Should CPJ be the coach in 2014?

Should Paul Johnson be the GT coach in 2014


  • Total voters
    96
  • Poll closed .

bat_082994

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
986
Location
Athens, GA
This poll turned out to be pretty interesting. I was thinking the "yes/let's see" would be split closer to 50/50 with the "no" responses.

Anyone have any regrets about their response to the poll now that we've had a day? :cautious:
No, I stick with my answer, which was wait and see
 

kg01

Get-Bak! Coach
Featured Member
Messages
14,331
Location
Atlanta
What worries me about the 2014 year is we lose..Jay Finch, Ray Beno, Will Jackson, Robert Godhigh, David Sims, Euclid Cummings, Dieke, Attaochu, Watts, J Thomas and Young.

That is virtually every major player we have...On offense Godhigh is the lone A back that has been consistent and providing big plays...Sims has turned into a good B back is a steady.

The OL is going to be a mess next year...We will have Mason and Chamberlain back. After that it isn't a pretty sight. We will be breaking in a new center who has no game reps...I imagine Braun will get one of the guard spots. I expected this 2013 Oline group to be really good but it hasn't lived up to that so far which makes me even more worried about next year.

Attaochu is our only pass rushing threat (besides Gotsis) and he will be gone...I have no idea who will be our DE's next year.

Losing Jemea Thomas is really going to hurt...and Louis Young is not a bad cover corner. DJ white will step in at one spot and we will be fine...but depth is going to be a big concern.

Good news is we have Wofford, @ Tulane and Ga Southern as our likely first three games...So hopefully we can get something figured out.

Honestly these are reasons to keep him for at least 2014. Imagine asking a new coach to come in having lost all those guys in addition to (presumably) breaking in a new offense.
 

bat_082994

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
986
Location
Athens, GA
Honestly these are reasons to keep him for at least 2014. Imagine asking a new coach to come in having lost all those guys in addition to (presumably) breaking in a new offense.
I actually believe that BECAUSE of this reason, they should replace him after this season. Get a new coach in with some young players just like when GT brought CPJ in.
 

daBuzz

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
965
Several thoughts:
1) Johnson's buyout at the end of this year is just over $10 million IIRC. Therefore, I think he'll get one more year. Not because he deserves it...but because the perception will be that we cannot afford it.
2) Personally, I HATE this offense. I hate running the ball 85% of the time. (I think the actual # was like 82.x% when I took the time to calculate it prior to the beginning of the season. I don't care enough to go back and recalculate so I'll go with 85%'ish as my number).
3) Because of the offense, we have recruited smaller linemen. Many will say "Well Johnson didn't necessarily WANT smaller linemen, he'd love to have bigger linemen who could run." I'm sure he would...but how many 320 - 330 pound behemoths have the ability to run 70 plays per game where they have to scoop block a guy at the line and then get to the linebacker or safety to make a block. Hence, this offense ends up recruiting smaller linemen. That hurts you in games versus teams with very big, very fast defensive linemen on the interior (see the results versus Clemson, UGA, VT and Miami).
4) Because of #3, I personally believe that our next coach will have to run a spread offense to be successful in the short term. He can still run some read option plays out of the gun but it will need to be "true spread" offense...not this triple option offense from under center with your fullback (yes, I said fullback....when the guy has his hand on the ground and is less than 5 yards from the LOS, you call him a fullback...not a B-back). Said coach will be able to recruit bigger linemen and bring them in over time to replace the smaller guys who we have now.
5) You already have one of the key ingredients for success as a spread option team...we have 2 QB's who can run and throw. To be efficient and effective passing though they need: linemen who can pass protect (don't have), receivers who can get open and catch the ball (only 2 or 3 of those on the current roster because we prize blocking over route running), and practice doing it (we average 12 passes per game over CPJ's tenure).
6) Recruiting & limited majors - the biggest barriers to GT football success at this point IMO. Personally, I don't ever see it changing. Too many GT grads think that adding additional majors that don't require calculus will somehow tarnish a degree they received 5, 10, 20, or even 30 years ago. Personally, I think this is foolish and point towards Stanford and Notre Dame as evidence. Some degrees from those schools are world class while others are not so well thought of. Yet the "easy ones" don't seem to tarnish the "good ones". To solve recruiting, the next coach will only be successful if he negotiates as part of his contract: "I get as many academic exceptions as I want." I do think this is fine because the APR has made this pretty much a self-policing issue. If a coach wants to bring in 10 kids who wouldn't normally fit the GT profile, let him. If 7 of them fail out, the APR suffers and GT loses scholarships...which hurts HIM. Someone made the argument to me once that "the coach can leave at any time though and the scholarship reduction stays with the school." Fine, also add wording to the contract that, if a coach leaves the school on his own, he gets none of the guaranteed money (that's already in most contracts). ALSO, though...if he is relieved and there are scholarship reductions at that point or at any point over the period of the contract caused by APR, then the guaranteed money is reduced by the same percentage as the % of scholarships lost. That leaves it up to the coach to determine who he can or cannot recruit but forces him to use some common sense because it will eventually cost him $$ out of his own pocket if he goes crazy with exceptions.
 

GaTechYellowJackets

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
35
Attachou, Hunt-Days, and Mason will get drafted. Watts and Dieke could be combine phenoms. Louis Young could go late in the draft.

I forgot about Attachou. He is definitely a good one that stands a good chance starting somewhere at the next level. Hunt-Days has the body type but I want to wait and see how he develops as a player first. And I hope you're right with Mason and Louis Young. Young frustrates me because he is a very up and down player. Some games he seems to be a shutdown while others it seems like receivers are getting 2-3 yard separations everytime. It could be just the matchup and playcalling though.
 

jchens_GT

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
573
Location
Georgia
This poll turned out to be pretty interesting. I was thinking the "yes/let's see" would be split closer to 50/50 with the "no" responses.

Anyone have any regrets about their response to the poll now that we've had a day? :cautious:

I stand by my vote. Let's wait and see.
 

ToddM

Guest
Messages
220
Location
Locust Grove Ga
I honestly don't remember Tech ever being big up front on either side of the ball.

I think, and someone can correct me, that we have always been smaller than every SEC team we played and about avg. for the ACC.

I don't think it matters what offense we run, the one class that Gailey had which was outstanding was, by comparison to our history a proven anomaly.

That's the thing about those who hate this offense, statistically you would have search hard to find a pro set or anything else in Techs history that would be comparable, in yardage or points.

Personally I will take whatever works but history just dosent support the theory that we are hurt in recruiting or record by this offense. Do we get the typical pro style recruits ? No but when we did run the "normal" offenses our record was about the same and so was our talent level.

We still don't have a defense which supports the offense. Had the D given up 17 we win walking away. This crappy offense scored 30 while sputtering and gasping. Our defense gave up 45 and has killed us for 5 years. Why isn't it the focus of the CPJ head hunters ? Why have we not asked CTR why he played so soft ? Why do we give the defensive coaches/players a pass ?
 

AE 87

Helluva Engineer
Messages
13,015
We are a good but not yet great team this year. imo, vpi has a great D, and we weren't good enough to beat them. Miami has a very good O, and we weren't good enough to keep-up with them.

But, I think the tyler-in-atlanta fire the head coach reaction is simplistic and wrong-headed. We have five years of our O out-performing its talent to jump to the conclusion that our coach forgot how to coach.

Right now, we still have a coach who will never be satisfied with losing. He will always be working to recrut the best classes he can and to maximize the talent we have. We shouldn't turn our back on that when our talent, even when maximized, doesn't win its games.
 

SkyBuzz

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
31
Location
Clarkesville Ga
Eric,
you just lost me as a supporter of this forum. the fact that you set up this poll just infuriates me. i thought this site would be different from the other but i was proven wrong. these kind of conversations by are fans are really what our coaches and players need right now!!!!!!!!!!! i will be flying to provo friday and when i return to atlanta on sunday, but win or lose, i will not be returning to the swarm.

i was disappointed last saturday as well. as coach johnson told me on the elevator in miami saturday morning, in most jobs 90% of the people think they know better than the boss.... but in football, 100% of the people think they know more than the coach.

ya'll have a good time wallowing in the negativity of fair weather fandom. i refuse to let you ruin the fun and enjoyment i have supporting our team, our school and our coaches. at least i know what to expect from the other boards. why don't you guys pull for notre dame or georgia or anyone else.

a former member swarm supporter,
SkyBuzz :rage::rage::rage::rage::rage:

(mod-edit: de-obnoxious-fied it)
 
Last edited by a moderator:

John

Peacekeeper
Staff member
Messages
2,400
@SkyBuzz, everyone (including yourself) is allowed an opinion just as long as you're not being obnoxious about it. I was tempted to remove your post instead of de-obnoxious-fying it and making it more readable.
 

OldJacketFan

Helluva Engineer
Messages
8,348
Location
Nashville, TN
Eric,
you just lost me as a supporter of this forum. the fact that you set up this poll just infuriates me. i thought this site would be different from the other but i was proven wrong. these kind of conversations by are fans are really what our coaches and players need right now!!!!!!!!!!! i will be flying to provo friday and when i return to atlanta on sunday, but win or lose, i will not be returning to the swarm.

i was disappointed last saturday as well. as coach johnson told me on the elevator in miami saturday morning, in most jobs 90% of the people think they know better than the boss.... but in football, 100% of the people think they know more than the coach.

ya'll have a good time wallowing in the negativity of fair weather fandom. i refuse to let you ruin the fun and enjoyment i have supporting our team, our school and our coaches. at least i know what to expect from the other boards. why don't you guys pull for notre dame or georgia or anyone else.

a former member swarm supporter,
SkyBuzz :rage::rage::rage::rage::rage:

SkyBuzz, you're certainly entitled to your opinion and it's good for healthy discussion. As I posted over the weekend you'll not find a more ardent supporter of CPJ than I. From the time he was hired at Tech I have been waiting for the offense to explode, I know this offense and what it's capable of bringing to the table. Having said that, I have been mystified by the play calling in crucial games and it's only fair that a fan can question what is happening on the field. Fans, like myself, invest a tremendous amount of time and money to support our players, coaches and program. To feel we are not entitled to question or have a contrary view is, imo, unfair and unacceptable. I posted a thread on this site after the VT game expressing my gratitude that the SWARM has not turned into so many of the other "Tech" sites. I felt that way then and I feel that way now. Do I agree with everything posted here? Not at all, but when you compare the content found here it's night and day over when you find elsewhere. Enjoy your trip to Provo, help root the Jackets to a win as I, and others here, will be doing the same. GO JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STING 'EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Eric

Retired Co-Founder
Messages
12,734
Eric,
you just lost me as a supporter of this forum. the fact that you set up this poll just infuriates me. i thought this site would be different from the other but i was proven wrong. these kind of conversations by are fans are really what our coaches and players need right now!!!!!!!!!!! i will be flying to provo friday and when i return to atlanta on sunday, but win or lose, i will not be returning to the swarm.

i was disappointed last saturday as well. as coach johnson told me on the elevator in miami saturday morning, in most jobs 90% of the people think they know better than the boss.... but in football, 100% of the people think they know more than the coach.

ya'll have a good time wallowing in the negativity of fair weather fandom. i refuse to let you ruin the fun and enjoyment i have supporting our team, our school and our coaches. at least i know what to expect from the other boards. why don't you guys pull for notre dame or georgia or anyone else.

a former member swarm supporter,
SkyBuzz :rage::rage::rage::rage::rage:

(mod-edit: de-obnoxious-fied it)

Cool...It is a message board so opinions are allowed. Not just what the coaches or players want to hear.

No one is being fair-weather...in fact if we were fair weather fans we would have already pulled for Notre Dame or Georgia as you suggest. I think we all simply want the best for Tech.
 

AE 87

Helluva Engineer
Messages
13,015
Eric,
you just lost me as a supporter of this forum. the fact that you set up this poll just infuriates me. i thought this site would be different from the other but i was proven wrong. these kind of conversations by are fans are really what our coaches and players need right now!!!!!!!!!!! i will be flying to provo friday and when i return to atlanta on sunday, but win or lose, i will not be returning to the swarm.

i was disappointed last saturday as well. as coach johnson told me on the elevator in miami saturday morning, in most jobs 90% of the people think they know better than the boss.... but in football, 100% of the people think they know more than the coach.

ya'll have a good time wallowing in the negativity of fair weather fandom. i refuse to let you ruin the fun and enjoyment i have supporting our team, our school and our coaches. at least i know what to expect from the other boards. why don't you guys pull for notre dame or georgia or anyone else.

a former member swarm supporter,
SkyBuzz :rage::rage::rage::rage::rage:

(mod-edit: de-obnoxious-fied it)

I hope you hang around SkyBuzz. While I didn't post the same words, my posts came from a similar place. I agree that it seemed like we already had one Jim Hart board and didn't need Swarm to try and duplicate it.

I'm still baffled by it. Even if you say that every play call for the last two games was bad, we've had five years of having one of the most efficient scoring offenses in the league. To even think about changing horses now just baffles me. I'm also baffled by the failure of some who claim to be fans to be unable to tell the difference between questioning play-calls and the development of certain position groups on the one hand from debating the whole-sale tossing of baby with bath water (firing coach) on the other.
 

D-man44

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,798
Im against getting rid of Johnson I am scared however that bobinski will want his own coach though
 

ToddM

Guest
Messages
220
Location
Locust Grove Ga
Guys I look at this site as if I would look at a bunch of guys ( or gals ) sitting around a back yard grill, having a few beverages and talking football. Hell I will talk Falcons, georgia, Ga. State- any of it. I once got myself in trouble with the little lady because I picked Tech over her fathers birthday get to geather. Wow was that painful afterwards. But I did it because I love Tech, I dare say like a drug.

I do feel that the loyalty that I have for Tech allows me, and I suppose the rest of us, to be critical when we see the need. I am critical of everything I love, family included. If I didn't give a **** I would allow my son to go out for a job interview in his torn jeans, dirty and sock less shoes and his bed hair. I am critical of him in that visual because I want him to be better than me. I want him to win in life. Does he like my nagging ? No but he does at least go comb his hair.

Any improvement is good improvement and sometimes, just sometimes we have to ask "what the F..k " to get it. It dosent mean that we don't love the person or the team we demand more from, actually I think it shows how much we expect from them and what high regard we have for them.
 

gtyj18jr

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
153
@SkyBuzz, everyone (including yourself) is allowed an opinion just as long as you're not being obnoxious about it. I was tempted to remove your post instead of de-obnoxious-fying it and making it more readable.
Funny, I could read the unedited post just fine.
 

collegeballfan

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,694
"This crappy offense scored 30 while sputtering and gasping. Our defense gave up 45 and has killed us for 5 years. Why isn't it the focus of the CPJ head hunters ? Why have we not asked CTR why he played so soft ? Why do we give the defensive coaches/players a pass ?"

Guys this statement really has a lot of truth in it. The offense has out performed the defense over the 5+ Johnson years. Yet it is the offense that takes the hits from the fans. GT has been one of the best offensive teams in the nation for the last 5 years. Yet the defense has been one of the worst.

Until the rules are changed football is still a game of blocking and tackling. The teams with the best blockers and tacklers usually win.

Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting!
 

Eric

Retired Co-Founder
Messages
12,734
I hope you hang around SkyBuzz. While I didn't post the same words, my posts came from a similar place. I agree that it seemed like we already had one Jim Hart board and didn't need Swarm to try and duplicate it.

I'm still baffled by it. Even if you say that every play call for the last two games was bad, we've had five years of having one of the most efficient scoring offenses in the league. To even think about changing horses now just baffles me. I'm also baffled by the failure of some who claim to be fans to be unable to tell the difference between questioning play-calls and the development of certain position groups on the one hand from debating the whole-sale tossing of baby with bath water (firing coach) on the other.

Would love to hear how we are turning this into a Jim Hart board..All I have done is stated my thoughts on the situation and asked what others thought.

The problem hasn't been offense production and all the stats about the offense the last few years are great...but CPJ is the head coach not just the OC.

- The talent drop from 08 to now is tremendous...We have more depth but we do not have elite talent. Bay-Bay, Dwyer, Nesbitt, Burnett, Walker, Morgan were all a great part of the success in the 08 and 09 season's...Since that time we have seen a big talent drop off and I do not think anyone can really even aruge that.

- Defense. The defense has been absolutely pathetic...Coach Johnson was the one who hired Groh and Wommack.

- Special teams...CPJ used to preach about we did not need a special teams coach. After a few years of bad special teams we go out and hire a special teams coach...Special teams is still really bad.

- If CPJ was the OC then I do not think anyone would be saying to fire him....The offense has been really good...but overall we have been on a steady decline as a team.

- Losing 4 in a row vs VT, 5 in a row vs Miami, 4 in a row vs UGA and loses to the likes of Kansas and MTSU just is not acceptable.
 

John

Peacekeeper
Staff member
Messages
2,400
Funny, I could read the unedited post just fine.
I just can't deal with obnoxious behavior online or offline. For example, you know exactly what I did and why I did it. Do think his message changed because I removed the all capital letters?
 

gtyj18jr

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
153
Cool...It is a message board so opinions are allowed. Not just what the coaches or players want to hear.

I think skybuzz is kind of miffed by the fact that typically your posts have been as an expert on Georgia Tech's recruiting and providing on some insider info. The posting of this thread was out of place.
 
Top