Locker room issues?

[Jacket05]

In yesterday's Locked On podcast that Byrce Koon does he talked a lot about issues with players (primarily from CPJ recruits but some CGC recruits) not being bought in and causing major issues in the locker room. He also mentioned that most if not all the guys that were not bought in have now left the program.

If this is the case, which Bryce seems to be certain is it, then that likely contributed to many of the issues we had last year especially on D. I felt like most of the defensive play calls were not bad but broke down cause of miscommunication or players being out of position. If the players don't believe/trust in the coaching staff then they will likely do their own thing and end up out of position.

Thought I would start this thread to see what others thought about Bryce's comments and also to see if anyone here had any further insights into what is/was actually going on. Please don't turn this into a CPJ vs CGC or Fire CGC debate. The focus is more on the player dynamic not the coaches.

 

[lv20gt]

Did Bryce give any support for how he would have insight into this? These are the types of things people love to speculate and gossip about but rarely have actual insight into.

 

[1956]

If players distrust the staff to the point they do their own thing they should not be playing.

 

[g0lftime]

Losing will sometimes cause this. We haven't been good in anything under Collins. ST was better this year but that's a modest improvement. None of these kids like losing and neither do the fans. That's why these coaches are getting these outrageous salaries and long term contracts.

 

[Jacket05]

Did Bryce give any support for how he would have insight into this? These are the types of things people love to speculate and gossip about but rarely have actual insight into.

He didn't give anything specific but as a GT reporter he has a close relationship with many players so it is not just speculation or gossip. He didn't want to give any names and I am guessing that is more cause it can damage his relationships and trust with the players.

 

[Jacket05]

Losing will sometimes cause this. We haven't been good in anything under Collins. ST was better this year but that's a modest improvement. None of these kids like losing and neither do the fans. That's why these coaches are getting these outrageous salaries and long term contracts.

Losing can cause this but I interpreted what Bryce said as this was more of an issue from the beginning of the transition. The losing may have made it worse but the poor product on the field is also a result of the locker room issues.

 

[TromboneJacket]

I could see this being true. It would make sense why Collins was harping on the culture. If the players, especially the veteran leadership, aren’t bought in, it’s really difficult to win games. And remember that the whole “everyone is allowed one free transfer without having to sit out a year” policy is brand new. For the first 2 1/2 offseasons that Collins was with the program, players had to sit out a year if transferring unless they graduated. That meant that disgruntled vets who didn’t have much eligibility left had to either lose a significant portion of the opportunity they had left, go full throttle on hitting the books to graduate asap, go down to the FCS level, or just white knuckle through their remaining time at Tech. I think Bryce is correct when he says that this is the team and staff we would have liked to have 3 years ago. CPJ and CGC are two very different people with very different leadership styles. Neither is right or wrong, but different people respond to different types of leaders, and it’s likely that the players who fit well with CPJ’s culture don’t like CGC’s, and vice versa. Hopefully with the new transfer rules, the players who were unhappy and not bought in have left.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

I refuse to give CGC this “excuse” for what he has rolled out week after week.

Any of you looking for something to blame it on can, but I will not. The buck stops at our HC.

To me, it sounds like the new “talking points”.

 

[cthenrys]

I could see this being true. It would make sense why Collins was harping on the culture. If the players, especially the veteran leadership, aren’t bought in, it’s really difficult to win games. And remember that the whole “everyone is allowed one free transfer without having to sit out a year” policy is brand new. For the first 2 1/2 offseasons that Collins was with the program, players had to sit out a year if transferring unless they graduated. That meant that disgruntled vets who didn’t have much eligibility left had to either lose a significant portion of the opportunity they had left, go full throttle on hitting the books to graduate asap, go down to the FCS level, or just white knuckle through their remaining time at Tech. I think Bryce is correct when he says that this is the team and staff we would have liked to have 3 years ago. CPJ and CGC are two very different people with very different leadership styles. Neither is right or wrong, but different people respond to different types of leaders, and it’s likely that the players who fit well with CPJ’s culture don’t like CGC’s, and vice versa. Hopefully with the new transfer rules, the players who were unhappy and not bought in have left.

So this is another year 0 or year 1... Good grief. This is literally what CGC's job is and what he signed up for. This sounds like BS that is being floated to buy some time / goodwill.

Win games and things improve. Don't win games and he's gone.

 

[bobongo]

I refuse to give CGC this “excuse” for what he has rolled out week after week.

Any of you looking for something to blame it on can, but I will not. The buck stops at our HC.

To me, it sounds like the new “talking points”.

Maybe part of the reason for it is Collins' insinuations of shade thrown toward Johnson. I've seen a new manager come in and do that and it was an immediate turnoff for some employees.

 

[TromboneJacket]

So this is another year 0 or year 1... Good grief. This is literally what CGC's job is and what he signed up for. This sounds like BS that is being floated to buy some time / goodwill.

Win games and things improve. Don't win games and he's gone.

I never said that he gets a free pass for any of this. He still needs to win 6 games minimum or he’s gone. Reasons and excuses aren’t the same thing. Even if the veteran players are causing problems, it’s his job to address those problems either through private conversations or disciplinary action. I’m just speculating on possible reasons that we struggled so much the past 3 years (that go beyond “Geoff Collins sucks lol”).

 

[cthenrys]

I never said that he gets a free pass for any of this. He still needs to win 6 games minimum or he’s gone. Reasons and excuses aren’t the same thing. Even if the veteran players are causing problems, it’s his job to address those problems either through private conversations or disciplinary action. I’m just speculating on possible reasons that we struggled so much the past 3 years (that go beyond “Geoff Collins sucks lol”).

Apologies - I didn't mean to say you were making this point...

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I refuse to give CGC this “excuse” for what he has rolled out week after week.

Any of you looking for something to blame it on can, but I will not. The buck stops at our HC.

To me, it sounds like the new “talking points”.

Yeah, it feels like “here we go again” Another year 0.

EVERY coaching change we’ve ever had at Tech had an initial year of players loyal to a different coaching style not buying into the new coach’s ways. That’s not news.

What is news is when a coach doesn’t resolve that after the first year. To still be blaming that almost four years in is a coaching problem not a player problem. Players who buck the system should not be starters and certainly are not “above the line.”

 

[MikeGT]

Wouldn't this be a normal occurrence for almost any new coach? A new way of doing things, new coaches to which to prove oneself, new coaches preferring new players can cause resentment... all normal stuff. It may have been worse because almost the first thing said was roster management, which basically is code for we need to get better players. If a new boss comes in at your job and the first thing he says is that you're not good enough and we need to replace you, even if it's to the group as a whole - how does one feel about that? So, IF there were additional locker room issues above and beyond the norm, then that is on CGC...
Also - he mentioned publicly many times how the team had bought in.
By the way - I'm not a CGC hater, but definitely not a fan of some of the ways he does things.

 

[chewybaka]

So this is another year 0 or year 1... Good grief. This is literally what CGC's job is and what he signed up for. This sounds like BS that is being floated to buy some time / goodwill.

Win games and things improve. Don't win games and he's gone.

Seems clear that is what next year is all about...a make or brake year 4

 

[augustabuzz]

Yeah, it feels like “here we go again” Another year 0.

EVERY coaching change we’ve ever had at Tech had an initial year of players loyal to a different coaching style not buying into the new coach’s ways. That’s not news.

What is news is when a coach doesn’t resolve that after the first year. To still be blaming that almost four years in is a coaching problem not a player problem. Players who buck the system should not be starters and certainly are not “above the line.”

Ross dealt with it for 2 years.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Ross dealt with it for 2 years.

Yes, by the middle of his 2nd year is was over with. And the season started turning around. The team was playing like a team by then. And his locker room was CRAZY bad to start with.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

So, in summary, we are saying that Collins had to deal with what every other new coach has dealt with. Just might be taking him longer.

 

[chewybaka]

Ross dealt with it for 2 years.

Puts perspective on the situation...

Ross, Friedgen and O'Leary we're as good as it gets and struggled...

No disrespect, but CGC, BK etc. are not in the same place in experience, talent or skills at this point in their careers.

This foretells of CGC et al's monumental struggles they have and are experiencing...+ NIL & The Portal...UGH!...we shall see

 

[cthenrys]

So, in summary, we are saying that Collins had to deal with what every other new coach has dealt with. Just might be taking him longer.

Yep. And from what we have seen on gameday he seems to be less well equipped than most to deal with it. Maybe he learns / gets help this year. He needs one or both...