Let's compare coaches, just for fun !

alagold

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...y-index-usc-rutgers-florida-state/1328224002/

Georgia Tech: Since the Misery Index came into existence several years ago, the Yellow Jackets have landed on this list from time to time. The fundamental tension in the program practically lends itself to that. Paul Johnson will adamantly claim he’s overachieved thanks to his triple-option offense at a school with tough academics that hasn’t always had a strong financial commitment to football. Johnson’s detractors say he wouldn’t have to overachieve if he were more effective at procuring talent and that the ceiling should be higher on a program located in the middle of one of the three best metropolitan areas for recruiting in the country. That debate has simmered through some ups and downs, but Johnson won the argument by guiding Tech to four ACC title game appearances in his first seven years. Not all arguments are final, however. Johnson is in the midst of a bad dry spell: Seven losses in his last nine games against FBS teams, seven straight losses away from home and potentially a third season in his last four without a bowl bid unless Tech can turn things around quickly. With a reasonable buyout of $4 million, more and more Georgia Tech fans are saying they’ve had enough.

A couple of things here:

As I pointed out in another thread, over the last 30 years, GT has only had 1 bad hire...a name I don't care to repeat. Since Ross, only one coach either didn't play for the ACC Championship or win the ACC Championship. We know who that was. It's not like CPJ took over a bad situation, as GT was a year removed from an ACCCG appearance, and we had a long bowl streak going. Before that, O'Leary did some pretty good thing for the program and even coached a runner up for Heisman with an exciting offense. What CPJ did was raise the ceiling a bit...which, IMO, he was hired to do after the consistently bland 7 wins a year Chan Gailey. But, he also lowered the floor.

In terms of financial commitment, I didn't hear CPJ complaining when he was one of the top 3 highest paid in the ACC, though that has changed with recent new hires and extensions. Also, GT spends money on football in the same league as 90% of the college teams out there. We're just not competing with Clemson/'Bama/Texas/UGA/FSU...and whatever monster factories. Then again, 90% of college football isn't either. Reasonable GT fans realize we are not competing with them on that level, but the hope is to reasonably compete with them on the field. Yet, somehow, GT has facilities and resources a lot of schools don't. CPJ wanted an indoor practice facility, and he got one...in a land locked Major city no less. CPJ wanted extra staff and new locker rooms. He got it. Sure, it may have taken a bit, but all those things take a while. Saban asked for major upgrades, and even the big machine that is 'Bama football had to take time to make it happen. More money has been spent on our program under CPJ than any other coach.

GT football was fine before CPJ, it will be fine after CPJ as well.

To add to that, it would be unlikely that we could recruit any worse than PJ has over his term.He has consistently been in lower tier in conference and as high as high 60s in nation one yr.If that was not bad enough, his classes have an almost unbelievable loss rate of guys before their eligibility is over(for WHATEVER reason) .Since '12 to '15 (4 yr period) it is at 35%. and we are toward that track with the '16 class. Meaning not only are they weak classes but also they gets weaker as they leave.
It is actually a positive that we have done as well as we have with that loss of talent but it has caught up with him. ex-At DL and WR we are dead last in conference in talent..
 

slugboy

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That's what I thought it might be for — just in case, that is — when I read it.
After the last couple of AD's and where their actions left us, I'd want to be sitting on a war chest if I was TStan. There are a lot of "just in case" things to have money for, and if everything's designated, you're hogtied.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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Good post... pretty much along the lines of what I was trying to claim. Then you look at someone like Notre Dame, with all their money, resources, prestige, history, TV deals, etc... They haven't won a championship in 30 years. Think about how long that is. Thats nearly half a persons lifetime, and its entirely possible they go another 20-25 years without one.

Seems weird to me to be obsessed with something that happens 1-2 times a lifetime, at most.

It has been a while for a lot of factories. UGA has not won a national championship in 38 years. Not only do you have to have tremendous talent but depth and a little bit of help from the schedule. Notre Dame has come close several times but just has not had the breaks for whatever reason. For any team, other than Alabama that is, it is a rare event to be sure. Florida has won two national championships in this generation but because of consecutive poor head coaches and really bad decisions in recruiting it will be years before they will be back in the national title picture. Moral: Be nice to the people on the way up the ladder to success because you will meet them again on the way down.
 

BCJacket

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I've never gotten on the "Fire CPJ train". When you fire a pretty good coach, most of the time the next coach isn't as good. UT, UF, USC... have all the resources in the world and can't find a great coach.

What I've said before when people got on the "Fire CPJ train":

If you think we can fire him and upgrade, name the coach(es) that...
  • Doesn't run the 3O
  • Is available
  • We can afford
  • Will come to GT
  • Can raise our recruiting rankings significantly
  • Coach up those recruits well enough to beat Clemson, UGA, Miami and VT
  • Coach the game well enough to beat Clemson, UGA, Miami and VT
  • Will stay more than a few years
  • Keep our APR on track
  • Not get us NCAA sanctions
  • Win bigger than CPJ (ACC championship and Orange Bowl victory)
That said, the last 3+ seasons have crept below the CCG "Mendoza" line. The italicized bullets are no longer entirely relevant (couldn't figure our how to strikethrough). I'm also getting disgusted with his tendency to blame/callout players when things go wrong. Mediocre would be an upgrade at this point. We're not in the middle looking up at Clemson, UGA, Miami and VT right now. We're on the bottom, looking up at Duke, Pitt and UVa. The list of coaches that could outperform and get 8+ wins per year at GT is short. The list that can win 6+ is a good deal longer. My 1st choice would be for CPJ to turn things around. But, missing a bowl 3/4 seasons would be entirely unacceptable.
 

RiseUpATL

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Lots of good views in here. I will say that regardless of all the points to keep or change, there is an ingrained issue right now and I don’t think it can be overcome. This is an organization. Every organization has a culture and an identity that reflects the leadership. I am thinking beyond everything that the message from leadership is simply stale. Do not underestimate that. Especially with younger men. They are more susceptible to major swings in organizational behavior. I just feel like we are going through the motions and have been since 2015. There is no fight, no identity except for blowing leads and losing on the road.

It’s tough these days for a coach to last more than 10 years. PJ has had a great run at GT. Gave us some great years. Perhaps it’s simply time to let someone else have their hand at it.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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Lots of good views in here. I will say that regardless of all the points to keep or change, there is an ingrained issue right now and I don’t think it can be overcome. This is an organization. Every organization has a culture and an identity that reflects the leadership. I am thinking beyond everything that the message from leadership is simply stale. Do not underestimate that. Especially with younger men. They are more susceptible to major swings in organizational behavior. I just feel like we are going through the motions and have been since 2015. There is no fight, no identity except for blowing leads and losing on the road.

It’s tough these days for a coach to last more than 10 years. PJ has had a great run at GT. Gave us some great years. Perhaps it’s simply time to let someone else have their hand at it.

For a period of over 50 years Tech had 3 coaches: Heisman, Alexander, and Dodd. Those days of coaches lasting 10 years are gone for a number of reasons but maybe that is not a bad thing. Coaches that reach 60 find it harder to hang on and some of them do so to the ultimate detriment of their programs and legacies. Prime examples being Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden and to a lesser extent Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes. Sometimes you have to face the fact that it is time for the old dog to get on the porch and let the young pups run the yard.
 

Lavoisier

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My issue with Satterfield is the spread again. He's also never had a P5 job so it's a risky hire, which I don't think we should go for now. We had nothing to lose post Chan so we could roll the dice, but if we have another losing season (which is really the only way I see Paul Johnson leaving) we are going to be in trouble clawing back if we get a complete flop. I think Mike Bloomgren might be someone to look at. OC/OL/AHC at Stanford for 6-7 years. From Florida so he has Southeast ties. If he can make Rice respectable this year I think he would check most of my personal boxes, but I'm just a nobody on a messageboard.

I think we are going to, and should, look for someone who has a background at one of the more academic schools like we did with Coach Johnson. They have to be able to have success with those hurdles, because it isn't going to change any time soon realistically.
 

Lavoisier

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It's harder to get a coach to come work for you if you're known as the school that fires a guy after starting 1-2. We don't really have the clout to overcome bad press like that.
 

GT_EE78

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Lane has already shown himself to be a win at all costs kind of coach with his hire of Briles. If we hire him, I’m not putting a dime to the program until he’s gone.
yea but if he wins it's a lot better than what we got now, Let's get him started for the Clemson game!
 

THWG

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My issue with Satterfield is the spread again. He's also never had a P5 job so it's a risky hire, which I don't think we should go for now. We had nothing to lose post Chan so we could roll the dice, but if we have another losing season (which is really the only way I see Paul Johnson leaving) we are going to be in trouble clawing back if we get a complete flop. I think Mike Bloomgren might be someone to look at. OC/OL/AHC at Stanford for 6-7 years. From Florida so he has Southeast ties. If he can make Rice respectable this year I think he would check most of my personal boxes, but I'm just a nobody on a messageboard.

I think we are going to, and should, look for someone who has a background at one of the more academic schools like we did with Coach Johnson. They have to be able to have success with those hurdles, because it isn't going to change any time soon realistically.
I think moving to the spread would be better for us since we basically already run that. Satterfield also utilizes a power run game which would be another plus imo. He is just a really good coach and has been able to have a relatively smooth transition from the FCS to the FBS with App State.
 

GT_EE78

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My top 10 head coaching Candidates for GT

Scott Satterfield Head Coach Appalachian State
Mike Houston Head Coach James Madison
John Grass Head Coach Jacksonville State
Neal Brown Head Coach Troy
John Candle Head Coach Toledo
Bob Neilson Head Coach South Dakota
John Stiegelmeier Head Coach South Dakota State
Josh Gattis Co-Offensive Coordinator Alabama
Mike Locksley Co-Offensive Coordinator Alabama
Ricky Rahne Offensive Coordinator Penn State
Satterfield could cost less that the current coach (which AD would love) and since the buyout is a pittance (by modern standards), thats a great idea , let's get him onboard for the Clemson game!
 

4shotB

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Satterfield could cost less that the current coach (which AD would love) and since the buyout is a pittance (by modern standards), thats a great idea , let's get him onboard for the Clemson game!

Let's give this a rest. really, it's not happening. It's tiresome and I am assuming you got out in '78, which should make you old enough to know better. I'm not happy at 1-2, most likely, 1-3 but nothing is happening until the end of the season. Until then I will hope for CPJ and the Jackets to win out.
 

GT_EE78

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Other possible hires for GT that would be good

Bob Shoop Defensive Coordinator Miss State
Cale Gundy Co Offensive Coordinator Oklahoma
Bill Bedenbaugh Co Offensive Coordinator Oklahoma
Greg Schiano Defensive Coordinator Ohio State
Bush Hamdan Offensive Coordinator Washington and former Falcons QB Coach
not bad. i'm sho glad u didnt put pepper rodgers on that list!
 

BCJacket

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My picks for a next coach (if it comes to that):
  1. John Grass - Jacksonville St. My top choice. Runs a 2 back shotgun spread that uses option runs. Kinda like what UF did with Tebow. Could see our big WRs, athletic A-backs and Lucas Johnson working ok in his system. He's 50 years old and on his first college HC gig, probably take the job and stay here a while. Unless he does well enough here to get a top tier job offer.
  2. Mike Houston - James Madison. 29-3 at JMU. FCS to GT is enough of a jump and we could offer much more money. We'd be a springboard job for him. But if we want a younger rising star, he'd be my choice.
  3. Craig Bohl - Wyoming. Old enough at 60, that we'd probably be his final/only P5 destination, not a stopover. But also, he's 60, so not a long term solution. Coached Carson Wentz and Josh Allen from overlooked recruits into NFL 1st rounders. Could probably get some recruiting momentum on that resume.
Also (but):
  • Scott Satterfield (App State. Not sure he'd take our job. He's on track for a top tier job and I don't know that a GT rebuild is a better springboard than keeping App State rolling.)
  • Ken Niumatalolo (Navy. Personally, I love the flexbone option offense. But I'm not sure TStan can sell the boosters on firing CPJ and hiring a disciple.)
 
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