POLL: How do you feel about Key as HFC?

[TooTall]

Are you in favor of getting Flair to make a "Go Jackets WHOOOOO!!!" video for the message boards at the games?

This might be better with the Reck....

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Don’t think the options really have my thoughts.

I am disappointed but I’m not “very disappointed”. We will never know what really went down, but all the rumors made it sound like the whole interview process was a **** show. There were proven winners available, and regardless why, we have ended up with Key.

Key led an emotionally charged team the remaining season after getting rid of the worst coach in school history. Will future classes play as hard for Key when he is their full time coach? I hope so, and think we will find some semblance of success if this happens. I think drawing any ultimate conclusions though is hard because the situation was not normal.

I support Key and hope he does well, I just personally haven’t seen anything *yet* to make me think he will have sustained success. I will be cheering for him hard to turn around the ship at least.

I am at least glad I will be able to listen to press conferences and radio shows without rolling my eyes.

I ain't gonna lie. I have some questions about how well Key will do here. If we are being honest with ourselves, most people do.

Initially, I was really hoping for a Chadwell hire, but he put himself out of the game by insisting his entire staff come with him. I picked Key in the poll as my first choice simply because for him to get hired, he would have to make chicken salad out of the chicken crap CGC left him. For the most part, he did. I would have been fine with Fritz, as he would have been a strategic hire to get us down the road a few years.

My big takeaway is this: I haven't been excited about a HC hire in a long time. I wasn't excited about CPJ, though I came to love him and his system, and I wasn't excited about CGC. I took a wait and see approach with both of them. With Key, I am excited, and it might be due to the emotions of the season, but I don't care. I much prefer going into the offseason with reasonable hope that things will get better soon.

 

[ThatGuy]

I voted "Other." If only because I didn't have a first choice for HC. There were a lot of candidates I thought could have done a great job - each having negatives to them as well.

• Chadwell - up-and-coming, successful, but we didn't want his defense (and he might be interested in somewhere else)
• Deion - Would make a splash, possibly improve recruiting, but felt like more of the boom-bust possibilities of another CGC - which I didn't much like.
• Fritz - Dude is a winner. He's rebuilt programs time and time again. But while his results at Tulane have been good by Tulane standards, would they hold up to P5 competition?
• Bill O'Brien - Another proven winner. But some questions about his recruiting prowess led to some uncertainty.
• Key - Has the team's backing, did a lot in mid-season transition, knows what it takes to win at Tech, has great pedigree. But he's unproven as a HC, and his success this season as IHC was boom and bust.

Overall, while I would have supported whomever the AD chose, I think Key is a great choice. I think he's open to an incentive-laden contract, which helps us focus on getting out from under the pile of debt we have. If he wins, everybody wins. I think he's shown he can do more with less, as evidenced by him righting the sinking ship this season. I think if he had been named the HC in 2019 rather than CGC, we all would have been incredibly happy - and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on all the things I mentioned above. More than anything, I think he has the leadership skills and the competitive drive to be a top-caliber football coach. He's competent at making the hard decisions, and he's focused on winning. And for me, that makes him a great hire. Even if I didn't have a first choice.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Are you in favor of getting Flair to make a "Go Jackets WHOOOOO!!!" video for the message boards at the games?

Why don't we get him and Roman Reigns to tag team it?

 

[bobongo]

I ain't gonna lie. I have some questions about how well Key will do here. If we are being honest with ourselves, most people do.

Initially, I was really hoping for a Chadwell hire, but he put himself out of the game by insisting his entire staff come with him. I picked Key in the poll as my first choice simply because for him to get hired, he would have to make chicken salad out of the chicken crap CGC left him. For the most part, he did. I would have been fine with Fritz, as he would have been a strategic hire to get us down the road a few years.

My big takeaway is this: I haven't been excited about a HC hire in a long time. I wasn't excited about CPJ, though I came to love him and his system, and I wasn't excited about CGC. I took a wait and see approach with both of them. With Key, I am excited, and it might be due to the emotions of the season, but I don't care. I much prefer going into the offseason with reasonable hope that things will get better soon.

I think it all comes down to his staff. He has what it takes to succeed as HC insofar as he is a good leader, motivator, and organizer. But he needs a solid staff to do well, IMO. If the Powers That Be are willing to give him that, he'll be off to the races and not look back IMO.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I think it all comes down to his staff. He has what it takes to succeed as HC insofar as he is a good leader, motivator, and organizer. But he needs a solid staff to do well, IMO. If the Powers That Be are willing to give him that, he'll be off to the races and not look back IMO.

You're probably right, but I'll fret about that later.

For right now I'm just glad that the KEYmaster is on our sideline next year.

 

[stinger 1957]

He was my number one choice, but as has been said hiring a HC is a crap shoot. When they have never been a HC it's even more of a crap shoot. Saban says they (HC) have to be really involved in the details, we don't know whether CBK will do that or not. I have some optimism as we go forward
and CBK is a competitor. He has been instilled over the years with a winning mentality. Yes pieces have to be added but I feel we have a better chance to hit the ground running than if we had brought in a completely new HC and staff.

 

[kg01]

I been askin' myself ...

Now that hes the guy...

Do I really GAF 'bout what any-dayum-body think about it ...

... yeah I know, I know. I'll find my way out.

 

[gtg936g]

Maybe.

Have you ever turned down a job opportunity with a different company because you really loved what you were doing and the people you worked with?

Happens all the time.

Yes, but I have also taken another job for more money.

 

[5277hike]

Feel free to add your thoughts on your choice below.

I would rather tell you what I think than what I feel

 

[croberts]

I'm betting we will be in better financial shape 20 years from now when Key retires.

I like the way you think.

 

[gameface]

I ain't gonna lie. I have some questions about how well Key will do here. If we are being honest with ourselves, most people do.

In my mind; there are questions about anyone who was known to be on the list. CBK has the most positives with the current team so that goes a long way for me.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

In my mind; there are questions about anyone who was known to be on the list. CBK has the most positives with the current team so that goes a long way for me.

True, but you know what matters most to me right now? I feel GOOD!!!

 

[billga99]

I voted 3. The other coaches supposedly in the mix either had previous head coaching experience and/or an offensive scheme. Since Key only had 1 year as a coordinator which was a disaster, having the right OC and DC are paramount. That requires a few different things...ability to coach players up, ability to make in game adjustments, and ability to recruit to your scheme. Recruits need to understand the offenses and defense approaches, how they would fit in and today the ability to make it to the NFL. Realistically we are going to get mostly 3 stars and some 4 stars. Being able to see their upside and recruiting to that approach is crucial. Clearly Paul Johnson did that for the 3O (thinking as an OC) and Jon Tenuta with his aggressiveness on defense are 2 examples. But I think Key getting a staff who can effectively carry the offense, defense and Special Teams is what he will need to do to be successful.

 

[gtg936g]

If he does well, Tech will match any offer to keep him here, and they'll have the dough by virtue of his success. He's a Tech man and I see him here for a long, long time. The man has met his moment.

Maybe. If he is as successful as we hope his value will outpace our ability financially recover.

 

[bobongo]

Brent Key Was the Right Guy All Along

 

[Billygoat91]

I flip-flopped between Chadwell and Key in the previous poll with Fritz being my #3. All-in-all, I am happy about the hire and even happier for Brent Key. Hopefully he can dig us out of the hole we are in and create a new legacy of his own at GT

 

[George P. Burdell]

I'm ok with it as long as the buyout is low. This will gave the AD time to build up a war chest if we need to go in a different direction in a couple years. I'll be even happier if we hired CBK at a big discount so we can spend more on assistants etc. As others have mentioned, Key wasn't going to be a P5 head coach anywhere else and hope he recognized that.

If the reason we didn't hire Fritz or Chadwell is because we wouldn't commit to a big guaranteed contract, I'm good with that decision. The GTAA is in bad shape and has made a habit of giving out bad contracts and we can't afford to keeping doing that.

Also, I'm trying to do my part and not just be all talk which is the problem with alot of GT fans. With the matching gift initiative going on, I donated today and with the match I'm giving 600% what I gave for last year. Hope others are stepping up as well.

 

[cpf2001]

Maybe. If he is as successful as we hope his value will outpace our ability financially recover.

That’s not unique to Key, though. Maybe not true of Fritz from a “maybe he’d just retire vs leaving” thing, but sorta still the same thing.

But if Key does well enough to get poached in 4 years then our financials should be improved too, so we’ll be in a better position still. Can’t let the perfect be the enemy of improvement here.

 

[JacketOff]

That’s not unique to Key, though. Maybe not true of Fritz from a “maybe he’d just retire vs leaving” thing, but sorta still the same thing.

But if Key does well enough to get poached in 4 years then our financials should be improved too, so we’ll be in a better position still. Can’t let the perfect be the enemy of improvement here.

I really don’t see Key leaving on his own accord. He’s either here until we fire him, or he retires. Maybe, maybe, if the Alabama jobs comes open and he’s a candidate he would leave to take it, but anything else and he’s a Jacket for life.