Andrew Thacker

WreckinGT

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,009
Agreed. If any comment could be called trollish it would be the quoted statement. It deserved to be countered.
Disagreeing with the original post is fine and some responded fine to it. Those that couldn't do so mocking the original poster or calling Abanikanda names were pretty obviously trolling.
 

iceeater1969

Helluva Engineer
Messages
8,991
I guess this observation has been made before, but since his only other stint as DC was 2018 at Temple, these last two games are the first games Thacker has been a DC without Collins as head coach.
Probably his two best games.
Collins and thacker and Cpj and all dc have been conservative.

These 2 games are the first two times a gt head coach has said across the board" go foward" making something good happen rather than "reading and backing up" to prevent something bad from happening.


We have to play as a team and then THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS - CAN MAKE PLAYS.


If we had this scheme during the 2014 run we could have won it all.
 
Last edited:

UgaBlows

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,419
Disagreeing with the original post is fine and some responded fine to it. Those that couldn't do so mocking the original poster or calling Abanikanda names were pretty obviously trolling.
Now who is the snowflake again? Be careful your melting
 

danny daniel

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,507
The work that Travares Tillman has done with the DBs is incredible and cannot be understated. He needs to be on staff next year regardless of who is head coach or DC.

I went to the practice/scrimmage on Fan Day and when questioned by my GT daughter I told her the big takeaway I saw was the aggressive one on one drill with the WR vs DB. This drill had the two going at it and I was immediately impressed (for a change) with this practice drill. Maybe that is part of the DB coverage improvement. On many of the Duke completions our coverage DB was there and making an immediate hit and close to being in position to get a pick. This group is very much improved and looks well coached for a change.
 

iceeater1969

Helluva Engineer
Messages
8,991
I went to the practice/scrimmage on Fan Day and when questioned by my GT daughter I told her the big takeaway I saw was the aggressive one on one drill with the WR vs DB. This drill had the two going at it and I was immediately impressed (for a change) with this practice drill. Maybe that is part of the DB coverage improvement. On many of the Duke completions our coverage DB was there and making an immediate hit and close to being in position to get a pick. This group is very much improved and looks well coached for a change.
As well! I am amazed at DB coverage.
In covid i sat in uppercdeck to learn about db coversge. ALL ACROSS FIELD.
For the opponents their db seemed to know the route and ran along w our wr. For our db we gave ground as the wr made a cut so he was wide open
Now we are back low, but on several plays during Duke i looked at the db coverage. It was great.

My friend Andy Mac has said this was a clown show under Collins.
 

g0lftime

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,484
As well! I am amazed at DB coverage.
In covid i sat in uppercdeck to learn about db coversge. ALL ACROSS FIELD.
For the opponents their db seemed to know the route and ran along w our wr. For our db we gave ground as the wr made a cut so he was wide open
Now we are back low, but on several plays during Duke i looked at the db coverage. It was great.

My friend Andy Mac has said this was a clown show under Collins.
I hope coach Mac is doing well. He is one of my all time favorite assistant coaches. Other one is Lindsay under Curry. Bestwick was a good coach for us but went to the dark side.
 

takethepoints

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,921
Collins and thacker and Cpj and all dc have been conservative.

These 2 games are the first two times a gt head coach has said across the board" go foward" making something good happen rather than "reading and backing up" to prevent something bad from happening.


We have to play as a team and then THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS - CAN MAKE PLAYS.


If we had this scheme during the 2014 run we could have won it all.
Well … except for Woody. He was a blitz and stunt wizard. Still is, for that matter. Favoring Thacker over him was the first and in many ways the biggest mistake of the Collins era.

I think most DCs emphasize going after it. What we saw until Collins was fired was good performance until Tech got behi9nd by 10 - 14 points. Then the team decided we were going to lose anyway and quit on the field. We all saw that. Now, the D thinks that if they p[lay up to their ability for the whole game, we have a chance to win. I expect that attitude to hold up when we are badly overmatched as well; we'll still lose, but I think the players now feel they have to play hard no matter what. We'll see about that, but that's the attitude with winning teams.

That's why the Pitt win meant so much. And it is why the UVA contest is so much more important. Or, at least, that's what I think.
 

JacketFan137

Banned
Messages
2,536
Well … except for Woody. He was a blitz and stunt wizard. Still is, for that matter. Favoring Thacker over him was the first and in many ways the biggest mistake of the Collins era.

I think most DCs emphasize going after it. What we saw until Collins was fired was good performance until Tech got behi9nd by 10 - 14 points. Then the team decided we were going to lose anyway and quit on the field. We all saw that. Now, the D thinks that if they p[lay up to their ability for the whole game, we have a chance to win. I expect that attitude to hold up when we are badly overmatched as well; we'll still lose, but I think the players now feel they have to play hard no matter what. We'll see about that, but that's the attitude with winning teams.

That's why the Pitt win meant so much. And it is why the UVA contest is so much more important. Or, at least, that's what I think.
honestly thacker is looking good right now. i’m not sure that it was a mistake to choose him. really aside from the ole miss game the tech d has been solid to me
 

laoh

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
750
Well … except for Woody. He was a blitz and stunt wizard. Still is, for that matter. Favoring Thacker over him was the first and in many ways the biggest mistake of the Collins era.

I always lament at Woody only being given 1 year of chance... he was a bright up and comer and I was really excited to see him on campus. Would have loved to see the fruits of his coaching a few years in.
 

UgaBlows

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,419
I always lament at Woody only being given 1 year of chance... he was a bright up and comer and I was really excited to see him on campus. Would have loved to see the fruits of his coaching a few years in.
I was excited about him too but his defense was worse than any of Roof’s the 1 year he was here, I can understand why he wasn’t retained.
 

Techster

Helluva Engineer
Messages
17,886
Key mentioned certain ways Collins ran practice that hurt player development (No 1s versus 1s, limited full contact, limited full speed, etc.)...we know that affected OL play. What else was Collins doing that affected the rest of the team, and in turn affected our view of how certain coaches? DB play was a nightmare, but now their play is better than average. Or defense overall has been playing at a higher level.

Key had some really nice things to say about Thacker in the last coaches presser. Thacker was viewed as an up and coming coaching talent when he came here. I don't think his abilities really changed, and I think Collins kept him because he knew Thacker was good at his job, even though EVERYONE thought he would be one of the coaches let go last offseason. It's quite possible Collins didn't know the limitations he was putting on coaches maybe handcuffed Thacker and our defense.

Whatever happened or changed in the last two weeks, keep doing it. Thacker and the defense have pretty much carried us until the offense got going. To improve from the 90's to the 50's in DFEI in 2 weeks is pretty incredible.
 

UgaBlows

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,419
He wasn't retained because we had a head coaching change, and Collins swapped out EVERYONE. I'm not sure he'd have been kept if we had the #1 defense his season.
I agree about that, Collins wanted a young DC who he could control, micro-manage and override his in-game calls, Woody would Not have put up with that crap for a minute. Still Woody’s def was really bad here, i’m not sure anybody would have retained him.
 

iceeater1969

Helluva Engineer
Messages
8,991
I am pretty sure Collins wanted a coach who would play his defense since that is what he was known for prior to becoming a head coach.
At gt his defense sucked on field but was very good at training players at celebration of thier individual play.

He had so many things that were not based in reality.
.
 

leatherneckjacket

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,881
Location
Atlanta, GA
At gt his defense sucked on field but was very good at training players at celebration of thier individual play.

He had so many things that were not based in reality.
.
Just because he was not a good head coach does not mean he was never a good defensive coordinator, which he was. He had been nominated for the Broyles award three times for his work as a DC. I think this is just an example of the Peter Principle where he was promoted beyond his capabilities.
 

yeti92

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,680
Just because he was not a good head coach does not mean he was never a good defensive coordinator, which he was. He had been nominated for the Broyles award three times for his work as a DC. I think this is just an example of the Peter Principle where he was promoted beyond his capabilities.
There are something like 60 FBS coaches nominated for the Broyles award every year, that's really not that big of an accomplishment.
 

leatherneckjacket

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,881
Location
Atlanta, GA
There are something like 60 FBS coaches nominated for the Broyles award every year, that's really not that big of an accomplishment.
He is the only person who has been nominated three times for his work at three different schools. I know you and everyone else hates him right now, but to suggest he was not a good DC is just you acting out in spite and not using your head.

By the way, it is 60 nominees out of 1200 assistant coaches. Getting nominated three times at three different schools is a big accomplishment,
 
Last edited:
Top