CPJ interview - Nov 11

[Augusta_Jacket]

I just don't think this is the strategy (raising tons of $$$).

If I heard TStan correctly, the goal is to refresh the facilities (new Edge, etc), wait for legacy costs to discontinue (stop paying fired coaches) and reduce long-term debt. That would give them more discretionary money to spend that they don't have today. With the size of our fanbase, I just don't see a path to significantly increase football related spending without a MASSIVE change in how we raise money.

I don't see any way around it. We can debate HOW to raise funds, but the need to update facilities, raise coaching salary levels to attract the top tier of coaches, sund more and better recruiting help, etc., is not going away. If nothing else, the AI 2020 campaign shows just how far behind we fell. CFB is a business, as you often say, and if you don't keep investing in your company, you will end up out of business.

Now, you and I can both agree that we will likely never raise the same levels of money as the factories, so therefore we will need to be much wiser in how we spend said money, but that does not negate the need to raise money to help put our program back into a competitive balance with other ACC schools.

 

[Vespidae]

I don't see any way around it. We can debate HOW to raise funds, but the need to update facilities, raise coaching salary levels to attract the top tier of coaches, sund more and better recruiting help, etc., is not going away. If nothing else, the AI 2020 campaign shows just how far behind we fell. CFB is a business, as you often say, and if you don't keep investing in your company, you will end up out of business.

Now, you and I can both agree that we will likely never raise the same levels of money as the factories, so therefore we will need to be much wiser in how we spend said money, but that does not negate the need to raise money to help put our program back into a competitive balance with other ACC schools.

I just dont see a path to consistently generate another 5 million, let alone 10. That is, without a massive change in how we do it.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I just dont see a path to consistently generate another 5 million, let alone 10. That is, without a massive change in how we do it.

Then let's change how we do it. Just because we've been historically bad at something doesn't mean it can't be done.

That's one reason for the MBS home games. Close to $1m revenue per game. Thinking different can get results. I'm not arguing it's an easy fix, but it's obvious we have to figure it out.

 

[Vespidae]

Then let's change how we do it. Just because we've been historically bad at something doesn't mean it can't be done.

That's one reason for the MBS home games. Close to $1m revenue per game. Thinking different can get results. I'm not arguing it's an easy fix, but it's obvious we have to figure it out.

The pessimist in me recalls the same goal for 40 yrs.

 

[deeeznutz]

I think I've finally figured it out. The CPJ worshippers are so hung up on GT as nerds that they feel like they can only be proud if we are running a "unique" (i.e. nerdy) offense. Please just give it up. He is gone. Not one person on this message board influenced that decision.

GT has been successful in the past without the 3O. We can be successful in the future without it. Other schools that are not traditional powers have been and are successful without it.

I don't know if Geoff Collins has what it takes to bring that success. But two things are true. (1) The program needed to go in another direction because it was dying on the vine despite CPJ's successes over an 11 year period. And (2) we are guaranteed not to be successful with half of our fan base acting like petulant children and complaining that the previous guy didn't get a fair chance. Either we support GT and Collins efforts or we get to look up from being stepped on by hob-nailed boots for the foreseeable future.

I agree that the fan base should rally behind the coach and give him a chance, but I’ve got to say that it comes off a bit hypocritical if you were silent about the anti-option faction of our fans that started up in 2008 and never went away even after some spectacular highs.

 

[4shotB]

The pessimist in me recalls the same goal for 40 yrs.

It is not the goals are unobtainable. We just haven't had the right people in place. Outside of Rice, the guys who have shuffled through the AD job have been ordinary people who have done ordinary things. In the extreme case, their accomplishments have been extraordinarily bad. The Hewitt contract comes to mind as one of the single biggest management mistakes I have ever seen. Heck, even Dodd's decision to pull out of the SEC, which was before my time and I am no spring chicken, is an egregious, shortsighted management mistake of historical proportions. I chalk up Dodd as a prime example of the Peter Principle. We are suffering from decades of neglect and poor management and that is making the job of TStan and even Coach Collins that much more difficult.

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

As an example, Stanford has an athletic budget of about $90M. Stanford is very good at fundraising from their alumi. They also get the same amount of money from the PAC12 than Tech does from the ACC. They also have all of their scholarships fully funded, something that comes out of our budget. They have less people in their stadium than we do.

GTAA in the past has really stunk it up from a fund raising perspective. We can do a lot better. There is really no reason why we cant have a $100M GTAA Budget

 

[White_Gold]

He sounded relieved to be honest. You could tell the last few years here wore him down...and I would venture to guess it was the off the field stuff and not the on the field stuff.

He also hints at what some of us have said: Bobinski made it hard on CPJ because he wanted CPJ out. I don't think CPJ said much that GTSwarm hasn't discussed ad nauseum for a while now. GT just needs more money.

On another note, I've seen some talk that Arkansas would be interested in CPJ. If you don't know, Arkansas recently fired Morris.

Please go to Arkansas. Puuuuuhhhhlease

 

[jrgray]

I have two Tech degrees, my wife has one and my son graduated from Tech this year. I get calls and emails from Roll Call and Parents Fund but I don’t recall ever being solicited by the AT fund or anyone from GTAA. There is probably a lot more alumni money out there if Stansbury can find a way to tap into it.

I don’t live in the ATL so a lot of the perks of being a donor aren’t useful to me (priority seating and what not) so I hope GTAA can find some perks that would appeal to out-of-town alumni. (For example, I bought tickets through NW to last year's Tech-Northwestern game -- would have been nice if GTAA had a way to sell tickets to alumni outside of the alumni clubs (which are not very active around here)). (And I feel like I am programming in Lisp with all these parentheses).

 

[iceeater1969]

I just dont see a path to consistently generate another 5 million, let alone 10. That is, without a massive change in how we do it.

We pay interest only 12m on 200 m - When do we pay the principal.?
Checked U Wisconsin - they had huge debt 135 m but paid it down by about 8 or so per year. Of course they have twice our ticket sales and out donations.

 

[Vespidae]

We pay interest only 12m on 200 m - When do we pay the principal.?
Checked U Wisconsin - they had huge debt 135 m but paid it down by about 8 or so per year. Of course they have twice our ticket sales and out donations.

It CAN be done. But will the GTAA do it? I doubt it.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

Please go to Arkansas. Puuuuuhhhhlease

And you think they want him why?

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

I have two Tech degrees, my wife has one and my son graduated from Tech this year. I get calls and emails from Roll Call and Parents Fund but I don’t recall ever being solicited by the AT fund or anyone from GTAA. There is probably a lot more alumni money out there if Stansbury can find a way to tap into it.

I don’t live in the ATL so a lot of the perks of being a donor aren’t useful to me (priority seating and what not) so I hope GTAA can find some perks that would appeal to out-of-town alumni. (For example, I bought tickets through NW to last year's Tech-Northwestern game -- would have been nice if GTAA had a way to sell tickets to alumni outside of the alumni clubs (which are not very active around here)). (And I feel like I am programming in Lisp with all these parentheses).

THIS is a big part of the problem that those of us who have been trying to get this aircraft carrier to head into the wind for 50 years have faced.

Roll Call, etc. does not treat GTAA the way other universities treat their AAs. From donating some $ to cooperation.

In the 60s it was “Tech men this” or “Tech men that”. It carried over for decades while during much of the time the college football landscape was changing for the positive, GT was stuck with an unqualified AD that had damn near destroyed us by dropping out of the SEC, more concerned with playing tennis daily, ignoring infrastructure, and being oblivious to things such as losing our flag ship radio station.

Thank God for a small group of men that formed a Yellow Jacket Club to try and rectify things.

But the school still wants the advantages of free perks for profs & administrators during Citrus and Orange Bowl games & Final Four appearances, but turn their back on all the positives a great athletic program brings to the school. (And it does - ask any consistent top 25 football program).

The damn Alumni Assn needs to give at least 10% to GTAA.

 

[684Bee]

It CAN be done. But will the GTAA do it? I doubt it.

People keep pointing their fingers at the GTAA and sitting back waiting on them to do something. Take the initiative yourself. Get a group together and raise some funds and donate.

 

[1979jacket]

THIS is a big part of the problem that those of us who have been trying to get this aircraft carrier to head into the wind for 50 years have faced.

Roll Call, etc. does not treat GTAA the way other universities treat their AAs. From donating some $ to cooperation.

In the 60s it was “Tech men this” or “Tech men that”. It carried over for decades while during much of the time the college football landscape was changing for the positive, GT was stuck with an unqualified AD that had damn near destroyed us by dropping out of the SEC, more concerned with playing tennis daily, ignoring infrastructure, and being oblivious to things such as losing our flag ship radio station.

Thank God for a small group of men that formed a Yellow Jacket Club to try and rectify things.

But the school still wants the advantages of free perks for profs & administrators during Citrus and Orange Bowl games & Final Four appearances, but turn their back on all the positives a great athletic program brings to the school. (And it does - ask any consistent top 25 football program).

The damn Alumni Assn needs to give at least 10% to GTAA.

Are you sure there are no legal restrictions from the Ga Tech Foundation making contributions to Alexander Tharpe? If not, then is the concern that this money should not be spent on athletics or it will hurt giving? I am for the Foundation contributing to AT but just have some doubt about the legality of that or the consequences. Many corporations will match giving to the Foundation but would not match AT giving. Does that matter and would if affect matching? I think the AA needs more money.

 

[GoldZ]

THIS is a big part of the problem that those of us who have been trying to get this aircraft carrier to head into the wind for 50 years have faced.

Roll Call, etc. does not treat GTAA the way other universities treat their AAs. From donating some $ to cooperation.

In the 60s it was “Tech men this” or “Tech men that”. It carried over for decades while during much of the time the college football landscape was changing for the positive, GT was stuck with an unqualified AD that had damn near destroyed us by dropping out of the SEC, more concerned with playing tennis daily, ignoring infrastructure, and being oblivious to things such as losing our flag ship radio station.

Thank God for a small group of men that formed a Yellow Jacket Club to try and rectify things.

But the school still wants the advantages of free perks for profs & administrators during Citrus and Orange Bowl games & Final Four appearances, but turn their back on all the positives a great athletic program brings to the school. (And it does - ask any consistent top 25 football program).

The damn Alumni Assn needs to give at least 10% to GTAA.

Are you that butt hurt about not being Vandy or less, since Dodd? You do know what happened in the 60's right? The tsunami of great talent thrust upon CFB wasn't exactly a great fit for GT, huh? It still isn't. STEM ain't cool. High school graduation rates, math scores, and reading scores are still sadly pitiful, even 50 years later.

 

[GTFLETCH]

IMHO it was time for CPJ and staff to go. Here is why:

2015: with experianced players the Oline could not execute blocking scheme ( Piss Poor Coaching & Player development)
2016: Was great with Dedrick Mill at BB... The problem is that the Marshall family got upset that D. Mills as a true freshman started over MM and transfered and then D. Mills get booted off the team before 2017 for smoking weed and testing positive over three times.
2017: Without D. Mills & M. Marshall, with a young defense and converted AB playing QB CPJ can only win 5 games ( GTAA cannot even afford or refuses to replace a canx UCF game getting GT the chance to play a full schedule and Bowl eligible) Coach Ted Roof leaves for NC State ---CPJ era was close to coming to an end as he gets a five year extension with a GTAA friendly buyout... 750K to retire at anytime during 5 contract..
2018: CPJ refuses to start Tobias Oliver over TQM and the wheels fall off the entire ship and lose another bowl game in Detroit .. CPJ graciously leaves on the 750K retirement instead of being fired...


Interesting fact: Paul Johnson did take Georgia Tech to a higher pinnacle (2 OB, 1 Peach Bowl, 1 ACC Title, 3 ACC Championship games, 3 wins over UGA) then Chan Gailey did. Chan never had a single losing season at GT. The only coach in the Modern era at GT that can say that.

 

[bobongo]

Chan never had a single losing season at GT. The only coach in the Modern era at GT that can say that.

Unfortunately, with the exception of Bill Fulcher's brief two-year stint, Chan is also the only GT coach since John McKee to fail to beat Georgia (0-0 tie in 1902). But we digress...

 

[GTFLETCH]

Unfortunately, with the exception of Bill Fulcher's brief two-year stint, Chan is also the only GT coach since John McKee to fail to beat Georgia (0-0 tie in 1902). But we digress...

Has Geoff Collins beaten Georgia yet??? But we really digress.... I guess! (You are wrong... Bill Lewis did not beat Georgia)

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Has Geoff Collins beaten Georgia yet??? But we really digress.... I guess! (You are wrong... Bill Lewis did not beat Georgia)

Bill Lewis did not beat a lot of teams, UGA does not have anything to be proud about from that era except their fans leaving the Gator Bowl during the third quarter of another Gator beatdown.