13 Consecutive Bowl Appearances 2009 ACC Champions
ALL-TIME HEAD COACHES
WILLIAM ALEXANDER
BUD CARSON
BILL CURRY
BOBBY DODD
BILL FULCHER
CHAN GAILEY
JOHN HEISMAN
PAUL JOHNSON
BILL LEWIS
GEORGE O’LEARY
PEPPER RODGERS
BOBBY ROSS
ALL-TIME GEORGIA TECH COACHES Tenure Years Record Pct. John Heisman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1904-1919 . . . . . . .16 . . . . . . .102-29-7 . . . . . ..779 William Alexander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1920-1944 . . . . . . .25 . . . . .134-95-15 . . . . . ..580 Bobby Dodd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1945-1966 . . . . . . .22 . . . . . . .165-64-8 . . . . . ..713 Bud Carson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1967-1971 . . . . . . . .5 . . . . . . . . .27-27-0 . . . . . ..500 Bill Fulcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1972-1973 . . . . . . . .2 . . . . . . . . .12-10-1 . . . . . ..543 Franklin “Pepper” Rodgers . . . . . . . . . . . . .1974-1979 . . . . . . . .6 . . . . . . . . .34-31-2 . . . . . ..522 Bill Curry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1980-1986 . . . . . . . .7 . . . . . . . . .31-43-4 . . . . . ..423 Bobby Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1987-1991 . . . . . . . .5 . . . . . . . . .31-26-1 . . . . . ..543 Bill Lewis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1992-1994 . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . . . .11-19 . . . . . ..367 George O’Leary* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1994-2001 . . . . . . . .7 . . . . . . . . . .52-33 . . . . . ..612 Mac McWhorter (Interim) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . .-- . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-0 . . . . .1.000 Chan Gailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2002-2007 . . . . . . . .6 . . . . . . . . . .44-32 . . . . . ..579 Jon Tenuta (interim) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . .-- . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-1 . . . . . ..000 Paul Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008- . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-4 . . . . . ..692 * includes 3 games as interim in 1994
Paul Johnson is the 12th full-time football coach in Georgia Tech history. Prior to 1904, when John Heisman became the school’s first permanent head coach, the team was “coached” by professors, interested townspeople or one of the players. Professor Ernest E. West, a Naval College graduate, directed Tech’s first football team in 1892. In 1893 and ’94, the squad was coached by volunteers Frank O. Spain, a Mathematics professor, and Lt. Leonard Wood (who later became famous as the colonel in command of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and as Governor General of Cuba), then stationed at Ft. McPherson in Atlanta. The rules were rather lax in those days, so Spain and Wood also played on the team. The next volunteer coach of record was R.B. “Cow” Nalley in 1898, “Mr. Collier” in 1899, Dr. Cyrus W. Strickler in 1901, and John McKee in 1902. JOHN HEISMAN, 1904-1919 College Football Hall of Fame Tech's first full-time head coach The first paid coach in the country with a salary of $2,250 plus 30 percent of the gate Led Georgia Tech to its a first national title in 1917 with a 9-0 record Coached the most-lopsided game in history in Georgia Tech's 222-0 thrashing of Cumberland on Oct. 7, 1916 Coached at Oberlin College, Buchtel (later Akron), Auburn and Clemson before coming to Tech; moved to Penn, Washington & Jefferson and then Rice after leaving Atlanta Served as Director of Athletics for the Downtown Athletic Club in New York from 1926 until his death in 1936 WILLIAM ALEXANDER, 1920-1944 Member of College Football Hall of Fame Led Tech to 1928 national title, which was capped by a victory in the 1929 Rose Bowl Guided Tech to eight conference titles and coached eight all-America players 1942 National Coach of the Year (AFCA) Spent his entire career at Georgia Tech, also serving as an assistant coach (1912-19) and athletics director (1920-50)
Bobby Ross with the 1990 national title trophy (left); Bobby Dodd with Elbert Crawford.
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BOBBY DODD, 1945-1966 Member of College Football Hall of Fame as a player and as a coach Guided Tech to a 31-game winning streak from 1951-53, including a perfect 120 season and national title in 1952 Posted a 9-4 record in bowl games, including eight straight wins Enjoyed a 57-year career at Tech as assistant coach (1931-44), head coach, athletic director (1950-76) and alumni association consultant until his death at age 79 on June 21, 1988