Georgia Football Shakes Up Offensive Coaching Staff: What This Unexpected Move Means for the Season

Changes are afoot in Athens, and if you’re a Bulldogs aficionado, you’re gonna want to sit up and take notice. Coach Kirby Smart has shuffled the offensive coaching deck, tapping Phil Rauscher as the new offensive line coach, while Stacy Searels steps into an analyst role. This isn’t just a simple switcheroo — it’s a strategic set-up to sharpen Georgia’s trenches after a solid 2025 run, especially in the ground game. With Rauscher’s NFL pedigree and hands-on experience, the Bulldogs are banking on his tech savvy and player rapport to elevate the offensive line to a new level. Meanwhile, Searels, who played a key role in Georgia’s recent national title, isn’t disappearing; instead, he’ll lend his expertise behind the scenes, mentoring and fine-tuning the squad’s offensive blueprint amid a roster in flux following some critical departures and transfers. It’s a pivotal moment — the kind that could define Georgia’s iron curtain in seasons to come. LEARN MORE

The Georgia Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart have made a significant move to their offensive coaching staff. Georgia has promoted Phil Rauscher to offensive line coach while previous offensive line coach Stacy Searels is now an analyst.

Searels had been Georgia’s offensive line coach since Feb. 2022. He helped the Bulldogs win a national championship in his first season back at Georgia. Before coming to Georgia, Searels had the same role at North Carolina. He is a native of Georgia and played college football at Auburn.

Rauscher had been serving as an offensive analyst for Georgia. He helped Georgia improve its run game in 2025 after joining as an analyst in the spring.

“We’re grateful for everything (coach Stacy) Searels has poured into our program over the past several seasons,” Smart said on the move. “His knowledge, experience, and steady leadership have been instrumental to our offensive production. In his new role, Stacy will continue to impact our offensive strategy and provide mentorship for both our staff and players.”

Rauscher has a decade of NFL experience and served as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive line coach from 2022-2024. He was the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line coach in 2021. He played college football at UCLA.

“Phil (Rauscher) has been a tremendous asset to our staff and players,” Smart said on his offensive line coach. “He has earned this opportunity through his work ethic, technical expertise and his ability to connect with our players. We’re excited about the future of our offensive line under his leadership.”

Georgia’s offensive line performed well in 2025 with a notable improvement in the run game. However, Georgia’s snafu with a snap in the Sugar Bowl and allowing quarterback Gunner Stockton to be sacked 18 times are potential areas of improvement. Georgia lost starters Monroe Freeling and Micah Morris to the 2026 NFL draft. Additionally, four Georgia offensive linemen entered the transfer portal, so roster retention is a bit of a concern.

This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia football makes offensive line coach change