HC Candidate/Rumors/Info Thread

[AlabamaBuzz]

Good post! I get why you'd say that, dude, but I have the following two reasons it doesn't carry a ton of weight with me.

1) Those two seasons were 2 of the first 3 seasons of a program moving up from FCS to FBS. That's a LOT of building that has to be done.
2) He recruited Grayson McCall. If anything "he got the guy he wanted and then had huge success with him" sounds like exactly the recipe you guys want, no?

This.

We have to have a guy that with a few key pieces, of course one being QB, can over perform the talent level.

 

[kalld12]

Your logic here is flawed

Care to explain? So are you saying kids at JSU are just dumb athletes? I promise you they’re some very smart football players academically on that team that would do well at Tech as a SA. So please, explain?

 

[takethepoints]

I meant six 4 and 5 stars combined, in any allocation and yes, this is not only possible, but can be done regularly if we don't hire a retread or zombie for a coach. Aiming for mediocrity will result in mediocrity. The transfer portal, NIL and other changes can work in our favor if we change our mindset.

Also remember, the star ratings have inflated over the past 30 years, for the obvious reason that fans hearing about 4 and 5 star recruits get more excited and are more likely to pay for recruiting site access. Getting six combined 4 and 5 star recruits is not that difficult, certainly not as difficult as it might have been 30 years ago.

247 lists 32 5 star players available for 2024. No doubt we'll offer the 3 from Georgia, but I wouldn't give us very good chances for any of them. There are a lot more 4 star players (over 300) and that explains why we get some of them. And, yes, the new stuff could work for us to some extent. Once we start winning. No doubt you see the Catch-22 here.

We have to hire someone who will win with the players we can get into Tech and who will stick. Some of these will be 4 star players, I have no doubt. But 6 a year? Maybe once every 25 years or so, but not regularly, unless Tech radically changes its academic requirements and major offerings. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that.

The mediocrity argument was what led directly to the present debacle. I'm surprised to see anyone use it again.

 

[takethepoints]

This.

We have to have a guy that with a few key pieces, of course one being QB, can over perform the talent level.

One might also add that McCall was a 2 star in high school. Sorta like Clinton Lynch.

 

[Gt2019]

Are we seriously considering a guy that has zero experience as a HC or even a coordinator at the college level in hopes that he will recruit us to glory and damage uGAs staff? I mean maybe it’d work out, but what a gamble. Someone else mentioned it, but it sounds very similar to Key IMO, who was touted as one of the best recruiters in the country while at Bama. I guess we will see how that works out shortly.

Dabo, Urban, and Sam Pittman all lacked coordinator experience before getting their HC jobs but they all succeeded expectations by a long shot. Not saying that’s what you get but those are a few guys off the top of my head who went straight from a position coach to a HC and succeeded greatly. Nowadays with anyone, it’s a lot about who you surround you HC with in terms of quality of coaches and experienced coordinators and position coaches.

 

[Ibeeballin]

....do you believe that your school is not on the level of Vanderbilt and Rutgers, in terms of attractiveness to recruits?

Rutgers with the six 4*? Yep, this has been explained numerous times. Ranking was low due not taking 20 recruits. Signing 4 5.5 3stars would’ve had that class 28th

Not to rain on your parade, but ...

Jackson State has an acceptance rate of 69%, is classed as below average, average SAT of 930 and average ACT of 17. Tech has an acceptance rate of 23%, is classed as very selective/highly competitive, average SAT of 1465 and average ACT of 33.

How many JSU SA's do you think could cut it at Tech?

Those are not the SA criteria though

 

[Skeptic]

Can we quit with the urban, Petrino and freeze? GTAA is not hiring them. Ever.

you don't want either of those guys to merely walk across the campus. This is a fun exercise but unless the new guy gets competitive wages for assistants nothing will change.

 

[Gt2019]

I’ve heard the money figure for a new coach could be in a rough range of $2.5-$3.5 million unless you can go out and get a proven P5 guy like Clawson from WF, then you would poney up the money for him.
Edit: Want to clarify that I was told this before President Angel Cabrera made his comments today about upping the money for a new HC and getting serious money wise for a new HC and football staff. So it’s most likely closer to the $3.5 million end of it and very likely to be more than that.

 

[bke1984]

I’ll just put this here

“The reason why we like to run the offense that we do, you don’t have to have the best linemen in the country to win games.You don’t have to have the best receivers in the country to win games. Every job that I have had has been a rebuild. We’ve had to develop and recruit talent that fits your system.”

- Jamey Chadwell

 

[yeti92]

I don't see how Dell McGee is not a lesser version of Deion. Put in the same position, Deion would outrecruit McGee all day imo. Neither have the coaching experience I would hope for, but Deion has been signing 4 and 5 stars to a HBCU and winning as their head coach, whereas McGee has possibly the easiest recruiting job in the country at UGA.

 

[LargeFO]

I don't see how Dell McGee is not a lesser version of Deion. Put in the same position, Deion would outrecruit McGee all day imo. Neither have the coaching experience I would hope for, but Deion has been signing 4 and 5 stars to a HBCU and winning as their head coach, whereas McGee has possibly the easiest recruiting job in the country at UGA.

+1

 

[randerto]

I’ll just put this here

“The reason why we like to run the offense that we do, you don’t have to have the best linemen in the country to win games.You don’t have to have the best receivers in the country to win games. Every job that I have had has been a rebuild. We’ve had to develop and recruit talent that fits your system.”

- Jamey Chadwell

Don't know much about him and don't follow Coastal Carolina but on the surface, this guy checks a LOT of boxes - and we can afford him unlike Clawson, BoB, etc... Proven ability to rebuild programs, positive HC track record, consistent winning, creative hybrid offense to leverage existing talent, SE recruiting experience, etc... What's there not to like about him relative to others?

 

[DCjacket]

There is talks that Dana Holgorson could be let go if Houston's season goes side ways.. Not sure if we can afford him but Ive always liked him as a coach.

 

[EE95_curse EMAG!]

Be a powerhouse again??? I'm only part way through my 6th decade here on this spinning rock but I never recall them being a powerhouse. Must of been before my time, back when Minnesota, Yale and Army were also powerhouses. With that being said, they have been a pretty good program over the last 3 decades or so.

Most of the 80s and 90s, Nebraska was a top 5 to top 10 team with several bowl games with national titles on the line. I never went back further on their history, but in my youth, they were definitely one of the yearly mentions as possible national title hopefuls at the beginning of most of those years. Lots of double-digit win seasons when teams played 1 or 2 less games.

I see you meant Wisconsin, so ignore this. It did strike me funny that someone around 6 decades wouldn't remember "vaunted" Nebraska and the yearly major bowl/NT chance battle with Oklahoma.

 

[4shotB]

I don't see how Dell McGee is not a lesser version of Deion. Put in the same position, Deion would outrecruit McGee all day imo. Neither have the coaching experience I would hope for, but Deion has been signing 4 and 5 stars to a HBCU and winning as their head coach, whereas McGee has possibly the easiest recruiting job in the country at UGA.

I think we can but the Dell mcGee rumour to bed. Think about it this way...prior to this thread, maybe 6 people on the board have ever heard of the guy. This firing/hiring (for the first time in many,many moons) has the President's fingerprints on it rather than the AD's. The debacle of the last 6-7 years has turned off all but the craziest of fans. No way we hire an unknown and unproven guy. This looks like a bargain basement, let's hope to get lucky hire that we have pulled off in the past. With the President's name and support, they will want a guy who unites and energizes the fan base. Not an unknown and unproven guy who is a position coach and not even a coordinator. If we get a guy with this resume, the beat down and cynical GT fan will say "he's gonna have to prove it to me. Maybe after 2 or 3 years, IF he is succesful, I will resume buying tickets and giving to the GTAA again." It's just not going to happen. Whoever gets the job will have a anme that even a casual fan will recognize.

 

[4shotB]

Most of the 80s and 90s, Nebraska was a top 5 to top 10 team with several bowl games with national titles on the line. I never went back further on their history, but in my youth, they were definitely one of the yearly mentions as possible national title hopefuls at the beginning of most of those years. Lots of double-digit win seasons when teams played 1 or 2 less games.

My comments were re: Wiscy, not Nebraska. I can and do remember when they (Neb.) were perennial NC contenders and one of the top 5 programs in the country. Seems like a lifetime ago.

 

[EE95_curse EMAG!]

247 lists 32 5 star players available for 2024. No doubt we'll offer the 3 from Georgia, but I wouldn't give us very good chances for any of them. There are a lot more 4 star players (over 300) and that explains why we get some of them. And, yes, the new stuff could work for us to some extent. Once we start winning. No doubt you see the Catch-22 here.

We have to hire someone who will win with the players we can get into Tech and who will stick. Some of these will be 4 star players, I have no doubt. But 6 a year? Maybe once every 25 years or so, but not regularly, unless Tech radically changes its academic requirements and major offerings. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that.

The mediocrity argument was what led directly to the present debacle. I'm surprised to see anyone use it again.

So with 330 players in the 4/5 star pool, and maybe 40 or 50 teams with legitimate shot at even one of those, you don't think pulling in up to 6 a year (and maybe one or two less here, and one or two more there) isn't feasible for a major conference team, in a big metropolitan area? I still say expecting and accepting less is aiming low and settling.

I am NOT saying it will happen every year, but I am saying its quite reasonable to EXPECT that from our coaching staff, if we hire the right people. The one negative on CPJ for me was his fight against recruiting. He tried to spin it that he didn't need 4 or 5 star players, but every team NEEDS it to contend for conference titles and major bowl games/playoffs.

I get everyone's pushback, I am being slightly unrealistic based on recent history (but not on full GT history). I am also pushing for better than we've had. We had a strong run under CGO'L, CCG and CPJ. None of that was our ceiling. I know that because none of those guys were true recruiting savants. If we get a better coach, and we can (will take some luck and skill), no reason we can't be a perennial top 20 team with every third season on the playoff fringes.

I also would prefer a younger coach (under 50) that has energy to spare for the recruiting pitches and travel. Certainly recruiting is more about the assistants and having at least one be a proven recruiting tactician, but a head coach is needed to seal the deal with most 4 and 5 star players. Having a grumpy old guy hampers that in most situations Obviously proven coaches like Saban can recruit just by their name well into their 70s.

 

[year_of_the_swarm]

The more I read about Deion, the more I like... Especially with his offensive coordinator being a Mike Leach air raid person.

 

[UgaBlows]

Care to explain? So are you saying kids at JSU are just dumb athletes? I promise you they’re some very smart football players academically on that team that would do well at Tech as a SA. So please, explain?

No sir, the example that you made was of a Tech player transferring into Jackson, that proves absolutely nothing about kids who are at Jsu being able to transfer to GT...

 

[Gt2019]

A little bit of a update:
The mega boosters and majority of the boosters love the idea of Deion and have back channeled some discussions with him. Deion does have real interest in the job and will most likely get a formal interview after a AD hiring.
Everyone around the state is pushing for Dell McGee, that includes HS coaches, former players, current players, football trainers, etc. He would form a very very good staff. Calvin has given a silent stamp of approval for Dell McGee.