HC Candidate/Rumors/Info Thread

[Jacket0323]

I was a fan (and still am) of CPJ and liked the offense. But I agree with everything you said. I thought that enhancing the passing game, even by a little, and changing the running formation to utilize more of a feature back would have done wonders for Johnson's ability to both recruit and win. But he was stubborn to a fault. When we had Vad Lee as QB, Johnson did alter the offense to add more pistol concepts, but he seem to do it begrudgingly and never really got behind it. Even when we won games with Vad, I always got the feeling that Johnson didn't like it because he wasn't winning 'his way'. When FSU played Auburn for the Natty in 2014, I thought Malzahn implemented exactly the concepts that we should have pursued. His offense was based on a read-option with a feature back and made much more use of the passing game.

Either way, Johnson was a really good football coach, a great innovator and magnificent game day general. He could have been a historically great football coach if not for his personality issues.

 

[cpf2001]

You'll say that until you are the roommate booster donating seven figures to the Athletic Department...

As much as I’d love to have that problem, there are organizations that are toys for rich people and there are organizations that are leaders in their field and they usually aren’t the same ones.

Having a board member that would undermine the org if the CEO disagreed with him on a top hire would - if true! - fall in the “toy for rich people” category not the “serious about being the best” one.

And it seems like our rich people just aren’t rich or prevalent enough for that model to work for us, based on all our recent coach salaries and spending and debt.

 

[JacketOff]

Here's an interesting question. If Thacker were to move on after this season - perhaps he's loyal to Geoff, hates GT, gets a better offer elsewhere, whatever - are people still as high on retaining Key?

Thacker I could take or leave. I think he’s a good DC and a good recruiter that the players respond to. But I think there are several other coaches who could do just as good if not better than Thacker.

Long is not an option for me though. He’s proven to be the worst option at OC for 4 different schools: Memphis, Notre Dame, Tulane, now Tech. All 4 were worse offensively with him as OC than without him. If Key wants to keep along around then Key needs to pack up and get out. Because with Long it will take years of very solid recruiting before we have enough talent to put a competent offense on the field

 

[WreckinGT]

ok so you don't like Key. But all this was on Key I guess. Sometimes there is more to the story..



Before the UCF football team played a single down in September, the Knights had already moved two quarterbacks to the receivers position, saw at least two players quit the team and lost their most experienced defensive tackle and one of their most experienced receivers due to injuries.

It was just the beginning, with the team sending its best cornerback, Chris Williams, home to Georgia to recover from a gunshot wound.


Head coach George O'Leary added interim athletics director duties to his plate, fueling more speculation about his future plans.

There were so many changes unfolding almost weekly for the Knights that by the time USF ended UCF's season with a 44-3 loss Thanksgiving night, the team's media guide printed in July was almost wholly inaccurate.


Senior defensive lineman Thomas Niles said he expected some challenges this season after UCF saw 21 seniors from the 2014 team leave. Many of the players were long-time starters, helping win two conference championships and two bowl games.
O'Leary said the team's earlier NCAA sanctions created some recruiting limitations that manifested this season after the 2014 class — the last group brought in before the scholarship reductions hit — left. Losing Breshad Perriman and Jacoby Glenn early to the NFL also hurt.

None of that really changes anything I said. Even with hurdles to overcome, decent offensive coordinators probably shouldn't have the worst offense in college football. Similarly, most good OL coaches wouldn't have the worst OL in college football like we did in 2019, and nearly did again in 2020. Let me guess though. None of that was his fault either. Nor is the currently awful offensive line he has produced or the awful offense in general we have had since he took over. The guy is an infallible offensive genius just running into a nearly career long streak of bad luck. Poor guy.

 

[roadkill]

what week did midterms fall on this season? We’ve historically played poorly that week I was just wondering if it was uva week?

Good question. I can't find the midterm dates on the Fall academic calendar, but the interval between the Duke and Virginia games would have included the midpoint of the semester. So a high likelihood that the team did indeed have midterms during the "ten days to prepare" period.
Not that we should excuse the team/coaches due to midterms (we never have in the past), but its often a factor in our performance. Let's face it our S-As would certainly have had some distractions in the practices leading up to the Virginia game if midterms were involved.

 

[stech81]

None of that really changes anything I said. Even with hurdles to overcome, decent offensive coordinators probably shouldn't have the worst offense in college football. Similarly, most good OL coaches wouldn't have the worst OL in college football like we did in 2019, and nearly did again in 2020. Let me guess though. None of that was his fault either. Nor is the currently awful offensive line he has produced or the awful offense in general we have had since he took over. The guy is an infallible offensive genius just running into a nearly career long streak of bad luck. Poor guy.

Ok you don't want Key I get it I want him doesn't make one of us wrong. Maybe the only difference in us if key doesn't get the job I would still support the new coach and players. And I would hope I'd key does get the job you would support him and the players.

 

[lv20gt]

Let me guess though. None of that was his fault either. Nor is the currently awful offensive line he has produced or the awful offense in general we have had since he took over.

Unironically this is exactly what will be argued. That Collins wouldn't allow Key to do what he wanted or take who he wanted.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

The OL situation now appears to be created by Collins.…I would like to see key, Watson, turner, and Tillman on staff somehow. If that is key as HC at less money to acquire big time coordinators so be it.

How is the OL situation created by Collins?

 

[JacketFan137]

Chadwell will make everyone forget about other possible coaches when he comes in here and starts winning 8-10 games a season very soon. Gonna be a lot of fun to watch too.

paul johnson is apparently the best coach ever and he did not win 8 games a season. i hate to say it but i don’t see any coach we hire averaging more than 7 because i don’t think they are as good as johnson and we play tougher schedules than we did under johnson

 

[Randy Carson]

How is the OL situation created by Collins?

I'm picturing a bunch of guys sitting a room watching film.

• Position coach wants to offer a player. The head coach says no.
• Head coach wants to offer a kid; position coach expresses his opinion but gets overruled.

Like that.

 

[WreckinGT]

Ok you don't want Key I get it I want him doesn't make one of us wrong. Maybe the only difference in us if key doesn't get the job I would still support the new coach and players. And I would hope I'd key does get the job you would support him and the players.

My full support is not 100% unconditional. If I feel that they are making awful decisions with respect to the program then that is going to affect my level of support. That's just how it is. If they decide to keep roughly the same staff in tact after the train wreck of the last 4 seasons, then I can't promise a high degree of support for that.

 

[Randy Carson]

paul johnson is apparently the best coach ever and he did not win 8 games a season. i hate to say it but i don’t see any coach we hire averaging more than 7 because i don’t think they are as good as johnson and we play tougher schedules than we did under johnson

Not for long, I hope. Ole Miss-type opponents need to go. For a decade at least.

UGA, too, for that matter. And I don't think the Dogs would whine much about that at this point.

We are IRRELEVANT to them now.

 

[JacketFan137]

i have a younger coworker that actually played at sanford very recently. i was talking to him about football and he brought up kennesaw state his words were “that’s not even real football”. i think the younger generation has a very negative perception of option offenses and that isn’t gonna change regardless of how much you guys pretend that it doesn’t matter

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

and we play tougher schedules than we did under johnson

Not true.

Year	SoS Rank
2022	39
2021	32
2020	58
2019	55
2018	60
2017	17
2016	42
2015	14
2014	28
2013	46
2012	44
2011	76
2010	69
2009	10
2008	40

 

[Randy Carson]

i have a younger coworker that actually played at sanford very recently. i was talking to him about football and he brought up kennesaw state his words were “that’s not even real football”. i think the younger generation has a very negative perception of option offenses and that isn’t gonna change regardless of how much you guys pretend that it doesn’t matter

Then your young friend doesn't understand TOP or how demoralizing an 85-yard "death march" taking 11 minutes off the clock can be.

 

[stech81]

My full support is not 100% unconditional. If I feel that they are making awful decisions with respect to the program then that is going to affect my level of support. That's just how it is. If they decide to keep roughly the same staff in tact after the train wreck of the last 4 seasons, then I can't promise a high degree of support for that.

Sad

 

[Randy Carson]

Not true.

Year	SoS Rank
2022	39
2021	32
2020	58
2019	55
2018	60
2017	17
2016	42
2015	14
2014	28
2013	46
2012	44
2011	76
2010	69
2009	10
2008	40

Averages:
40.5 under Johnson.
46 under TFG/BK

 

[JacketFan137]

Not true.

Year	SoS Rank
2022	39
2021	32
2020	58
2019	55
2018	60
2017	17
2016	42
2015	14
2014	28
2013	46
2012	44
2011	76
2010	69
2009	10
2008	40

i was mostly basing that off clemson and uga being better than they were for johnson and i believe we’ve played stronger teams OOC+ will see notre dame more frequently. i do think some of the acc teams are weaker like miami and vt.

with the divisions being kaput i think future we will be facing tougher acc schedules

also as that other user posted the difference is minimal and frankly insignificant. my point stands regardless we are getting a worse coach than johnson so i don’t think there are any guarantees we average more than 7 wins as even johnson couldn’t muster more

 

[JacketFan137]

Then your young friend doesn't understand TOP or how demoralizing an 85-yard "death march" taking 11 minutes off the clock can be.

he does but he also doesn’t want to play in the offense. both can be true

 

[leatherneckjacket]

I'm picturing a bunch of guys sitting a room watching film.

• Position coach wants to offer a player. The head coach says no.
• Head coach wants to offer a kid; position coach expresses his opinion but gets overruled.

Like that.

So, just random speculation fueled by the derangement of fans who are still fuming over the TFFG, but nothing based on specific knowledge or facts.