Todd Hartley coming home to coach tight ends for Georgia Bulldogs

ATHENS — Todd Hartley’s coming home.

Hartley, a UGA graduate and former member of the Bulldogs’ coaching staff, was announced as the new tight ends coach by Georgia coach Kirby Smart Monday morning.

Also as Special Teams Coordinator for the Hurricanes, Hartley led kicker Michael Badgley to All-ACC First Team honors.  Badgley became Miami’s all-time leader in career field goals made and points scored during his final year in 2017.

In addition, punter Justin Vogel averaged a career-best 43.8 yards per punt, which ranked 21st nationally, under Hartley’s leadership while Braxton Berrios’ average of 11.3 yards per punt return were the 11th-most nationwide.

Hartley arrived in Miami after serving as Georgia’s Director of Player Personnel in 2015.  He accepted his coaching post with the Hurricanes at the end of that season.  Before his return to Georgia, Hartley spent four years at Marshall serving in a variety of roles including tight ends and safeties coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011-14.

In 2014 at Marshall, Hartley coached punter Tyler Williams to First Team All-Conference USA honors and tight end Eric Frohnapfel to C-USA and honorable mention All-Conference USA honors, making it the fourth straight year he coached at least one all-league student-athlete.

His Marshall punt unit tied for first in the league in average (43.23) and his kickoff return unit ranked second in the league with a 24.61-yard average.  Kickoff return man Deandre Reaves totaled 931 return yards, breaking his school record of 924 from 2013.  His extra-point/field goal unit set school records in extra points made (83) and kick points (133).

Prior to the season, his recruiting class was ranked as the best in Conference USA by various recruiting services by a wide margin and among the best within the Group of Five.

In 2013, Hartley mentored Gator Hoskins, a two-time John Mackey Award Watch List honoree who secured a spot on the award’s semifinalist list as a senior.  A Third Team CollegeSportsMadness.com All-American and First Team All-Conference USA selection, Hoskins finished his career with 28 touchdowns on 99 receptions totaling 1,318 yards.

The only player in Herd history to top Hoskins’ 28.3 percent touchdown-catches ratio was Randy Moss (31.5 percent on 168 receptions, 53 touchdown catches).

Hartley arrives back in Athens with his wife, Jessica, and four children: Tucker, Tenley, Teagan and Tatum.