Bill Curry William Alexander " Bill " Curry ( born October 21 , 1942 ) is an American football coach and former player . He is the current head coach at Georgia State University , which began competing in college football in 2010 . Curry formerly worked as a football analyst for ESPN . Previously , Curry served as the head football coach at the Georgia Tech ( 1980 – 1986 ) , the University of Alabama ( 1987 – 1989 ) , and the University of Kentucky ( 1990 – 1996 ) . He played football at Georgia Tech ( 1962 – 1964 ) and then played for ten seasons in the National Football League with four different teams : the Green Bay Packers ( 1965 – 1966 ) , the Baltimore Colts ( 1967 – 1972 ) , the Houston Oilers ( 1973 ) , and the Los Angeles Rams ( 1974 ) . Early life and playing career . Curry was born in College Park , Georgia . A 1965 graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial management , Curry starred at center for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 1962 to 1964 under legendary coach Bobby Dodd . He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and in his second year , he was the starting Center for Green Bay in their 35 - 10 Super Bowl I victory at the Los Angeles Coliseum . After being exposed to the expansion draft by Vince Lombardi , Curry was soon traded from the expansion Saints to the Baltimore Colts , and played as a reserve there in 1967 . Through his tremendous work ethic and tenacity , Curry slowly developed into a first rate NFL center . He was the Colts ' starting center during their NFL Championship season of 1968 , and was viewed as a reliable force on the offensive line , and a team leader as well . Like most of his Colts teammates , he remains bewildered by their stunning 16 - 7 loss in Super Bowl III at the hands of Joe Namath and the New York Jets in Miami ' s Orange Bowl . The Colts had finished the 1968 season with a record of 13 - 1 and avenged their only loss that year with a 34 - 7 devastation of the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship contest . They were heavy favorites to defeat the upstart Jets of the upstart AFL when disaster struck : after carrying the play to New York for most of the first quarter , due to an interception in the Jets ' end zone , and two missed field goals , Baltimore had nothing to show for it . Trailing 7 - 0 late in the first half , and feeling the pressure , the Colts attempted a flea - flicker to help reverse their fortunes . However , after having caught the Jets ' defense completely unawares , QB Earl Morrall failed to spot WR Jimmy Orr wide open near the end zone , and instead threw a wobbly pass underneath that was intercepted . In retrospect , this was Baltimore ' s one last golden opportunity to get back into the game . It was particularly dispiriting for Curry , who , ( having no one to block due to the Jets biting hard on the initial hand - off ) had a perfect view of Orr , and was sure the play would result in a touchdown . " I looked up , and saw Jimmy open , I don ' t know what ( could ' ve ) happened . " he said . To add insult to injury , following the loss , Curry and his teammates were subjected to unusually harsh criticisms , including unsubstantiated claims that they had somehow thrown the game . The Colts and Curry did go on to win Super Bowl V and the tightly - knit , veteran team made a valiant defense of that title , which ended , along with the ( owner ) Carroll Rosenbloom era , with a loss to Don Shula ' s Dolphins at the Orange Bowl in the 1971 AFC title game . After ownership of the Colts was transferred to Bob Irsay , the team spirit which was emblematic of the franchise under Rosenbloom ' s reign was dissolved by newly - installed GM Joe Thomas . Curry ' s close confidant , and Colts legend , John Unitas was unceremoniously benched in 1972 , and many of those responsible for the franchise ' s success in years past were shipped out of Baltimore — Curry among them . He learned that he was traded via a collect call from Thomas at the Pro Bowl in Dallas . During a brief stint with the flagging Houston Oilers in 1973 , Curry suffered a catastrophic leg injury when he was hit in the back of the leg by Rams ' great , Merlin Olsen . Though he did not retire until August 1975 , the injury essentially ended his playing career . Curry ' s NFL career is also notable for his efforts in leadership positions ( including a stint as president ) at the NFLPA . Though their fledgling efforts at self - assertion were largely unsuccessful , it can be argued that men like Curry and Colts teammate John Mackey laid the groundwork for the vastly improved wages and working conditions that exist for NFL players today . Coaching career . Prior to his first head coaching assignment , Curry served as an assistant at Georgia Tech in 1976 and then for three seasons in the NFL ( 1977 – 1979 ) as Offensive Line Coach with the Green Bay Packers . Curry returned to Georgia Tech in 1980 as head football coach . While it has been reported that Curry ' s first head coaching decision was to dismiss the quarterback s coach , Steve Spurrier , he denies this . Curry said , " I never fired Steve . Georgia Tech fired the [ Pepper Rodgers ] staff before I got there . Then while I was deliberating who from that staff to retain , Steve took the Duke [ assistant ’ s ] job . " Curry led his team to a 9 – 2 – 1 record in 1985 and a win in the All - American Bowl . For his efforts , he was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 1985 by the Associated Press and the Atlantic Coast Conference media . Curry posted an 34 – 43 – 4 record over seven years at his alma mater , including winning seasons in 1982 ( 6 – 5 ) , 1984 ( 6 – 4 – 1 ) , and 1985 ( 9 – 2 – 1 ) and won the All - American Bowl . Curry then accepted a job as head coach at the University of Alabama . There he posted a record of 26 – 10 , won a share of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) title in 1989 and made bowl appearances every year of his three - year tenure . In September 1988 , he refused to fly his Alabama team to play Texas A & M because of fears that Hurricane Gilbert would harm his players . The hurricane never reached Texas A & M at College Station , Texas , and Aggies coach Jackie Sherrill claimed Curry used the threat of weather as an excuse because his quarterback was injured . The game was rescheduled for December 1 , when Alabama routed A & M , 30 – 10 . Curry also suspended Alabama quarterback Jeff Dunn for breaking team rules prior to the 1988 Sun Bowl against Army . After posting a 10 – 1 regular season record ( the only blemish being a third loss in a row to Auburn ) , Curry ' s 1989 Crimson Tide squad shared the SEC title with Auburn and Tennessee — Alabama ' s first SEC title since 1981 — and earned the berth in the 1990 Sugar Bowl , where they lost to the Miami Hurricanes , 33 – 25 . Curry was honored in 1989 as the SEC Coach of the Year and received the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award . Curry ' s three - year record of 26 – 10 gave him the highest winning percentage among Alabama coaches since Bear Bryant . However , Curry had an 0 – 3 record against Alabama ' s arch - rival Auburn , and never once beat the Tigers in the twelve games he coached against them over his career . Perhaps his best - remembered on - field act with Alabama came during the 1990 Sugar Bowl , when he castigated receiver Prince Wimbley for celebrating a first down against Miami with a dance . Curry called Wimbley to the sideline , grabbed him by the jersey , and lectured him . As ABC game cameras showed , Wimbley turned away and Curry grabbed his face mask and brought him into eye - to - eye contact . In early 1990 , Curry received a contract which contained provisions he disliked , including no raise and removal of his power to hire and fire assistants , . Curry was particularly upset by this since he ' d led the Tide to its first SEC title since the Bryant era . He responded by accepting a job offer to become the head coach at the University of Kentucky . In 1993 , Curry ' s Wildcat squad posted a 6 – 5 regular season record and earned a spot in the Peach Bowl , Kentucky ' s first bowl game in nine years . The Wildcats lost that game to Clemson , 14 – 13 . Curry never achieved a record better than 6 – 6 at Kentucky . The Wildcats posted six losing records in his seven years at Lexington , including a one - win season in 1994 . Curry was asked to step down after the 1996 season and was succeeded by Hal Mumme . On June 11 , 2008 , " The Atlanta Journal - Constitution " reported that Curry had been chosen as Georgia State University ' s first head football coach . The Georgia State Panthers will play their first season in 2010 , competing in the Colonial Athletic Association at the D - I Football Championship Subdivision level . The Panthers will play play their home games at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta . Curry ' s first class of players was recruited in 2009 for practice . On August 15 , 2012 , " The Atlanta Journal - Constitution " reported that Curry would retire following the 2012 season . Honors . Bill Curry is a member of the state of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame . He was also a member of the American Football Coaches Association Ethics Committee .