Mostly “Fire Geoff Collins”, some reminiscing, maybe bourbon or other distractions

[takethepoints]

This came out last weekend, but may be worth everyone watching.

I get so sick of this stuff. Sports teams are neither families or brotherhoods. They just aren't. They are competitive organizations that have a specific goal - winning - and should have that in mind more then what the relationships of the players and coaches are. In this, though not in much else, they bear a resemblance to military organizations. Like those the shared experience is something people tend to look back on fondly, but it isn't rare at all for members of athletic teams to completely lose touch with each other and their coaches pretty much the minute they graduate.

But if it sells to the kids, I suppose this is ok. My football teams and coaches would have just snickered and gone about their business.

 

[85Escape]

I get so sick of this stuff. Sports teams are neither families or brotherhoods. They just aren't. They are competitive organizations that have a specific goal - winning - and should have that in mind more then what the relationships of the players and coaches are. In this, though not in much else, they bear a resemblance to military organizations. Like those the shared experience is something people tend to look back on fondly, but it isn't rare at all for members of athletic teams to completely lose touch with each other and their coaches pretty much the minute they graduate.

But if it sells to the kids, I suppose this is ok. My football teams and coaches would have just snickered and gone about our business.

I don't see it like that. I think building a strong sense of shared purpose...and that purpose being each other...is what leads to winning. Tons and tons of evidence supports that soldiers who stand and fight don't do it for their country, they do it for their foxhole buddies.

 

[GTLorenzo]

Stansbury podcast just came out. Quick summary:

1. Loss hurt, hurt everyone, players, coaches, admin staff. Understands where fan base is (but no other real comment on it). Part of a process.
2. Was in no hurry for Paul Johnson to leave. Could've gone after another option coach, but he was the guru, the best of the best in that offense. The inventor of the modern triple option.
3. Chose to go away from that and it was going to be a painful transition. Even though you know this, it is still difficult.
4. Sees it as Year 3 with an asterisk. In the middle of the transition. Need to establish brand and culture. 404. Location. (Ugh..... )
5. Focused on football locker room first. Infrastructure.
6. Why Georgia Tech? Need to recruit. Collins has done a phenomenal job. Then develop them. Still have a ton of freshmen when considering Covid year. Need to get used to playing with each other and at this level.
7. It's a process. When switch goes on, it will be fast.
8. Reminds him of '88 - '89.
9. Mentioned Pepper's transition (but I don't think it was as big of a deal then. We really had players in the late '70s, but after '78 it dropped off).
10. Told Collins to stick to his plan and not panic or change.
11. Look at what Josh Pastner did with patience. Get old and stay old.
12. Need to understand where you are. What levers to pull. Must develop a program over the long haul. Looking for long term sustained success.
13. ATL is capital of college football. Need to be relevant locally to be relevant nationally. Must play to our strengths, main one is location.
14. Talked about some other sports, volleyball in particular.

 

[bobongo]

I get so sick of this stuff. Sports teams are neither families or brotherhoods. They just aren't. They are competitive organizations that have a specific goal - winning - and should have that in mind more then what the relationships of the players and coaches are. In this, though not in much else, they bear a resemblance to military organizations. Like those the shared experience is something people tend to look back on fondly, but it isn't rare at all for members of athletic teams to completely lose touch with each other and their coaches pretty much the minute they graduate.

But if it sells to the kids, I suppose this is ok. My football teams and coaches would have just snickered and gone about their business.

Doesn't really appeal to me, and I rolled my eyes when they touted that stuff in the Army (First Sergeant said of me, "He's a good kid, but he ain't Army"), but like you said, if it sells...

 

[sonngy]

I put myself in that group who is starting to doubt but hopes to be convinced otherwise.

CGC strikes me like some of the prima-donna program leads I've had working for me. They do think that they are the smartest person in the room, the are very dedicated to their team and winning, and they universally treat outside criticism as an attack rather than a gift. They are immature leaders who build teams by circling the wagon around the smallest portion of the stakeholders (their direct team) and fail to realize that is only a very small part of the "team" that is necessary to win. They are disdainful of other groups who are needed to be successful, they see anyone who has concerns about the program as the people who 'don't get it' and almost always go down in flames.

I'm really, really hoping that doesn't happen here. But some of the signs I'm seeing suggest otherwise.

Sounds like a cult when you put it like that

 

[Skeptic]

I moved a few ACC and competition posts this morning. We have 64 pages of "Fire CGC" and do not need anything else in this thread.

How dare you touch my art.

 

[Skeptic]

IMO, he could wear a croker sack if he gets W’s.

that would be croaker sack as in fish as in fertilizer. We wouldn't have made it without croaker sacks.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Jesus, who dresses this guy????

I hate to say it, but my dislike for Collins grows more and more every day. I've lived through Pepper, Curry, Ross, Lewis, O'Leary, Gailey and Johnson. Gave him the benefit of the doubt after The Citadel, Clemson, Syracuse, Va. Tech, and UGA, but to lose to NIU, look ok against KSU and then the press conferences where everyone is "ELITE" and the culture and nothing that even hints at "we screwed up, we'll get better, it's on us as coaches, etc.".......he's killing my love of Georgia Tech football. I hope he turns it around and we win every game, but I've never felt to bad about Georgia Tech football. Ever. Even when Lewis was here. At least we had O'Leary waiting in the wings.

What, you don’t like the way Tony Soprano dresses? I always thought it was kind of cool in its own weird way. But I would never…

 

[GTLorenzo]

This came out last weekend, but may be worth everyone watching.

Would love to see TC as our head coach one day. His passion is contagious. Not sure he could do it without being an OC first, but Dabo was just the WR coach at Clemson when he was installed as the interim coach there. With his passion for Georgia Tech and having played here, if he got the right assistants, I think he would have a great shot at doing something special. He just seems like a special person, player and coach.

 

[stech81]

Stansbury podcast just came out. Quick summary:

1. Loss hurt, hurt everyone, players, coaches, admin staff. Understands where fan base is (but no other real comment on it). Part of a process.
2. Was in no hurry for Paul Johnson to leave. Could've gone after another option coach, but he was the guru, the best of the best in that offense. The inventor of the modern triple option.
3. Chose to go away from that and it was going to be a painful transition. Even though you know this, it is still difficult.
4. Sees it as Year 3 with an asterisk. In the middle of the transition. Need to establish brand and culture. 404. Location. (Ugh..... )
5. Focused on football locker room first. Infrastructure.
6. Why Georgia Tech? Need to recruit. Collins has done a phenomenal job. Then develop them. Still have a ton of freshmen when considering Covid year. Need to get used to playing with each other and at this level.
7. It's a process. When switch goes on, it will be fast.
8. Reminds him of '88 - '89.
9. Mentioned Pepper's transition (but I don't think it was as big of a deal then. We really had players in the late '70s, but after '78 it dropped off).
10. Told Collins to stick to his plan and not panic or change.
11. Look at what Josh Pastner did with patience. Get old and stay old.
12. Need to understand where you are. What levers to pull. Must develop a program over the long haul. Looking for long term sustained success.
13. ATL is capital of college football. Need to be relevant locally to be relevant nationally. Must play to our strengths, main one is location.
14. Talked about some other sports, volleyball in particular.

sounds like the problem started with the AD

 

[jgtengineer]

Would love to see TC as our head coach one day. His passion is contagious. Not sure he could do it without being an OC first, but Dabo was just the WR coach at Clemson when he was installed as the interim coach there. With his passion for Georgia Tech and having played here, if he got the right assistants, I think he would have a great shot at doing something special. He just seems like a special person, player and coach.

You don't need to be a cooardinator first. But you'd defintiely ahve to spend for cooardinators. Dabo did that.

 

[GT_05]

that would be croaker sack as in fish as in fertilizer. We wouldn't have made it without croaker sacks.

Right

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I see the podcast came out before the Clemson game.
I hope we are within striking distance in the fourth quarter.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Great point and I totally get it. But we all have different perspectives about what works and why. I get that the Young Turks look at me as some old fart who has done this at a very high level for 40 years as out of touch, but I've seen what works in over 100+ countries and it doesn't change much. Substance beats style every time.

I'm hoping Geoff proves me wrong. But the odds are against him.

PS. There is a big difference between coaching a team and leading a program. You can coach a team (players, assistants, etc) but if you lose the stakeholders (students, alumni, donors, money) you're finished. Players come and go. Geoff has pretty much flipped a finger to the stakeholders and I've seen this before too ... he better win and win big or ... he'll be either playing golf at Pawely's Island or working at ****'s Sporting Goods. In all my years of being around college sports, I've never encountered a coach with as much disdain for the supporters as Geoff. But maybe he is just smarter than everyone. At least that is what he communicates.

In bold. THIS. I just believe "swagger" is to be earned, not assumed. His swagger just nauseates me, and I really can't explain it fully, but it does.

 

[CHE90]

Georgia Tech football has been important to me for 45+ years and to my family for 70+ years. When I see someone running the program who is in over his head, it is disheartening. I don't like it, but it is what it is. Hopefully he starts winning soon. I don't have much confidence in that however. I thought a fan message board was where I could express those frustrations.

Well you kind of changed the goalposts on this one. At first you didn't like the way he's dressed. I happen to like it. To each his own. Then you switch to how important GT is to you and your family for the past 45-70 years and how he's in over his head. I don't think how he's dressed has anything to do with results on the field.

 

[CHE90]

Did you see what he's wearing?

I thought we were going to play at Clemson, right? Not NYU so we could go clubbing in Manhattan tonight.

Nothing about him says he is a serious football coach with an understanding of how to run a program to get wins against any type of competition (FBS, FCS, anyone else). He knows how to get on social media. He knows how to get a meal at Waffle House. I prefer wins.

Like I said, I hope he proves me wrong and wins out this year and I'll come back and eat crow.

And no, I AM NOT jealous of the skinny pants and no socks with dress shoes.

Why do you care what he's wearing? I get why you care about results and wins losses. Stop obsessing about the clothes.

 

[CHE90]

I'm sorry. Perhaps you should grow up yourself.

why do you care what he's wearing?

 

[CHE90]

Just to poke at this ... I worked in corporate for a top 50 firm. We had sartorial style. And yes ... once you PROVED yourself, you could wear jeans or whatever. But until you did, you were a wannabe.

Geoff may be the greatest gift to coaching of all time, but all I see is Big Hat, No Cattle. His record speaks for itself. It’s up to him to set it straight.

Glad you worked for a top 50 firm. as far as I know you now teach at Auburn. times have changed.

 

[Vespidae]

why do you care what he's wearing?

I'm not responding to that as much to the whiny comment. Please refer to to it in full.

 

[Vespidae]

Glad you worked for a top 50 firm. as far as I know you now teach at Auburn. times have changed.

I'm semi retired. Fine. Flame away.