What’s that coming down the track?

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It’s a huge machine in red and black—also known as the Redcoat Marching Band.

This iconic ensemble features more than 400 musicians and auxiliaries, which refers to the Flagline, Georgettes, Majorettes, and Feature Twirlers. They set the tone at every home football game in Sanford Stadium, and that’s no small task. Here’s a sneak peek into home game day in the life of the Redcoats when the Bulldogs take the field at noon.

5:45 a.m.

The Redcoats begin the day bright and early with breakfast at their practice field. After breakfast, the Redcoats spend the next hour and a half warming up and rehearsing. This includes a walkthrough and run of their halftime show.

Redcoat morning practice

8:05 a.m.

A short bus ride later, the Redcoats arrive at Sanford Stadium. From now until kickoff, the Redcoats will set the scene for Saturday in Athens at events like the Dawg Walk in the Tate Center parking lot. At the Dawg Walk, the Redcoat Band is joined by UGA cheerleaders and Dawg fans to cheer for the football team as they enter the stadium.

Redcoat Band

11:45 a.m.

Pregame in Sanford Stadium begins! The Redcoats head down to the field to welcome the Dawgs prior to kickoff. Then they return to the stands to play some of UGA’s most well-known tunes—like “Glory” and the Georgia Fight Song—during the game.

Redcoat Halftime

1:25 p.m.

The second quarter ends, and the halftime show begins! The Redcoats head back down to the field and prepare to begin their performance. During this game, the Redcoats paid tribute to the Bulldog’s journey to the historic 2021 season by showcasing a championship-themed performance.

3:45 p.m.

The game is over, and the Redcoats are headed home after a win! Be sure to check out the Redcoat for a Day video on TikTok for more behind-the-scenes looks at game day with the Redcoats.

Redcoat for a Day

The Jack Bauerle coaching tree: a nationwide network rooted in Athens

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Somewhere, there’s a swim coach that swam for Jack Bauerle at the University of Georgia.

Actually, there’s more than a few places where this is the case.

In June, Jack Bauerle, longtime head coach of UGA’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs, announced his retirement. Bauerle’s time with the University of Georgia spanned over 50 years, beginning with his undergraduate years as an athlete on campus and ending after 46 years as a coach—43 of which were spent as a head coach.

Bauerle’s teams won SEC and NCAA championships, he coached Olympic gold medalists and NCAA Woman of the Year award recipients, and he was the head coach for the U.S. women’s team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games—and this list doesn’t even scratch the surface of his accomplishments. Bauerle’s list of accolades is extensive, but he is even more well known for his dedication and passion for UGA, the sport of swimming, and his athletes.

While Bauerle’s retirement means that he’ll be seen around the pool deck less, his influence can still be felt across the country through the network of his former swimmers who went on to be coaches themselves. At every level, you can find a coach—from age group to NCAA Division I—who was coached by Bauerle and is now leaving their own mark on the swimming world.

Coast to Coast

UGA Swimming & Diving won its first NCAA women’s team championship in 1999 with Bauerle at the helm–a moment which has become a cornerstone memory for Julie de Fabrique (BSFCS ’99), who was a senior at the time. The win was the first of seven national titles for Bauerle’s women’s program, with the most recent coming in 2016.

Championship Photo

de Fabrique recalls falling in love with UGA during her official visit in high school. She recorded an impressive four years as a Bulldog, including winning SEC titles and ending her collegiate career with an individual NCAA title in the 1650-yard freestyle. When reflecting on her time swimming for the Bulldogs, de Fabrique remembers the way Bauerle believed in his athletes in and out of the pool, constantly encouraging them to give their best at practice and in the classroom.

de Fabrique is now a head age group coach in her home state of California at San Clemente Aquatics, but she wasn’t always interested in becoming a coach. It wasn’t until nine years ago, when her husband volunteered her to coach a local club team, that she began her first official coaching role. As a coach, de Fabrique keeps in mind the many things she learned from Bauerle, from the way he structured practice to the way he motivated his athletes—things she feels fortunate to be able to pass on to her swimmers today.

“I feel fortunate to have been a part of this program and to share that experience with those who I coach now.”

– Julie de Fabrique (BSFCS ’99)

UGA coaches and swimmers cheering

Coaching isn’t the only way de Fabrique is able to pay it forward to the next generation of swimmers. Recently, she had the opportunity to return to Athens and share her love for the University with her family. She even stopped by Gabrielsen Natatorium on her visit to share her story with the current women’s team.

Homegrown

Bauerle’s influence doesn’t ring any clearer than right here at the University of Georgia.

Following the announcement of Bauerle’s retirement, UGA Athletics named Stefanie Williams Moreno (BSED ’03) women’s swimming and diving head coach and Neil Versfeld (BSFCS ’10) men’s swimming and diving head coach. Both had accomplished college careers at UGA under Bauerle, each accruing SEC and NCAA championships among numerous other accolades.

Stefanie Williams Moreno and Neil Versfeld coaching at the 2022 Women’s NCAA Championships.

Williams Moreno knew she wanted to be a swim coach as soon as her time as a collegiate swimmer came to a close, thanks to her experience at UGA—something she strives to replicate for her team.

Stefanie Williams Moreno (bottom left) with teammates during her time as a UGA swimmer.

“My mission has been to provide an environment for success like the one I experienced at the University of Georgia.”

– Stefanie Williams Moreno (BSED ’03), Women’s Swimming and Diving Head Coach

Versfeld represented South Africa in the 2008 Beijing Olympics—the same year Bauerle served as a head coach for the United States—and after an impressive career as an athlete, his passion for the sport drove him to pursue coaching in 2013.

Neil Versfeld

“Words cannot describe how blessed I am to have this opportunity to give back to this University and the swimming and diving program that gave me so much.”

– Neil Versfeld (BSFCS ’10), Men’s Swimming & Diving Head Coach

For Versfeld and Williams Moreno, the opportunity to be a head coach at UGA is a dream come true. As they continue the legacy that Jack Bauerle built, they will also strive to emulate a practice Bauerle implemented during his years at UGA: looking beyond the pool.

“Jack has an incredible ability to connect with his swimmers as people,” says Neil Versfeld.

Williams Moreno agrees: “What stands out to me is Jack always understood the bigger picture. Everyone is more than a swimmer; one day, their swimming career will end.”

UGA swimmers celebrate by pouring water over Jack Bauerle.

The Jerry Tanner Show – Week 6, 2022: Auburn

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So, the Tigers are in disarray. Again. Don’t dismiss the trainwreck on the plains, though. Auburn—and our rivalry—thrives on chaos.

Beat Week is back! Make a gift to any UGA fund in any amount between Oct. 3 – 8 and you can help UGA students and power Georgia to a third consecutive Beat Week victory. Make your gift today at AUvUGA.com.

Jerry Tanner is everyone you’ve ever met at a UGA tailgate, everyone who’s ever talked about Georgia football by your cubicle, and every message board poster who claims to have a cousin who cut Vince Dooley’s grass. He’s a UGA alumnus, he’s a college football fanatic with a Twitter addiction, and he’s definitely a real person and not a character played by Clarke Schwabe.

Computer science gets a new home at UGA

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In 1984, Bill Gates was on Time Magazine’s cover for the first time, Steve Jobs launched the original Apple Macintosh PC and eight University of Georgia faculty members launched UGA’s computer science department. Thirty-eight years later, what began with a single undergraduate program has today grown into the UGA School of Computing.

Now, more than 4,600 UGA computer science alumni have a school to call their own, and thousands of students looking to enter what is a massive—and still growing—field can look to UGA’s enhanced commitment and know that they can pursue their passion as a Bulldog.

The School of Computing is jointly administered by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences—where UGA Computer Science began—and the College of Engineering.

“The University of Georgia is committed to creating synergies across our campus that foster new opportunities for students and faculty and better serve communities in Georgia and around the world,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “I am excited about the positive impact the School of Computing will have on research and education in the STEM disciplines at UGA.”

Those disciplines are among some of the most popular ones at the university:

  • The College of Engineering is the fastest growing college at UGA—the number of engineering majors has almost quadrupled since 2012;
  • Computer science enrollment at UGA has increased by 202% over the last eight years;
  • And the number of UGA graduates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science has jumped from 51 in 2013 to 256 in 2021.

It makes sense why students would have such an interest in pursuing these fields. Nationally, employment in STEM-related occupations is projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to grow 8% through 2029, which is more than double the 3.4% growth projected for non-STEM occupations. Within STEM, computer science and engineering are among the fields with the highest forecasted growth.

The School of Computing is the home to the Institute for Artificial Intelligence as well as the Institute for Cybersecurity and Privacy, allowing students to delve deep into these specifics areas. And partnerships with the Department of Energy and UGA’s Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture allow for even more nuanced, high-level work.

Faculty at the School of Computing are experts in a vast array of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, bioinformatics, parallel and distributed computing, robotics, virtual reality, evolutionary computing and beyond. The number of faculty and the range of their expertise figures to grow in the next few years.

“The strategic hiring of new faculty will create new opportunities for undergraduate and graduate instruction while also supporting research in areas that are of strategic importance to our state and world,” said UGA Provost S. Jack Hu.