HC Candidate/Rumors/Info Thread

[tsrich]

Mullen was fired not for on field performance but because he wouldn't smultz with boosters and do what they wanted. They used a bad season to fire him.

His 5-9 stretch in his 3rd and 4th years there was more than enough to fire him. Part of the deal somewhere like UF with unlimited resources is you can't have terrible stretches like that

 

[takethepoints]

People bring up this point of "he didn't win enough at x with their resources so why would we hire him here with less?" fairly often. The problem is winning enough at UF and winning enough here are two different things. Mullen won nearly 70% of his games at UF. In a 13 game season, so including bowls, that's averaging 9 wins. That got him fired at UF. It'd get a statue built of him here. He won't have the same resources here as UF, but what it means to win enough will also not be the same. That's why I look at his time at MSU as being more telling. He was there longer, meaning he had a chance to build it more, but also it was a closer situation to what we have. He won less at MSU than he did at UF, but I think he'd be remembered as an extremely successful coach there while a disappointing one at UF.

Also, his worst year was his fourth and his best two were his first and second. While that could be concerning, it also is pretty analogous to Johnson here who won 19 games in his first two years and then went 6-7 in year 3. Mullen wasn't given a chance to show if that 4th year was the new normal or if he'd bounce back. Either way, Florida came to the conclusion, likely correctly, that even if he bounced back, it'd be bouncing back to 10 wins, not 13, and so it wouldn't be what they wanted. But there is a reason UF is on their 4th HC since Meyer left after 2010. They don't really give coaches time to settle in. Better win now and win a lot or they'll try again shortly.

As far as not moving the program forward, he won 70% of his games and that's after a 5-6 year that brought him down. His first three years he won 76% of his games. I'd argue he didn't move the program forward because when you get to the point where 10 wins is pedestrian, there is no guarantee that any coach will move it forward, and even if they are capable of doing it, it may not happen immediately. It took Dabo until his 7th full year before they competed for a national title and won only one conference title during that time period. In general, there is a principle that it is harder to make gains the closer you are to the max. To put it with numbers. It's easier to improve by 2 games when you are starting at 6 than when you're starting at 10. As far as the specifics go, I think his biggest mistake at UF was in regards to the defense, and in particular him sticking with underperforming assistants.

Eggsackley. At my old college, we regularly ranked in the low to mid 90s on student engagement and in the 70s in academic challenge. The response of my colleagues and the administration was to say we ought to build on what we were doing well and double down on engagement. I pointed out - and got seconded by a few of the mathematicians - was that just about the hardest thing to do in a complex organization is to go from 92 to 98 in any ranking. You are already doing so well that any increment of effort is very, very unlikely to pay off. Oth, moving the academic challenge from 73 to 80 was child';s play in comparison.

This is a simple fact of how the world works that is hard to get across. Once you are doing really well at something, it's hard to get better and a matter of sheer bum luck - in. most cases - to become the best. It can be done - Saban did it at Bama - but it takes a level of organizational commitment that is seldom seen and hard to come by. The fans at UF are almost - not quite, but close - as certifiable as the ones at Awbun and Bama. They should not be used as a gage by anyone who's looking at football coaches at Tech, imho.

 

[slugboy]

lol i actually typo'd that. instead of the schmaltz which basically means demean himself or engage in flowery superficial behavior meant to endear them to him because he should be graveling. But you knwo what what the level of bs these boosters typically want that one probably works too. Comes from the german/yiddish word for excess fat.

Schmaltz = kosher chicken fat, used as a butter substitute. Alternative: sentimentality, such as "That Bette Midler movie was all schmaltz".

Schmooze is a little closer: "talk with someone in a lively and friendly way, typically in order to impress or manipulate them".

I think you were looking for kowtow or brown-nose, tho'.

 

[jgtengineer]

Schmaltz = kosher chicken fat, used as a butter substitute. Alternative: sentimentality, such as "That Bette Midler movie was all schmaltz".

Schmooze is a little closer: "talk with someone in a lively and friendly way, typically in order to impress or manipulate them".

I think you were looking for kowtow or brown-nose, tho'.

*shrugs*

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Interesting if correct.

I had to Google smultz. If that's not a typo I understand why he refused.

 

[jgtengineer]

Might want to delete my other post so no one else suffers from that typo.

 

[kg01]

Might want to delete my other post so no one else suffers from that typo.

What typo? Smultz. What's so bad about that? Stop trying to stop folks from learning. They should Google it if they want. Actually, everybody do it. Meet me at smultz.com ..... and do it on your work computer.

 

[LawTalkin Jacket]

Beats the living daylights out of - let me check - 13 wins in four years, now doesn't it? I can never get over the way people were pleading for a coach who would lead us to the heights every now and then all through the Gailey years, got him, and then started whining about how we were "excepting mediocrity" or something like that. You know, because we weren't going to a New Years bowl or contending for the MNC every year.

I wanted Paul to retire at Tech in his seventies, just like Bill Snyder, so I'm prejudiced, I guess. In favor of winning, that is.

You "wanted Paul to retire at Tech in his seventies" but Paul Johnson CHOSE to retire when he did. He was not fired. Why does everyone act like he was fired by hateful message board posters? He retired to spend more time with family. we should all be so lucky.

 

[orientalnc]

What typo? Smultz. What's so bad about that? Stop trying to stop folks from learning. They should Google it if they want. Actually, everybody do it. Meet me at smultz.com ..... and do it on your work computer.

LOL. I did that and was glad it was on my home computer. Then I scrubbed my search and browsing history. Twice.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Bradley’s Buzz: Whom should Georgia Tech hire? Beats me

Bradley: 'I’ve been thinking about replacements for Geoff Collins, and I can’t say I’ve found anyone who’s more likely than not to succeed – and, more important, to want to coach Tech .....'

www.ajc.com

 

[JacketFan137]

You "wanted Paul to retire at Tech in his seventies" but Paul Johnson CHOSE to retire when he did. He was not fired. Why does everyone act like he was fired by hateful message board posters? He retired to spend more time with family. we should all be so lucky.

narratives surrounding paul and reality are two completely separate things on this board. just a heads up it’s not worth arguing as these people have their mind made up already

 

[kg01]

LOL. I did that and was glad it was on my home computer. Then I scrubbed my search and browsing history. Twice.

When the 'authorizes' come for you, just tell them you were on a quest for knowledge. Trying to gratifyedify oneself.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

LOL. I did that and was glad it was on my home computer. Then I scrubbed my search and browsing history. Twice.

 

[CEB]

narratives surrounding paul and reality are two completely separate things on this board. just a heads up it’s not worth arguing as these people have their mind made up already

 

[slugboy]

Bradley’s Buzz: Whom should Georgia Tech hire? Beats me

Bradley: 'I’ve been thinking about replacements for Geoff Collins, and I can’t say I’ve found anyone who’s more likely than not to succeed – and, more important, to want to coach Tech .....'

www.ajc.com

I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm disappointed that Bradley wrote that long but empty column. I'm also disappointed in the state of a lot of college sports journalism.

For some reason, I remember a time when a sports writer would talk to some knowledgeable people and come back with an interesting point of view. I think now they circulate other people's opinions.

Two years ago, Kansas was in much worse shape than us. Duke was in worse shape than us last year when Cutcliffe retired. Both are much better off this year than last. Five years ago (is it five?), UGA was never going to get past Saban at Alabama. Kirby Smart was just one more ex-Saban assistant that would remain a pale shadow of his mentor. Riley would never leave Oklahoma for any reason (but he just took off for USC) and Kelly would never leave Notre Dame. Three months ago, TCU was an irrelevant program being left behind in the dying Big12.

There's a difference between not knowing who the next great coach is and admitting that you don't know who they are.

Our challenge is in finding that coach.

 

[JacketFan137]

View attachment 13516

 

[CEB]

I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm disappointed that Bradley wrote that long but empty column. I'm also disappointed in the state of a lot of college sports journalism.

For some reason, I remember a time when a sports writer would talk to some knowledgeable people and come back with an interesting point of view. I think now they circulate other people's opinions.

Two years ago, Kansas was in much worse shape than us. Duke was in worse shape than us last year when Cutcliffe retired. Both are much better off this year than last. Five years ago (is it five?), UGA was never going to get past Saban at Alabama. Kirby Smart was just one more ex-Saban assistant that would remain a pale shadow of his mentor. Riley would never leave Oklahoma for any reason (but he just took off for USC) and Kelly would never leave Notre Dame. Three months ago, TCU was an irrelevant program being left behind in the dying Big12.

There's a difference between not knowing who the next great coach is and admitting that you don't know who they are.

Our challenge is in finding that coach.

Agree completely. The whole article was less about any compelling information or even opinion and more about taking another shot at us. Perhaps somewhat deserved, but I don’t see how anyone benefits from him writing an article to say that we are such a mess it’s not even worth offering a sensational, ill-informed opinion on the matter.

 

[TromboneJacket]

Bradley’s Buzz: Whom should Georgia Tech hire? Beats me

Bradley: 'I’ve been thinking about replacements for Geoff Collins, and I can’t say I’ve found anyone who’s more likely than not to succeed – and, more important, to want to coach Tech .....'

www.ajc.com

What a terrible article that was. Gailey may have been a better coach than we gave him credit for, but beating georgie in the early to mid 2000s was not nearly the insurmountable obstacle it is today. When I ponder how the rivalry arrived at its current state, it’s hard not to feel that the stretch of time where georgie beat us 7 times in a row allowed them to progress easily toward cementing their dominance in the state.

Additionally, we exist outside our ties to u[sic]ga. Given the state of the two programs, I’d be surprised if Batt wastes any mental energy in this coaching search thinking about that place in Athens.

If we can even get back to where we were at the end of Gailey’s tenure, then our next HC has done a great job. I want a coach who can get us back to annual bowl games while improving our overall recruiting such that we become an attractive job for a potential successor.

 

[HurricaneJacket]

I think Mark Stoops might end up at Auburn, but I wonder if he'd be an interesting/interested candidate if the music begins to fade and he needs a chair. Here in KY there seem to be quiet rumblings of a potential change in the UK football program.

Why would he leave Lexington?

 

[orientalnc]

I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm disappointed that Bradley wrote that long but empty column. I'm also disappointed in the state of a lot of college sports journalism.

For some reason, I remember a time when a sports writer would talk to some knowledgeable people and come back with an interesting point of view. I think now they circulate other people's opinions.

Two years ago, Kansas was in much worse shape than us. Duke was in worse shape than us last year when Cutcliffe retired. Both are much better off this year than last. Five years ago (is it five?), UGA was never going to get past Saban at Alabama. Kirby Smart was just one more ex-Saban assistant that would remain a pale shadow of his mentor. Riley would never leave Oklahoma for any reason (but he just took off for USC) and Kelly would never leave Notre Dame. Three months ago, TCU was an irrelevant program being left behind in the dying Big12.

There's a difference between not knowing who the next great coach is and admitting that you don't know who they are.

Our challenge is in finding that coach.

What's really sad, in addition to our football program, is the depths to which Bradley has sunk as a writer. There was a point, in a time long ago, when he seemed relevant. There's one honest admission in his column. He has no idea what's going on.