Techster
Helluva Engineer
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Also some context would help. In terms of Bobby Ross/O'Leary/Gailey/Johnson, Gailey and Johnson probably inherited the best situations.
Ross had to do a minor rebuild after inheriting a team that catapulted Curry to the 'Bama job after a VERY good year in 1985 and a 0.500 year in 1986. Ross's first two seasons were a STRUGGLE. The breakthrough didn't come until 1989 when we ran off a series of wins that set the stage for our 1990 National Championship.
O'Leary probably had the toughest job out of the 4 coaches. He inherited a team that was fractured on the field and in the locker room. Within his first full season, he got GT back to a winning record (BTW, 6-5 in 1995 would have guaranteed GT a bowl during this era). Took a minor step back in 1996, but started our bowl streak in 1997.
Chan Gailey came in as O'Leary's talent was winding down, but there was still good talent. Gailey however, probably doesn't get enough credit for spotting talent and developing it. He certainly left CPJ a pretty full cupboard. On the field, Gailey was...um, "consistent". Outside of 2006 ACCCG, the Gailey equilibrium was a metronome.
CPJ probably inherited the best situation out of everyone. An entire defensive line (rated one of the top 5 in college football that year) and secondary that saw time in the NFL. A RB, QB, WR, and 2 OLs that saw time in the NFL. All because you inherit talent doesn't mean you should automatically do well (see: Bill Lewis). Give CPJ credit, 2008 and 2009 is probably the best 2 year run in the modern GT era.
So where does that leave CGC? Just my personal opinion, but I think CGC inherits a better situation than Ross and O'Leary, but not as good of a situation as Gailey or Johnson.
I think in CPJ's decade at GT, the game on the field and off the field changed. Some of it CPJ never adapted to, and some of it was beyond his control. I think CPJ during the 90's and early 2000's would have made GT a national power. Unfortunately, when CPJ came to GT, recruiting services, social media, and the biggest thing IMO, spread offenses became vogue. Talent that CPJ probably would have gotten in the 90's and early 2000's suddenly had a home in other spread offenses. Dual threat QBs who schools use to want as WRs/RBs/or DBs suddenly were high priority QB recruits. Other skill players didn't want to play in the offense because all they see on social media and from other guys being recruited is how "uncool" the triple option is.
As I've said before, some of my best times as a GT fan was during the CPJ era...and as someone who has witnessed how devastating it is to pay out a multi million buyout for coaches (see our lost decade on the basketball side and how those contracts bled over to our football side) I think we should ALL be grateful to CPJ that he left without being a financial burden when it was well within his right to make it financially tough on GT.
