Samford dropped a Sunday shocker, firing their longtime head coach after 11 seasons and 62 wins. The Bulldogs, once SoCon champs in 2022, limped to a 1-9 finish this fall. But while most saw another FCS coaching change, those in Athens saw something else entirely because this move just cracked open a door Kirby Smart might walk right through.

Could Kirby Smart bring in Chris Hatcher to Athens? That’s where the personal ties come in. On November 9, Football Scoop reminded that Chris’ son, Ty Hatcher, is currently on Georgia’s staff. “Chris Hatcher’s son, Ty, is currently Kirby’s right hand man at UGA. Ty is a sharp, young ball coach. Has worked with BoB, Petrino, Seth Littrell, Arbuckle, Kirby & more,” it wrote. At 24, he’s already worked under Bill O’Brien, Bobby Petrino, Seth Littrell, and now Kirby Smart himself. And if you know the Dawgs HC, loyalty and connections are the currency he values most. Which means the elder Hatcher’s next chapter could easily unfold under the same red and black lights his son now works beneath.

It wouldn’t be the first time these two names shared a sideline. Back in 2000, Chris Hatcher was the man who gave a young Kirby Smart his first coaching job at Valdosta State, bringing him on as DB coach before promoting him to DC a year later. That shot launched Smart’s coaching journey that’s now built Georgia into a juggernaut.

Fast forward twenty-five years, and the tables have turned. Chris Hatcher, the mentor, finds himself between jobs. Kirby Smart, the protégé, is now the sport’s most dominant HC. The symmetry writes itself. So, when a mentor who once opened the door now finds himself outside looking in, it’s only natural to wonder if his old mentee might return the favor. And the internet’s already begging him to “snatch him” up.

Kirby Smart urged to hire Chris Hatcher

When Football Scoop posted, “Chris Hatcher is ball coach. 180+ wins. Young. He’ll be back. Perhaps OC, maybe QBs at FBS level. Great with quarterbacks,” fans filled social media with one shared sentiment. “Kirby should snatch him up TONIGHT! Analyst, QBs, something!!” a fan wrote. They might be onto something. Chris Hatcher’s track record speaks volumes with more than 180 career wins across Valdosta State, Georgia Southern, Murray State, and Samford. He’s molded QBs, groomed assistants who now dot Power Five staffs, and built reputations out of thin air.

This season, Samford’s been gutted by the transfer portal, and the Bulldogs’ fall from 11-2 to 1-9 mirrors the modern chaos of college football’s ecosystem. But that doesn’t erase what Chris Hatcher is. An offensive innovator with a PhD in QB development. If Kirby Smart wants to give his offense another brain to lean on or maybe just keep his right-hand man’s dad close, Athens might be the perfect landing spot for Chris Hatcher’s next chapter.

Because in college football, relationships don’t fade. They just find their way back to the same sideline.