Former Valdosta Daily Times sports writer Daniel Shirley first met Chris Hatcher when the future coach was still a player for Valdosta State.

Through the years, as one moved to other newspapers and the other moved onto coach VSU and now Georgia Southern, Shirley maintained contact and continued covering Hatcher.

Shirley now covers Hatcher’s life and career path in a new biography called “Hatch Attack: Family, Leadership at Heart of Chris Hatcher’s Success.”

“Chris Hatcher is synonymous with football success and his leadership abilities helped get him there,” Shirley writes.

He follows Hatcher through his quarterback days at a Macon high school and Valdosta State. At Valdosta State, Hatcher rose from seventh on the depth chart to starting quarterback in weeks.

“He quickly became the player others wanted to follow, and as the team’s unquestioned leader, the school realized more football success during his record-setting, four-year career than it had ever experienced,” Shirley notes.

With Hatcher as quarterback, VSU became a contender, and he won the annual Harlon Hill Trophy awarded to the top player in Division II football.

Hatcher became a coach, an assistant at Central Florida and Kentucky. Then, he became VSU’s head coach, leading the Blazers to the school’s first national championship before moving to Georgia Southern.

The book comes out Oct. 24 and will sell for $22.95. It may be purchased through the Web sites www.indigopublishing.com or www.hatchattackbook.com.

The Valdosta Daily Times caught up with Daniel Shirley via an e-mail interview.



THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: Did Chris Hatcher participate through interviews for this book?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “I traveled to Statesboro several times and spent the day with him each time. He was very accommodating. We started the process in January, and I started the actual writing process during a family beach trip this summer.”



THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: What was his reaction upon learning you were writing a book about him?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “He was really excited and helpful. At first, he was surprised that I wanted to do it, but he’s been very appreciative throughout the process. He opened up his program and assistant coaches to me. I also got some insight about him from his wife, Lori, also a VSU graduate, and father Edgar.”



THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: Have you had any response from Hatcher on the published book?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “We’ve gotten really good response. Everyone seems to be excited about it. We’ve spoken to the booster clubs at VSU and Georgia Southern and I’ve already done several interviews about the book. We’re hoping it’s popular and a big hit with VSU fans, Georgia Southern fans and college football fans, in general.”



THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: You interviewed Hatcher several times during your time as a sports writer with The Valdosta Daily Times. What years were you with the VDT? What phase was Hatcher in his football career during your time in Valdosta?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “I was at the VDT from September 1993 through November 1996. It was my first job right out of college after graduating from Clemson in 1993. Chris played for the Blazers from 1991-94. I interviewed him several times when he was a player, and he would call me Mr. Shirley or say, ‘yes sir,’ when answering questions. I would always tell him I was only two years older than him and not to do that.”

THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: Where are you now and what are you doing?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “Macon. I have been the sports editor at The Macon Telegraph for more than two years. I came here in July 2006 and became sports editor on Jan. 1, 2007. I was the sports editor in Albany for nearly seven years before that.”



THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: Have you maintained contact with Hatcher since your departure from Valdosta?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “Mainly through my sports sections covering his teams. In Albany, we would cover Valdosta State games, and here in Macon, there is a big Georgia Southern fan base, and there is a lot of attention on Chris because he’s a Macon native.”



THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: How did this book come about?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “Our former sports editor at The Telegraph is in publishing, and he and I were having lunch and I told him I wanted to try my hand at writing a book. He asked me what the subject would be, and the first thing that came to me was Chris. It just seemed obvious. He’s such a good person and a good coach, and there seemed to be a built-in base of readers for a book on him in Valdosta, Statesboro and Macon.”



THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES: Who are some of the people interviewed for this book?

DANIEL SHIRLEY: “Some of his former coaches: Hal Mumme, former head coach at Valdosta State, and Mike Leach, assistant coach at Valdosta State when Chris played there.

“I also talked to VSU athletics director Herb Reinhard and former VSU sports information director Steve Roberts, who was great to me when I worked at the VDT and was a huge help with the book.

“Then there were several of Chris’ former players like Tim Couch (a former No. 1 draft pick in the NFL who played for Chris when he was an assistant at Kentucky), Dusty Bonner (former VSU quarterback) and Fabian Walker (former VSU quarterback).”