Life after Paul Johnson.... hypothetical question

[lv20gt]

I'd rather we go with a Defense or Recruiting oriented HC, and then get a true OC that runs this system.

 

[GTJoeBrew]

I'm pretty sure I saw something were boosters were upset that he beat UGA because that might extend his stay.

I've had a few other Tech fans at work mention that they feel this way. They were even unhappy after the bowl game, walking around like we lost. Makes me absolutely sick, and sounded a lot like the dwags last year. Sometimes you get what you wish for. If you really want multiple rebuilding years, with uga building up another streak on us, try a different offense.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I'd rather we go with a Defense or Recruiting oriented HC, and then get a true OC that runs this system.

Ted Roof fits both bills.

 

[GTRX7]

Lots of option plays on the O'Leary and Ross teams

Yes, and Kentucky and Clemson also ran lots of option plays in their bowl games, but nobody is confusing their offenses with our. Kentucky and Clemson also have engineering degrees, but I would not call them engineering schools. Semantics, schemantics...you know what I meant when I said "option coach."

 

[laoh]

If CPJ retires on his own terms with a good level of success and the fanbase and powerful alums behind him, we keep his coaching tree. If CPJ is pushed out, people will be screaming to bring in a different offense. And we'll fall into the turmoil that hit Southern after CPJ left.

 

[ATLGT14]

Bob "quarterback duck" Davie.

I don't know if he was being sarcastic or not, but during a radio show at Hudson Grill, CPJ described a play call as a QB duck.....

 

[ilovetheoption]

I really hope they stay with this style of offense... if they can't get the guy from Navy, Monkey from Army is a great choice, Calhoun from Air Force is a great choice, and Bob Davie from New Mexico is a great choice. They led the NCAA in rushing this year and he has pulled that program from the ashes.

The fact that Davie has succeeded makes me smile, because I distinctly remember him saying, at ESPN while covering a GT game "if I ever get back into coaching, I'm going to run the triple option, because I'm a defensive coach, and I know it's the hardest thing to defend, and allows you to maximize your talent".

Then he went out and did exactly that.

 

[Foxyg]

I would assume that if we go after Ken N or Jeff Monken, their first call would be to CPJ to ask him what he thought. Sometimes I wonder if CPJ regrets leaving Navy to come here. Money aside, at Navy he didn't really have to worry about expectations. Housing was paid for. The school could recruit itself. He didn't really have to worry about kids expecting touches and unrealistic NFL aspirations. He didn't have to deal with an antagonistic fan base and local media doubting him or his system.

If Monken can beat Navy half the time, they'll start naming stuff after him. If Ken N. keeps doing what he's doing, he and his staff can stay there forever. I don't think either one of those guys would have any aspirations to go to the NFL, so why exactly would they come to Tech with all of its hardships? I'll put it another way, the ceiling at Tech is higher than a service academy, but it isn't high enough that we will probably ever be in the National title conversation in the rest of my lifetime. I suppose all the stars could align, but I've just come to realize that a 2 loss season is about the best we could ever hope for going forward. So, if the money is comparable, why would Ken N. or Monken leave the relative comfort of an academy head coaching position? I think Paul left Navy thinking that he could take Tech and get us in the national title conversation. That hasn't happened. Reality set in about the academic restrictions here, the prevailing media narrative about our offense and our school and a crappy AD on top of that. All of that has a chance to change with Stansbury and his willingness to really put an emphasis on football and giving us the things we need to succeed. If that's the case and we truly take off as a program, I don't think that Paul would be leaving any time soon.

If I were Paul and they called me, I'd give them the straight poop, blemishes and all. Tech is a place where great things can happen, but there are a lot easier places to coach.

 

[Techster]

The fact that Davie has succeeded makes me smile, because I distinctly remember him saying, at ESPN while covering a GT game "if I ever get back into coaching, I'm going to run the triple option, because I'm a defensive coach, and I know it's the hardest thing to defend, and allows you to maximize your talent".

Then he went out and did exactly that.

I remember that game and him saying it. He was true to his words.

 

[takethepoints]

I think we are an option school now and we'll hire someone with experience on Coach's staff when he leaves.

We're like GSU. They hired away from the option when they hired Van Gorder and they payed for that for years. We have the players to make the O work now and it would be a long dry spell to re-recruit the entire program. I'm betting (and hoping) that won't happen.

We're also like the academies. By all rights, Tech shouldn't be a Power5 school. We need to have an edge somewhere and the O is where we have it. It is, as I've said before, Moneyball football; we recruit for players who fit us like a glove, but wouldn't work in a "normal" O. Mills is a good example. He's absolutely perfect as a BB, but he'd be at LB at other Power5 schools. We got him because he wants to run and we'll give him the chance. That's the edge we need to make the program work. It also helps that our O doesn't need a superman at the skill positions. It is based on scheming for yardage, not getting a prime athlete out where he can overwhelm the opposition. (Helps to have those guys, of course.) That edge means that our D recruiting problems don't hamstring us as much.

 

[Foxyg]

I think we are an option school now and we'll hire someone with experience on Coach's staff when he leaves.

We're like GSU. They hired away from the option when they hired Van Gorder and they payed for that for years. We have the players to make the O work now and it would be a long dry spell to re-recruit the entire program. I'm betting (and hoping) that won't happen.

We're also like the academies. By all rights, Tech shouldn't be a Power5 school. We need to have an edge somewhere and the O is where we have it. It is, as I've said before, Moneyball football; we recruit for players who fit us like a glove, but wouldn't work in a "normal" O. Mills is a good example. He's absolutely perfect as a BB, but he'd be at LB at other Power5 schools. We got him because he wants to run and we'll give him the chance. That's the edge we need to make the program work. It also helps that our O doesn't need a superman at the skill positions. It is based on scheming for yardage, not getting a prime athlete out where he can overwhelm the opposition. (Helps to have those guys, of course.) That edge means that our D recruiting problems don't hamstring us as much.

+1

My hope is that Paul's replacement is someone who runs the TO. Doesn't mean that the guy can't tweak it, but we need to run an unconventional offense that 1) allows us to recruit differently; and 2) is something that opposing defenses don't see all the time. I appreciate the Moneyball analogy. Unfortunately, Moneyball doesn't work when it comes to college football defenses. You've got to have the jimmys and joes there. What we do to make up for that is to have an offense that can compress the game, limit possessions and protect our defense from being on the field for entirely too long.

 

[Techster]

We need to get over the idea that Coach Ken would just show up to GT if CPJ should leave/retire. It's probably a seamless transition for Coach Ken, but there's no reason for him to leave a situation where he's revered and there's barely any pressure on him. He makes $2mill a year vs CPJ's $3mill, but he has half the headaches with an easier schedule. At Navy, everyone reveres this offense. He walks into GT where some of the fans hate the offense, others tolerate it as long as it's winning, and the rest are fine with it as long as the coach wins the right way. Plus, now he has to recruit against the big boys with an offense that offensive recruits aren't that enamored with. If Coach Ken was to leave Navy, it's going to take a LOT of $$$ (which we don't have) or a personal situation (like BYU last year).

And on cue:

http://footballscoop.com/The-Scoop/

Cal: Sources tell FootballScoop Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has been contacted by Cal and is considered a strong candidate for the position. Several other programs have reached out to Niumatalolo over the past few seasons, including within the past month. None, so far, have been able to entice Niumatalolo to leave. Perhaps this will be the one… Will update as more is clear.

 

[year_of_the_swarm]

Lots of great conversation here, people. Really glad I joined this forum.

I'd also like to state an opinion on the offense. It's awesome. It's the most beautiful thing in football. I can't understand why other mid-majors and programs who flat out can't win running the "orthodox" system aren't running this system. Just like Coach Boone said in Remember the Titans, it just works, period.

Army, Navy, Air Force, New Mexico, and Georgia Tech all went to bowl games this year. Army, Georgia Tech, New Mexico, and Air Force won their bowl games.

New Mexico, running the option, is one of the most explosive offenses in the country. They are breaking records at one of the worst football schools in the country. They played the #2 team in the Mountain West conference in November (Wyoming) and put up 690 yards of offense! 690 yards! Some of these schools can barely snap the damn football and an option team put up nearly 700 yards of offensive against a very good Wyoming team. 568 rushing yards. They scored 56 points. It's just crazy.

Why aren't Kansas, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, and dozens of other conference bottom feeders running it. You will start winning again, period.

Hopefully Georgia Tech keeps building on it. They have a great foundation for it now.

 

[Foxyg]

Lots of great conversation here, people. Really glad I joined this forum.

I'd also like to state an opinion on the offense. It's awesome. It's the most beautiful thing in football. I can't understand why other mid-majors and programs who flat out can't win running the "orthodox" system aren't running this system. Just like Coach Boone said in Remember the Titans, it just works, period.

Army, Navy, Air Force, New Mexico, and Georgia Tech all went to bowl games this year. Army, Georgia Tech, New Mexico, and Air Force won their bowl games.

New Mexico, running the option, is one of the most explosive offenses in the country. They are breaking records at one of the worst football schools in the country. They played the #2 team in the Mountain West conference in November (Wyoming) and put up 690 yards of offense! 690 yards! Some of these schools can barely snap the damn football and an option team put up nearly 700 yards of offensive against a very good Wyoming team. 568 rushing yards. They scored 56 points. It's just crazy.

Why aren't Kansas, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, and dozens of other conference bottom feeders running it. You will start winning again, period.

Hopefully Georgia Tech keeps building on it. They have a great foundation for it now.

The reason why most people don't run it is that you're basically saying that you can't recruit with the big boys for top line NFL talent. Likewise, if an AD sticks his neck out and it doesn't work, he'll be a pariah. Whereas, if he hires a coach that runs a conventional offense that doesn't work, he can just say that the school's limitations were the excuse for the lack of success. There's just a ton of group think when it comes to head coaching hires. Bucking conventional wisdom when it comes to what a good football coach does and doesn't run, comes with a ton of risk for decision makers. Frankly, that's why I was so amazed and happy when we hired CPJ in the first place. It took a lot of courage to do so, which is usually in short supply when higher ups have to make decisions of this magnitude.

 

[Yomanser]

This is just my own opinion, but I don't want GT to be identified or limited by one particular offense. It's damaging in the long run, and Tech can't afford to limit itself any more than it already is. I would personally like to see us move on from the Johnson tree, not because I don't trust any of those coaches or don't like that style of offense (I do), but because I don't want Tech to be known as "that Power 5 triple option school". That's just one scheme that was run under this particular coach; it shouldn't be our identity, and would hurt more than it would help in the future

 

[grandpa jacket]

Has Paul Johnson established a tradition at Georgia Tech where they will want to play this brand of football? Or would they be willing to change gears and go with a spread offense found at most schools in the country?

For example, if CPJ said he was going to hire, would Ken Niumatalolo from Navy, Jeff Monken from Army, Bob Davie from New Mexico, or Troy Calhoun from Air Force be candidates to replace CPJ? Or does the option only live with Georgia Tech as long as CPJ is here coaching it?

I would like Ken N, not so sure of the others.

 

[augustabuzz]

To me Georgia Tech's offense is similar to the Veer run in Houston from the 1960s-1980s and at UGAG in the 1970s also at South Carolina from 1983-1986.

Or it is like "The Belly Series" Tech ran in the early 1950s. Dodd ran that from a Split- T formation.

 

[Cam]

Depends on a lot of factors, but I agree with Yomanser. I love the option (mostly because it's all I've ever known for GT), but I don't want us to have that one identity. I don't know when CPJ plans on retiring, but his current contract goes through 2020. Which means his results in 2017 and 2018 will determine whether he gets an extension or retires at the end of the latter season. I wouldn't mind taking a crack at Charlie Strong if he does well with USF. I feel he'd be a good fit culture wise and is a dynamic recruiter and defensive mind. From there Charlie can hire whoever he wants for offensive coordinator, but I'd suspect he'd go with more of a spread based Oregon/Auburn type offense based on popularity and transition of personnel.

 

[OldJacketFan]

This is just my own opinion, but I don't want GT to be identified or limited by one particular offense. It's damaging in the long run, and Tech can't afford to limit itself any more than it already is. I would personally like to see us move on from the Johnson tree, not because I don't trust any of those coaches or don't like that style of offense (I do), but because I don't want Tech to be known as "that Power 5 triple option school". That's just one scheme that was run under this particular coach; it shouldn't be our identity, and would hurt more than it would help in the future

Has it hurt Oregon or any other spread school? I like the unique qualifier and the longer Tech runs it and is successful it becomes less and less an issue imo. Post above asking why others don't tun it that addressed some very good points but it's always taken a while for an unconventional offense to be adopted. Let PJ and Tech win a NC and I would shocked not to see it adopted more. With Coach Bohannon and other young coaches at lesser division schools having success with the offense I can it being brought along as they rising through the coaching levels.

 

[collegeballfan]

Lots of great conversation here, people. Really glad I joined this forum.

I'd also like to state an opinion on the offense. It's awesome. It's the most beautiful thing in football. I can't understand why other mid-majors and programs who flat out can't win running the "orthodox" system aren't running this system. Just like Coach Boone said in Remember the Titans, it just works, period.

Army, Navy, Air Force, New Mexico, and Georgia Tech all went to bowl games this year. Army, Georgia Tech, New Mexico, and Air Force won their bowl games.

New Mexico, running the option, is one of the most explosive offenses in the country. They are breaking records at one of the worst football schools in the country. They played the #2 team in the Mountain West conference in November (Wyoming) and put up 690 yards of offense! 690 yards! Some of these schools can barely snap the damn football and an option team put up nearly 700 yards of offensive against a very good Wyoming team. 568 rushing yards. They scored 56 points. It's just crazy.

Why aren't Kansas, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, and dozens of other conference bottom feeders running it. You will start winning again, period.

Hopefully Georgia Tech keeps building on it. They have a great foundation for it now.

I think that CPJ's offense is simply the most beautiful football offense to watch that has ever been conceived.
And if you are outmanned it is like every other football offense, it sucks.