“Competing” open Head Coaching jobs

[UgaBlows]

I have a close relative that lives in Omaha so I’m somewhat familiar with that area and I’m very familiar with this area, of course. It seems to me that the Atlanta area would be much easier for attracting recruits and potential coaches.

And yet Nebraska recruits much higher thsn us

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

And yet Nebraska recruits much higher thsn us

And always has

 

[Techastrophe]

It's likely they did and Tech students bought them all, leaving only the uga ones. The Publix near me has Tech ones.

Survivorship bias!

 

[ThatGuy]

Very true.

Of course, there are only 2 million people living in the state of Nebraska versus 5 million living in the 11 counties of metro Atlanta. It’s safe to assume there’s not as many entertainment options on a Fall day in southeast Nebraska as there are around Atlanta.

That's true as well. The analysis of being the "big fish in a little pond" is spot-on, similar to how GT was a dominant force in Atlanta under Bobby Dodd (before all the other pro sports came in). It's also true that on gameday, at 60% full Memorial Stadium becomes the 3rd largest city in Nebraska.

I have some interesting first-person insight here, as my wife is a Husker, so we're there at least once a year for a game (and my company has an office in Lincoln, so I've spent a good bit of time there).

In short, I would definitely rank Nebraska higher than us from a coach's perspective. They have (IMO) one of the strongest, most reasonable, and otherwise best fanbases in the country. The booster support is strong. The university support is strong, with none of the restrictive major issues we have. They have Big 10 money, and are one of the top 25 operating budgets in college athletics.

On top of that, the atmosphere on gameday is much more electric. On every gameday. While the University has been known to reach out to local businesses to buy up 1000 or so unsold seats for the occasional unexciting game (or bad season, ahem), at almost every game I've been to the attendance is >80,000 - and the fans are LOUD, engaged, and part of the experience for recruits and players.

I've seen Bobby Dodd that electric before - but it's the exception, not the rule, during great seasons and during night games. (Granted, the early 90's were the last few seasons I went to every home game).

All that is to say, there are some intangibles I see when attending a Nebraska game that I wish we had at Tech. Whether it's due to population, being the only game in town, or other factors, it's still a different experience for a coach, a player, and for fans.

For a coach, IMO those intangibles - and more importantly the higher salary, bigger budget for great assistants, not fighting with the Hill, and no set-in-stone roadblocks on recruiting - would give Nebraska the edge.

So I begrudgingly think Nebraska is the better job right now - and it's also an example of why for us it's not about getting the best or most flashy recruiter coach on all the journalists' boards, but the right coach for us.

 

[Techster]

That's true as well. The analysis of being the "big fish in a little pond" is spot-on, similar to how GT was a dominant force in Atlanta under Bobby Dodd (before all the other pro sports came in). It's also true that on gameday, at 60% full Memorial Stadium becomes the 3rd largest city in Nebraska.

I'd argue GT leaving the SEC had just as much, if not more, to do GT's waning popularity in Atlanta as pro sports. GT left the SEC in 1964, Atlanta Falcons came on in 1965. Braves came in 1966...though the Braves don't directly compete with GT.

Vince Dooly became UGA's coach in 1966, he UGA started to win regularly and going to bowl games. They also played an SEC schedule every year so fans of SEC teams also had no reason to follow GT anymore since we no longer affected their schedule.

 

[RamblinRed]

I'd forgotten that ASU is looking NCAA penalties (part of the reason for Edwards departure), that will likely hurt them some as coaches will have to way the potential penalties they might have to work with when they get there.

It would not be surprising to see Harsin to get one of the PAC jobs after this season.

Right now I don't really see GT competing with any other schools that are open as the lists for them are completely different than GT's list.
Neb reportedly wants Leipold, but with WI now open it sounds like Leonhard has a 7 wk tryout for HC and then WI will make a decision on how hard to go after Leipold. But if both WI and Neb go after Leipold I expect him to go to WI.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

I'd forgotten that ASU is looking NCAA penalties (part of the reason for Edwards departure), that will likely hurt them some as coaches will have to way the potential penalties they might have to work with when they get there.

It would not be surprising to see Harsin to get one of the PAC jobs after this season.

Right now I don't really see GT competing with any other schools that are open as the lists for them are completely different than GT's list.
Neb reportedly wants Leipold, but with WI now open it sounds like Leonhard has a 7 wk tryout for HC and then WI will make a decision on how hard to go after Leipold. But if both WI and Neb go after Leipold I expect him to go to WI.

If I were Nebraska, I would go after Leipold. However, if Wisconsin hires him, Nebraska should hire Cryst.

 

[slugboy]

If I were Nebraska, I would go after Leipold. However, if Wisconsin hires him, Nebraska should hire Cryst.

Chryst is probably fully retired at this point. Buzz is that if Wisconsin doesn't hire their interim HC, that Nebraska will.

 

[Techster]

Chryst is probably fully retired at this point. Buzz is that if Wisconsin doesn't hire their interim HC, that Nebraska will.

That depends on how well Leonhard does in his 7 week tryout. No way Nebraska can sell a coach that only wins 2-3 games to their fans and donors. Not sure 4 wins would be enough either.

 

[iceeater1969]

And always has (out recruited)

Total revenue Nebraska over Gt - knight data base
2006 $18m more, 2011 $29m more , 2021 $6m more (recently gt has a new entry of revenue from ""other"" $11m in 21)

Safe to say they have always had way more to spend on coaches and facilities than gt.

With the big 10 tv money going up and accn being flat - they should continue to have morre revenue that we have

 

[kg01]

I'm not derailing this topic further. Dig up 4-5 year old threads if you wanna discuss it with folks that still care.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

Lol whatever mate.

Exactly! I said that half a page ago. I am glad we can finally agree.

 

[slugboy]

Moved the Graham posts to “what makes a QB a P5 QB?”

 

[slugboy]

Texas A&M might come open, but Jimbo Fisher’s buyout is $86 MILLION.

That seems like a lot.

 

[CEB]

That seems like a lot.

That seems like an understatement

 

[herb]

Texas A&M might come open, but Jimbo Fisher’s buyout is $86 MILLION.

That seems like a lot.

86 million here, 86 million there, pretty soon you are talking serious money

 

[g0lftime]

Texas A&M might come open, but Jimbo Fisher’s buyout is $86 MILLION.

That seems like a lot.

I was on a GT alum trip this summer to Germany. A group from A&M was on the same trip but a day ahead. We shared the same hotels. All they wanted to talk about was upcoming season. They had visions of a championship. Wonder how they feel now.

 

[Techwood Relict]

I was on a GT alum trip this summer to Germany. A group from A&M was on the same trip but a day ahead. We shared the same hotels. All they wanted to talk about was upcoming season. They had visions of a championship. Wonder how they feel now.

Like Old Dead Eye Plankton while every booster digs deep for $86M Washingtons to throw on the pile.....

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I'd argue GT leaving the SEC had just as much, if not more, to do GT's waning popularity in Atlanta as pro sports. GT left the SEC in 1964, Atlanta Falcons came on in 1965. Braves came in 1966...though the Braves don't directly compete with GT.

Vince Dooly became UGA's coach in 1966, he UGA started to win regularly and going to bowl games. They also played an SEC schedule every year so fans of SEC teams also had no reason to follow GT anymore since we no longer affected their schedule.

I am pretty sure it was 1964. Kent Lawrence ran a punt back for a touchdown and that was all the scoring in a tight 7-0 win for the dwags. It was the start of a 5 season winning streak for UGA that pretty much set the tone for the remainder of Dooly's regime. Funny thing was I was 14 years old and my parents took me to Athens for the first time in 1968 and they absolutely destroyed us by 40 plus points. I thought they were the best team I had ever seen. They were SEC champs and all set to make a push for being national champions. In the Sugar Bowl, they played Arkansas and according to legend the UGA players were partying the night before in the Quarter while Arkansas was not impressed with the mighty dogs. The Razorbacks beat them pretty handily in what was the biggest upset of the bowl season.

 

[GT33]

Not really sure how the Hill can provide more money. They can absolutely provide more intangible support.

The Hill can stop being adversarial with athletics. Allow a portion of the billions they’re raising for academics, new campus infrastructure and research to be shared with athletics.

Here’s some non-“get us easy majors” elements:

1. You can dual purpose campus projects. Build a recreation center for example, but design into it specific portions to house volleyball or a minor sport like that so GTAA budget doesn’t need to be used or funding doesn’t need to be obtained to build a new standalone complex.

2. Start melding research with athletics. You could build an innovation center tailored to sports where athletes could go and try out new designs of gear, have performance measurements analyzed much like we did with Beesball but not on GTAA’s dime.

3. Work this NIL deal with major companies. Coke, Home Depot, etc have sponsorships to grow internships, etc but make the athletes a focal point of the process so those companies have access to the brainiacs they want or maybe some of the athletes are the brainiacs because that’s who we recruit.

There’s all kind of examples like this that are not the standard grades and give them alumni lists for fundraising that should be core to what GT does.