Tweet

Stacy Searels, the former offensive line coach at Texas, Georgia and LSU, and an All-America offensive lineman as a player at Auburn, was named the offensive line coach at Virginia Tech in January 2014 and is in his second season with the Hokies. Just prior to the 2012 Alamo Bowl, Searels was promoted to assistant head coach for the Longhorns.

His first year in Blacksburg saw the line make a marked improvement late in the season as the running game took off. Laurence Gibson was taken in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft following a successful senior season.

In 2013, his final season in Austin, Searels’ line enabled the Longhorns to finish 36th in the country in rushing offense and 17th in sacks allowed per game. Trey Hopkins was named first-team All-Big 12 while Donald Hawkins secured a spot on the second team. In 2012, the offensive line, which was without a senior starter, allowed the opposition to post just 4.1 tackles for loss per game, which ranked tied for third in the country.

During his first season at Texas, Searels helped the Longhorns rank 21st nationally and third in the Big 12 with 210.4 rushing yards per game.

Searels joined the Longhorns after coaching the offensive line at Georgia for four seasons (2007-10). He added the duties of running game coordinator in 2009. During his time there, the Bulldogs ranked in the top 25 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed three times, including ranking sixth and leading the SEC in 2009 with just 12.

Searels arrived at Georgia in January 2007, after serving four years coaching the offensive line at LSU from 2003-06. During that time, the Tigers won a National Championship (2003), an SEC Championship (2003), and two SEC West titles (2003 and 2005), while compiling a 44-8 record.

Searels made a habit of producing All-America linemen for LSU. He coached two first-team All-Americans in Stephen Peterman and Rimington Award winner Ben Wilkerson and a second-team All-America selection in Andrew Whitworth. Five of his Tigers’ linemen earned spots on NFL rosters.

Searels joined the staff at LSU after a two-year stint as offensive line coach at Cincinnati. Prior to joining Cincinnati, Searels served as an assistant coach at Appalachian State from 1994-2000, helping the I-AA Mountaineers to five playoff appearances and a pair of Southern Conference titles. While at Appalachian State, Searels was presented with the NCAA Award of Valor, recognizing him for his act of courage following a head-on collision involving a van carrying members of the Mountaineers’ football team and support staff on Sept. 30, 2000.

Searels got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Auburn in 1992, working with a Tigers squad that posted a perfect 11-0 mark in 1993.

A three-year starter on the offensive line at Auburn, Searels earned first-team All-America honors from both The Associated Press and Football News as a senior in 1987. He blocked for Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson in 1985 and All-American Brent Fullwood in 1986 before becoming a fourth-round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers in 1988. He played two seasons with the Chargers before moving to the Miami Dolphins in 1990, where they made the playoffs that season. He ended his professional career in 1991 with the New York/New Jersey Knights of the World League of American Football.

A native of Trion, Georgia, Searels graduated from Auburn with a degree in marketing and transportation in 1990. He added a master’s degree in higher education administration from Auburn in 1995.

Searels is married to the former Patricia Hale, and they have two daughters: Taylor and Savannah.