Al Groh's comments re: GT

[daBuzz]

When Al Groh was fired, he made the following comments to the Roanoke Times:

"Just to say it briefly, this circumstance here was the most unprofessional, divisive and negative environment in which I've ever been. To say more would be unprofessional of myself.

"It was just a bad cultural match."

Link

At the time, myself and I think every other GT fan dismissed his comments as just more ramblings by a coach who was angry at being fired in the middle of a season.

But with all that has happened during this off season, I keep going back to these comments in my head and wondering if maybe there was really something to them?

 

[Stinger90]

By reopening this wound maybe we can get it to heal right this time.

Your not the only person thinking this, true or not.

 

[gtg936g]

I still chalk that up to sour grapes. Roof seems to have been much more successful with the same talent. No job is fun when the results are bad.

The STs coach had a lot more going for him than Groh did IMO. I still don't have a clue what happened, but it does not seem to be a pack your crap and get the heck out firing.

 

[southernhive]

I might understand reopening this wound if he had produced a top tier defense, since he failed to teach his defensive scheme to arguably the most intelligent football team(see FB grad rates) in the country, he needed to go.

Nothing to see here…move along

 

[Eric]

I think some is true and some of it is sour grapes...

Fwiw, I know a few coaches a couple of years or so ago that couldn't stand Sewak.

I think the staff gets along well now from what I know...Roof is really a great guy. People love him.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

None of it matters if the results on the field are what they should be.

IF IF IF IF IF -

But it is becoming more and more clear that the administration / faculty see the AA as a nuisance , not an asset to GT. They, if successful, will regret the day if their goals become true.

As has been the case throughout history - some people outsmart themselves.

 

[daBuzz]

I think some is true and some of it is sour grapes...

Fwiw, I know a few coaches a couple of years or so ago that couldn't stand Sewak.

I think the staff gets along well now from what I know...Roof is really a great guy. People love him.

I agree with you mostly. I happen to be friends with one of the assistant coaches and he says that this group really does get along well together.

And, for the record, I wasn't defending Al Groh at all. It was two words in what he said that got me thinking though: "unprofessional" and "negative". And I've heard the unprofessional word used by my friend before when describing some of the things that occur.

It just made me wonder, given what Kelly Quinlan said about the Griffin/Walkosky thing, if this wasn't a case of the unprofessionalism rearing its ugly head.

 

[00Burdell]

Groh was fired in the middle of the season. Coaches are never fired in the middle of the season. That's how bad he was.

He should be thankful, we didn't fire him in the middle of the game.

I can see where he might consider getting fired in the middle of the season unprofessional. But I can also characterize his abysmal failure to even mount a shell of a fundamentally sound defense unprofessional.

But to reach back to Groh's defensive reaction to getting canned to connect some dots to Walkowski and Griffen is really reaching. Not to be disrespectful to either of them but neither of them are exactly irreplaceable and neither (as far as I know) of their cell phones lit up as soon as they became available.

I wish both recently departed coaches well and thank them for their service to GT but gone they are and we have a season to prepare for.

 

[Longestday]

You guys must only follow Tech closely.... other teams fire or have coaches leave, have players move on, etc...

This seems like a off season/fire CPJ kindling thread.

But, given the circumstances, I understand this thread as to the organization as a whole with 3 plays leaving, 3-4 players on suspension, 2 players academically ineligible and 2 coaches gone. CPJ is responsible for the whole program, but I don't think this all this is due to some perceived inability to run a program.

Glad Vad moved on to clear up the QB picture to someone who wants to run the ball
People have got to be able to handle the course work at GT to play at GT or they move on or get academically ineligible
Employees who don't do the right thing get fired all the time

We just had all three in a short period of time. This is better now then in August.

 

[Techster]

John Tenuta was notorious for being a d!ck...but people (coaches, administration, players) put up with him because his unit got results.

CPJ has actually toned down a lot since he got here (Embry Peebles sideline incident, "What are you? Stupid?" OL false start incident on national television, ornery with media) but people put up with it at first because he won 20 games the first two seasons plus an ACC Championship.

Chan Gailey, by all accounts, was a really nice guy and ex-players still go to bat for him. Yet people found things to criticize him for.

Bottom line, if you don't win in this business people will find faults. Saban was a god in Alabama and in college football and it's not a secret he's a grade A a$$hole. But people put up with it because he's bringing in championships...but he hasn't the last two years and 'Bama fans are starting to question him now.

Winning hides a lot of warts. Losing exposes them.

 

[AE 87]

@daBuzz What does your coach friend say? Since you trusted him not to be blowing rainbows and sunshine about Vad, I'm sure you can get the straight scoop here.

Fwiw, I think there were locker room problems in 2010, but a team doesn't rally like it did after the firing of Groh in 2012, if it has a toxic environment. I think Groh's coaching career since leaving Tech speaks to the reception of his account of the situation.

 

[GTrob21]

When Al Groh was fired, he made the following comments to the Roanoke Times:


Link

At the time, myself and I think every other GT fan dismissed his comments as just more ramblings by a coach who was angry at being fired in the middle of a season.

But with all that has happened during this off season, I keep going back to these comments in my head and wondering if maybe there was really something to them?

I was thinking the same thing. I certainly don't have the connections as daBuzz, but I have heard that CPJ is just a tough person to get along with from the few people connected to the team. Not very endearing and can be a bit of a *****, but again that doesn't matter if you winning and even can be a strength (Just look at Saban)

When you continually go 7-5 though, the game changes and quickly the voices of support change sides. I would imagine that this year is make or break for CPJ. We go 7-5 with a loss to UGA and it will be hard to justify to the fan base that this coach is right for GT.

Winning cures all... I'm just not sure this team that Coach Johnson has assembled is going to win enough.

 

[daBuzz]

@daBuzz What does your coach friend say? Since you trusted him not to be blowing rainbows and sunshine about Vad, I'm sure you can get the straight scoop here.

Fwiw, I think there were locker room problems in 2010, but a team doesn't rally like it did after the firing of Groh in 2012, if it has a toxic environment. I think Groh's coaching career since leaving Tech speaks to the reception of his account of the situation.

Neither he nor anyone else is willing to talk about this whole Griffin/Walk thing. The only thing he said was "uh uh...I'm not going anywhere near that". And FWIW, that's the first time he's ever been like that. Obviously there are things he won't tell me because I have no business knowing them, but in those cases he was always like "Nah man, I can't talk about that." In this case, it isn't a "can't talk", it's an "I'm not talking".

 

[AE 87]

Neither he nor anyone else is willing to talk about this whole Griffin/Walk thing. The only thing he said was "uh uh...I'm not going anywhere near that". And FWIW, that's the first time he's ever been like that. Obviously there are things he won't tell me because I have no business knowing them, but in those cases he was always like "Nah man, I can't talk about that." In this case, it isn't a "can't talk", it's an "I'm not talking".

I was asking about Groh's comments on the unprofessional atmosphere. What does he say about that.

 

[jacketup]

One point: Groh asked to bring in one assistant of his choosing. Johnson refused. Groh was managing a defensive staff that effectively reported to the HC, not the DC. That is a management structure that is doomed to failure.

Note that Roof hired Pelton. Maybe Johnson learned something.

It always seems like Johnson is learning on the job. Who made the decision to give a guy a contract worth almost $25,000,000.00--with no prior BCS experience? Learning on the job is what I would expect from a guy with no experience--but not at that salary.

 

[daBuzz]

I was asking about Groh's comments on the unprofessional atmosphere. What does he say about that.

Honestly, I haven't asked him to be more specific.

 

[AE 87]

One point: Groh asked to bring in one assistant of his choosing. Johnson refused. Groh was managing a defensive staff that effectively reported to the HC, not the DC. That is a management structure that is doomed to failure.

Note that Roof hired Pelton. Maybe Johnson learned something.

It always seems like Johnson is learning on the job. Who made the decision to give a guy a contract worth almost $25,000,000.00--with no prior BCS experience? Learning on the job is what I would expect from a guy with no experience--but not at that salary.

Troll harder

 

[sidewalkGTfan]

The only thing I know for certain about Al Groh is that he sucked as a Defensive Coordinator.

 

[jeffgt14]

John Tenuta was notorious for being a d!ck...but people (coaches, administration, players) put up with him because his unit got results.

CPJ has actually toned down a lot since he got here (Embry Peebles sideline incident, "What are you? Stupid?" OL false start incident on national television, ornery with media) but people put up with it at first because he won 20 games the first two seasons plus an ACC Championship.

Chan Gailey, by all accounts, was a really nice guy and ex-players still go to bat for him. Yet people found things to criticize him for.

Bottom line, if you don't win in this business people will find faults. Saban was a god in Alabama and in college football and it's not a secret he's a grade A a$$hole. But people put up with it because he's bringing in championships...but he hasn't the last two years and 'Bama fans are starting to question him now.

Winning hides a lot of warts. Losing exposes them.

Mike Leach is the epitome of this. Putting kin of ESPN analysts in a closet is one of those things that doesn't get overlooked regardless of winning though.

 

[TechPhi97]

John Tenuta was notorious for being a d!ck...but people (coaches, administration, players) put up with him because his unit got results.

CPJ has actually toned down a lot since he got here (Embry Peebles sideline incident, "What are you? Stupid?" OL false start incident on national television, ornery with media) but people put up with it at first because he won 20 games the first two seasons plus an ACC Championship.

Chan Gailey, by all accounts, was a really nice guy and ex-players still go to bat for him. Yet people found things to criticize him for.

Bottom line, if you don't win in this business people will find faults. Saban was a god in Alabama and in college football and it's not a secret he's a grade A a$$hole. But people put up with it because he's bringing in championships...but he hasn't the last two years and 'Bama fans are starting to question him now.

Winning hides a lot of warts. Losing exposes them.

This should end the thread.