Report: North Carolina poaching ACC offensive line coach

North Carolina has its new offensive line coach — and it’s staying in the ACC to get him.

The Tar Heels are hiring Louisville offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. for the role, according to The Athletic and FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman. Bicknell just wrapped up his first season with the Cardinals and now replaces Stacy Searels, who left to take the same role at Georgia this offseason.

Bicknell has been a coach since 1986, starting as a Boston College graduate assistant and was Louisiana Tech’s head coach from 1999-2006. He also has experience in the NFL with the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. Before he headed to Louisville, Bicknell worked at Auburn in 2020.

From 2017-19, Bicknell worked at Ole Miss, where he worked with Phil Longo — now North Carolina’s offensive coordinator. The two are now going to reunite on Mack Brown’s staff next season.

North Carolina is coming off a 6-7 2021 season and a Mayo Bowl appearance. The Tar Heels fell to South Carolina 38-31 in the game.

Georgia officially announces hiring of Stacy Searels as offensive line coach

Georgia has officially announced the hiring of Stacy Searels as its offensive line coach. After reports surfaced that the Bulldogs were hiring the former North Carolina offensive line coach, the program announced the hire Monday afternoon on Twitter.

It won’t be the first time for Searels in Athens. He coached the offensive line for Georgia from 2007 to 2010, earning the title of running game coordinator in 2010. With current Georgia offensive analyst Mike Bobo as the offensive coordinator and Searels leading the offensive line, the Bulldogs ranked in the top 25 for fewest sacks allowed three times.

Since his first stint with Georgia, Searels has coached the Tar Heels offensive line since 2019. He also coached at Texas (2011-13), Virginia Tech (2014-15) and Miami (2016-18). This season, UNC posted their second season leading the ACC in rushing yards behind Searels’ offensive line.

A native of Trion, Ga., Searels played at Auburn in the mid-to-late 1980s before a brief career in professional football. Then, he returned to Auburn as a graduate assistant to get started in coaching in 1992.

In 2003, he joined Nick Saban’s staff at LSU where he helped the Tigers win the National Championship. Searels and Georgia coach Kirby Smart crossed paths briefly during the 2004 season when Smart was the defensive backs coach before following Saban to the NFL and Alabama.

Now, Searels is officially returning the Georgia. As Kirby Smart looks to build a staff capable of winning back-to-back titles, Searels has to be elated to join the Bulldogs.