Jim Whatley; Coached U. of Georgia Baseball to 2 Conference Titles

Jim Whatley, 88, a longtime coach at the University of Georgia and an NFL player in the 1930s, died Thursday of heart failure in Athens, Ga.

In addition to three seasons with the NFL, Whatley played minor league baseball before serving in the Navy during World War II.

Whatley was hired by the University of Georgia in 1949 to coach basketball and football. But during his 25-year tenure, he made his mark in baseball, leading the Bulldogs to Southeastern Conference championships in 1953 and 1954 and the SEC East title in his final season in 1975.