It can be said Bill Curry is a “people person.”
The Georgia State football coach wants to win football games. All football coaches do. However, the man who has been trusted with building the Panther program from the ground up is also a coach who values people.
COLUMN: Curry building new program right way
Speaking at the Georgia Sports Writers Association convention Sunday in Lawrenceville, Curry told how the first player he signed for the upstart Georgia State program is a son of a former player of his at Georgia Tech. The ties that Curry has made through the years are special to him. He quickly remembers names from years, even decades ago.
Curry compares Georgia State athletic director Cheryl Levick with former Georgia Tech athletic director Homer Rice as both believe in the “total person” concept.
“They focus on the right things at the right time,” Curry said.
While Georgia State football has yet to play a game, the coach, whose delivery style as a speaker is as smooth as silk, sees an unlimited potential, primarily due to the deep talent pool of high school players in the state.
“Georgia State football is going to win,” Curry said. “It is going to get done.”
It was right at one year ago when Curry learned he was seriously being considered for the head coaching job at Georgia State. His move back to Atlanta, along with his wife Carolyn, was his 32nd through the years.
“It’s all about people,” the long-time coach said. “It’s about having the right staff and building the program the right way. It’s about having the right players.”
Curry, who last coached at Kentucky in 1996, grew up in Atlanta and later had a stint in pro football for the Packers and the Colts. He later worked as head coach of Georgia Tech, his alma mater, before moving to Alabama and then to Kentucky.
“The students at Georgia State are excited about football,” he said, explaining it was the students who voted to increase their fees to pay for the sport.
A recent camp at Georgia State drew 183 prospects. Many high school coaches and player parents watched enthusiastically, which impressed Curry.
“We are so far ahead of where we were a year ago,” he said. “We are being taken seriously.”
The first class of players have already been signed and will redshirt in 2009. Georgia State will take the field for its first game in 2010.
“We would have loved to have had these players at Tech, Alabama, Kentucky or anywhere else,” Curry said.
Patience is something the long-time coach is also learning about.
“There are tough days,” he added. “Things don’t move as fast like you would like at times.”
The world of college football today has certainly grown into a green-eyed monster. However, Georgia State has hired a coach who has all his right priorities in order. That’s why this new adventure will work. With Bill Curry at the helm, how could you not want it to?
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
Curry compares Georgia State athletic director Cheryl Levick with former Georgia Tech athletic director Homer Rice as both believe in the “total person” concept.
“They focus on the right things at the right time,” Curry said.
While Georgia State football has yet to play a game, the coach, whose delivery style as a speaker is as smooth as silk, sees an unlimited potential, primarily due to the deep talent pool of high school players in the state.
“Georgia State football is going to win,” Curry said. “It is going to get done.”
It was right at one year ago when Curry learned he was seriously being considered for the head coaching job at Georgia State. His move back to Atlanta, along with his wife Carolyn, was his 32nd through the years.
“It’s all about people,” the long-time coach said. “It’s about having the right staff and building the program the right way. It’s about having the right players.”
Curry, who last coached at Kentucky in 1996, grew up in Atlanta and later had a stint in pro football for the Packers and the Colts. He later worked as head coach of Georgia Tech, his alma mater, before moving to Alabama and then to Kentucky.
“The students at Georgia State are excited about football,” he said, explaining it was the students who voted to increase their fees to pay for the sport.
A recent camp at Georgia State drew 183 prospects. Many high school coaches and player parents watched enthusiastically, which impressed Curry.
“We are so far ahead of where we were a year ago,” he said. “We are being taken seriously.”
The first class of players have already been signed and will redshirt in 2009. Georgia State will take the field for its first game in 2010.
“We would have loved to have had these players at Tech, Alabama, Kentucky or anywhere else,” Curry said.
Patience is something the long-time coach is also learning about.
“There are tough days,” he added. “Things don’t move as fast like you would like at times.”
The world of college football today has certainly grown into a green-eyed monster. However, Georgia State has hired a coach who has all his right priorities in order. That’s why this new adventure will work. With Bill Curry at the helm, how could you not want it to?
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
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