AJC Article - Georgia Tech football assistant salaries largely the same from 2019

[gtrower]

I still find it strange that people view Collins as "unproven" given that he was a DC at two SEC schools and was a HC at an FBS school. Gailey had no FBS coaching experience--even as an assistant. Johnson had no P5 experience and he only had one stop at any FBS school--Navy--which is not in a conference and is a different place to recruit for. Having coached with O'Leary, Saban and Mullen, Collins' resume is the best we've had since O'Leary.

We do need money for assistants. In 2019, Clemson had two offensive assistants who made $1 million and the DC made $2 million.

Texas fans believe Meyer is headed there, but we will see.

Collins was 15-10 in 2 years at a non-P5 program that had gone 20-8 the previous 2 years.

Gailey had 2 years NFL head coaching experience making the playoffs both years + 4 seasons as an NFL OC.

CPJ went 107-39 with 2 FCS titles in 11 seasons as a Head Coach.

You are reaching.

 

[Milwaukee]

So one million per win? Pretty good bargain, don’t you think?

Harbaugh has made 48M and has 48 wins at Michigan. Food for thought.

 

[RonJohn]

If Urban wanted to come here, we sure as hell would be finding that money.

You really think so? The coaching staff salary alone at Ohio State is almost equal to the entire football budget at GT. By contrast, the entire coaching staff (HC and assistant coaches) make less money than either the HC at Ohio State, or the assistant coach salary pool at Ohio State.

"Finding the money" wouldn't be getting a few million dollars, it would take almost doubling the entire football budget. If GT has donors who are willing to put up that kind of money, it won't actually matter if Urban became the coach. If GT starts spending that kind of money, we could get top notch coordinators and "analysts" just like the big football programs.

 

[takethepoints]

This thread is reiterating some of the reasons we hired Paul. We knew he'd run the O and we wouldn't have to hire an OC. We knew he'd hire assistants on O that would take the salary offered; lack of competition for their services. That meant we could get a coaching staff that could make us competitive on the budget we had available.

This is no longe the case. If we want to succeed now we have to put up the money for both recruiting and coaching staff that will make us competitive. (I've done what I could here and, believe me, that isn't enough.) I don't know where the cash is going to come from, but nothing else will make the nut for Tech. We have enough obstacles to football success already.

 

[Jacketman99]

We are definitely not "finding the money" for what Urban Meyer would need to come to GT. Are we going to beat out the other major power 5 programs that want him? Are we going to spend the millions per year we would need for assistant coaches? I am sure he would require an expanded football support staff as well. What about the recruiting budget?

 

[GTRambler]

Well, GT only has 20, 22, up to 25K (?) dedicated season ticket holders for home football games at BDS@GF each year. Until this number is doubled consistently on an annual basis, things simply won’t get any better.

 

[jacketup]

Collins was 15-10 in 2 years at a non-P5 program that had gone 20-8 the previous 2 years.

Gailey had 2 years NFL head coaching experience making the playoffs both years + 4 seasons as an NFL OC.

CPJ went 107-39 with 2 FCS titles in 11 seasons as a Head Coach.

You are reaching.

Collins P5 experience coaching with excellent head coaches far outstrips the experience of other 2. If the other two were so great, why was Gailey fired and why did Johnson have a .500 FBS record at GT over the last 9 years? Collins' 13-11 FBS record in 2 years at Temple was better--and they went to bowls both years. You prove my point by citing both Johnson's and Gailey's records at non-FBS stops--coaching at other levels simply doesn't translate. And you say I'm reaching.....

 

[gtrower]

Collins P5 experience coaching with excellent head coaches far outstrips the experience of other 2. If the other two were so great, why was Gailey fired and why did Johnson have a .500 FBS record at GT over the last 9 years? Collins' 13-11 FBS record in 2 years at Temple was better--and they went to bowls both years. You prove my point by citing both Johnson's and Gailey's records at non-FBS stops--coaching at other levels simply doesn't translate. And you say I'm reaching.....

So if I’m following your logic, you think the fact that CPJ and CCG were a little over .500 in their Tech careers (and we’re excluding 2 of CPJs 3 best seasons for the purposes of this exercise) as a reason that CGC was more qualified at the time of his hire than CPJ/CGC at the time of theirs?

Also we’re counting CPJs tenure at Navy as non-FBS experience. Where he was 45-29 with a Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year winner.

 

[ChicagobasedJacket]

Well, GT only has 20, 22, up to 25K (?) dedicated season ticket holders for home football games at BDS@GF each year. Until this number is doubled consistently on an annual basis, things simply won’t get any better.

Agreed. I think that’s one of the biggest things holding us back. We need 30-35k of dedicated season ticket holders. Our biggest issue is that our alumni spreads out after graduation. We also lack the sidewalk fans needed to sustain and reach those season ticket thresholds

 

[stech81]

I still find it strange that people view Collins as "unproven" given that he was a DC at two SEC schools and was a HC at an FBS school.

Not sure how old you are so I don't know how far you go back in Tech history. But it is hard to say what is unproven as a coach. I remember a head coach we hired that had just won coach of the year , one would have thought that would be a good hire but that coach was B*** L**** and he didn't really have a lot of coaching experience as a head coach and we know how that turned out. I like CGC but till he shows me he can be a head coach we need better coordinators for him. We have some good assistant coaches but we really need better coordinators . people thought CPJ was a stubborn man but I think CGC may also be stubborn when he gets some heat. And point blank he really ain't got that bad so far

 

[slugboy]

This thread is reiterating some of the reasons we hired Paul. We knew he'd run the O and we wouldn't have to hire an OC. We knew he'd hire assistants on O that would take the salary offered; lack of competition for their services. That meant we could get a coaching staff that could make us competitive on the budget we had available.

This is no longe the case. If we want to succeed now we have to put up the money for both recruiting and coaching staff that will make us competitive. (I've done what I could here and, believe me, that isn't enough.) I don't know where the cash is going to come from, but nothing else will make the nut for Tech. We have enough obstacles to football success already.

Programs were vying for Paul Johnson. We weren’t buying from the value menu and saving by not having an OC. He was disruptive, and was knocking off the big boys from a Navy program that had been a whipping boy before he got there. He came in as a coach that scared the H*** out of anyone who played him. We thought with the top 30 defense we had, plus his unconventional offense, that we were headed to the big time.
We ended up on a value plan later, but that’s not how it started. We were sick of 8-3 seasons and mid-tier bowl games, and got Paul to step up a league.
To your second point, a couple of billionaire boosters would help a ton, but that’s something almost everyone wants.

 

[SteamWhistle]

We can’t fill a 56,000 seat stadium in the heart of college football country. We are never gonna even sniff sec level of Salary. We are Vanderbilt if Vanderbilt was good a long time ago.

 

[first&ten]

This is part of the reason we do not attract a certain level of coaches some people would like. The salaries that we offer are just not competitive enough. Even if we pay a head coach a reasonable salary, we do not have enough in the pool to get the high level assistants. Who was coming to GT with the transition we needed to make and a below average salary? It will be hard for us to get successful established coaches or young, hot coaches unless there is a GT connection. This is another reason we should all pray that CGC succeeds at GT.

Donate, donate ,donate !! That is how college football teams succeed!

 

[4shotB]

We have some good assistant coaches but we really need better coordinators .

Hence why we always have a problem

stech81, I have quoted the above but in the reverse ordeer I intended to. The second quote (above) is something you said relative to our low compensation packages for coaches (relative terms, not absolute). The first quote is obvious.

My question to you is how do you intend to get better coordinators? Are you implying that we raise our compensation? That we churn coaches until we get lucky? Yes, you can get talent above what are you are paying for in unique cases. But that is rare. And short term. These guys know their market value.

 

[RonJohn]

Programs were vying for Paul Johnson. We weren’t buying from the value menu and saving by not having an OC. He was disruptive, and was knocking off the big boys from a Navy program that had been a whipping boy before he got there. He came in as a coach that scared the H*** out of anyone who played him. We thought with the top 30 defense we had, plus his unconventional offense, that we were headed to the big time.
We ended up on a value plan later, but that’s not how it started. We were sick of 8-3 seasons and mid-tier bowl games, and got Paul to step up a league.
To your second point, a couple of billionaire boosters would help a ton, but that’s something almost everyone wants.

Who was trying to get him before he came here? He was hired in at GT with a $1.6 million salary and an assistant pool of $1.4 million. I remember rumors that Auburn tried to hire him away after his first or second year, but I don't recall any bidding wars before he came here. According to CPJ, he didn't leave because he promised his wife that his daughter would be able to finish high school in the Atlanta area if they moved to the Atlanta area to take the GT job. (Although I have never heard him say it was Auburn, he just described it as a football powerhouse school.) CPJ was limited in assistant coaches salary pool when he first came and wasn't able to hire the DC that he wanted to hire. I seriously doubt that if he didn't have a family concern about moving again, GT could not have matched the salary, could not have come close to matching the assistant coaches salary pool, and couldn't match the facilities at Auburn. GT did raise his salary after 2008 to $2.4 million, but that was reportedly much less than what Auburn was offering. His assistant pool was raised after 2008 from $1.4 to $1.5 million. In 2008, Pete Carroll made $4.4 million. Saban and Les Miles made $3.75 million. After the increase in 2008, GT was paying in the mid-range of P5 head coaches salaries.

 

[stech81]

stech81, I have quoted the above but in the reverse ordeer I intended to. The second quote (above) is something you said relative to our low compensation packages for coaches (relative terms, not absolute). The first quote is obvious.

My question to you is how do you intend to get better coordinators? Are you implying that we raise our compensation? That we churn coaches until we get lucky? Yes, you can get talent above what are you are paying for in unique cases. But that is rare. And short term. These guys know their market value.

That is the problem with no money your are not going to get proven coordinators .The sad part is first look at your other assistant coaches ( maybe there is one on the staff who could do a good job) . Other than that you have to look for a young upcoming one that would take the job. Of course it our case if will find one and still have no money you are training him for a better job.

 

[slugboy]

Who was trying to get him before he came here? He was hired in at GT with a $1.6 million salary and an assistant pool of $1.4 million. I remember rumors that Auburn tried to hire him away after his first or second year, but I don't recall any bidding wars before he came here. According to CPJ, he didn't leave because he promised his wife that his daughter would be able to finish high school in the Atlanta area if they moved to the Atlanta area to take the GT job. (Although I have never heard him say it was Auburn, he just described it as a football powerhouse school.) CPJ was limited in assistant coaches salary pool when he first came and wasn't able to hire the DC that he wanted to hire. I seriously doubt that if he didn't have a family concern about moving again, GT could not have matched the salary, could not have come close to matching the assistant coaches salary pool, and couldn't match the facilities at Auburn. GT did raise his salary after 2008 to $2.4 million, but that was reportedly much less than what Auburn was offering. His assistant pool was raised after 2008 from $1.4 to $1.5 million. In 2008, Pete Carroll made $4.4 million. Saban and Les Miles made $3.75 million. After the increase in 2008, GT was paying in the mid-range of P5 head coaches salaries.

There were at least two ACC teams that were bidding against us for Paul Johnson in 2007.

 

[smokey_wasp]

Who was trying to get him before he came here? He was hired in at GT with a $1.6 million salary and an assistant pool of $1.4 million. I remember rumors that Auburn tried to hire him away after his first or second year, but I don't recall any bidding wars before he came here. According to CPJ, he didn't leave because he promised his wife that his daughter would be able to finish high school in the Atlanta area if they moved to the Atlanta area to take the GT job. (Although I have never heard him say it was Auburn, he just described it as a football powerhouse school.) CPJ was limited in assistant coaches salary pool when he first came and wasn't able to hire the DC that he wanted to hire. I seriously doubt that if he didn't have a family concern about moving again, GT could not have matched the salary, could not have come close to matching the assistant coaches salary pool, and couldn't match the facilities at Auburn. GT did raise his salary after 2008 to $2.4 million, but that was reportedly much less than what Auburn was offering. His assistant pool was raised after 2008 from $1.4 to $1.5 million. In 2008, Pete Carroll made $4.4 million. Saban and Les Miles made $3.75 million. After the increase in 2008, GT was paying in the mid-range of P5 head coaches salaries.

There were at least two ACC teams that were bidding against us for Paul Johnson in 2007.

I recall that Duke really wanted him. He probably would have gone there if he hadn't come here.

 

[alagold]

How much are we spending on the new AA building. Would some of that been better spent on salaries?

 

[LongforDodd]

Who was trying to get him before he came here? He was hired in at GT with a $1.6 million salary and an assistant pool of $1.4 million. I remember rumors that Auburn tried to hire him away after his first or second year, but I don't recall any bidding wars before he came here. According to CPJ, he didn't leave because he promised his wife that his daughter would be able to finish high school in the Atlanta area if they moved to the Atlanta area to take the GT job. (Although I have never heard him say it was Auburn, he just described it as a football powerhouse school.) CPJ was limited in assistant coaches salary pool when he first came and wasn't able to hire the DC that he wanted to hire. I seriously doubt that if he didn't have a family concern about moving again, GT could not have matched the salary, could not have come close to matching the assistant coaches salary pool, and couldn't match the facilities at Auburn. GT did raise his salary after 2008 to $2.4 million, but that was reportedly much less than what Auburn was offering. His assistant pool was raised after 2008 from $1.4 to $1.5 million. In 2008, Pete Carroll made $4.4 million. Saban and Les Miles made $3.75 million. After the increase in 2008, GT was paying in the mid-range of P5 head coaches salaries.

Just curious...who was PJ's first choice for DC that he couldn't get the salary for?