Paul Johnson time frame.

[g0lftime]

Uga & Clemson are only going 5* qb’s , there’s gotta be some 4* or maybe high 3* kids out there that would like to come here . That can actually step back & throw

I think they would if we would throw just a little more. QB's like to pass it. It's in their DNA. I thought we would get more kids like JT that were good in HS but were not in the mold of 6-4 and 220 lbs and wanted a chance to play QB. PJ won't give them a chance to audible to a pass play. He has them audible to a different run based on the D alignment. Not much fun for the guys that like to sling it.

 

[bobongo]

Why would you want to keep this offense? If I knew we were gonna do that, I'd say keep Johnson, but I for one want the triple option to be an afterthought after this year.

No, as I said Johnson isn't a good enough recruiter to make it work. But if we had a good recruiter to run this team and this offense, I would be all for the TO. The question is moot, though. The next coach won't run the TO. We will throw the baby out with the bathwater, and I understand why that is. We have to have fresh start, and the donors wouldn't got for a TO re-do. Besides, choices to run the TO are pretty limited. But I do think the TO would be extra special if we had a dominating OL.

 

[bobongo]

Really? Who would really want the GT head coaching job right now? I would think it would have to be someone kind of desperate for an opportunity. (either their 1st opportunity or an opportunity to turn around a negative previous coaching reputation) If I was a young coach, I would skip us for another opportunity. I am sure Butch Jones or Hugh Freeze might try to redeem themselves with our job, but is that what we want? Lane Kiffin is a douche, but if that is what you want, he might come here, but I believe he is probably smarter than that.

Why?

Hard to recruit to a STEM school. Must play Clemson and UGAG every year. Downtown ATL. Knowing that you are coming in way behind the 8-ball if you want to put in a passing O. Compared to so many schools you are expected to beat, your budget and personnel (for recruiting and other) are going to be low. The fan base is small, and currently will not fill up or come close to filling up the home stadium. Fan base is not growing, but probably declining.

Guys: I know you want to be optimistic, but I don't see it. Will we find someone who will take the job? Sure, because there is always someone. Will we see different results? Doubtful.

You can't tell me there aren't a number of good prospective coaches out there in the lower ranks who would jump at the chance to coach here. You might not know who they are now, but a thorough and well thought out search might very well find a really good one who could produce much better results. They play the same exact game in the lower ranks that we play here, on the same regulation field. And most all coaches at this level started lower.

 

[GTRX7]

I have been a supporter of CPJ on this board for years, including this year. I have also repeatedly recognized, however, that the last three years have not been good enough and it will be time to move on if he can't turn it around. In this thread, I voted he should be gone if we don't make a bowl. While it is not impossible for him to still turn it around this year, that is looking increasingly unlikely. The Duke game was a real low point for me. We simply got out coached and maybe out manned as well. The fact that CPJ didn't at least try Oliver in the 2nd or 3rd quarters when it was clear things with Marshall were not working blew me away. If we do in fact miss a bowl, I really really hope that he is let go this year. The fan base will be irrevocably broken and we will have to move on. Another year will do nobody any good.

Like others though, I fear the chances of us swimming in 4-6 win seasons for the foreseable future to be a real possibility. We absolutely cannot go "the Brian Gregory rout." I do not want to hire a retread head coach that had success once, was fired once, and is now on the hot seat somewhere else. We either need to hire a young coordinator or FCS head coach -- someone who would see Tech as only a stepping stone to a better job. I don't like to say that, but that is what we would need in order to get a good hire.

That said, Bohannon does intrigue me as an exciting option (pun intended?). He is a guy that could come in without the same risk of a huge drop off and may not look at Tech as a stepping stone. That said, I know the idea of another TO coach would turn a lot of people off, and I honestly have no idea if he has evolved his offense the way others have been hoping CPJ would. The changes in blocking rules are particularly troublesome for the future of any TO offense. I would need to know more, but his success at KSU has been pretty great.

 

[GTonTop88]

Corey Dennis!

Maybe in 10 years

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

You can't tell me there aren't a number of good prospective coaches out there in the lower ranks who would jump at the chance to coach here. You might not know who they are now, but a thorough and well thought out search might very well find a really good one who could produce much better results. They play the same exact game in the lower ranks that we play here, on the same regulation field. And most all coaches at this level started lower.

We might get lucky and hit the jackpot with a hire, but it is, at best, a crap shoot. The problem isn't the coach we get, but the unbelievable obstacles that will be presented to him.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

I have been a supporter of CPJ on this board for years, including this year. I have also repeatedly recognized, however, that the last three years have not been good enough and it will be time to move on if he can't turn it around. In this thread, I voted he should be gone if we don't make a bowl. While it is not impossible for him to still turn it around this year, that is looking increasingly unlikely. The Duke game was a real low point for me. We simply got out coached and maybe out manned as well. The fact that CPJ didn't at least try Oliver in the 2nd or 3rd quarters when it was clear things with Marshall were not working blew me away. If we do in fact miss a bowl, I really really hope that he is let go this year. The fan base will be irrevocably broken and we will have to move on. Another year will do nobody any good.

Like others though, I fear the chances of us swimming in 4-6 win seasons for the foreseable future to be a real possibility. We absolutely cannot go "the Brian Gregory rout." I do not want to hire a retread head coach that had success once, was fired once, and is now on the hot seat somewhere else. We either need to hire a young coordinator or FCS head coach -- someone who would see Tech as only a stepping stone to a better job. I don't like to say that, but that is what we would need in order to get a good hire.

That said, Bohannon does intrigue me as an exciting option (pun intended?). He is a guy that could come in without the same risk of a huge drop off and may not look at Tech as a stepping stone. That said, I know the idea of another TO coach would turn a lot of people off, and I honestly have no idea if he has evolved his offense the way others have been hoping CPJ would. The changes in blocking rules are particularly troublesome for the future of any TO offense. I would need to know more, but his success at KSU has been pretty great.

I think if #3 in the FCS Kennesaw State plays in the FCS Championship Game that Brian Bohannon could get a bigger job in 2019. I could see him coaching at Appalachian State if Scott Satterfield goes to GT or North Carolina.

 

[bobongo]

- probably would consider coming

My question would be - On the ones that might consider coming, how do they overcome the recruiting issues for the Institute?

They demand a greatly enlarged recruiting budget and staff as a pre-requisite to taking the job and they go national with recruiting, for starters.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

They demand a greatly enlarged recruiting budget and staff as a pre-requisite to taking the job and they go national with recruiting, for starters.

They can demand anything, but someone has to pay the $$. What I am trying to communicate is that the number of alumni left that care enough to pour millions into our FB program is dwindling fast.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

They demand a greatly enlarged recruiting budget and staff as a pre-requisite to taking the job and they go national with recruiting, for starters.

And a bigger salary for assistant coaches like Jeremy Pruitt demanded when he took the job at Tennessee.

 

[GTonTop88]

I honestly think a version this offense could work here. I just don’t think it is sustainable the way CPJ runs it.

It’s gotta be compelling enough to get dual threat QBs, and when you do get them take advantage of their arm.

There are several versions of this offense throughout the country that can transfer here.

 

[bobongo]

They can demand anything, but someone has to pay the $$. What I am trying to communicate is that the number of alumni left that care enough to pour millions into our FB program is dwindling fast.

We've raised tens of millions for buildings and facilities. All it would take to make a big difference, IMO, is for a small fraction of that money to be spent on improving our recruiting budget.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

We've raised tens of millions for buildings and facilities. All it would take to make a big difference, IMO, is for a small fraction of that money to be spent on improving our recruiting budget.

I hope it is as easy as you guys think it is. Our product is getting more and more difficult to market - our fan base is shrinking. That started happening before PJ got here, and I will give you that he hasn't really done anything to change it. I'm not sure what can be done. The Braves moved to a more attractive location - that is not an option for GT.

 

[bobongo]

I hope it is as easy as you guys think it is. Our product is getting more and more difficult to market - our fan base is shrinking. That started happening before PJ got here, and I will give you that he hasn't really done anything to change it. I'm not sure what can be done. The Braves moved to a more attractive location - that is not an option for GT.

Oh, I don't think it's going to be easy. This whole program is in deep trouble, and it's going to take the masterful and fortuitous moves to get us out of it. I know we're up against it. Hey, it could be worse. We could be in a non-power5 conference. At least we have that going for us.

 

[Vespidae]

^^ This is one of the better responses I've seen. ^^ It's a tough issue. No one likes to lose. But where does one go from here? In some ways, it's a little like Pepper Rodgers at the end. Coach Curry was unable to turn it around until about '84. That was about 3+ seasons of irrelevancy, even within the state of Georgia, before you could wear a Tech jersey around Atlanta without someone snickering. Then Curry left, and we were back to square one-until '89. This may not be a popular stand, but I'd like Coach Johnson to play out his contract, but with the expectation of retiring at the end. I think not having the pressure of "must-win" from the alums, backers and fan-base would allow him to concentrate more completely on coaching. During that time, he could also help with the search for a new coach and provide for a seamless transition.

Duke is good. They are not the guaranteed win of a decade ago.

Coach Johnson is a fighter, and he doesn't like to lose. I can't imagine him throwing in the towel, though everyone has their limits and breaking points. CPJ has done some good things at Tech, and I believe his tenure will be looked back on mostly favorably. In terms of personality, he and Coach Rodgers are my favorites, and I'll miss coach Johnson's wit and sarcasm after he's gone. As someone mentioned earlier, Coach Johnson does have the ability to surprise you with some memorable seasons. They seem to come out of nowhere, like '14. As Coloradojacket mentioned, we lost three very good backs that could have been difference-makers. And yes, barring Matthew Jordan's injuries, he would be the starter now. One thing that shouldn't be overlooked about Justin Thomas was his speed. Not only did he know that offense well, he could really break away once he found some space. Tevin Washington is another guy that doesn't get the respect he deserves. He had the unenviable job of coming in and filling in for JN, and ended up collecting a number of Tech records before it was all over. He really ran the offense well.

This is a good well-written response. My only question, 11 years into a program, why are we so bad? I can get going 6-6 a year or two and then a breakout year ... but it feels like we have methodology, no approach, for how to run the football operations.

 

[Vespidae]

They can demand anything, but someone has to pay the $$. What I am trying to communicate is that the number of alumni left that care enough to pour millions into our FB program is dwindling fast.

Tech generates $70 million or so, but with really bad decisions ... has a ton of legacy costs and infrastructure that need to cycle out over the next 2-3 years. THEN ... we should be in good shape. If we last that long.

 

[Vespidae]

I hope it is as easy as you guys think it is. Our product is getting more and more difficult to market - our fan base is shrinking. That started happening before PJ got here, and I will give you that he hasn't really done anything to change it. I'm not sure what can be done. The Braves moved to a more attractive location - that is not an option for GT.

Why not? I'd love to see GT play Miami in Jax. There's a whole South GA market with a ton of engineers ... that would be worthwhile.

 

[jgtengineer]

Our best bet from a fanbase perspective thing is to win, we don't have many options to get to that though. We are hamstrung on major offerings, hamstrung on brand recognition. Have no media support. We had fallen majorly behind in resources. A part of me wonders if this has also affected our coaching issues too. A coach at alabama or clemson , or even duke doesn't have to do any of the real grunt work on teh recruiting trail. He has basically a recruiting intern that watches film ( probably even tweets cruits ghost writing style) and he just has to worry about face to faces and phone calls with whoever gets told. This gives him more time to focusing on coaching the kids there. This is probably part of the problem we have, our coaches are forced to still behave like its 2008.

CPJ system has suffered from 10 years of bad press, the NFL has changed in this time as well, they are adopting more spread concepts because of changes to PI and defensive holding and targeting rules. Kids are running these systems very poorly in the peewee and high schools ( in georgia most of the the big high schools are still running the same power run schemes but plenty of smaller ones are "losing with style" so you end up with a bunch of recievers). This has created a built in negative recruiting that johnsons probably going to have to change his offense to counter. If lucas hadn't been injured who knows. We could have been more undercenter run and shoot this year.

Regardless of what happens this year I plan on doing a series after the season when i have time breaking down ALL the offensive schemes I can. Im tired of this board being ignorant of these concepts. We are ga tech, research your passion.

However I am extremely hesitant to think that we are ever going to recruit top Offensive talent. Gailey's best recruits were heavily favored toward defense under tenuta. Especially those that actually ended up doing good things and making it to the next level. We rarely if ever recruit QBs. and in another post i mentioned that until dwyer gailey's best RB recruit was a transfer and before him a walk on.

The dual threat QBs are even harder to recruit, i feel they get elevated star ratings and have an even larger fail rate than prostyle pocket guys. bah im starting to rant.

 

[slugboy]

This is a good well-written response. My only question, 11 years into a program, why are we so bad? I can get going 6-6 a year or two and then a breakout year ... but it feels like we have methodology, no approach, for how to run the football operations.

Here's our record under CPJ.

The players from 2012 through now were completely Paul Johnson's players. Really 2011. Something materialized in 2015 where things turned bad.
MBob started in 2013 and left in 2016. Possible connection there. I don't know for sure.
I don't have all the coaching changes also at the same time (Wommack 08-09, Groh 10-12, Roof 13-17, other coaches). But I think there was an organizational breakdown that led to 2015 and on. The 2016 year was pretty much JT putting the team on his back.
I could easily see 2008-2014 being CPJ teams, then suddenly the floor fell out.

 

[Vespidae]

Our best bet from a fanbase perspective thing is to win, we don't have many options to get to that though. We are hamstrung on major offerings, hamstrung on brand recognition. Have no media support. We had fallen majorly behind in resources. A part of me wonders if this has also affected our coaching issues too. A coach at alabama or clemson , or even duke doesn't have to do any of the real grunt work on teh recruiting trail. He has basically a recruiting intern that watches film ( probably even tweets cruits ghost writing style) and he just has to worry about face to faces and phone calls with whoever gets told. This gives him more time to focusing on coaching the kids there. This is probably part of the problem we have, our coaches are forced to still behave like its 2008.

CPJ system has suffered from 10 years of bad press, the NFL has changed in this time as well, they are adopting more spread concepts because of changes to PI and defensive holding and targeting rules. Kids are running these systems very poorly in the peewee and high schools ( in georgia most of the the big high schools are still running the same power run schemes but plenty of smaller ones are "losing with style" so you end up with a bunch of recievers). This has created a built in negative recruiting that johnsons probably going to have to change his offense to counter. If lucas hadn't been injured who knows. We could have been more undercenter run and shoot this year.

Regardless of what happens this year I plan on doing a series after the season when i have time breaking down ALL the offensive schemes I can. Im tired of this board being ignorant of these concepts. We are ga tech, research your passion.

However I am extremely hesitant to think that we are ever going to recruit top Offensive talent. Gailey's best recruits were heavily favored toward defense under tenuta. Especially those that actually ended up doing good things and making it to the next level. We rarely if ever recruit QBs. and in another post i mentioned that until dwyer gailey's best RB recruit was a transfer and before him a walk on.

The dual threat QBs are even harder to recruit, i feel they get elevated star ratings and have an even larger fail rate than prostyle pocket guys. bah im starting to rant.

I don't know if this germaine here or not, but I was reading about Howard Schnellenberger's turnaround at Miami. They too were in bad shape and considered dropping football, or least going down to Div. 2. He referred to recruiting the "State of Miami" and to dominate the recruiting efforts within the city limits.

We seem to have no burning platform. Are we recruiting nationally? No. Dominating the State of Atlanta? No. Picking up odds and ends. It seems so. I don't have an answer, but it seems GTAA has none either. What's the plan?