March 7, 2014
THE FLATS – Pete Hurt, a former college and high school head coach with more than 100 victories to his credit, has joined the Georgia Tech football staff as assistant director of player personnel, head coach Paul Johnson confirmed Friday.
Hurt was head coach at Samford University for eight seasons, from 1994 to 2001, where he compiled a record of 42-39-1, making him the second-winningest coach in that school’s history. Hurt was the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator in 1993 under then-head coach Chan Gailey, and was promoted to head coach when Gailey left the Birmingham (Ala.) school to take an assistant coaching position in the NFL.
“Pete Hurt has worked in football on the college and high school level as a head coach, an assistant coach and an administrator,” Johnson said. “He not only brings a great deal of knowledge and experience, but a passion for the game as well. Pete will be a great addition to our personnel staff.”
A Cleveland (Miss.) native, Hurt has served as head coach at three different Mississippi high schools and took each school to at least the second round of the state playoffs, most recently at Northwest Rankin High School from 2011-13. He also served as a high school head coach in Mississippi at Clinton (2002-04) and Center Hill (2007-10). In addition to his duties as head coach, Hurt served as athletic director at Clinton and Northwest Rankin, and he was an assistant athletic director at Center Hill.
Hurt has served as an assistant coach or coordinator on the college level at North Texas (1981-82), Southeast Missouri State (1982-83), Baylor (1983-86), Lamar (1987-89), Rice (1990-91), Samford (1993) and Air Force (2005-06). From 1991 to 1992, Hurt coached the defensive line for the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football.
“I am excited to join Coach Paul Johnson and the Georgia Tech staff,” Hurt said. “I have always admired his success over the years at Georgia Southern, Navy, and now at Georgia Tech. We competed against each other during the Air Force/Navy time and I am now glad to be on his team.”
Hurt and wife Diana have been married for 36 years. Their son, Clint, works in the Mississippi State football office for the video department.
