Ken’s AJC article on Patrick Suddes ...

[GTRambler]

Nice piece with some interesting background:

https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/...ld-giant-georgia-tech/jVBsBkyKVNKZjtJ5TEHiIK/

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Damn, this makes me hope more than ever that Collins can put it all together on the field, because he sure as hell is doing EVERYTHING else right !!! I AM IMPRESSED !!!

 

[Milwaukee]

Ken has been kicking *** since the Collins hire, kudos. Good stuff.

We're about to turn into a national power, boys. Not Bama like, but Stanford under Harbaugh like. Football and academics, come get it.

Some of our own fans don't really understand what kind of staff we've just assembled. My buddy who is an offensive analyst for Clemson texts me every week and pretty much says the same thing: Collins and this new staff have the southeast on FIRE. If he's telling me this then he's hearing it inside their walls. I'm jacked. I'm jacked to the tits.

 

[takethepoints]

Ken has been kicking *** since the Collins hire, kudos. Good stuff.

We're about to turn into a national power, boys. Not Bama like, but Stanford under Harbaugh like. Football and academics, come get it.

Some of our own fans don't really understand what kind of staff we've just assembled. My buddy who is an offensive analyst for Clemson texts me every week and pretty much says the same thing: Collins and this new staff have the southeast on FIRE. If he's telling me this then he's hearing it inside their walls. I'm jacked. I'm jacked to the tits.

I think Suddes knows what to do. My question is does he know what to do in Tech's environment. That's a good deal different from where he's been before and, so near as I can see, there isn't much give in it. I don't doubt he'll adapt and that we'll do better recruiting. I don't know, however, if our potential will be enough to fulfill your ambitions. We can do better then the last two years and I expect we will (after 2020 is over; that's the worse schedule I've seen in years). Let's hope you are right.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I just hope we build a wall around the state. Every year a a few go to ND, The Big Ten, Stanford, the ACC, and other places that should be staying home. I’m talking about the ones that could get in about anywhere.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Bring 'em in and keep 'em eligible. 2 steps that will require some effort, but it does appear our new staff is willing to put out the effort.

 

[White_Gold]

Ken has been kicking *** since the Collins hire, kudos. Good stuff.

We're about to turn into a national power, boys. Not Bama like, but Stanford under Harbaugh like. Football and academics, come get it.

Some of our own fans don't really understand what kind of staff we've just assembled. My buddy who is an offensive analyst for Clemson texts me every week and pretty much says the same thing: Collins and this new staff have the southeast on FIRE. If he's telling me this then he's hearing it inside their walls. I'm jacked. I'm jacked to the tits.

This is the way it always should have been. GT has a significant amount of competitive advantages, even over some of the traditional power programs. It will only get better as Atlanta grows.
The lack of branding and marketing of the last regime was atrocious for a number of reasons. It’s a big tragedy we haven’t had the social media and local brand marketing we are creating now. Perhaps it’s been a blessing in disguise!

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

This is the way it always should have been. GT has a significant amount of competitive advantages, even over some of the traditional power programs. It will only get better as Atlanta grows.
The lack of branding and marketing of the last regime was atrocious for a number of reasons. It’s a big tragedy we haven’t had the social media and local brand marketing we are creating now. Perhaps it’s been a blessing in disguise!

Agreed on almost all points. IMO, the biggest difference between the branding of the former and current regimes is that TStan has finally opened up the checkbook for the appropriate staff hires to facilitate the improvements necessary to succeed. Granted, CGC has hired, IMO, an exceptional staff, but unless TStan was willing to fund a staff, we were going to continue to be mired in mediocrity. I said when he was hired and I will say it again, TStan is the best thing to happen to GT football in a LONG time...

Some of our own fans don't really understand what kind of staff we've just assembled. My buddy who is an offensive analyst for Clemson texts me every week and pretty much says the same thing: Collins and this new staff have the southeast on FIRE. If he's telling me this then he's hearing it inside their walls. I'm jacked. I'm jacked to the tits.

This. I am excited about the coaches, but it's the auxiliary staff that has me really encouraged. As stated above, some of these hires that we won't see on the sidelines are set to make a huge difference in our program in the very near future.

 

[White_Gold]

Agreed on almost all points. IMO, the biggest difference between the branding of the former and current regimes is that TStan has finally opened up the checkbook for the appropriate staff hires to facilitate the improvements necessary to succeed.

The biggest thing is actually recognizing and shouting it from the rooftops that Tech offers just about everything a kid and his parents want in higher education and a football program. That’s reflected in the words/tweets/IG posts that have been posted since Coach Collins assumed duty.

To your point, TStan opened up the checkbook because Coach Collins sold the vision (because he recognizes just how awesome GT is).

These things weren’t the case in years past.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

To your point, TStan opened up the checkbook because Coach Collins sold the vision (because he recognizes just how awesome GT is).

If this is true then it's a huge indictment on TStan. If he withheld support from CPJ simply because he wasn't as outgoing as CGC, then that's not saying much for him as a leader. I'm betting that the impetus of staff transition caused more donations by donors which allowed TStan to free up extra money.

Or you can keep blaming CPJ for the former shoestring budget GT football was working under. (61st in P5 football, behind every ACC team but WFU)

https://www.syracuse.com/orangefoot...ollege_football_where_does_syracuse_rank.html

 

[RickStromFan]

The biggest thing is actually recognizing and shouting it from the rooftops that Tech offers just about everything a kid and his parents want in higher education and a football program. That’s reflected in the words/tweets/IG posts that have been posted since Coach Collins assumed duty.

To your point, TStan opened up the checkbook because Coach Collins sold the vision (because he recognizes just how awesome GT is).

These things weren’t the case in years past.

Agreed and it's not a huge expense to simply maintain an active Twitter account and tweet positive, exciting things about the GT football program. You could probably get undergrads to do it for free or in exchange for a couple of decent seats. For a STEM school to not have been doing it previously is remarkably lazy.

 

[Techster]

Ken has been kicking *** since the Collins hire, kudos. Good stuff.

We're about to turn into a national power, boys. Not Bama like, but Stanford under Harbaugh like. Football and academics, come get it.

Some of our own fans don't really understand what kind of staff we've just assembled. My buddy who is an offensive analyst for Clemson texts me every week and pretty much says the same thing: Collins and this new staff have the southeast on FIRE. If he's telling me this then he's hearing it inside their walls. I'm jacked. I'm jacked to the tits.

GT was the original "Stanford" before Stanford. The "smart" school known for very good teams in BOTH football and basketball. Our fans often forget that we had the 2nd longest bowl streak at one point behind FSU that wasn't broken until 2015. Think about that. 'Bama couldn't say that. Clemson couldn't say that. Michigan couldn't say that. Florida couldn't say that. Texas couldn't say that. GT, with all the things we have to deal with in the classroom and in recruiting, was able to go bowling for that long means something. The streak started when bowls actually were a reward for having a good season, now you're a REALLY bad team if you miss a bowl game.

IMO, the biggest thing holding back GT the last decade wasn't our coaches, but dumb business decisions by our administration. The combination of Braine/Radakovich/Bobinski really let us down. From giving a coach an auto rollover component in his contract (which was really a contract in perpetuity if GT wasn't willing to eat a massive buyout...which is what we did), to continuing with an apparel brand that hurt recruiting and marketing, to trying to financially strangle the HC of our biggest money maker (football). There's probably an entire book that can be written about the dumb decisions those 3 made that hurt our programs years after they left. Our basketball program is still reeling from the decisions those 3 made.

For those that want to criticize CPJ, remember this one thing: He could have made it VERY difficult for GT, but he left right way and did not hurt us financially on the way out. If you don't think that means anything, then you don't understand how much the combined buyouts of Gailey/Hewitt/Gregory has set our entire athletic department back. Agree or disagree with some of the on the field stuff, but CPJ should be commended for leaving GT the honorable way.

As @Milwaukee has alluded to, GT fans should be excited about what's on the horizon for us. This staff still needs to prove it ON THE FIELD, but they are hitting all the right notes off the field at the moment and it's certainly getting the attention of recruits and the media. GT is, dare I say it, becoming "cool"!

 

[smokey_wasp]

If this is true then it's a huge indictment on TStan. If he withheld support from CPJ simply because he wasn't as outgoing as CGC, then that's not saying much for him as a leader. I'm betting that the impetus of staff transition caused more donations by donors which allowed TStan to free up extra money.

Or you can keep blaming CPJ for the former shoestring budget GT football was working under. (61st in P5 football, behind every ACC team but WFU)

https://www.syracuse.com/orangefoot...ollege_football_where_does_syracuse_rank.html

CPJ has gone on record saying that he got plenty of support from TStan and that he would have probably retired sooner if he hadn't came along. The process of raising money was already well underway. CPJ's retirement and the hiring of Geoff Collins just accelerated it and got more donors excited.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

CPJ has gone on record saying that he got plenty of support from TStan and that he would have probably retired sooner if he hadn't came along. The process of raising money was already well underway. CPJ's retirement and the hiring of Geoff Collins just accelerated it and got more donors excited.

Exactly. Also, having Hewitt come off the books didn't hurt either...

 

[White_Gold]

If this is true then it's a huge indictment on TStan. If he withheld support from CPJ simply because he wasn't as outgoing as CGC

Yeah I don’t think it was as simple and boiled down as you’re making it out; and I’m pretty sure CPJ is on record praising TStan for support.

I don’t have to dive in deep, we can leave it at CGC is way better than CPJ in highlighting what Tech, his staff, and himself bring to the table to advance the individual student-athletes life.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I just hope we build a wall around the state. Every year a a few go to ND, The Big Ten, Stanford, the ACC, and other places that should be staying home. I’m talking about the ones that could get in about anywhere.

You do realize that academia extends beyond stem right?

 

[GTJake]

I read this article this morning and again had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming, I really believe we have got it right and are heading into a new era for GT Football ... I'm hoping the fanbase can unify and get on-board and get over CPJ on every issue that comes up, respect CPJ for what he was, but also realize what he wasn't.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Yeah I don’t think it was as simple and boiled down as you’re making it out; and I’m pretty sure CPJ is on record praising TStan for support.

I don’t have to dive in deep, we can leave it at CGC is way better than CPJ in highlighting what Tech, his staff, and himself bring to the table to advance the individual student-athletes life.

I have a friend whose son was recruited by GT. The parents were HUGE fans of what GT brought to the table. The son wasn't as big a fan of the school, and went elsewhere. So while CGC is definitely better at letting the public know, I wouldn't say he's any better at letting the parents and recruits know. The difference is that with the extra money and resources, we can now afford a wider and broader scope in our branding efforts. I really don't see why we have to keep trashing CPJ in an effort to praise CGC. CGC is doing an amazing job, but it's not a secret that he has a LOT more resources to work with that were not afforded to CPJ.

 

[Backstreetbuzz]

For those that want to criticize CPJ, remember this one thing: He could have made it VERY difficult for GT, but he left right way and did not hurt us financially on the way out. If you don't think that means anything, then you don't understand how much the combined buyouts of Gailey/Hewitt/Gregory has set our entire athletic department back. Agree or disagree with some of the on the field stuff, but CPJ should be commended for leaving GT the honorable way.



I agree with this 100%. CPJ made a very classy exit.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

If this is true then it's a huge indictment on TStan. If he withheld support from CPJ simply because he wasn't as outgoing as CGC, then that's not saying much for him as a leader. I'm betting that the impetus of staff transition caused more donations by donors which allowed TStan to free up extra money.

Or you can keep blaming CPJ for the former shoestring budget GT football was working under. (61st in P5 football, behind every ACC team but WFU)

https://www.syracuse.com/orangefoot...ollege_football_where_does_syracuse_rank.html

TOTALLY AGREE. The implied, and often explicit, criticism posted by some here is directed at CPJ, when he could only do so much with what he had, and neither DRad nor especially MBob gave him a damn thing. The criticism that he didn't tweet or use social media to anywhere near the extent that CGC does is bogus too, because no two people on earth are alike; some don't tweet or use social media, while others live on it. CPJ didn't, while CGC does, but I'm sure there are other coaches in the country who don't either, at least not to the degree that CGC does, and that shouldn't be an indictment on them either. EVERYTHING has changed at Tech since TStan came in, and had he come earlier, I am convinced that CPJ would have benefited from those changes too.