Stansbury and Collins Dismissed

[Augusta_Jacket]

I know nothing of the internals. My understanding comes from the AJC article Ken did.

Prominent Georgia Tech donors revisit their optimistic preseason projections

Before Georgia Tech began its 2021 season, Steve Zelnak and Gregg Garrett shared optimism about the Yellow Jackets’ season ahead. Their perspective was worth listening to for at least a few reasons.

www.ajc.com

Maybe the moral of the story is only Collins knows.

Maybe. Like I said, what I was told makes sense and it's not the kind of news you'd want to get out, meaning we were too broke to make all the changes we needed to.

 

[okiemon]

The first call will be made to Graham Neff regarding the AD position. He’s the current AD at clemson. Very good and highly thought of AD in the college world. The pitch will include things about coming home and running his own show. Neff doesn’t run the show at Clemson, Dabo does. Graham just has the AD title but Dabo runs everything.

I’d be happy if we at least interview him. I also think (I know I’m repeating myself) we should call Katie Pate from App State. Great communicator, smart, fund-raising experience, and 20+ years in coaching. Look her up.

 

[Buzztheirazz]

This isn't a job for a rookie.

so Clemson was wrong?

 

[Lavoisier]

so Clemson was wrong?

Yes. They also hired DRad who was garbage.

 

[takethepoints]

Just a solid guy that's been in his job a while and has a track record. I think we need someone with experience & he's got over a decade. Maybe he's learned how to handle the politics? The Clemson guy is an option, but he's got a year as an AD and 8 years under DRad's skirt. This job may be too big for him- replace football coach, deal with basketball program, replace baseball coach who will retire, retire huge debt pile, navigate conference realignment, etc. New AD is going to be massively challenged. This isn't a job for a rookie.

Sounds like it's time for us to use Grigua's Prayer:

Oh, Lord, our situation is dire. Please come and help us, but don't send your Son; this is not a time for children.

 

[Techster]

One thing that's starting to concern me: Is GT starting to have a mega donor meddling problem? See Auburn.

It started with bringing TStan back to GT, and then pressuring TStan to hire CGC (or Whisenhunt).

Now there's a LOT of smoke that donors have already reached out to HC candidates even though we don't even have an AD yet. Personally, I think if GT wants to hire a quality AD, you have to give him rope to hire his own football HC. Hiring a football head coach is one of the signature hires that makes (or breaks...see TStan) an AD's career. Are we cutting our future AD's legs out from under him (or her) by shoehorning them into a candidate they might night even want?

This job isn't the most attractive job for ADs (small budget vs our P5 peers, difficult academics, small curriculum, etc), are we making it even more unattractive by perceived meddling by mega donors?

 

[Lavoisier]

It was GOL more than the donors last time. I do think they have a bigger say than they should especially because they don't contribute like Tennessee or Auburn's donors. They can meddle all they want if they start buying 5-star players for us. Annoying when they do and we still worry about finances and land 50th ranked classes.

 

[TromboneJacket]

It was GOL more than the donors last time. I do think they have a bigger say than they should especially because they don't contribute like Tennessee or Auburn's donors. They can meddle all they want if they start buying 5-star players for us. Annoying when they do and we still worry about finances and land 50th ranked classes.

Yep. TStan learned the hard way that you shouldn’t let people make decisions for you if you’re still the one who will be held accountable for it.

 

[Gt2019]

One thing that's starting to concern me: Is GT starting to have a mega donor meddling problem? See Auburn.

It started with bringing TStan back to GT, and then pressuring TStan to hire CGC (or Whisenhunt).

Now there's a LOT of smoke that donors have already reached out to HC candidates even though we don't even have an AD yet. Personally, I think if GT wants to hire a quality AD, you have to give him rope to hire his own football HC. Hiring a football head coach is one of the signature hires that makes (or breaks...see TStan) an AD's career. Are we cutting our future AD's legs out from under him (or her) by shoehorning them into a candidate they might night even want?

This job isn't the most attractive job for ADs (small budget vs our P5 peers, difficult academics, small curriculum, etc), are we making it even more unattractive by perceived meddling by mega donors?

It’s not even close to the level of control that auburn boosters have on that program. My wife went to auburn so I follow them pretty closely. Auburns boosters made up the harsin sleeping with his assistant thing in the off season to try and fire him for cause since they wanted him gone after 1 year, they ran their AD off, controlled malzahn like he was a puppet, they even sometimes have a say in who they recruit and have had a input on who starts at QB before in the past. Tech’s donors are loyal tech fans and/or graduates who just want to see a quality product on the field. Auburn boosters have more money then sense and know what to do with and think they can be Alabama and Georgia. Auburn fans and coaches hate their donors.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Well, he did say it was going to be the greatest transformation in the history of college football. Everybody just took that to mean his Day 1 to some point in the future, not someone else's Day 1 until he cleaned up Geoff's mess. He's driven our recruiting into the ditch, ran off a fair amount of our fanbase, made us the butt of jokes, etc. Time for immediate damage control, then eliminating the last 3+ years of institutional rot.

No one knows but I would venture to guess that the damage done to the football program will take his successors five years or more to fix. This has a Tennessee/Nebraska lost decade feel to it. That said, a really great hire with sharp assistants might be able to mitigate the damage and the time frame pretty substantially but those people will not want to come and fix this mess. IIWII

 

[Techster]

It’s not even close to the level of control that auburn boosters have on that program. My wife went to auburn so I follow them pretty closely. Auburns boosters made up the harsin sleeping with his assistant thing in the off season to try and fire him for cause since they wanted him gone after 1 year, they ran their AD off, controlled malzahn like he was a puppet, they even sometimes have a say in who they recruit and have had a input on who starts at QB before in the past. Tech’s donors are loyal tech fans and/or graduates who just want to see a quality product on the field. Auburn boosters have more money then sense and know what to do with and think they can be Alabama and Georgia. Auburn fans and coaches hate their donors.

I hope not. From the outside looking in, it's a concerning pattern lately.

I think you can substitute "Tech" in "Tech’s donors are loyal tech fans and/or graduates who just want to see a quality product on the field." and apply it to any school's donor base...in their eyes all donors want to see a quality product on the field, it's just some donors think their money gives them more influence than others.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I can't respond. Doing so will get me banned.

I will. I disagree with that premise because I believe we were scammed with a gullible and trusting AD who will likely lose his job and career as a result. If getting $10 million is not playing the long game to perfection, I don't know what is. There were a lot of posters who run businesses that spotted him for what he is and were criticized by those like me who wanted desperately for Geoff to succeed and give us a new pathway. I was wrong and the naysayers were right. IIWII

 

[Gt2019]

I hope not. From the outside looking in, it's a concerning pattern lately.

I think you can substitute "Tech" in "Tech’s donors are loyal tech fans and/or graduates who just want to see a quality product on the field." and apply it to any school's donor base...in their eyes all donors want to see a quality product on the field, it's just some donors think their money gives them more influence than others.

Auburn is a weird one since the yellowood guy controls everything there. That guy is borderline insane and auburn fans make fun of him. I think having a tech education helps the tech donors, they are prettt level headed unlike sec donors.

 

[GTsapper]

I feel horrible for saying this, but I have absolutely zero sympathy for Geoff Collins, and I hope he sees no benefit from the generational wealth we have gifted him with absolutely zero return.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I can't respond. Doing so will get me banned.

Would your response be animal, vegetable, or mineral?

 

[GT33]

so Clemson was wrong?

The situation is completely different than what we have here, but yes they probably did. However, he did have the advantage of maybe 8 years of being under DRad at the same school he ascended to AD at which is a plus. They have always had an easier time fundraising, they're a rural school with less challenges building buildings from a cost and space standpoint, they are more able to deal with portal and NIL, they're an attractive takeover target for conference alignment despite thir geography, but he does have 2 major challenges. Dabo and booster. Compare that to GT & our challenges. Clemson risk with their AD hire was way lower. Our stakes are very high & the odds are long of a good hire. We need Homer Rice & good luck finding him. Last 2 tries we bagged Sasquatch & then Stansbury. Not exactly lighting it up on the AD hiring front.

 

[CuseJacket]

 

[Hoss]

The players are finding out about the firing based off social media and not from Collins.

I heard he left without addressing the players or staff

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

The players are finding out about the firing based off social media and not from Collins.

So he didn’t hug them and tell them bye?

 

[684Bee]

I heard he left without addressing the players or staff

Reconcile these two things.