AD Hire: J Batt

[Sheboygan]

Bro, I took the m-train my sophomore year. Left the differential difficult equations to the rest o' yall.

2nd quarter switch for me . Never looked back......

 

[JacketFan137]

I think the strange self-loathing GT fans have is more off putting to sidewalk fans than anything.

President Cabrera just dropped his D on the table and hired the #2 guy from arguably the best athletic association in the country and fans are crying about how he's not going to be any good because of the Org he worked for was a high performing organization when he got there.
You wouldn't say that a developer sucks because he works for Microsoft and they're the biggest game in town and that makes it easy. He was hired by MSFT because he was the best and they could afford the best. Same principle here...nobody is slipping through the cracks to be the deputy AD at Bama lol.

The days of looking at candidates from Oregon State, App State, Army etc. appear to be finally over.

Hopefully this means the days of GT AA being a coupon clipping organization is over. No longer will we be wearing Russell tube socks so to speak

a sizable portion of the fanbase i think wants to be closer to oregon state, app, army than bama. any idea of replicating anything done at a “big school” is scary and uncharted territory so they would prefer to just wallow in mediocrity “the tech way” than try to aim higher

 

[Sheboygan]

This seems like a fantastic hire ! Cabrera hit a home run, IMO.
I know ADTS was a Tech man and gave it his best, but I worried about the Oregon State background on his resume.
Definite major upgrade.

 

[iceeater1969]

As I've digested this strong rumor this morning, I'm starting to like the potential of this hire. No idea if he'll work out, but the logic behind the hire seems very solid. It also gives me hope that we'll see support for the football team that has been sorely lacking.

In particular, I have hope that we'll see a professionalization (is that a word?) of the GTAA and the FB program with regards to talent. Getting the funding necessary to hire top-notch talent in non-coaching roles seems to be a requirement to win now. Hopefully we'll see a big increase in the number of support staff for both football and basketball.

i have had a person at gtaa as my contact for 7 years - most are average - but one was great.

She stayed in contact to take care of many small things that made it easy for my wife to attend games and events.

When she left , she took time to call and gave me sincere good bye. I told her to stand by as we are either going out of business or will need her back.

imo, the gtaa workers want to do a good job but don't have leadership to equip them to succeed.

 

[jacketup]

You wouldn't say that a developer sucks because he works for Microsoft

I would. MS has done a fine job of building a monopoly but their software is crap. GT has no monopoly to support its football program.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[WreckinGT]

Seems like a good hire. Im excited about him. Feels like a big hire also. Someone that would have been difficult to snag unless alot of promises were made. Hopefully that means more big hires, and changes are coming and we are going all in.

 

[Sheboygan]

Seems like a good hire. Im excited about him. Feels like a big hire also. Someone that would have been difficult to snag unless alot of promises were made. Hopefully that means more big hires, and changes are coming and we are going all in.

Agreed. This was the necessary first step to rebuild the AA. Next, a smart, vetted, builder/recruiter/leader/winner as FB HC.

 

[RamblinRed]

On paper this looks like a very good hire.

Will be rooting for him.

 

[takethepoints]

This is a homerun hire. He was the lead administrator for multiple sports programs at bama, most notable the basketball team. Batt was named a top 40 under 40 by the sports business journal.

Glad to see you're on the "Run the damn ball" team!

 

[Vespidae]

a sizable portion of the fanbase i think wants to be closer to oregon state, app, army than bama. any idea of replicating anything done at a “big school” is scary and uncharted territory so they would prefer to just wallow in mediocrity “the tech way” than try to aim higher

Not sure about that. Older alumni remember when it was Alabama chasing Tech.

 

[takethepoints]

I hope Batt will work out. I think there's a good chance he will. I fear that he will find Tech a place where difficulties generating the kind of support he had at Bama, the limits of Tech's curriculum, and the academic standards will make his job harder then he anticipates. If he can find ways to solve Tech's financial woes (with Cabera, of course), recasts the AA for success, and adapts to the environment he could be a great hire. That's tall order, but, with the right support from the top, achievable.

Now, about that coaching situation in football …

 

[GTLorenzo]

I hope Batt will work out. I think there's a good chance he will. I fear that he will find Tech a place where difficulties generating the kind of support he had at Bama, the limits of Tech's curriculum, and the academic standards will make his job harder then he anticipates. If he can find ways to solve Tech's financial woes (with Cabera, of course), recasts the AA for success, and adapts to the environment he could be a great hire. That's tall order, but, with the right support from the top, achievable.

Now, about that coaching situation in football …

I think the success of the new AD and football coaches will depend on how long Cabrera stays as President and how committed he actually is to athletics. Usual President term is, what, 8-15 years? If he is truly committed to athletic success and is going to help raise funds for endowments and debt items and we can run more efficiently, that makes the job of AD and HFC easier. Not easy, but easier. I guess there is always the concern that someone that young does well and then moves on to a more high profile job. If so, hope that he helps groom someone to take over and continue the success.

 

[takethepoints]

a sizable portion of the fanbase i think wants to be closer to oregon state, app, army than bama. any idea of replicating anything done at a “big school” is scary and uncharted territory so they would prefer to just wallow in mediocrity “the tech way” than try to aim higher

Well … let's just get to where we have as successful a football program as App State (10-3 in 2021) and Army (9-4 in 2021) and then we can start looking to be better. 10 and 9 win seasons, no matter what the competition, are by definition not mediocre.

 

[stinger 1957]

He needs to make one right decision and the rest will fall into place, including the fundraising.

I would love for it to be that simple, but I don't think it is if you look at the finances and what we need to do going forward and where CFB is going.

 

[takethepoints]

I think the success of the new AD and football coaches will depend on how long Cabrera stays as President and how committed he actually is to athletics. Usual President term is, what, 8-15 years? If he is truly committed to athletic success and is going to help raise funds for endowments and debt items and we can run more efficiently, that makes the job of AD and HFC easier. Not easy, but easier. I guess there is always the concern that someone that young does well and then moves on to a more high profile job. If so, hope that he helps groom someone to take over and continue the success.

I agree. A lot depends on Cabrera and his success in facing the problems with our athletic program. Problem = he has what could only be called a full plate already. If he meets substantial headwinds he might find that the rest of his job needs more of his attention. I don't know enough about the details of Tech's situation to estimate how likely this would be. I hope not too likely. I fear it is likely.

 

[stinger 1957]

a sizable portion of the fanbase i think wants to be closer to oregon state, app, army than bama. any idea of replicating anything done at a “big school” is scary and uncharted territory so they would prefer to just wallow in mediocrity “the tech way” than try to aim higher

I happen to believe the single biggest thing that holds people back from being successful in life is fear of winning.

 

[Ramble1885]

It’s official lads!

Georgia Tech Names J Batt New Director of Athletics

Tech's 10th A.D. comes to The Flats from the University of Alabama

ramblinwreck.com

 

[GTLorenzo]

I agree. A lot depends on Cabrera and his success in facing the problems with our athletic program. Problem = he has what could only be called a full plate already. If he meets substantial headwinds he might find that the rest of his job needs more of his attention. I don't know enough about the details of Tech's situation to estimate how likely this would be. I hope not too likely. I fear it is likely.

Biggest positive from Cabrera is that he is an alum, his wife is an alum and his son is an alum. He actually has some skin in the game from that perspective. This could be a historic change in how the Hill views athletics (as the front porch of the university) or it could be a flash in the pan. We'll see.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

No comment but I wasn’t really going to comment on any of the hires for AD. He has my support and I’m just excited to get this portion of the process over with. Looking forward to next Thursday!

This. I’ll wait ten years and decide. What I know about Athletic Directors available would fit in a thimble.

 

[GT_05]

The Hill is Cabrera’s Hill. His office sits on top of the Hill.
The Board of Regents is another story, but he put a senior member of the Hill in charge of this search. Cabrera has already shown the Hill wants this fixed

I haven’t read this whole thread so I’m probably echoing a lot of previous posts but this hire strikes me as a big freaking deal. Maybe the biggest since I became a Tech fan nearly 25 years ago. The hire may not work out but Cabrera is certainly trying to change our direction.

This hire is showing me that Cabrera is a competitor and he wants Tech to be among the best in the classroom and on the field (just like he said).