Jim Chaney, a long-time offensive coordinator at several major programs with 39 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, joins the Georgia State staff as the offensive coordinator for head coach Dell McGee.
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Chaney's distinguished career features stints as the offensive coordinator at Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Pitt, Purdue and Cal State Fullerton.
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Chaney and McGee first worked together at Georgia from 2016-18, highlighted by the Bulldogs' berth in the 2017 CFP National Championship game.
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In addition to coordinating the Georgia offense, Chaney coached quarterbacks in 2016 and 2017 and the tight ends in 2018, while McGee tutored the running backs. Together they produced some of the most prolific offenses in Bulldogs’ history. Georgia led the SEC in rushing in 2017 (258.4) and 2018 (238.79) and had four different players eclipse 1,000 yards rushing over that two-year span. Georgia set school records in rushing yards (3,876) and rushing touchdowns (42) in 2017.
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Georgia won the SEC and advanced to the national championship game in 2017 with a true freshman at quarterback in Jake Fromm, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. The Bulldogs went to a second consecutive SEC Championship game in 2018 and appeared in the Sugar Bowl, while ranking second in the SEC in scoring (37.9 ppg) and averaging 464.4 yards per game.
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Chaney worked two stints as offensive coordinator at Tennessee from 2009-12 and again from 2019-21. While serving as the Volunteers interim head coach in 2012, he led UT to a season-ending win over Kentucky.
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In between, he was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas (2013-14) and Pittsburgh (2015) before going to Georgia in 2016. Chaney also worked as an offensive analyst with the New Orleans Saints (2021) and at Texas A&M (2023) and as assistant to the head coach at Georgia Tech (2022).
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Chaney broke into coaching at Cal State Fullerton in 1985 and served in many areas from 1985-92, including offensive coordinator. In 1989, quarterback Dan Speltz led the NCAA in completion percentage (69.3) with Chaney as the offensive coordinator.
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He moved to Wyoming in 1993, where he began a long association with head coach Joe Tiller, going with Tiller to Purdue as offensive coordinator in 1997.
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During his nine seasons (1997-2005) as the Purdue offensive coordinator, Chaney’s offenses ranked in the top 10 in the nation in total offense six times and led the Big Ten in passing five times. He tutored two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and future NFL star Drew Brees, who led the NCAA in total offense in 2000 and received the Maxwell Award as the Boilermakers won the Big Ten and earned a berth in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 33 years. Purdue quarterbacks Billy Dicken and Kyle Orton also led the Big Ten in passing under Chaney.
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Following Purdue, Chaney spent three seasons (2006-08) in the NFL, coaching offensive line and tight ends for the St. Louis Rams.
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A native of Holden, Missouri, Chaney earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Central Missouri State University in 1985 after a career at noseguard. He earned all-conference honors as a senior.
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