Coach Paul Johnson Tears Into Geoff Collins

majorQ9

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I don't think anyone hated Collins as much as I did. But the fact is maybe that hate needs to also go to some of the big money donators because of their money they think they can make that weak AD (which is now gone) do what they wanted.

Now we have a good president, AD and Head coach to get this program back where we need to be.
It's good to see the Hill is lot more receptive to transfers now. I thought it was crazy CPJ had to go to Bud Peterson to get Patrick Skov enrolled and was then told, no more. He was a graduate student from Stanford.
 

TooTall

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It's good to see the Hill is lot more receptive to transfers now. I thought it was crazy CPJ had to go to Bud Peterson to get Patrick Skov enrolled and was then told, no more. He was a graduate student from Stanford.
Just good old fashioned Tech Elitism...a phrase and lifestyle that was well established before TFG came to town and still popular among many.
 

stinger78

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And that was when I really started to dislike Collins. 3 years into his tenure he would still on occasion throw former players under the bus for “slowing his progress on a rebuild.” Not the kind of adult you would ever want teaching your children.
This. I felt from his time at Tech before that he was pretty much about promoting himself. When he began to toss CPJ's players under the bus, it was over for me with him - and that was pretty early on in his time. No good leader does that. Players know, if he does that to them, he will do it to me. It destroys confidence and loyalty and can make the culture all about me.
 

g0lftime

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When I listen to that interview, it seems clear to me that the big thing that he's upset about is how Collins' remarks reflected on CPJ's players. Either denigrating what his teams achieved or denigrating the ability of the players that Collins inherited. It wasn't necessary for Collins to do any of that.
Collins couldn't beat the Citadel running the 3O. No telling how bad Navy or Army would have beat us. UNC better hope none of them are on their schedule.
 

Northeast Stinger

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TFG’s D at Miss State was torched by CPJ in the 2014 Orange Bowl, too. Of course, he had already jumped to UF by then.
When we first hired him it was the Miss State game that made me nervous. Sure, he left a couple of weeks before the bowl game, but that was his defense. In the second half there were players giving up on plays. The Days long TD run was aided in part by a lack of effort by some of the defenders. Collins’ defense was mentally and physically whipped by the fourth quarter and the SEC is supposed to be tougher than that.
 

Papa Foxtrot

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When we first hired him it was the Miss State game that made me nervous. Sure, he left a couple of weeks before the bowl game, but that was his defense. In the second half there were players giving up on plays. The Days long TD run was aided in part by a lack of effort by some of the defenders. Collins’ defense was mentally and physically whipped by the fourth quarter and the SEC is supposed to be tougher than that.
To be fair, Shaq Mason had a lot to do with that. The second half was mainly a bunch of "Follow Shaq" plays. I kept that game on my DVR for over a year just so I could watch the second half....
 

takethepoints

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For that brief, shinning moment, Tony Hollings was the best running back Tech ever had and one of the best backs in the country. If not for a reserve running back not having his helmet on when he was called to substitute, fate might have turned differently.
Are you ever right. As I've said here before, Tony was another O. J. Roughly the same size - OJ was an inch taller, Tony 5 lbs heavier - and the same results: 5 yds, 4 yds, 15 yards, 5 yds, 25 yds and so on. Give him hole of any size and a clear field with DBs within 5 yds and it was game over. The only Tech RB I ever saw with as quick a start was Brent Cunnigham and Toiny had a higher top end. Chan must have thought had died and gone to heaven after Tony's first practice as an RB.

If he hadn't been injured, He'd have been Tech first Heisman winner. Crying shame.
 

ThatGuy

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Ooooo… this sounds fun. I think we can go several pages debating who hated him most!
I hated him sooo much that I threw away all of my socks and bought a pair of skinny pants just so I could burn the skinny pants and buy socks!

For some reason, this immediately came to mind.

 

takethepoints

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To be fair, Shaq Mason had a lot to do with that. The second half was mainly a bunch of "Follow Shaq" plays. I kept that game on my DVR for over a year just so I could watch the second half....
I agree, but the way Tech ran a simple belly dive over and over right down the field in the 3rd quarter showed a lack of adjustment we all came to know and deplore when TFG became Tech's coach.

And, btw, every word Paul's says is 100% correct.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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IMO the George O’Leary years were about as good as any after 1990. That defense O’Leary had was tough and when he became HC the team was a dumpster fire then O’Leary had the team that could play with anybody in the country. When you see what O’Leary did at UCF we know it wasn’t a fluke what he did at GT. I’ve never seen any coaches better than Bobby Ross, George O’Leary and Ralph Freidgen, that’s as good as it gets imo. CPJ did a very good job but I believe the O’Leary teams were better especially on defense and then we look at the offense with Ralph Freidgen 😂 like I said brother, it doesn’t get any better lol
O'Leary had more talent to work with on offense. They struggled on defense a good bit as did Coach Johnson's teams. Trying to cover Kelly Campbell and Dez White was just about impossible when you add Charles Wiley, Joe Burns, Ed Wilder, and huge linemen it is no wonder they scored so much with quarterbacks Joe Ham and George Godsey. I am forgetting the wide receiver who made the miracle catch from Godsey in the end zone against Clemson, my apologies.
 

684Bee

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O'Leary had more talent to work with on offense. They struggled on defense a good bit as did Coach Johnson's teams. Trying to cover Kelly Campbell and Dez White was just about impossible when you add Charles Wiley, Joe Burns, Ed Wilder, and huge linemen it is no wonder they scored so much with quarterbacks Joe Ham and George Godsey. I am forgetting the wide receiver who made the miracle catch from Godsey in the end zone against Clemson, my apologies.
Kerry Watkins.
 

LargeFO

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It was probably more than one, circus is a good description of what he was running. I remember the first game vs. Clemson, Collins had his players lifting weights on the sideline during pre-game. The announcers were baffled and that was only the start of the circus ...
David Pollock was truly trying not to laugh, not even from a dislike GT angle.
 

RonJohn

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To be fair, Shaq Mason had a lot to do with that. The second half was mainly a bunch of "Follow Shaq" plays. I kept that game on my DVR for over a year just so I could watch the second half....
The "common knowledge" of the Flexbone was that the OL is scrawny and can't do anything except for "chop block" and try to take out the DL's knees. If I remember correctly, in that game the OL was pushing their DL back from the LOS shoulder pad to shoulder pad. Shaq definitely was, but I think others were too. I think they were also pretty physical with the mutt's DL that year. There were actual criticisms of the offense and criticisms of recruiting. However, a lot of the "common knowledge" arguments against the flexbone were just people coming up with a conclusion and ignoring the facts.
 

Techster

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To be fair, Shaq Mason had a lot to do with that. The second half was mainly a bunch of "Follow Shaq" plays. I kept that game on my DVR for over a year just so I could watch the second half....

Mason was a BEAST that game, but that entire line did a heck of a job. That group was probably CPJ's best OL in terms of physical ability and technical skill for the offense. On the Synjyn Days run, the second half where MSU thought Days was going out of bounds, it was Braun and Chamberlain on that side. Braun was REALLY good that year, and CPJ pulled him a lot that game.




Reviewing that video, reminded me of how this board use to dissect plays after every game. CPJ years were fun in terms of analyzing plays the following week.
 

swampsting

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What's even more baffling to me, is that Stansbury which I thought was a great hire for AD, a former GT guy coming back to his Alma Mater, not only put up with this for three years, but then stood up for the guy at the end ????
Collins talked "brand" and TStan was sold. Lock, stock and barrel. I think that's what it came down to. But it was apparent in year two none of our opponents took us seriously - even Notre Dame talked openly of using that week to prepare for somebody else rather than preparing for us.
Once that happens, you need a change. We waited too long.
 
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