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Hatcher to replace VanGorder at GSU
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It’s less than three weeks away from national signing day and perennial Division I-AA football powerhouse Georgia Southern has found a coach.
According to the Valdosta Times, Valdosta State University football coach Chris Hatcher will be named the Eagles’ new coach at a press conference today.
In seven seasons with the Division II Blazers, Hatcher has won 76 of 88 games and led VSU to the Division II championship in 2004
Last season’s coach Brian VanGorder left Tuesday, landing the linebacker coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons.
In the formal press release sent out by Georgia Southern, no comments or quotes from the one-year coach were included.
However, GSU Athletic Director Sam Baker did express his disappointment.
“I was extremely disappointed when Coach VanGorder told me the news about accepting a job with the Atlanta Falcons,” Baker said in a press release. “We anticipated the transition would be difficult, but last year we made very visible progress within our program in respect to academics, discipline and facility improvements. Our team GPA is on the rise, the Bishop Field House was recently completed and renovations to the practice fields significantly upgrade that facility. All the while our student-athletes understood what was expected of them and the consequences of not meeting those expectations.”
Fleming resident and long-time GSU booster Ed Haymans said he was surprised to hear of VanGorder’s departure.
“I was really surprised because I haven’t heard anything concerning him leaving,” he said. “I saw something on the news a couple of weeks ago when he had the awards banquet and he was talking about the program and how he wants to accomplish the things that set out to do earlier when he took the coaching job.”
Haymans said his biggest concern is recruiting but does not think that VanGorder’s departure will set the program back too far.
“Last year wasn’t a good year. With him being here only one year maybe a new coach can bring us the success we have enjoyed in the past,” Haymans said. “I wish continued success to the program. and everybody has to keep supporting the boosters and the football team. The most important thing is the players not the coaches.”
GSU finished 3-8 last season, but six of those losses were by a combined 21 points.
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