A three-year starter on the offensive line at Auburn, Searels earned first-team All-America honors from both The Associated Press and Football News as a senior in 1987.
From 2003-06, Searels coached the offensive line at LSU, where he helped the Tigers win 44 games over four seasons and capture the 2003 BCS National Championship.
In 2013, his final season at Texas, Searels’ line enabled the Longhorns to finish 36th in the country in rushing offense and 17th in sacks allowed per game.
[7] He left Chapel Hill to return to Georgia a day prior to the start of the Tar Heels' spring practice session in February 2022.
On February 28, 2022, it was reported that Searels would leave North Carolina to return to Georgia as offensive line coach, replacing Matt Luke, who resigned to spend more time with family.