2023 Coaching Carousel

WreckinGT

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,159
UCLA cleaning house? You’d think they would promote from within until next year.
UCLA is basically going the same route we did. They are broke so they are hiring a position coach who used to play there. They really need to get the Big 10 money rolling. Right now they don't appear to be a serious football program.
 

slugboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,497
UCLA cleaning house? You’d think they would promote from within until next year.
Here you go—DeShaun Foster is the new UCLA HC

And apparently Arizona’s brand new coach did interview for the UCLA job while he had barely started the Arizona job.

 

kg01

Get-Bak! Coach
Featured Member
Messages
15,170
Location
Atlanta
Dang—he had done a decent job there
Dang, indeed.

It's a bad look to be losing your coach to be an asst in the NFL. What kind of "look" is it to be losing one to be a position coach at Sout. Carolina? Sheesh.

Well, you know what they say. It's tha sec, it just means mor(ons)e. ;)

Man, I love that phrase. Never miss a chance, never miss a chance....
 

BCJacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
754
My wife and I both have degrees from GSU and I've followed their program since they started. (Hasn't been much to follow though...) This is very surprising. I feel like there has to be more to the story...

Elliot is the best coach they've had by far and the arrow seemed to be pointed upward for next season. His seat wasn't hot. I could've imagined him leaving for a tier 1 coordinator job or the NFL. But a mid level assistant at a mid-tier P4 school seems like a very weird move.
 

IM79

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
434
My wife and I both have degrees from GSU and I've followed their program since they started. (Hasn't been much to follow though...) This is very surprising. I feel like there has to be more to the story...

Elliot is the best coach they've had by far and the arrow seemed to be pointed upward for next season. His seat wasn't hot. I could've imagined him leaving for a tier 1 coordinator job or the NFL. But a mid level assistant at a mid-tier P4 school seems like a very weird move.
"But a mid level assistant at a mid-tier P4 school seems like a very weird move"

And I wonder how much longer S carolina will give Beamer jr. Maybe he thinks he can pull an O'leary over there.
 

Dman374

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
56
If this article is correct, has there been any discussion on contract extensions for Buster or Geep? Both going into the last year of their respective contracts. Not saying GSU poaches Buster, but if his priority is staying in the state this could be an interesting target for them. Have no idea if he or GSU have any interest, and I personally don't think this will happen, but just a thought. Also, putting Buster aside for a second, if we're impressed with the progress of the O-line this past year, why not go ahead and work on a contract extension with Geep Wade?
 

TooTall

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,287
Location
Vidalia


This certainly doesn't make me more wary of the GaSt game this year.

This is crazy. I remember he was at USCe after his days at App St. But why go back at a lower position? Does USCe really pay their TE coach more than GSU head coach? As @BCJacket said, there has got to be more to this story....he was interim there so maybe he's insurance if/when Beamer is fired mid-season.
 

Techster

Helluva Engineer
Messages
18,236
If this article is correct, has there been any discussion on contract extensions for Buster or Geep? Both going into the last year of their respective contracts. Not saying GSU poaches Buster, but if his priority is staying in the state this could be an interesting target for them. Have no idea if he or GSU have any interest, and I personally don't think this will happen, but just a thought. Also, putting Buster aside for a second, if we're impressed with the progress of the O-line this past year, why not go ahead and work on a contract extension with Geep Wade?

From what I hear, GT will pay Buster whatever we need to...to an extent. GT can't afford to pay him $1.5 million+, but we can pay him in the area of $1million if we need to. Key knows what he has in Faulkner, and so do our donors...which is what O'Leary had in Friedgen.

If Alabama or whatever factory school comes in and splashes $1.5 million+, we'll probably lose him. Buster is a very good coordinator, but his reputation is not at that level...yet. If he improves our offense even more, expect GT to be in a war to keep him from factories and head coaching opportunities.

I wouldn't read too much into "Buster isn't going anywhere until his son graduates" talk. If there's a good opportunity for Faulkner and his family, he'll take it. He's in the coaching business, and coaches know if there's a good opportunity to improve their career and the quality of life for their family, they have to take it. At the same time, Buster also knows the opportunity being GT's OC provides for him to increase his visibility on the national level. He's got a dream scenario now with a top 20 QB, a good group of WRs, a good OL, and a talented RB room. He also knows he has a head coach in Key that gives him room to work and has the highest confidence in him, and a staff that's safe for the foreseeable future. He'll have good opportunities if our offense continues its trajectory, so he doesn't have to be desperate to take whatever job comes his way.
 
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WreckinGT

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,159
This is crazy. I remember he was at USCe after his days at App St. But why go back at a lower position? Does USCe really pay their TE coach more than GSU head coach? As @BCJacket said, there has got to be more to this story....he was interim there so maybe he's insurance if/when Beamer is fired mid-season.
As of last year USC paid their TE coach 400k. Elliott was making over 800k as GSU head coach. It's certainly going to be a pay cut. Feels like another case of college head coaches who just don't want to do that sh** anymore.
 

stinger 1957

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,473
If I were Buster with his coaching ability and what I think this staff and program will do over the next couple years, I would not move until offered the top job at a really good program/school. I'm guessing that is what he will do and the same for Santucci if he shows what I think he can show in his abilities. We need to get Santucci some players for this year IMO. We'll see what happens going fwd.
 

Dman374

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
56
I assume we're actively working on an extension for Buster and Geep. I'm just making an observation they're in the last year of their current contracts. Maybe I'm spoiled with AA at the helm of the Braves, but if they're quality coaches why not lock them in sooner rather than later? Fully aware another school with bigger pockets could still poach, regardless of extension, but adding a buyout with teeth could help fund the replacement.
 

roadkill

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,826
Do coaches need to be at schools that will survive the consolidation in CFB?
Interesting take. Perhaps the move is strategic - take a pay cut to get a job in the SEC and be well-positioned when the next wave of consolidation happens. Seems risky, though. This is not Bama hiring another HC to be a coordinator. It's a third-tier coaching position.
 

ThatGuy

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
974
Location
Evergreen, CO

Elliot took the South Carolina job to be to be closer to his wife and kids for his Son and Daughter's last years of high school. Can't fault that.
Certainly can't fault that. But apparently Georgia State had to put spring practice on hold, as he left 2 days into the first week of it. That's kinda crummy - but I imagine he couldn't control the timing of when an offer like this came up.

I also think this does present another referendum on just how much of a juggling act the HC role has become. It's no longer about just coaching football and occasionally shaking hands with donors, or even being CEO of an organization. The constant need to recruit and horsetrade to keep one's own players has to be trying. If he can make 600k as a position coach at SC (number pulled out of thin air) compared to 800k as a head coach at GSU, it may be a no-brainer. I can see the extra stress being worth 25%. Add to it the ability to be closer to your family at an important time, and it makes a lot more sense.

I think with the changing direction of CFB (until or unless some new rules are implemented), the pool of people who can handle all that's required to be an HC has gone from tiny to miniscule.
 
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