70 Years of GT Football – Comparing Teams Under Different Coaches

[Mack]

And Curry would have never been hired if Franklin Brooks had not gotten cancer.

Yep sure wished we had took time to get a replacement that had coached before..yeah I remember Bill playing Pro and College and he did stay on a staff for short time but he basically got the job and the criticism that followed mainly due to no players and his lack of experience at college HC level.Good guy and can win if he had talent but we didnt have it then.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I agree with you on PJ not walking away.If he does where does he go.......he will be admitting his offense will not work at a big school so does he retire and play golf which aint all bad,drop to lower class or become a announcer.I think PJ wants this offense to work.........we all do but him taking a hike is hard to figure..It is clear though he is in middle of a fight since the fans are split on him and this offense.

He doesn't have to admit anything. The facts are facts, and we have six year's of data to substantiate the failure of the system. In your vocation don't they say " a preponderance of evidence"? To say that he is a competitor is accurate, but at the end of this season, in seven tries he will have beaten Georiga once, Virginia Tech once, Miami once, and won won bowl game. I don't think that is how he envisioned things unfolding when he left Navy. And I don't think he is having fun anymore.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Fulcher COULD have succeeded, but unfortunately, he had a screwed up marriage that pretty much put the end to his coaching. He was the ideal Dodd disciple and one of Dodd's favorites, both as a player and an assistant.

He DID succeed by our standards. He won seven games and he went to a bowl game.

 

[GTech63]

I agree that CPJ has a different coach speak than in some past seasons. I sense he feels something special about this years team and its future. The years that disappointed, he said things at the start of the season, that made you wonder about what to expect. This year he seems to be more up beat. We seem to be getting a depth at QB, ready to play and future potential, for first time in his tenure. That plus what Roof has added on D makes me believe we will be in Charlotte this year. This years schedule is a help also. Yes we need to win our Bowls, beat The Dawgs at least 1/2 the time and Miami, VT, and Clemson more often

My impression of why he came to GT is that we are an academically sound school, with a good sports program, similar to the academies, where he could compete for the top 20 and a chance for a National Championship. I don't think the goal has changed. I think he found the challenge to be more difficult than anticipated. Example, he wanted to recruit Georgia, but has found academically, plus being in the middle of the SEC, that won't work.

I hope he stays unless someone can come up with a realistic hireable candidate that can do better. When Slocum left TAMU after 2002 it took 10 years of much worse football to get back to a winning level. Slocum was the winningst coach at A& M since 1929. Finding a new coach is not that simple and at GT much more of a challenge.

My biggest question is why CPJ gave Vad such a long leash to be our QB? JT may not have been ready but his comments always indicated there was not that much drop off between them. He admits trying to adjust the offense to Vad's abilities. Did he let Alumni placing Vad on a pedestal influence him? Does not sound like CPJ but why?

 

[Mack]

He doesn't have to admit anything. The facts are facts, and we have six year's of data to substantiate the failure of the system. In your vocation don't they say " a preponderance of evidence"? To say that he is a competitor is accurate, but at the end of this season, in seven tries he will have beaten Georiga once, Virginia Tech once, Miami once, and won won bowl game. I don't think that is how he envisioned things unfolding when he left Navy. And I don't think he is having fun anymore.

He doesn't have to admit anything. The facts are facts, and we have six year's of data to substantiate the failure of the system. In your vocation don't they say " a preponderance of evidence"? To say that he is a competitor is accurate, but at the end of this season, in seven tries he will have beaten Georiga once, Virginia Tech once, Miami once, and won won bowl game. I don't think that is how he envisioned things unfolding when he left Navy. And I don't think he is having fun anymore.

 

[Mack]

He doesn't have to admit anything. The facts are facts, and we have six year's of data to substantiate the failure of the system. In your vocation don't they say " a preponderance of evidence"? To say that he is a competitor is accurate, but at the end of this season, in seven tries he will have beaten Georiga once, Virginia Tech once, Miami once, and won won bowl game. I don't think that is how he envisioned things unfolding when he left Navy. And I don't think he is having fun anymore.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I agree that CPJ has a different coach speak than in some past seasons. I sense he feels something special about this years team and its future. The years that disappointed, he said things at the start of the season, that made you wonder about what to expect. This year he seems to be more up beat. We seem to be getting a depth at QB, ready to play and future potential, for first time in his tenure. That plus what Roof has added on D makes me believe we will be in Charlotte this year. This years schedule is a help also. Yes we need to win our Bowls, beat The Dawgs at least 1/2 the time and Miami, VT, and Clemson more often

My impression of why he came to GT is that we are an academically sound school, with a good sports program, similar to the academies, where he could compete for the top 20 and a chance for a National Championship. I don't think the goal has changed. I think he found the challenge to be more difficult than anticipated. Example, he wanted to recruit Georgia, but has found academically, plus being in the middle of the SEC, that won't work.

I hope he stays unless someone can come up with a realistic hireable candidate that can do better. When Slocum left TAMU after 2002 it took 10 years of much worse football to get back to a winning level. Slocum was the winningst coach at A& M since 1929. Finding a new coach is not that simple and at GT much more of a challenge.

My biggest question is why CPJ gave Vad such a long leash to be our QB? JT may not have been ready but his comments always indicated there was not that much drop off between them. He admits trying to adjust the offense to Vad's abilities. Did he let Alumni placing Vad on a pedestal influence him? Does not sound like CPJ but why?

I have MY answer to your question. He gave Vad such a long leash because he understands the limitations of the triple option, especially when there is no threat of us passing. He saw in Vad Lee what he thought was a true dual threat quarterback. He remembered his days at Hawaii and the ridiculous numbers that were posted there. He installed the diamond formation and some other variations primarily (I think) because he had told Vad during recruiting that he would do that and wanted to keep his word. So he modified his game plan a little. The problem was Vad was not up to the task. So Coach Johnson had to jettison the great plan and return to his roots. Vad left rather than play in a system he could not master and apparently was ill-suited for.

 

[Mack]

I agree.
He has a very deep competitive streak. He would never, and I mean never, just go through the motions. The moment he loses that competitive nature is the moment he resigns. He is not there yet.
The other things about coach is that he really likes helping young people which is why he is so good with them.

He doesn't have to admit anything. The facts are facts, and we have six year's of data to substantiate the failure of the system. In your vocation don't they say " a preponderance of evidence"? To say that he is a competitor is accurate, but at the end of this season, in seven tries he will have beaten Georiga once, Virginia Tech once, Miami once, and won won bowl game. I don't think that is how he envisioned things unfolding when he left Navy. And I don't think he is having fun anymore.

Yep if this was a bench trial he may be gone but this is trial by jury and all members have to reach a verdict......

 

[GTech63]

Reasonable answer and fits the CPJ character.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I have MY answer to your question. He gave Vad such a long leash because he understands the limitations of the triple option, especially when there is no threat of us passing. He saw in Vad Lee what he thought was a true dual threat quarterback. He remembered his days at Hawaii and the ridiculous numbers that were posted there. He installed the diamond formation and some other variations primarily (I think) because he had told Vad during recruiting that he would do that and wanted to keep his word. So he modified his game plan a little. The problem was Vad was not up to the task. So Coach Johnson had to jettison the great plan and return to his roots. Vad left rather than play in a system he could not master and apparently was ill-suited for.

I think that is pretty close to it. CPJ does have a streak of loyalty in him that does not throw players or coaches under the bus. But when he tries his best to make something work and it doesn't he is willing to part ways as amicably as possible. I was hoping Vad would work out but I remember the previous year when so many people were yammering for Vad, CPJ kept cautioning people that their expectations were not realistic.

 

[GTJake]

I'm not really familar with what went on when CPJ was in Hawaii. I always thought that Vad was a good candidate for the Oregon style spread option.
Not sure if it was passing inaccuracy or CPJ coaching or some of both.
I'm still of the opinion without a passing threat of some kind a stout front seven (ala LSU and Iowa) stymies the TO.

 

[Mack]

I'm not really familar with what went on when CPJ was in Hawaii. I always thought that Vad was a good candidate for the Oregon style spread option.
Not sure if it was passing inaccuracy or CPJ coaching or some of both.
I'm still of the opinion without a passing threat of some kind a stout front seven (ala LSU and Iowa) stymies the TO.

Well me too........thought the ball would be in the air and folks would come out to watch a exciting game but in order to run this thing you got to have athletes who can make quick decisions and we have not had that in years.Now JN was A HOSS but no thrower and Jaybo was brittle and TW did good job of managing the offense but again no thrower so here is Lee at over 200 lbs and good arm.......something happened and we had nobody to put in except JT and in my book we didnt use him enough.Big thing is about seventy five percent of folks today run the spread type offense and its hard to change over to ours..well we should be better this year and then what do we do....................it will be a interesting year.

 

[biggtfan]

His memory of his days at Hawaii is likely better than yours unless you are talking about his tendency to run the ball. As the OC, here are the numbers for passing and rushing attempts per game and won-loss record:

Year........PA/G..RA/G..W/L
1987......... 26..... 48......5-7
1988......... 22..... 52......9-3
1989......... 22..... 46......9-3-1
1990......... 29..... 41......7-5
1991......... 21..... 52......4-7
1992......... 15..... 49......11-2
1993......... 20..... 47......6-6
1994......... 12......43......3-8-1

I have MY answer to your question. He gave Vad such a long leash because he understands the limitations of the triple option, especially when there is no threat of us passing. He saw in Vad Lee what he thought was a true dual threat quarterback. He remembered his days at Hawaii and the ridiculous numbers that were posted there. He installed the diamond formation and some other variations primarily (I think) because he had told Vad during recruiting that he would do that and wanted to keep his word. So he modified his game plan a little. The problem was Vad was not up to the task. So Coach Johnson had to jettison the great plan and return to his roots. Vad left rather than play in a system he could not master and apparently was ill-suited for.

 

[Mack]

Some how I thought June Jones was the HC at Hawalli and they threw the ball a lot.Help !

 

[GTJake]

So in eight years they averaged 20.8 passes per game, I thought I remember CPJ referring to a "run and shoot" offense during his time there ??

 

[AE 87]

So in eight years they averaged 20.8 passes per game, I thought I remember CPJ referring to a "run and shoot" offense during his time there ??

It was basically the same offense as now, iirc. AIui, he developed it as OC at Georgia Southern in the early 80's. It uses run and shoot as the basic pass concept. He threw it more in Hawaii when he had a QB that could do it.

 

[Mack]

It was basically the same offense as now, iirc. AIui, he developed it as OC at Georgia Southern in the early 80's. It uses run and shoot as the basic pass concept. He threw it more in Hawaii when he had a QB that could do it.

Yeah memory is lot clearer now.......he had a thrower and they were pretty exciting.One thing that was a plus when the tech job was offered to some was PJ was from GSU and could throw the rock.........problem was no rock thrower.Run and shoot is pretty exciting but like the option you need a good qb.

 

[GTJake]

I think as long as CPJ is around it's always going to be run-run-run-run-run ... and shoot.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

His memory of his days at Hawaii is likely better than yours unless you are talking about his tendency to run the ball. As the OC, here are the numbers for passing and rushing attempts per game and won-loss record:

Year........PA/G..RA/G..W/L
1987......... 26..... 48......5-7
1988......... 22..... 52......9-3
1989......... 22..... 46......9-3-1
1990......... 29..... 41......7-5
1991......... 21..... 52......4-7
1992......... 15..... 49......11-2
1993......... 20..... 47......6-6
1994......... 12......43......3-8-1

Thanks for the facts. Not as much passing as what I would have guessed from the talk I've heard. That's why the facts are good.

 

[awbuzz]

Thanks for the facts. Not as much passing as what I would have guessed from the talk I've heard. That's why the facts are good.

This^^^^
Nothing like having facts... not just hearsay.