Samford University where he served as the director of football operations. In that role, Chapman was responsible for day-today operations of the program and oversaw and coordinated all aspects of team travel. Before joining the staff at Samford, Chapman worked as the director of player development at UAB from 2008 to 2010. He also served as the Blazers’ associate director of recruiting for his last two years in Birmingham. In 2007, Chapman was a coordinator for Team Alabama in the All-American Football League. A graduate of Samford, Chapman earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies. In addition, he received a bachelor’s degree in animal and dairy science from Auburn, as well as a master’s in public and private management from Birmingham-Southern.
Georgia football letterman Bryant Gantt began his tenure at the UGA Athletic Association in January of 2011 as a Program Coordinator. He is currently the Director of Player Wellness in coach Kirby Smart’s program. Among his responsibilities are providing advice and counsel to student-athletes in areas related to life skills, personal accountability, and personal development; and coordinating and facilitating programming relative to student-athletes. He was named UGAAA’s Co-Employee of the Year in April 2016. A graduate of Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, Gantt majored in Economics at UGA while playing for Vince Dooley and Ray Goff. He lettered in 1989 and ‘90. From 1997-2010, Gantt also served part time as a recruiting assistant with the UGA Athletic Association. During his 19 years working for the law firm of Cook, Noell, Tolley & Bates he served as a legal assistant, investigator, and process server. Gantt was named the recipient of 2012 Liberty Bell Award from the Western Circuit Bar Association.
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