2015 Schedule

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

No, I can't see why you are concerned. Johnson's average wins per season is not going to drop significantly unless he only wins 2 or 3 games per season, and I don't believe that will ever happen. Your concern totally baffles me.

 

[Minawreck]

The thing about the "struggles against the Big 4" to me is that we haven't struggled against the Big 4. We've struggled to WIN against the Big 4. Many of those games were extremely close and could be pinned on a few plays.

Coach Johnson has shown with the right personnel and the right mindset we can limit our mistakes and win these games. That's all it takes. I think this season will work wonders for our program going forward because in all honesty I think the Class of 2007 made some of the achievements all about them and not about the team. Beating some of these teams without those stars is very catharthic to the staff and program.

Vad Lee said it himself and I doubt he was alone in his opinion in the locker room. He said, "The offense can be successful IF you have the Dwyers, Nesbitts, and Demayrius Thomas's, etc." Some elite level players. Now I'm not saying we DON'T have elite level players, but we don't have players as heralded as some of those guys, and here we are, BEING successful.

CPJ now has a winning percentage of .622 at Georgia Tech. That's really really good.

Slow-playing him earns us nothing but more ill-will. GT Football is not in a position to flirt with head coaches who prove that they can get us in a position to win the conference more than half of the seasons they coach here.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

If he beats UGA, FSU, or wins the Orange Bowl he deserves an extension.

Why should an extension be contingent on one of those wins, when he has already proved himself better overall than any coach since Dodd. Delaying an extension IF he wins any or all of those games just increases his market value, so to speak. So why not tie him in now and secure our future?

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Can you see why I am concerned? The next few games this season and next season could drop that STAT down a point or so. It's weird situation for me because I still have some sour taste from previous seasons. The struggle vs. the Big 4,bowl games, and recruiting isn't worthy of a MAJOR DEAL right now. I do believe he wants to be at tech and that means a LOT more to some I get it.

Here's the thing. Everyone on here has tried to explain it to you as nicely as possible. You either need to FIRE CPJ after the season or offer him an extension. Having a lame duck coach is a death knell for recruiting, particularly at a school that doesn't recruit well historically.

If you want to fire CPJ, then say so. I will disagree with you, but I will respect your honesty. If not, then the extension needs to happen, and before the bowl game or VERY SHORTLY after...

If you are worried about the stats, let me point you to the one that really matters. APR. Before CPJ, it was in the tank. CPJ has come in and taken our graduation rates for football players to the top of the NCAA. While doing so, he has IMPROVED the football program at GT. THAT's the stat that we should be looking at the most.

 

[takethepoints]

I don't think there is any question about this, next season or not.

As I keep saying we went out to get the best coach we could find who could cope with the academic constraints on our recruiting. That meant the best of the academy coaches. That meant Coach.

He's delivered, in spades, and especially this year. We are now to the point where we are reloading every year on O and we'll soon be there on D as well. Recruiting is going well, mainly because Coach has apparently won the trust of the administration enough to give him some leeway. Re-establishing that trust with a new staff and resurrecting our recruiting would take a decade, at least. And, given that our players have been recruited for a system O, that would not – repeat, not – be a successful decade on the field.

I think we are on the brink of an era where we run an O as productive as Oregon's and a decent D to boot. I know this might sound unrealistic, but I don't think another national championship is out of the question and in the near future as well. And, final thought, I wouldn't be surprised to see us have as good a year next year, despite the schedule, as we are having now.

Extend him and don't even quibble at the cost.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

I don't think there is any question about this, next season or not.

As I keep saying we went out to get the best coach we could find who could cope with the academic constraints on our recruiting. That meant the best of the academy coaches. That meant Coach.

He's delivered, in spades, and especially this year. We are now to the point where we are reloading every year on O and we'll soon be there on D as well. Recruiting is going well, mainly because Coach has apparently won the trust of the administration enough to give him some leeway. Re-establishing that trust with a new staff and resurrecting our recruiting would take a decade, at least. And, given that our players have been recruited for a system O, that would not – repeat, not – be a successful decade on the field.

I think we are on the brink of an era where we run an O as productive as Oregon's and a decent D to boot. I know this might sound unrealistic, but I don't think another national championship is out of the question and in the near future as well. And, final thought, I wouldn't be surprised to see us have as good a year next year, despite the schedule, as we are having now.

Extend him and don't even quibble at the cost.

TOTALLY AGREE !!! Next year's season looked BAD during the summer. Now it doesn't really look so daunting, and it could provide Tech the national exposure we want, and that in turn provides for the future. It even makes the job of HC at Tech far more attractive once Johnson retires.

 

[BabyJacket1990]

@Supersizethatorder-mutt
What kind of deal would you offer him ?

 

[alaguy]

I am very happy with this season but the main reason that I see for extension is that he looks to have recruited a much better than normal class.Since recruiting seemed to be a major weakness ,we now have the best of both worlds.A PRESENT day success and REAL hope for the future.It COULD all go down the crapper but very probably not.
If he beats uga,hell,, he could be king to me.

 

[JDjacket]

Guys,

Reading through this it seems like there's some things being missed. It seems @BabyJacket1990 's big concern is extending him right now (mid season) and giving him some crazy deal for who knows how much/how many years when for all he knows 2015 could end up in some 2010 recession like form. I personally am all for an extension.

It seems like he doesn't want him fired obviously, so maybe saying more of let the season playout then if we end on our sour note with 2/3 losses extend him enough so it doesn't affect recruiting but don't lock him in for some eternity. That's what I think is being said.

Again, I'm all for the extension now, but I think he was having some difficulty conveying a difference in major extension vs don't fire him/hurt recruiting extension... I could be wrong.

 

[txsting]

I totally agree. I guess I am the only fan on this board that still doubts him SOME. He has shown he can win and lose. I think we need to wait a few weeks before we decide to give him some crazy deal. If we were to win out then I will bite my tongue a little more with my doubts and say give him whatever he wants. I'm pulling for the man but ,there still some hard work to be done before he *deserves* a huge deal.

What does it matter what happens in the next couple games, which are all games where we all be 10 point dogs?

Coach has been here for 7 years and you have over 80 games to evaluate him as a coach. The short term results don't tell you what kind of coach he is. If that were true we could have fired him on Sunday after MTSU and been washed of it.

You already know who CPJ is and what type of program he runs. He is the same man regardless of what the players do between the hedges. Simply ask yourself if you would like to see it continue. if you are honest with yourself, it sounds like you would prefer a change. Fine, you are welcome to your opinion. I think you are in the 15% minority.

 

[DTGT]

I totally agree. I guess I am the only fan on this board that still doubts him SOME.

There are GT fans that hate CPJ and his offense. They would fire him the day after he won GT a natty if they were given the power to do so. The fans that like CPJ's offense are VERY irritated by the haters after putting up with them for seven seasons.

 

[stevo0718]

If you're bringing up being realistic, you've got to be realistic with expectations. I think a realistic expectation is to contend for a coastal title every year, and the ACC title every 5 or so.

We won the title 5 years ago, gone to the ACC championship twice in 5 years and own or tied for tops in the coastal 4 of the past 7 years. I think we are performing to our expectations being realistic.

 

[txsting]

There are GT fans that hate CPJ and his offense. They would fire him the day after he won GT a natty if they were given the power to do so. The fans that like CPJ's offense are VERY irritated by the haters after putting up with them for seven seasons.

I think the haters are frightened out of their narrow minds about the possibility of a GT win over UGA. The reactionists among us will fit CPJ for a crown if that day comes to pass.

I, for one, will raise my whiskey glass and toast the team and coaches, with whom I will be well pleased.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

@Supersizethatorder-mutt
What kind of deal would you offer him ?

I have no idea. Definitely a 2-year extension and some kind of raise. But that kind of decision is best made by people far more knowledgeable than you or I.

 

[turfjacket]

What does it matter what happens in the next couple games, which are all games where we all be 10 point dogs?

Coach has been here for 7 years and you have over 80 games to evaluate him as a coach. The short term results don't tell you what kind of coach he is. If that were true we could have fired him on Sunday after MTSU and been washed of it.

You already know who CPJ is and what type of program he runs. He is the same man regardless of what the players do between the hedges. Simply ask yourself if you would like to see it continue. if you are honest with yourself, it sounds like you would prefer a change. Fine, you are welcome to your opinion. I think you are in the 15% minority.

Yuck

 

[GTRX7]

What I love about the OP is that he keeps saying "I am not bringing up past seasons," while continuously bringing up past seasons...well...sort of. Notably, the OP has not once brought up 2008-2009. At this point, CPJ has a very large body of work. One of the arguments going into this season was that his teams have been irrevocably trending downward. Well, I don't think that argument applies anymore. As such, we need to look at, not only what he has done this season, or only what he did the last few seasons when he struggled, but his entire record.

As others have pointed out, his winning percentage since he has been at Tech has been pretty darn good. More than that, his ACC record is a really really good 37-19. He has had us in the conversation for Coastal champions pretty much every year (t-1st, 1st, t-3rd, t-2nd, t-1st, t-2nd, 1st or t-1st). If Duke loses, we also will have gone to three ACC championship games in seven years. Yes, his record against UGA needs to get better. And he lost too many close games against Miami and VT. But he has done great against Clemson, dominated the North Carolina teams, and generally has us competing right up to the end in every game, including in 4 of the 6 UGA games.

I don't care what happens the rest of the season, he has absolutely earned (and needs) an extension in my mind. That said, I don't think we should do anything about it until after the season. And, unlike what Baby1990 suggests, I don't think anyone is suggesting we offer him a crazy, Paul Hewitt contract, so I think he is just arguing with himself there. Give him an extension and slight increase over what he is currently getting. If he continues to trend up, particularly with recruiting, we can always up it again.

 

[BabyJacket1990]

I have no idea. Definitely a 2-year extension and some kind of raise. But that kind of decision is best made by people far more knowledgeable than you or I.

It seems to me you have taken my post personal? IsCPJ your role model lol! Some of you still are arguing off topic here. I simply put he does not deserve a **HUGE DEAL** **RIGHT NOW**. I can deal with a two extension if he beats UGA. Some of you people take GT FOOTBALL to serious.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

It seems to me you have taken my post personal? IsCPJ your role model lol! Some of you still are arguing off topic here. I simply put he does not deserve a **HUGE DEAL** **RIGHT NOW**. I can deal with a two extension if he beats UGA. Some of you people take GT FOOTBALL to serious.

I don't believe anybody said anything at all about a "HUGE DEAL". I, and apparently most of us, believe that he should get an extension IMMEDIATELY, as validation for what he has accomplished. If he continues to improve, and I believe he will, then the numbers can go up even more. Think for a second at how much an extension right now would say to the players prior to the game with the mutts. I for one think it would fire them up, because it would indicate that the powers that be trust Johnson's abilities, and thus support them (the players) as well. As far as role models go, I am too old now to benefit from a role model, but I can think of a helluva lot worse men to have as one.

 

[IEEEWreck]

IsCPJ your role model lol!

Yes.

 

[cuttysark]

After all of the players who kicked themselves off of the team for academics or personal lapses of judgment created a pre-season atmosphere that this was going to be the demise of CPJ and his program boy was that thought way off the mark. As a former Division 1 player I can tell you quite candidly that the reson for success this season was the departure of a highly rated 4 stars can't miss kid who felt he was above the program. Once he and the rest of the foregoing folks departed GT it energized the current squad in ways that cannot be conveyed to a non-football player. That is what coaching is all about and CPJ after changing what has been doing successfully for more than thirty (30) years to appease a single player who wasn't going to be the next Johnny Manzel, went back to his roots and trusted our current committed QB's and remaining players to forge a closeness and become a Team. This season has shown what happens when everyone "buys in" and does their job. Kind of like watching a real life version of: "Remember the Titans."

So if anyone thinks that somebody else can do better than CPJ by going out and hiring a Wil Muschamp, any other retread coach, or the latest flavor of the month and do better than Johnson and his staff has done with the players he has in this program, then you are unable to see the forrest through the trees. He has sent kids into the business world and developed corporate connections for their future success as opposed to strictly the limited NFL option.

So think real hard about whether or not to keep Coach Johnson under contract because regardlesss of what happens the rest of the season this team has shown me week after week that they want to compete and more importantly play hard. That is attributable to the coaching staff who made the tough decisions to let players leave even though those outside the program were of the opinion that they were must have superstars in the making and could not be replaced. Well everyone is replaceable and apparently addition by subtraction shows up on the football field as opposed to the doom and gloom that was being predicted in the pre-season.

My $.02.