Stansbury

[Animal02]

Tech athletics overall is in a much better position today than it was in December 2018. There's more (conventional) talent on the football roster. We're in better financial shape. Our facilities are improving. Other sports are winning. We're only paying one BBall coach... and BB just won the ACC. If nothing else, hiring a 'pitch man' for a FB coach got enough excitement for AI2020 to be a huge success.

I don't know the full inside story of CGC's hiring. But I do know that Tech wasn't attracting (or affording) a proven coach. The job was rightfully seen as a tough rebuilding job. He had to give CGC a lucrative 7 year contract to get him to come here - a largely unproven G5 coach with ties to the Institute and city. We need to be realistic about the alternate histories. No other winning P5 or G5 HC was taking the job for what we could afford. If not CGC, we'd have been rolling the dice on a young FCS coach to skip a rung on the ladder or an assistant. Some folks wanted Scott Satterfield. (He was never going to take this job.) L'ville doesn't look a whole lot better than Tech and he inherited a much better situation. Wisenhunt had no meaningful college coaching experience. If Tony Elliott ever leaves Clemson it'll be for a much better situation than Tech was offering. Even if TStan believed in sticking with the flexbone, I'm not even sure if Monken or Niumatalolo would have taken the job. Niumatalolo reportedly turned down AZ (with CPJ's advice). TStan has commented that Tech's identity had become its offense, which I agree with. They would have come into a very difficult situation, even if they didn't transition the offense. Realistically, CGC was probably the best available option and thus the correct choice, even if the results don't pan out.

A lot of folks wanted to fire Josh Pastner a few years ago. TStan probably could have, with cause, from the LaBarrie/Bell debacle. But we'd have been embroiled in litigation and probably ended up paying Pastner not to coach. Had to fill the job in a bad place. Instead, TStan was patient. We just won the ACC and got back to the big dance. The roster is in a much better place, we're in a better place financially, if the results aren't there the next couple years the 'next coach' will have a much better foundation.

I'm not saying we're two years from winning the ACC in FB. But, if nothing else, we do have a better foundation for 'the next coach'. I really expected to see meaningful progress this year and I'm discouraged. But there is improvement. Other than Pitt, we've been competitive in every game, had a chance to win into the 4th quarter. Last year, we didn't have any close losses. Recruiting has improved, there's talent on the roster to win... CGC could still turn the corner. I expect some accountability and staff changes this offseason. I'm 100% certain that TStan is not satisfied with three wins a year.

TStan inherited a bad situation all around from sasquatch. But he's mostly made the right decisions and put the athletics department on a good path. The CGC hire is the worst looking decision, right now. And hiring a FB coach is the AD's biggest job. But I don't believe there was an objectively better choice on offer in 2018, even with hindsight. I'm confident TStan is doing the things that need to be done and saying the things that need to be said behind the scenes. Because he's made good decisions as AD pretty much across the board.

More bull.......there other choices, and better ones....just not ones the bigger donor morons would accept. To say winning 3 games a year is a better. play because of the # of stars some service says a kid has, is laughable.

 

[LongforDodd]

There’s much debate on the coaching staff but little opinion on the architect. Does anyone know how he feels about the situation? It’s been radio silence from the Edge but perhaps I have missed a transmission.

He has yet to reply to either of the letters ive sent him so far this season. Maybe the third time will be the charm, so to speak. It went into the mail yesterday.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Tech athletics overall is in a much better position today than it was in December 2018. There's more (conventional) talent on the football roster. We're in better financial shape. Our facilities are improving. Other sports are winning. We're only paying one BBall coach... and BB just won the ACC. If nothing else, hiring a 'pitch man' for a FB coach got enough excitement for AI2020 to be a huge success.

I don't know the full inside story of CGC's hiring. But I do know that Tech wasn't attracting (or affording) a proven coach. The job was rightfully seen as a tough rebuilding job. He had to give CGC a lucrative 7 year contract to get him to come here - a largely unproven G5 coach with ties to the Institute and city. We need to be realistic about the alternate histories. No other winning P5 or G5 HC was taking the job for what we could afford. If not CGC, we'd have been rolling the dice on a young FCS coach to skip a rung on the ladder or an assistant. Some folks wanted Scott Satterfield. (He was never going to take this job.) L'ville doesn't look a whole lot better than Tech and he inherited a much better situation. Wisenhunt had no meaningful college coaching experience. If Tony Elliott ever leaves Clemson it'll be for a much better situation than Tech was offering. Even if TStan believed in sticking with the flexbone, I'm not even sure if Monken or Niumatalolo would have taken the job. Niumatalolo reportedly turned down AZ (with CPJ's advice). TStan has commented that Tech's identity had become its offense, which I agree with. They would have come into a very difficult situation, even if they didn't transition the offense. Realistically, CGC was probably the best available option and thus the correct choice, even if the results don't pan out.

A lot of folks wanted to fire Josh Pastner a few years ago. TStan probably could have, with cause, from the LaBarrie/Bell debacle. But we'd have been embroiled in litigation and probably ended up paying Pastner not to coach. Had to fill the job in a bad place. Instead, TStan was patient. We just won the ACC and got back to the big dance. The roster is in a much better place, we're in a better place financially, if the results aren't there the next couple years the 'next coach' will have a much better foundation.

I'm not saying we're two years from winning the ACC in FB. But, if nothing else, we do have a better foundation for 'the next coach'. I really expected to see meaningful progress this year and I'm discouraged. But there is improvement. Other than Pitt, we've been competitive in every game, had a chance to win into the 4th quarter. Last year, we didn't have any close losses. Recruiting has improved, there's talent on the roster to win... CGC could still turn the corner. I expect some accountability and staff changes this offseason. I'm 100% certain that TStan is not satisfied with three wins a year.

TStan inherited a bad situation all around from sasquatch. But he's mostly made the right decisions and put the athletics department on a good path. The CGC hire is the worst looking decision, right now. And hiring a FB coach is the AD's biggest job. But I don't believe there was an objectively better choice on offer in 2018, even with hindsight. I'm confident TStan is doing the things that need to be done and saying the things that need to be said behind the scenes. Because he's made good decisions as AD pretty much across the board.

This is an encouraging and optimistic post. I hope you are correct.

The only thing I take issue with is the suggestion that Tech was not an attractive coaching destination because of CPJ. Frankly, Tech hasn’t been an attractive coaching destination for the last 48 years. Look it up.

I really don’t understand why we can’t have a positive, encouraging, optimistic post about CGC and the virtues of being patient without slipping into slandering CPJ. It always makes me think people are trying to pad their case because subconsciously they have some serious doubts.

 

[Richard7125]

I don't blame TStan for making a bad hire with Collins. I do blame him for giving an untested coach such a multi-year deal.... Collins definitely got the best of that deal.... I mean, who wouldn't want a job where you don't have to deliver any type of performance for 4 years and still get paid a lot of money????

I posted this in a different thread, but Collins contract is very favorable to Tech. Tech is paying the least amount for a headcoach in the ACC. If Tech can't handle this kind of a contract then they have no business competing in the FBS. Is Collins a bad hire, maybe, but the contract certainly isn't the issue.

Highest Paid College Football Coaches & Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in college football is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sports.usatoday.com

 

[4shotB]

More bull.......there other choices, and better ones....just not ones the bigger donor morons would accept. To say winning 3 games a year is a better. play because of the # of stars some service says a kid has, is laughable.

I am going to ask this question to you and others who speak similarly and I am being serious. I keep hearing references to the "big money guys" who forced CPJ out or wanted CGC or did this or that. At most places, these guys are known and are visible...the Haslams at UT (Knoxville), the lumber magnate (can't recall his name and too lazy to look it up) at Auburn, T Boone Pickens at Ok.State, the Nike guy at Oregon, the entire Booster Club and president at FSU, etc. Our 'big money guys" apparently are like the Illuminati...dark, secret, mysterious. So much so that I do not find credence in this conspiracy theories of guys calling the shots within our AD. Maybe I am a cynic by nature but I don't believe much of anything I read here on the internet. Does a guy who gives large 6 figure (and up) checks deserve a chance to talk to TStan? I don't begrude that. But who are these guys that pull the strings and why are they hidden when they are not everywhere else???

 

[travgt01]

I am going to ask this question to you and others who speak similarly and I am being serious. I keep hearing references to the "big money guys" who forced CPJ out or wanted CGC or did this or that. At most places, these guys are known and are visible...the Haslams at UT (Knoxville), the lumber magnate (can't recall his name and too lazy to look it up) at Auburn, T Boone Pickens at Ok.State, the Nike guy at Oregon, the entire Booster Club and president at FSU, etc. Our 'big money guys" apparently are like the Illuminati...dark, secret, mysterious. So much so that I do not find credence in this conspiracy theories of guys calling the shots within our AD. Maybe I am a cynic by nature but I don't believe much of anything I read here on the internet. Does a guy who gives large 6 figure (and up) checks deserve a chance to talk to TStan? I don't begrude that. But who are these guys that pull the strings and why are they hidden when they are not everywhere else???

Zelnek, Greg Garrett (he's certainly not hidden, he's quoted in AJC all the time), and I assume Taz Anderson's family just to name a few. Mark Texeria seems like he's involved quite a bit too.

 

[presjacket]

I am going to ask this question to you and others who speak similarly and I am being serious. I keep hearing references to the "big money guys" who forced CPJ out or wanted CGC or did this or that. At most places, these guys are known and are visible...the Haslams at UT (Knoxville), the lumber magnate (can't recall his name and too lazy to look it up) at Auburn, T Boone Pickens at Ok.State, the Nike guy at Oregon, the entire Booster Club and president at FSU, etc. Our 'big money guys" apparently are like the Illuminati...dark, secret, mysterious. So much so that I do not find credence in this conspiracy theories of guys calling the shots within our AD. Maybe I am a cynic by nature but I don't believe much of anything I read here on the internet. Does a guy who gives large 6 figure (and up) checks deserve a chance to talk to TStan? I don't begrude that. But who are these guys that pull the strings and why are they hidden when they are not everywhere else???

Disclaimer: I am not in the know about who the Georgia Tech athletic influential donors are. However, I do work with a college as a client and the majority of the influential donors there have their names on the newer buildings and/or they are on the Board of Trustees. Take that for what it is worth.

 

[yeti92]

At most places, these guys are known and are visible...the Haslams at UT (Knoxville), the lumber magnate (can't recall his name and too lazy to look it up) at Auburn, T Boone Pickens at Ok.State, the Nike guy at Oregon, the entire Booster Club and president at FSU, etc.

I don't think this is true - at SOME places, like those you mentioned, sure. But that's because these people were already highly visible and generally control it all. A group of otherwise unrelated donors is going to be significantly less visible than a single person or family, particularly if they don't want to be visible.

To add to the existing list - I'd imagine John Brock probably has Stansbury's ear whenever he wants it.

 

[4shotB]

I don't think this is true - at SOME places, like those you mentioned, sure. But that's because these people were already highly visible and generally control it all. A group of otherwise unrelated donors is going to be significantly less visible than a single person or family, particularly if they don't want to be visible.

To add to the existing list - I'd imagine John Brock probably has Stansbury's ear whenever he wants it.

Zelnek, Greg Garrett (he's certainly not hidden, he's quoted in AJC all the time), and I assume Taz Anderson's family just to name a few. Mark Texeria seems like he's involved quite a bit too.

Appreciate the responses to this. If our guys are NOT as visible by choice, how do we make the leap then to assume we have any idea of how these people used their influence with our AD's (or even if they used it all?) I am not trying to prove/disprove anything or anybody but I read on this site often that "the money guys wanted X or Y" and am trying to understand where or how these statements got started.These references are shaky imo and go against my cynical nature to believe what I read.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I am going to ask this question to you and others who speak similarly and I am being serious. I keep hearing references to the "big money guys" who forced CPJ out or wanted CGC or did this or that. At most places, these guys are known and are visible...the Haslams at UT (Knoxville), the lumber magnate (can't recall his name and too lazy to look it up) at Auburn, T Boone Pickens at Ok.State, the Nike guy at Oregon, the entire Booster Club and president at FSU, etc. Our 'big money guys" apparently are like the Illuminati...dark, secret, mysterious. So much so that I do not find credence in this conspiracy theories of guys calling the shots within our AD. Maybe I am a cynic by nature but I don't believe much of anything I read here on the internet. Does a guy who gives large 6 figure (and up) checks deserve a chance to talk to TStan? I don't begrude that. But who are these guys that pull the strings and why are they hidden when they are not everywhere else???

This is outside my knowledge base so I do not know who this mysterious money cabal is either. All I know is that Kim King alluded to it in his book several years back. Don’t remember exact quotes, just that there were influential people who could exert pressure and who could doom a coaching hire if they did not like him. Perhaps others can be more specific.

 

[grandpa jacket]

Zelnek, Greg Garrett (he's certainly not hidden, he's quoted in AJC all the time), and I assume Taz Anderson's family just to name a few. Mark Texeria seems like he's involved quite a bit too.

John Dewberry

 

[bobongo]

If Tony Elliott ever leaves Clemson it'll be for a much better situation than Tech was offering.

It's been reported on these pages by a respected poster with inside info that Tony Elliott was interested at one point in the job, only to lose interest when Whisenhunt was offered and turned it down due to negative fan reaction. He has an Engineering degree and would have been particularly well suited in several important ways for this job. Who knows what he would have done had he been offered a contract from the start?

If not CGC, we'd have been rolling the dice on a young FCS coach to skip a rung on the ladder or an assistant.

That might have been a good idea. Some promising, ambitious coach at the lower levels would have jumped at the chance to coach here, for a lot less and a shorter contract than we shelled out for. That's where most of the good coaches at this level started - FCS. With all that were available, surely a better one than we wound up with could have been found and hired - for less.

 

[Papa Foxtrot]

Greg Garrett (he's certainly not hidden, he's quoted in AJC all the time)

Wasn't it Garrett that was quoted in the AJC circa 2018, that he wasn't giving another dime until CPJ was gone?

 

[Vespidae]

Appreciate the responses to this. If our guys are NOT as visible by choice, how do we make the leap then to assume we have any idea of how these people used their influence with our AD's (or even if they used it all?) I am not trying to prove/disprove anything or anybody but I read on this site often that "the money guys wanted X or Y" and am trying to understand where or how these statements got started.These references are shaky imo and go against my cynical nature to believe what I read.

For football, go to the AD suite on home game. They are all there. I was there. I heard it first hand.

For basketball, look at the chairs on the home side by the goal. There's $5 million sitting in that chair alone. They have a special phone line to arrange tickets, travel, whatever they want.

 

[Pointer]

... through the first four to five years would probably be the same or nearly so—full buyout if Collins is fired in the first 4 seasons, and laddering down after that.

If Collins had a 5 or 6 year deal, we would still be looking at a huge penalty for terminating in season 3.

But what about the end of season 3?

Now if this season shapes out the way we think it will, and next season is another 3-4 win year, the apathetic atmosphere that has come over Tech currently will only be magnified.

It's a huge risk, that difference between 3 years fully guaranteed vs 4.

There's always the chance (slim as it looks right now) that CGC turns it around next year and gets it done. That's basically all TStan can realistically hope and pray for at this point.

 

[Richard7125]

But what about the end of season 3?

Now if this season shapes out the way we think it will, and next season is another 3-4 win year, the apathetic atmosphere that has come over Tech currently will only be magnified.

It's a huge risk, that difference between 3 years fully guaranteed vs 4.

There's always the chance (slim as it looks right now) that CGC turns it around next year and gets it done. That's basically all TStan can realistically hope and pray for at this point.

you're not living in today's world if you think you can fire a P5 football coach after Year 3 and not expect to pay out the nose.

 

[bobongo]

you're not living in today's world if you think you can fire a P5 football coach after Year 3 and not expect to pay out the nose.

Better than paying out the arse, which with a seven-year contract is what Tech would have to do.

 

[TooTall]

Who knew we had so many qualified Athletics Directors and FBS Power 5 worthy Head Coaches who have never held any job that would make the resume of either of those positions.

For those who are going to stop giving money, don't suddenly start giving again when vision is complete, whether its CGC or not. I don't wanna hear it. Who gives up on their team? Doesn't matter when your Fandom started or how long you've been going to games or giving to the AA, just because you were born before me doesn't mean you are more loyal to Tech than I or newer fans. Get humble. We all know that money is the answer, so we are going to solve it by NOT giving money...gotcha. Send checks of your regular donations to the GTAA and put a "Fires CGC" message on the memo line, but still send in the checks.

Y'all honestly think ADTS is ignorant about the current situation? You think he and CGC are hugging and dancing around at 3 wins while our in state rival is ranked #1? So we fire DC tomorrow, what will that solve? No way to install a new scheme for the remainder of the season. There SHOULD be coaching changes this off season, not before because it solves nothing. 3 years ago with at the start of the transition, we could only hope to be in a game. Now, after the covid year (yes it really does matter that practices and meetings and teaching HAD to be reduced) we have had a chance to win all but 1 of our games and y'all don't see improvement?

I'm used to fair weather Falcons, Braves and uga fans, but I thought being a Tech fan meant something special. Thick or thin. Up or down. Guess not.

For those who still harp that CPJ was fired or forced out are crazier than a Walmart mutt fan. If he was forced out, why hasn't the future hall of fame coach taken another job? He retired on his own terms as he had earned the right to do. And the only negative thing I will ever say about CPJ is it was widely reported that he had lost the locker room when the fight video came out. It did come out after he retired, yet was a sign of instability during his last season. Was that his fault or just a widening gap between his generation and the newest one?

As always, GO TECH! BEAT duh U! Beat the Eagles back to B.C. Fight the Irish to the death and come out on top! Beat them leg humpers! (Of course, if we do that, many of you will be upset because CGC is the coach, but ya know....you're a fan )

 

[gt6776c]

John Dewberry

Wasn’t there an article in the AJC prior to the NIU game about the “big money” expecting results and I think the 6 win figure was mentioned? If that truly is the case, I would expect some moves this off-season either at the coordinator or position coach levels.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

Referring to the AD, it must be tough talking to donors without addressing the elephant in the room.