CPJ Tweet

[Heisman's Ghost]

This is the fallacy that keeps being put out there. Yes, the Atlantic has Clemson and in some years had FSU as well. But when you match the head to head the Coastal always comes out better. And keep in mind we play Clemson every year. If you stacked up the divisions today, Yes there is Clemson. But UNC, UVA, Va Tech Miami and Pitt are much better than Louisville, NC St. Wake, BC etc.

There are two major roadblocks for Tech and Coach Collins in regards to the Coastal. One is the injustice of having to play Clemson every year. The second is one that has been around for years but is becoming more pronounced, having to play UNC and Miami every year and they are ALWAYS more talented, even when we beat them. Could be worse, Virginia Tech could have managed to fill that infamous empty trophy case and now seems to be just treading water or maybe trending downwards. Pitt and UVA are pretty good but certainly teams we can compete with consistently.

 

[slugboy]

I was at the game where they played a public service announcement by Chan Gailey and everyone started booing. So pretty much, yes.

I was at the same game. If he had made that PSA 5 years earlier, he might have coached an additional 5 years. It really took too long for the coin to drop in a number of areas for Gailey, and by the time it did it was too late.

 

[Jim Prather]

I was at the same game. If he had made that PSA 5 years earlier, he might have coached an additional 5 years. It really took too long for the coin to drop in a number of areas for Gailey, and by the time it did it was too late.

I'm not familiar with the story about the PSA. What happened?

 

[WreckinGT]

There are two major roadblocks for Tech and Coach Collins in regards to the Coastal. One is the injustice of having to play Clemson every year. The second is one that has been around for years but is becoming more pronounced, having to play UNC and Miami every year and they are ALWAYS more talented, even when we beat them. Could be worse, Virginia Tech could have managed to fill that infamous empty trophy case and now seems to be just treading water or maybe trending downwards. Pitt and UVA are pretty good but certainly teams we can compete with consistently.

We can and should be competitive with all of them but that doesn't mean that the Coastal is a bad division. Its actually pretty competitive. Aside from GT and Duke right now, there isn't an easy game. Here are some fun facts. In the last 3 years every team in the Coastal has had an 8 win season except one. GT. Every team in the Coastal has been in the AP top 25 at some point in the last 3 years except one. GT. It feels a bit silly to claim the Coastal is a terrible division when we have been the worst team in the Coastal for a few years now. We should probably beat some of these guys before we start talking about bad they are.

 

[swampsting]

I follow CDP and he has made no mention of CPJ. I wish he’d relax and not make these type of post. All it does is created division among the fan base..

CDP had a quote a while back about PJ's offense, and it was complimentary, along the lines of "what they did, they did very well."
And let's face it, the fan base has been and is divided. PJ's tweet neither caused nor exacerbated it.

 

[swampsting]

Funny.

So CPJ should just not say anything as fans and some of his former players even, blame him for the situation Tech is in currently.

Honestly, I'm impressed he went this long without saying anything.

Any link or some other reference to former players blaming him for Tech's current situation?

 

[A Love Supreme]

Without a doubt we have the worst fanbase .

Also we probably have the worst flagship radio station in the nation. I heard this morning on 680 The Fan that Paul Johnson never tried to get the 4 or 5 star recruits. They said we "ran out of talent" once Gailey's recruits left and the program ran out of gas after that.

 

[gtg391z]

Also we probably have the worst flagship radio station in the nation. I heard this morning on 680 The Fan that Paul Johnson never tried to get the 4 or 5 star recruits. They said we "ran out of talent" once Gailey's recruits left and the program ran out of gas after that.

That’s fairly accurate. Sure, CPJ wanted talent but refused to adapt to something that would attract that talent and over time that hurt us. Our talent level at the end was probably the worst in the acc.

 

[yeti92]

That’s fairly accurate. Sure, CPJ wanted talent but refused to adapt to something that would attract that talent and over time that hurt us. Our talent level at the end was probably the worst in the acc.

Its not true, CPJ routinely recruited and signed 4 star players. Not a ton of them, but it did happen. And if the program ran out of gas after Gailey's players left, how were we so good in 2014 and 2016?

Our talent level was also not the worst in the acc, we routinely outrecruited several of our competitors (and outplayed a lot more), but it was built around a non-traditional style offense. Blaming CPJ for not recruiting to a different offense's needs is moronic at best.

 

[gtg391z]

Its not true, CPJ routinely recruited and signed 4 star players. Not a ton of them, but it did happen. And if the program ran out of gas after Gailey's players left, how were we so good in 2014 and 2016?

Our talent level was also not the worst in the acc, we routinely outrecruited several of our competitors (and outplayed a lot more), but it was built around a non-traditional style offense. Blaming CPJ for not recruiting to a different offense's needs is moronic at best.

I said adapt his offense not recruit to another and run the 3O. A lot of coaches adapt and that’s what makes them successful. Look at Saban for an example.
As for our talent level, we will agree to disagree because it doesn’t matter now.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Any link or some other reference to former players blaming him for Tech's current situation?

We've got one on these boards.

 

[bobongo]

That’s fairly accurate. Sure, CPJ wanted talent but refused to adapt to something that would attract that talent and over time that hurt us. Our talent level at the end was probably the worst in the acc.

It's inaccurate to say we "ran out of talent" once Gailey's recruits left the program.
Yes, in the end CPJ left the cupboard bare but we finished #7 in the country seven years after Gailey's exit.

 

[RonJohn]

It's inaccurate to say we "ran out of talent" once Gailey's recruits left the program.
Yes, in the end CPJ left the cupboard bare but we finished #7 in the country seven years after Gailey's exit.

It is inaccurate to call 680 a sports station. It is an entertainment station that vaguely discusses sports in an effort to rile up someone in the audience to get them to call in and sound like idiots. They have, or at least used to have, and afternoon show that has more fart sounds than words spoken.

 

[slugboy]

I'm not familiar with the story about the PSA. What happened?

It wasn’t really a PSA. It was a combination of a testimonial and recruiting pitch for what Tech is all about and why it’s a great place to be. It was on the matrixboard. It was in his last year or two—I think his last year. It’s the kind of outreach that he should have done a lot earlier. By the time he started making a broader sales pitch for himself and for Tech, people had already given up on him.
Collins does that kind of outreach. He could be better with his timeouts, but that’s another question.
Bringing it back to the topic—which is a weird topic to have 2+ years after a CPJ retired—CPJ also let the message and the sales pitch get away from him. Even in his second season, he was getting beaten up with negative recruiting, and that never got better. James Franklin and Vandy was beating him up over cut blocking in practice, and that’s just the coach you heard about. You can’t just call X’s and O’s as a head coach. You have to get your view of the world out there, or someone else will fill that space with their version that leaves you looking bad. The snark on social media that CPJ was responding to is the tail end of losing control of the message years before.
That doesn’t excuse our fan base, though.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

We can and should be competitive with all of them but that doesn't mean that the Coastal is a bad division. Its actually pretty competitive. Aside from GT and Duke right now, there isn't an easy game. Here are some fun facts. In the last 3 years every team in the Coastal has had an 8 win season except one. GT. Every team in the Coastal has been in the AP top 25 at some point in the last 3 years except one. GT. It feels a bit silly to claim the Coastal is a terrible division when we have been the worst team in the Coastal for a few years now. We should probably beat some of these guys before we start talking about bad they are.

I don't think it is a "bad" division. It has historically been very balanced with different teams having a shot at winning the division. The Atlantic has been pretty much owned by Clemson and earlier by FSU.

 

[Pointer]

Its not true, CPJ routinely recruited and signed 4 star players. Not a ton of them, but it did happen. And if the program ran out of gas after Gailey's players left, how were we so good in 2014 and 2016?

Our talent level was also not the worst in the acc, we routinely outrecruited several of our competitors (and outplayed a lot more), but it was built around a non-traditional style offense. Blaming CPJ for not recruiting to a different offense's needs is moronic at best.

Mic drop.

Lots of truths here.

 

[jgtengineer]

For those that hate the 3O, O'Leary will be ahead of PJ. For those that love the 3O, PJ will probably edge O'Leary. I appreciated both of them, and actually, I believe that the Fridge and PJ have some things in common in relationship to being offensive geniuses. O'Leary was able to "stretch" the acceptance rules (recruiting) a little more than PJ, if I remember correctly. PJ graduated a large number of his players, and I also appreciate that.

Anyway, my concern going forward is the current HC and staff. Are they really going to be able to turn the corner in a meaningful way? I don't know, and for sure, I have my doubts, but I definitely am pulling for them to do great things.

For those that understand offense.... know that friedgen's offense wasn't that far removed from a run and shoot / option. It was mostly around double options or really a spread option from under center using multiple formation looks. Due to Joe's height it was still a lot of 3 step roll and fire, and play action to option routes. Option was still the name of the game and we still utilized the wishbone at times. But hey if you line up in an offset I and run option its different than the flex bone right? If you call a receiver a slot or flanker, and put them in orbit motion then run the option out of singleback with a fake and pitch it off the end its different then flex spread right?

O'leary would have ran whatever scored points. He was a defensive coach. Friedgen tailored his offense to his kids but option was still a heavy part of his offense and the threat of option on every play from any formation froze safeties.

I will add I absolutley love friedgins offense and wish we were running it now.

 

[LongforDodd]

Also we probably have the worst flagship radio station in the nation. I heard this morning on 680 The Fan that Paul Johnson never tried to get the 4 or 5 star recruits. They said we "ran out of talent" once Gailey's recruits left and the program ran out of gas after that.

I heard that too but I recall the comment was along the lines that PJ had early success with the 4 and 5 star guys that he inherited (yes ladies and gents the guy said that Gailey had 5 star recruits) but that PJ's success waned thru the years after not being able to continue with those " 4 and 5 star guys" like Gailey was able to bring to campus.

I merely disagree with the guy saying Paul never tried.

 

[Pointer]

O'leary would have ran whatever scored points. He was a defensive coach. Friedgen tailored his offense to his kids but option was still a heavy part of his offense and the threat of option on every play from any formation froze safeties.

This is what we are essentially hoping to happen now. There were certainly signs of life from offense this past season.

This coming season, I feel more confident that if they get a full spring (even if delayed a bit) and fall, CGC can install those defenses he was so good at running, and we can clean stuff up on offense. Could turn out to be surprisingly positive results next year.

Edit: I hope that once this effort to "change perception" to help boost recruiting is over, we can go back to sprinkling in more option stuff since numbers advantage is always a nice thing.

 

[A Love Supreme]

I heard that too but I recall the comment was along the lines that PJ had early success with the 4 and 5 star guys that he inherited (yes ladies and gents the guy said that Gailey had 5 star recruits) but that PJ's success waned thru the years after not being able to continue with those " 4 and 5 star guys" like Gailey was able to bring to campus.

I merely disagree with the guy saying Paul never tried.

The radio guy also suggested that Paul Johnson wasn't successful after Gailey's recruits left. Which is a pretty idiotic thing to say. It's interesting to me that we don't get much love from our own station. The only reason Collins is getting some praise right now is because he is not Paul Johnson and doesn't run a triple option. Our local sports media hated CPJ for some reason. Maybe he hurt some of these sports nerds feelings or something.