Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels flew to Texas on Wednesday to discuss the same position with Longhorns coach Mack Brown.
The Austin American-Statesman reported that Searels and his wife, Patricia, landed in Austin early Wednesday evening and were picked up by Brown’s wife, Sally. The paper added that Texas athletic officials did not expect a hiring announcement Wednesday night.
Texas has been seeking an offensive line coach since Mac McWhorter retired after 37 seasons of college coaching, including nine at Texas. Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes interviewed last week for the vacancy but since has elected to remain with the Tigers.
Searels was hired at Georgia in January 2007 after spending the 2003-06 seasons at LSU. He cited being closer to his mother, who lives in Trion, as a primary reason for coming to Georgia, which occurred 10 months after his father died of pancreatic cancer.
The Bulldogs had three freshman and two senior starters up front in 2007 yet wound up 11-2 after a Sugar Bowl thumping of Hawaii and finished No. 2 nationally. Left tackle Trinton Sturdivant was a Freshman All-American that season, but Sturdivant tore his ACL in 2008 and ’09, and the Bulldogs haven’t had consistent success since.
Georgia tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King combined for 349 yards in a 30-24 upset win at Georgia Tech in ’09, but the running game was mediocre at best last year, finishing 10th in the SEC. Two seniors and three juniors comprised last year’s starting front for Searels, whose $290,000 salary trails only the two coordinators among Bulldogs assistants.
Should Searels be offered and accept the Texas position, it would mark the seventh consecutive season in which Georgia’s staff has experienced turnover.
Violations reported
Georgia has self-reported 14 secondary violations, including five in football, that occurred during the last six months of last year.
The most notable violation involved A.J. Green selling his Independence Bowl jersey, but head coach Mark Richt admitted to inadvertently contacting a prospect before Sept. 1 of his senior year in high school. As a result, Richt was not allowed to recruit for a week in September.
Odds and ends
Guard Tanner Strickland, who started games at right guard last year against Arkansas, Mississippi State and Colorado but was a reserve down the stretch, has decided to give up football. … Thomas Brown, who led the Bulldogs in rushing during the 2004-05 seasons, has joined the strength and conditioning staff under new program coordinator Joe Tereshinski. … Georgia picked up its 19th commitment Wednesday from Quintavious Harrow, a 6-foot, 190-pound safety from Columbus.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.