Buster Faulkner

Buster Faulkner, who boasts 18 years of experience on college football staffs – including 11 as an offensive coordinator – and three national championship rings, is in his second season as the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech.

In his first season with the Yellow Jackets, Faulkner directed a Georgia Tech offense that led the ACC in rushing (203.8 ypg – 12th nationally) and ranked among the conference leaders in total offense (424.6 ypg – third), scoring (31.1 ppg – fourth) and passing efficiency (139.12 – fifth). The Jackets were also tops in the ACC in fewest sacks allowed (1.15 pg – 15th nationally) and ranked second in the league in third-down conversions (.431).

Faulkner came to Tech after winning two national titles in three seasons as an offensive quality control assistant for quarterbacks at Georgia (2020-22). At UGA, he played a significant role in constructing and fielding one of the college football’s top offenses, highlighted by the Bulldogs finishing in the top five nationally both in scoring (41.3 ppg) and total offense (501.1 ypg) in 2022. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV finished fourth in voting for the 2022 Heisman Trophy in Faulkner’s final year on the UGA staff.

Prior to his three-year stint at Georgia, he spent the previous 10 seasons as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss (2019), Arkansas State (2016-18), Middle Tennessee (2011-15*) and Murray State (2010). His 11 seasons as a coordinator also includes a season as OC at Valdosta State in 2008. He also coached quarterbacks at Central Arkansas in 2009, coached QBs at Valdosta State in 2007 and was a graduate assistant at Georgia in 2006.

In all, he has won three national championships, six conference titles and four division crowns at the collegiate level and a state championship at the high school level as a player and coach.

He and his wife, Tia, have a son, Harrison, and two daughters, Hadley and Haisley.

* took over as offensive coordinator five games into the 2011 season

FULL BIOGRAPHY

Buster Faulkner, who boasts 18 years of experience on college football staffs – including 11 as an offensive coordinator – and three national championship rings, is in his second season as the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech.

In his first season with the Yellow Jackets, Faulkner directed a Georgia Tech offense that led the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing (203.8 ypg – 12th nationally) and ranked among the conference leaders in total offense (424.6 ypg – third), scoring (31.1 ppg – fourth) and passing efficiency (139.12 – fifth). The Jackets were also tops in the ACC in fewest sacks allowed (1.15 pg – 15th nationally) and ranked second in the league in third-down conversions (.431).

Individually, five Yellow Jackets earned all-ACC recognition on the offensive side of the ball, including third-team running back Jamal Haynes, Tech’s first 1,000-yard rusher in six years. The quintet of all-conference honorees also included quarterback Haynes King, who was one of only two Power Five players with at least 2,800 passing yards, 700 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes and 10 touchdown runs in 2023, freshman wideout Eric Singleton Jr., whose six touchdown receptions were just one shy of the Tech freshman record, and linemen Joe Fusile and Jordan Williams.

Faulkner came to Tech after winning two national titles in three seasons as an offensive quality control assistant for quarterbacks at Georgia (2020-22). At UGA, he played a significant role in constructing and fielding one of college football’s top offenses, highlighted by the Bulldogs finishing in the top five nationally both in scoring (41.3 ppg) and total offense (501.1 ypg) in 2022. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV finished fourth in voting for the 2022 Heisman Trophy in Faulkner’s final year on the UGA staff.

Prior to his three-year stint at Georgia, he spent 10 seasons as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss (2019), Arkansas State (2016-18), Middle Tennessee (2011-15*) and Murray State (2010). His 11 seasons as a coordinator also includes a season as OC at Valdosta State in 2008.

In his lone season at Southern Miss, the Eagles led Conference USA and ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing offense (289.5 ypg) en route to a seven-win campaign, which remains tied for the program’s third-most wins in a season in the past 11 years.

At Arkansas State, Faulkner’s offenses led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked in the top 20 nationally in total offense each of his final two seasons with 466.2 ypg in 2018 (17^th nationally) and 494.8 ypg in 2017 (10^th nationally). He helped lead to the 2016 Sun Belt championship, the 2018 Sun Belt West Division title and three bowl games in his three seasons at ASU.

In his five seasons at Middle Tennessee, the Blue Raiders averaged more than 31 points a game and from 2013-15, rolled up more than 5,000 yards each season, which marked the first time in program history that Middle Tennessee recorded 5,000 yards of offense in three-straight campaigns. Middle Tennessee finished no worse than .500 in each of Faulkner’s four full seasons as offensive coordinator* and earned a pair of bowl berths.

Prior to making the jump to the NCAA Division I FBS level, Faulkner cut his teeth as an offensive coordinator at Murray State. In his lone season at MSU, the Racers led the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring (42.2 ppg), passing (362.2 ypg) and total offense (486.3 ypg) while ranking among top five nationally in all three categories. Murray State also led the nation in completions and completion percentage and quarterback Casey Brockman, who only started the final six games of the season, was named OVC Player of the Week three times, FCS National Player of the Week twice and second-team all-conference.

Faulkner’s one season at Murray State was preceded by a season as quarterbacks coach at Central Arkansas (2009), where UCA’s offense ranked in the top 25 in NCAA Division I FCS in every major offensive statistic.

Three of Faulkner’s first four seasons in coaching came at his alma mater, Valdosta State, where he began as a student assistant in 2005, served as quarterbacks coach in 2007 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2008. In ’07, he helped lead the Blazers to the NCAA Division II national title. As offensive coordinator in ’08, VSU advanced to the national quarterfinals behind freshman quarterback Chris Hart, who accounted for more than 3,000 yards of offense and 27 touchdowns en route to being named Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year.

Faulkner spent the 2006 campaign as a graduate assistant at Georgia, working with UGA’s quarterbacks and offensive line.

As a player, Faulkner starred at quarterback for Valdosta State from 2001 to 2003. In three seasons at VSU (he redshirted as a true freshman in 2000), Faulkner passed for 7,100 yards and 64 touchdowns while helping lead the Blazers to a 47-6 overall record. He was a first-team all-conference and honorable-mention all-America selection as a sophomore in 2002, when he threw for 3,941 yards and 44 touchdowns and led VSU to a berth in the Division II national title game.

He played his senior season (2004) at Texas A&M-Commerce, where he passed for 2,861 yards and 16 touchdowns and set 10 school records.

An Atlanta-area native, Faulkner was a three-year starter at quarterback at Parkview H.S. in Lilburn and led the Panthers to the 1997 Georgia 4A state championship, the first state title in school history.

In all, he has won three national championships, six conference titles and four division crowns at the collegiate level and a state championship at the high school level as a player and coach.

Faulkner earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Valdosta State in 2005. He and his wife, Tia, have a son, Harrison, and two daughters, Hadley and Haisley.