Football
Thacker, Andrew
Andrew Thacker
- Title:
- Assistant Coach - Nickels/Stars
- Email:
- andrew.thacker@uga.edu
Andrew Thacker was elevated to a defensive assistant coach for Georgia football before the 2025 season, guiding the nickels and stars. He was hired prior to the 2024 season as a quality control for the Bulldog defense working with both the linebacker and defensive back positions.
Thacker’s first season in 2024 with the Georgia defense saw the unit keep No. 14 Clemson to just three points in the season opener and hold top-ranked Texas to just two third quarter touchdowns six games later. The Bulldogs’ 30-15 victory in Austin came after the Longhorns arrived for the contest averaging 43.2 ppg.
Individually, the Bulldogs had hybrid LB Jalon Walker garner the Butkus Award while Walker and S Malaki Starks earned First Team All-America honors. In addition, S KJ Bolden was a Freshman All-American and a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, ILB Chris Cole was named to the Freshman All-Southeastern Conference Team and Starks was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist.
Thacker came to Georgia after spending five seasons at Georgia Tech. He served as the squad’s defensive coordinator from 2019-22. Thacker’s defenses produced 12 All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections, including five in 2022.
Additionally, five of Thacker’s former players went on to sign NFL contracts. DB Tariq Carpenter became the first defensive player drafted out of Tech in six years when the Green Bay Packers selected him in the 2022 NFL Draft. Then in 2023, Yellow Jacket defensive end Keion White went 46th overall in the second round to the New England Patriots.
As a unit, Thacker’s Tech defenses ranked among the nation’s top 25 defensively in multiple categories, including in 2022 when Tech was ranked in the top 15 in Turnovers Gained and top 10 in Fumbles Recovered and Blocked Kicks. The Yellow Jackets boasted top 25 rankings in Defensive Touchdowns in two seasons during 2020-22. The Yellow Jackets also ranked among the top 25 nationally in Total Takeaways in 2020.
A native of Cartersville, Ga., Thacker came to The Flats after two seasons on the staff at Temple. After originally joining Temple’s staff as linebackers coach in 2017, Thacker was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018 . With Thacker as coordinator, Temple’s defense scored eight defensive touchdowns (No. 1 nationally), forced 31 turnovers (No. 3 nationally), recovered 13 turnovers (No. 3 nationally) and intercepted 18 passes (No. 4 nationally) in 2018.
Thacker helped produce one of the AAC’s highest-ranked defenses during his one season as the defensive coordinator at Temple. In addition to ranking among the nation’s top three teams in defensive touchdowns, turnovers, fumble recoveries and interceptions, the Owls were among the AAC’s top three teams in Total Defense (second), Passing Defense (second), Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense (second) and Scoring Defense (third). As linebackers coach in 2017, he helped TU rank among the top teams nationally in both Sacks (11th) and Tackles for Loss (11th).
Prior to his two seasons at Temple, Thacker spent the 2016 season as linebackers coach at Kennesaw State, where he helped KSU lead the Big South in Scoring Defense and Rushing Defense and rank second in Total Defense.
His career includes stints as a full-time assistant at UCF (2015 – safeties) and Southern Miss (2013 – safeties). He has also served as a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons (2014), a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State (2010-12 – linebackers) and a graduate assistant at UCF (2008-09 – linebackers).
Thacker was a four-year starter at safety at Furman (2004-07), where he was named the 2004 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. He graduated from Furman in 2007 with bachelor’s degrees in political science and Spanish. He and his wife, Liza, have a daughter, Brooks, and two sons, Bear and Jackson.
Thacker’s first season in 2024 with the Georgia defense saw the unit keep No. 14 Clemson to just three points in the season opener and hold top-ranked Texas to just two third quarter touchdowns six games later. The Bulldogs’ 30-15 victory in Austin came after the Longhorns arrived for the contest averaging 43.2 ppg.
Individually, the Bulldogs had hybrid LB Jalon Walker garner the Butkus Award while Walker and S Malaki Starks earned First Team All-America honors. In addition, S KJ Bolden was a Freshman All-American and a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, ILB Chris Cole was named to the Freshman All-Southeastern Conference Team and Starks was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist.
Thacker came to Georgia after spending five seasons at Georgia Tech. He served as the squad’s defensive coordinator from 2019-22. Thacker’s defenses produced 12 All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections, including five in 2022.
Additionally, five of Thacker’s former players went on to sign NFL contracts. DB Tariq Carpenter became the first defensive player drafted out of Tech in six years when the Green Bay Packers selected him in the 2022 NFL Draft. Then in 2023, Yellow Jacket defensive end Keion White went 46th overall in the second round to the New England Patriots.
As a unit, Thacker’s Tech defenses ranked among the nation’s top 25 defensively in multiple categories, including in 2022 when Tech was ranked in the top 15 in Turnovers Gained and top 10 in Fumbles Recovered and Blocked Kicks. The Yellow Jackets boasted top 25 rankings in Defensive Touchdowns in two seasons during 2020-22. The Yellow Jackets also ranked among the top 25 nationally in Total Takeaways in 2020.
A native of Cartersville, Ga., Thacker came to The Flats after two seasons on the staff at Temple. After originally joining Temple’s staff as linebackers coach in 2017, Thacker was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018 . With Thacker as coordinator, Temple’s defense scored eight defensive touchdowns (No. 1 nationally), forced 31 turnovers (No. 3 nationally), recovered 13 turnovers (No. 3 nationally) and intercepted 18 passes (No. 4 nationally) in 2018.
Thacker helped produce one of the AAC’s highest-ranked defenses during his one season as the defensive coordinator at Temple. In addition to ranking among the nation’s top three teams in defensive touchdowns, turnovers, fumble recoveries and interceptions, the Owls were among the AAC’s top three teams in Total Defense (second), Passing Defense (second), Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense (second) and Scoring Defense (third). As linebackers coach in 2017, he helped TU rank among the top teams nationally in both Sacks (11th) and Tackles for Loss (11th).
Prior to his two seasons at Temple, Thacker spent the 2016 season as linebackers coach at Kennesaw State, where he helped KSU lead the Big South in Scoring Defense and Rushing Defense and rank second in Total Defense.
His career includes stints as a full-time assistant at UCF (2015 – safeties) and Southern Miss (2013 – safeties). He has also served as a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons (2014), a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State (2010-12 – linebackers) and a graduate assistant at UCF (2008-09 – linebackers).
Thacker was a four-year starter at safety at Furman (2004-07), where he was named the 2004 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. He graduated from Furman in 2007 with bachelor’s degrees in political science and Spanish. He and his wife, Liza, have a daughter, Brooks, and two sons, Bear and Jackson.
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