Georgia Bulldogs hire two NFL coaching veterans
"And then the hiring of two of our assistants, new assistants on offense, both Phil Rauscher and John Lilly will be helping out Coach Bobo and his staff on the offensive side, as well as all of us," said Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart.
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Lilly is a 30-year coaching veteran. He previously worked at Georgia as the tight ends coach during the Mark Richt era from 2008-15, overseeing the development of star tight end Orson Charles. Ever since then, he's worked with the Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Carolina Panthers.
Lilly has experience working with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and offensive line coach Stacy Searels.
Rauscher has spent fifteen years coaching both in college and the NFL. His most recent stints were as offensive line coach and running game coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars after spending stints with the Denver Broncos, Washington Commanders, and Minnesota Vikings.
Rauscher and Lilly join a long list of analysts hired by Georgia. The Bulldogs have also hired Ty Hatcher, Garrett Cox, and Bryson Allen-Williams to their staff, but Georgia has not had much major coaching turnover this offseason.
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'I've got a lot of confidence in this organization, the foundation we've built. I've got the best staff in the country, and I have no doubt about that,' Smart said earlier this spring. 'I've got one of the most experienced SEC staffs there is, and to be honest with you, there's a lot of confidence in that, and I have a lot of confidence in it.' Considering his praise for 2024's staff, this is exciting news.
Smart prefers to have continuity as opposed to new coaches, who may bring new ideas, in his coaching staff.
Georgia is set to wrap up spring football on April 12, the day of G-Day.
This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia football hires pair of NFL coaching veterans
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