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

[GTLorenzo]

Time to close this we know who don't want CGC here maybe after 2023 we can open a new one

What are we going to talk about if we can't talking about firing Geoff Collins??? Our impending bowl game? Our record setting (cough...cough..) defense? Where to eat after an elite strength and conditioning session (hint: a place with an item that is good with pecans, butter and syrup....)?? How to dress the part of a GQ college football coach giving maximum effort in 2021?? How good Mississippi State's defense was in 2014? (Best in the country and I've heard they were ranked No. 1 that entire season, but somehow didn't win the national championship...) How to love your players and be their best friends without winning on a consistent basis?? Film study on how to lose multiple receivers on a single play and give up long touchdown passes with no one else in the field of view??

Come on!! We've got to have some entertainment around here during football season!!

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

There you go! Tell people who are frustrated by back to back to back 3 win seasons that they are bad fans. That'll show 'em!!

If you quit supporting your team because times are tough, you're a bad fan. Period.

To clarify, this thread is full of frustrated fans. I get frustration. Withholding support from your team because you don't like the results is where I draw the line.

 

[GTLorenzo]

If you quit supporting your team because times are tough, you're a bad fan. Period.

To clarify, this thread is full of frustrated fans. I get frustration. Withholding support from your team because you don't like the results is where I draw the line.

Understood. Only response would be that times aren't tough, times are historically bad and the leadership of the program is clearly in over his head. As fans, people have a right to vote with their $$. I was there in '80 and saw us tie Notre Dame and I was at Legion Field in '81 and saw us beat Alabama and I was also there when we lost and tied Furman. Curry was not a good football coach, but Collins makes him look like Vince Lombardi.

 

[g0lftime]

I looked up our fb staff. Thacker and Burton are listed as co- defensive coordinators. I think Thacker also has linebacker duties. Burton has safeties. Is that typical to split up the secondary coaches like that? Thacker looks like he is in charge of the D during games. Burton must be in the booth. Whatever is going on with these two isn't working. May be the co-DC thing is so they can pay Burton more. Thacker doesn't have much of a coaching resume prior to GT. He has been LB coach and got promoted to DC one year at Temple. Likeable guy but not ready. Not sure about Burton. So question would be do you relieve one or both if you were to make a change.

 

[kalld12]

I looked up our fb staff. Thacker and Burton are listed as co- defensive coordinators. I think Thacker also has linebacker duties. Burton has safeties. Is that typical to split up the secondary coaches like that? Thacker looks like he is in charge of the D during games. Burton must be in the booth. Whatever is going on with these two isn't working. May be the co-DC thing is so they can pay Burton more. Thacker doesn't have much of a coaching resume prior to GT. He has been LB coach and got promoted to DC one year at Temple. Likeable guy but not ready. Not sure about Burton. So question would be do you relieve one or both if you were to make a change.

In my opinion our biggest struggles on D has been the secondary. Every game theres numerous blown coverage's, this is communication and knowing your assignments, this comes down to coaching. Not to mention everytime I watch our corners they never turn their head after the ball is thrown, you'll get beat every time doing this. Thacker/Burton have to go!

 

[orientalnc]

I looked up our fb staff. Thacker and Burton are listed as co- defensive coordinators. I think Thacker also has linebacker duties. Burton has safeties. Is that typical to split up the secondary coaches like that? Thacker looks like he is in charge of the D during games. Burton must be in the booth. Whatever is going on with these two isn't working. May be the co-DC thing is so they can pay Burton more. Thacker doesn't have much of a coaching resume prior to GT. He has been LB coach and got promoted to DC one year at Temple. Likeable guy but not ready. Not sure about Burton. So question would be do you relieve one or both if you were to make a change.

Assuming you are asking what should Collins do relative these two guys, and not what TStan or someone else in the AA might impose.

As a GT 4-year letterman, Burton will not be publicly embarrassed. I doubt Collins would take that risk. Thacker was his hand picked DC, so he could be in trouble if Collins is making the decision without any ultimatum from above.

It is my guess that Collins gets another year, but the firing of Fuentes may put pressure on TStan to make a move earlier. I am sure he has had Collins' future on his mind for a while and probably has a list of potential coaches he might call.

If Collins is forced to fire one or more assistants, I think he gets two more years. At least.

 

[bobongo]

Assuming you are asking what should Collins do relative these two guys, and not what TStan or someone else in the AA might impose.

As a GT 4-year letterman, Burton will not be publicly embarrassed. I doubt Collins would take that risk. Thacker was his hand picked DC, so he could be in trouble if Collins is making the decision without any ultimatum from above.

It is my guess that Collins gets another year, but the firing of Fuentes may put pressure on TStan to make a move earlier. I am sure he has had Collins' future on his mind for a while and probably has a list of potential coaches he might call.

If Collins is forced to fire one or more assistants, I think he gets two more years. At least.

Do you mean Burton would not be fired because he's a four-year letterman? We can't afford to extend that courtesy. Another year of this defense and they'll all be gone - Collins, Burton, Thacker, the whole lot of them. This is not a time to stand on ceremony. They need to do what is best for the team, period.

 

[orientalnc]

Do you mean Burton would not be fired because he's a four-year letterman? We can't afford to extend that courtesy. Another year of this defense and they'll all be gone - Collins, Burton, Thacker, the whole lot of them. This is not a time to stand on ceremony. They need to do what is best for the team, period.

I do not mean that he can't be fired, but it will be done so that Burton can hold his head up. The same may be true with Key. These former players will be handled differently.

Caveat: If TStan unloads the HC all bets are off for these former players.

 

[bobongo]

I do not mean that he can't be fired, but it will be done so that Burton can hold his head up. The same may be true with Key. These former players will be handled differently.

Caveat: If TStan unloads the HC all bets are off for these former players.

How would it be done differently? Offer them a job in the front office? Put them in charge of the long snapper? How?

 

[orientalnc]

How would it be done differently? Offer them a job in the front office? Put them in charge of the long snapper? How?

Burton could be allowed to resign with "we hate to see him leave and thank him for all he did while at Tech."

 

[g0lftime]

Why wouldn't there be a secondary coach that handles the entire secondary. A DC would then oversee the entire defense. There has been problems all year with the S coming over late when the CB expects over the top help. Could be we are in a one deep safety alignment and the boundaries are a lot more distance to cover. The entire secondary should be in synch. We have had a lot of breakdowns back there with guys wide open.
If Burton needs to be handled differently then bring in an experienced DC and put Burton in charge of the secondary. The DC would set the development strategy, defensive calls and game prep with input from the assistants.

 

[bobongo]

Burton could be allowed to resign with "we hate to see him leave and thank him for all he did while at Tech."

I see. Really, any of them could be extended that courtesy. Just tell them they can quit or be fired - unless they have longer term contracts in which they would forfeit the money upon resigning. They pretend to quit, and the AA pretends to accept their resignation.

 

[GTcanWINagain]

If you quit supporting your team because times are tough, you're a bad fan. Period.

To clarify, this thread is full of frustrated fans. I get frustration. Withholding support from your team because you don't like the results is where I draw the line.

The team is the players and we all love them. The coaching staff is a different group of grown men who have chosen this career with the highs and lows it may bring. Did you ever hear of Bill Lewis?

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

The team is the players and we all love them. The coaching staff is a different group of grown men who have chosen this career with the highs and lows it may bring. Did you ever hear of Bill Lewis?

I didn't stutter.

 

[33jacket]

This is kinda simple. If collins stays; burton and thacker at a minimum must be fired imo. The secondary ongoing issues that in year 3 should not be an issue is a total indictment of burtons coaching and thackers scheme imo.

If you want to head hunt more coaches we probably could. But at a minimum they have to go.

 

[Lee]

Watch the end of year rankings. ND would win the ACC this year in a run away fashion. Name one top ten team in the ACC. Heck, name a top 25 team. We dodged the two best teams in Wake and State, and I’m not sold on either as being that great. We will get left out of the playoffs for the first time in a while.
There are maybe 15-20 teams that are not in our conference, that could win it handily.

ACC teams not named Clemson (or ND) ranked in the top 25 (final AP poll) at the end of the season year by year:

2020: UNC (8-4) and UM (8-3)
2019: None
2018: Syracuse (10-3)
2017: UM (10-3), VT and NC St. (9-4)
2016: FSU (10-3), VT (10-4), UM and UL (9-4)
2015: FSU (10-3) and UNC (11-3)

Currently the ACC has 3 teams in the top 25 with Wake at 9-1, Pitt at 8-2, and NC State at 7-3.

Just looking at the above information would point to both 2018 and 2019 being worse leagues.

As I mentioned in my original post, you and any others making this claim are basing it solely on Clemson not being in playoff contention.

The other teams in the league aren’t down. It’s pretty standard ACC. We just never know which teams are going to surprise. This year it’s Pitt and Wake.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Reply

This is kinda simple. If collins stays; burton and thacker at a minimum must be fired imo. The secondary ongoing issues that in year 3 should not be an issue is a total indictment of burtons coaching and thackers scheme imo.

If you want to head hunt more coaches we probably could. But at a minimum they have to go.

IMO, if you replace the DC, you should simply fire the DC and let the new DC make the decisions on defensive staff. If the new DC wants to keep someone, that's on him. If he wants to clean house on the defensive side, that should be his prerogative.

 

[g0lftime]

The coaches study film and know where there are breakdowns a lot better than we do. The decision on who goes and who stays is on the HC and maybe some input from TStan. It is not uncommon for coaches to change assignments from one year to the next. Burton or Thacker could be told they are being moved to a different assignment and that could precipitate a move out. There are lots of ways to handle changes within any organization. It is never easy to fire a coworker. It's a tough thing to do and really affects people's lives. Coaching is a tough profession. Even Fridgden was fired at Maryland after a 10 win season. Fuentes had a winning record at VT. Diaz may not survive a new AD.

 

[gt02]

This is kinda simple. If collins stays; burton and thacker at a minimum must be fired imo. The secondary ongoing issues that in year 3 should not be an issue is a total indictment of burtons coaching and thackers scheme imo.

If you want to head hunt more coaches we probably could. But at a minimum they have to go.

What are the coaching issues that you think a new DC will fix? I think we have coaching issues for sure. But the kinds of issues we are having are more a result of a teaching style (ie no discipline and accountability to force discipline) than anything else. That is a culture problem. A new DC doesn’t fix that. Hope I am wrong though.

 

[Billygoat91]

For those interested, folks on reddit are talking about our situation:



In general, there are pretty level-headed comments. Those without our white and gold tinted glasses are willing to give CGC more of a shot. Even a Temple fan said ok things about Collins, not Patenaude though.

I am totally apathetic about this year. I just hope next year gives us a reason to be optimistic.