Glad you asked

[mj claz]

They're the 2nd best team in their state... They are out recruited by a team that is more popular... does that ring a bell?

Being the second best team in the state isn't the actual hurdle. While difficult, perception can change rather quickly via better branding, winning, coaching, etc. See Baylor in recent seasons. Vandy was reeling in recruits under Franklin, Stanford's perception changed rather quickly ever since Harbaugh took over.

The real hurdles are the typical reasons WHY you are the second best team in the state. Money, primarily. Fan support, but that really only matters because of the money it brings. Coaching and support staff. Not a factor of money, but an output.

Our academic issues may hurt our ability to sign recruits. However, how many of you actually believe that if we lowered our academic standards we would sign a top 30 class? Does anyone think five stars are secretly lining up to play for us, only until they look at the curriculum?

Johnson loves to play the academic card, but I don't think we would have significantly better talent given a "normal" academic environment. Demetris Robertson didn't come here because he (and/or his brother) didn't like the offense, not calculus. Similarly, Johnson likes to play the resources card. If we had the financial resources to pay top dollar for assistants or facilities, he probably wouldn't be our coach in the first place. I understand he may feel like he needs to say these things because otherwise they may be forgotten in the minds of fans. However, I wish he would talk more about how he would overcome these hurdles to attract better players, rather than to temper expectations.

 

[Towaliga]

........ Johnson loves to play the academic card, but I don't think we would have significantly better talent given a "normal" academic environment. Demetris Robertson didn't come here because he (and/or his brother) didn't like the offense, not calculus. Similarly, Johnson likes to play the resources card. If we had the financial resources to pay top dollar for assistants or facilities, he probably wouldn't be our coach in the first place. I understand he may feel like he needs to say these things because otherwise they may be forgotten in the minds of fans. However, I wish he would talk more about how he would overcome these hurdles to attract better players, rather than to temper expectations.[/QUOTE]

Okay, you go first and tell him what he should be saying.

Some of the people on this site sort of remind me of a department I once inherited as manager. Every meeting was nothing but complaining and whining. Finally, I walked into a meeting and said bitching would still be allowed, but only when viable solutions were offered. It was amazing how quiet the meetings became.

 

[Animal02]

PJ is 5-17 in his last 22 games vs top 25 teams

Free hint......most other coaches will have similar stats.

 

[Animal02]

Do not know if your focus is strictly winning the ACC, but the most important game every year is the ugag game. If we build a program capable of beating them 50% of the time, the ACC will take care of itself.

Fans DO need to give more $. That is actually very easy to do with some simple planning. Is there a desire and enough pride?

Academics? We should demand more versatility. It is a new world and we need to reach out to more students and help athletics at the same time. If the hillnerds fight it, start cutting donations to them. We need leadership from Peterson. Demand he go to Regents for more academic versatility. They do nothing until WE request it. Too many pansies are so lacking in backbone as to think this will somehow hurt their degree. Nothing the GTAA would do hurts their degree worse than their own lack of backbone.

Yeah...demand more (easy) majors so we can be better in football

 

[Animal02]

Who was the last coach before Paul Johnson to face top 25 programs 22 times????
hmmm... There may have been a reason why Bobby Ross & George Oleary left... it is hard to sustain 10 win seasons year in and year out at Georgia Tech... why?

The List of Coaches who have brought 10+ win seasons to Georgia Tech
11 - Paul Johnson, 2014
11 - Paul Johnson, 2009
10 - George Oleary, 1998
11 - Bobby Ross, 1990
10 - Bobby Dodd, 1956
12 - Bobby Dodd, 1952
11 -Bobby Dodd, 1951
10 -Bobby Dodd, 1947

Only Four Coaches to ever do it... How about you whiners just mail in a check to the GTAA and support the Coach and if you can't do that just say THANK YOU to Paul Johnson for the 4 greats seasons (2 11 win season and two 9 win season... (name a coach who has done that not named Bobby Dodd or Paul Johnson)

To be fair, they played fewer games back then.
All the whiners refuse to face reality. Tech is not a factory school.

 

[Animal02]

http://www.fbschedules.com/2017/07/which-college-football-head-coaches-best-worst-vs-top-25/

Smh

Look at the programs these coaches are all at. (Patterson gets big props for doing as well as he has). Look at Jimbo...at FsU...with their money and recruiting. And look at them this year. Even mighty FSU can struggle to win in the ACC now.

But tell me how many of these top 11 guys have less advantage to succeed where they are vs CPJ at GT.

You aholes that can't handle adversity, can't bear a loss (especially when the mutts are rolling...oh your lives are so hard now)...y'all don't deserve CPJ. You surrender monkeys deserve Bill Lewis.

Thank you to all the stout Tech fans that don't quit on their players and coaches and who are actually capable of comparing apples to apples.

Wish I could "like" this a hundred times.
And for those that don't know...whiskey is a sidewalk fan.

 

[mj claz]

I love when people compare the depths of the Internet to a board room. There are just sooo many parallels.

FYI I have seen many great solutions posted elsewhere on this board. I have solutions of my own that I believe would be effective. And I believe Stansbury--who has skin in the same game as Johnson--has a great plan and great solutions based on what he has publically said.

 

[UgaBlows]

I'm willing to take a few average to crappy seasons for a great one every 2-3 years, maybe i'm just resigned to the Dave Braine mindset idk. I DO think the ACC has gotten WAY harder the past 3-5 years in terms of both on field talent and coaching talent. We have to figure out ways to catch back up. Firing our coach is not the answer imo.

 

[Vespidae]

Being the second best team in the state isn't the actual hurdle.

Johnson loves to play the academic card ... likes to play the resources card.

Tennessee is Top 5 in facilities and has a cake curriculum. Look at the shape they are in.

In advertising, we turn a negative into a positive:

• Our facilities don't compare to Georgia's: Our focus is on developing you as a player and an individual.
• Our academics are hard: We will challenge you and bring out your best.
• It's hard to get to the NFL from Tech: Most of our alums are millionaires. Could be you.

etc.

We should be the Second Team in the state. I fear that there that there are probably more alumni from Auburn, Alabama and Florida here than Tech alumni.

 

[GTOXAN2K11]

VT is able to put together a decent defense, and attract players capable of competing at a high level every year. What makes you think GT can't do the same?

Because Virginia Tech is not an Institute of Technology it is a Polytechnic University thus the academic rigors are not the same. #faketech #ihaaaatevt

 

[dressedcheeseside]

We have no peer institutes playing FBS football. The Georgia Institute of Technology is the only school of its kind playing FBS football.

I've been saying this for a long, long time. It doesn't matter to the "head hunters." They see only what they want to see. They also don't see the reality of what is possible with a bad hire and just how probable a bad hire is. Just ask UT and the guys who kicked Phil Fulmer to the curb about that.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Being the second best team in the state isn't the actual hurdle. While difficult, perception can change rather quickly via better branding, winning, coaching, etc. See Baylor in recent seasons. Vandy was reeling in recruits under Franklin, Stanford's perception changed rather quickly ever since Harbaugh took over.

The real hurdles are the typical reasons WHY you are the second best team in the state. Money, primarily. Fan support, but that really only matters because of the money it brings. Coaching and support staff. Not a factor of money, but an output.

Our academic issues may hurt our ability to sign recruits. However, how many of you actually believe that if we lowered our academic standards we would sign a top 30 class? Does anyone think five stars are secretly lining up to play for us, only until they look at the curriculum?

Johnson loves to play the academic card, but I don't think we would have significantly better talent given a "normal" academic environment. Demetris Robertson didn't come here because he (and/or his brother) didn't like the offense, not calculus. Similarly, Johnson likes to play the resources card. If we had the financial resources to pay top dollar for assistants or facilities, he probably wouldn't be our coach in the first place. I understand he may feel like he needs to say these things because otherwise they may be forgotten in the minds of fans. However, I wish he would talk more about how he would overcome these hurdles to attract better players, rather than to temper expectations.

Does the fact that we are the only STEM school in the nation to even play D1 football have anything to do with it? Why is it none of our academic peers even try to field a team? Ever ask yourself that question?

 

[Vespidae]

First, I am incredibly proud to be associated with Georgia Tech. Regardless of the winning record, the fact that we can take the field of FBS football and hold our own is nothing short of incredible.

But, I am disappointed in how little we use technology, math, statistics in developing our own sports programs. I once looked at our recruiting approaches and was shocked at how utterly basic they were. Of course, these were not Tech men running these ... they were football coaches from other, mostly lesser, schools.

Could we, should be playing Moneyball? I think yes. Should we be using player wearable technology to maximize performance? I think yes. Should we be integrating tablet technologies and other in game techniques? I think yes. Tech is in the unique position to LEAD this ... but hasn't done a lot in any of the areas of applying technical solutions and thinking to otherwise routine issues.

Why for example, can't we develop apps for BDS and pre-pay food and beverage? Add wi-fi? Simplify the game day experience through technology? What a great way to advertise Tech's capabilities. Just my thought ...

 

[33jacket]

Gt has program issues not coach issues first.

Until the athletic board is not made up of 70 percent professors

Until the aa can gain some mutual benefits from roll call/joint donation process

Until the school allows for some more creative degree offerings and some lesser admission chances in spots

Once we can have 9 or so football shadow staff vs 3.

Need a new weight/locker room setup.

Once we can hire 2-3 more better asst coaches than some who we like, but lets face it can upgrade

And honestly; lets face it, kids do rule out tech from the triple option. I am not saying it matters or have a way to assign a percentage. But they do. I have no idea the impact, but it has to be a decent amount. I know kids that went to tech have said they would not have come here if paul was coach. Thats a coach thing. Its the double edge sword with his system cuz it can work fine with the right qb etc.

Its not like pauls record is dramatically different than tech the last 40 years. In fact its towards the top. Its a school thing first.

Our program and backing is more similar to wake duke bc and cuse than it is to clemson vt miami unc Louisville fsu.

 

[Vespidae]

I do believe it's a Program issue and not a Coach issue. We don't seem to have a concept, a framework, for how we want to organize the GT approach to football.

Still, I remember the words of S. Peter Kezios, my mechanical engineering professor. He always said, "You can't build perfect solutions. You don't have perfect resources or perfect budgets. You have to design successful solutions to problems based on the constraints you've been given. That's engineering."

My graduate design project was to design and manufacture a testing device for metal parts. The one in the catalog was $25,000. My professor gave our team a constraint of $500. We designed one. It worked. Got an A.

We will not win an arms race with a factory school. Our constraint is the size of our fan base, our ability to generate revenue, and yes, our ability to recruit kids to a school like ours.

So, to paraphrase Kezios ... "Now that you understand the constraint, go out and design a solution." Using the same approach as everyone else is Fool's Gold, IMO.

 

[4shotB]

First, I am incredibly proud to be associated with Georgia Tech. Regardless of the winning record, the fact that we can take the field of FBS football and hold our own is nothing short of incredible.

But, I am disappointed in how little we use technology, math, statistics in developing our own sports programs. I once looked at our recruiting approaches and was shocked at how utterly basic they were. Of course, these were not Tech men running these ... they were football coaches from other, mostly lesser, schools.

Could we, should be playing Moneyball? I think yes. Should we be using player wearable technology to maximize performance? I think yes. Should we be integrating tablet technologies and other in game techniques? I think yes. Tech is in the unique position to LEAD this ... but hasn't done a lot in any of the areas of applying technical solutions and thinking to otherwise routine issues.

Why for example, can't we develop apps for BDS and pre-pay food and beverage? Add wi-fi? Simplify the game day experience through technology? What a great way to advertise Tech's capabilities. Just my thought ...

I think you have hit at the source of frustration for many GT fans. The program is not and has not been run in a manner that is consistent with the teachings of the Institute. We should be at the front of things, not always playing catch up. Here is hoping that a person educated at one of the premier engineering and technological schools in the entire world can provide the type of leadership consistent with the vision and purpose of the school. We need to be seen as leaders and innovators and people who identify obstacles and find ways to overcome them. Isn't that what GT trains us to do?

 

[RamblinWreck92]

For the purposes of conversation, we are at risk of having a 3rd losing season in CPJ's tenure (or 30%). Look at the data. Outside of the ill fated B*** L**** era, look at how many of those we have had since Bobby Ross's 3rd season. And Ross didn't exactly inherit the situation that Paul did here on the Flats. 30% is alarming.

Expected reply: [Insert excuses here]. [Insert 'CPJ is best we can ever possibly hope to have!!' here]. [Insert something about Gailey here]. [Insert insult aimed at poster here]

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

Yeah...demand more (easy) majors so we can be better in football

Exactly

The almighty, great Cal Bears have people slobbering over their supposed academic prowess, but in reality they have had more unc type fake majors than anyone since the late 60s. NO sec team has anything on Cal in this regard.

Now, if someone is worried about their degree losing value - grow a pair and make yourself more valuable to an employer or as your own boss.

 

[tmhunter52]

Tech's scheme sometimes gives us an advantage against teams with similar talent. Against teams with superior talent, not so much. We fans really don't need to post mortem our losses. Assuming our coaches and players "watch the film", they can't help but be abundantly aware of the deficiencies in talent, fundamentals and effort by some.

 

[Jacket in Dairyland]

I make a comparison with GT and Clemson. Sure they are in two different settings. But student enrollments are about the same. During the 1970s, Clemson significantly expanded their academic offerings and enrollment. Simultaneously, Charley Pell, then Danny Ford were hired. Look at their record in football for the last 30 years. Coincidence? I think not.