Coach O'Leary was in his prime at Tech and had the benefit of having two of the very best quarterbacks to play for him in JoeHam and Goose. He also benefited from an ACC that was perhaps a little bit less competitive than now save for FSU and one or two others that might have been better then. UNC and UVA come to mind but just about everyone else from Duke and Wake Forest to Virginia Tech and Miami are probably a shade or two better now. It is a very competitive conference now. The old Tobacco Road basketball days are long gone.
This is a remarkable post, but all too typical of the fans on this board who are clueless about what it takes to have a successful program or are happy with mediocrity. I am not sure which it is.
O'Leary didn't "ha(ve) the benefit" of Hamilton and Godsey. He put a staff in place that RECRUITED. He understood the importance of recruiting players-- and coaches. Danny Smith-who I knew--recruited Hamilton. Danny was an energetic fun guy who resonated with kids--not some lazy grump.
During those years we were the second best team in the ACC behind FSU, which was a top 5 team. The "ACC is better now" is just another excuse in a long litany of excuses for Johnson apologists. We were a perennial top 25 team---and not that long ago. We were top 25 nationally; comparative ACC strength is irrelevant.
We could be there again with the right leadership, which we haven't had since Homer retired.
But go ahead. Embrace your excuses--and your losses.
Why do we have so many loser fans? Why do they come on this board and show pride in mediocrity that is clothed in excuses instead of demanding better? Embarrassing. It's not what the Institute stands for.
