Thacker out at DC, now Safeties coach

[Techwood Relict]

The one thing I can tell you that most every Tech fan agrees on is that we should win more games.

 

[LT 1967]

That's because Ken's job has changed. These kinds of articles don't come from the team stringers, they come from staff reporters not assigned to teams. Collins had his share of negative tone articles the first year, they were just from the general pool of reporters, not the stringer.

Agree, the actual AJC article shows this as an Opinion article. Since Chad Bishop came on board as the GT beat writer, Ken appears to have moved into more of a Mark Bradley role since Mark
is focusing on the Braves.

I know many of our members don't care for the AJC. However, they do cover GT while most of the other media outlets in Atlanta do not.

Our local newspaper hardy ever covers Tech unless GT fires the head coach (City of 60K). They do give the GT Football scores, but no story or analysis.

I suppose some cover is better than none.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

I don’t think it hyperbole that most every Tech fan last year (and before) knew Thacker was not the guy to run our defense, so it was a real head-scratcher that Key retained him. In hindsight, it makes the fans look smarter than the HC, which is never a good thing and is not a real confidence-builder. If the DC change works out, Key’s poor judgment with Thacker will be minimized. If not, Key will be second-guessed by many for a long time over a “what-could-have-been” lost season.

This should be easy to prove by posting links to threads where a majority of fonts wanted Thacker gone at the conclusion of last season. Please share your proof.

My recollection was that many fonts (not myself) felt the reason why the defense improved after we let TFG go was that TFG was preventing Thacker from doing his job and was the ptimary reason why our defense was so bad. Fonts gave Thacker the credit for the improvement and felt he should be retained. I, personally, wanted him gone, but that was not a majority opinionon this site.

 

[AugustaSwarm]

There seems to be some revisionism concerning what most of us thought about Thacker after the last eight games of 2022. IIRC, most of the board was okay then with keeping him.

Given the defensive performances after the coaching change last year, it made sense, IMO, to retain Thacker. The signing of a co-DC was the first hint that there may have been some doubts, but I'm still okay with the decision to retain Thacker after last year. However, after the awful results this year, I'm also okay with making a change.

I'm not sure that retaining Thack will work out for us, but I'm okay with it given it's mid-season. Let's just hope this inspires the D and we show out in Miami.

 

[bobongo]

Given the defensive performances after the coaching change last year, it made sense, IMO, to retain Thacker. The signing of a co-DC was the first hint that there may have been some doubts, but I'm still okay with the decision to retain Thacker after last year. However, after the awful results this year, I'm also okay with making a change.

I'm not sure that retaining Thack will work out for us, but I'm okay with it given it's mid-season. Let's just hope this inspires the D and we show out in Miami.

CanesCounty - Miami vs. Georgia Tech: Canes preparing for multiple defensive schemes

Hurricanes preparing for multiple defensive schemes vs. Yellow Jackets

miami.rivals.com

 

[ibeattetris]

I've still been consistently baffled by last year's defense.
Our defensive success rate last year was near the bottom (98th), we gave up a lot of scoring opportunities (bottom 100), but were top 15 if limiting points per scoring opportunity.

PPD was ranked 67 against a strong SOS, but the average yards drive yards given up was atrocious (103rd), yet we were in the 60's in yards per play.

Maybe it's just the fact that we were 17th in takeaways per game and this year we have reverted back to a reasonable mean (50th).

Full DFEI breakdown. A lot of really low, and a lot in the 60's balanced by turnovers.

		Value	Rank
Georgia Tech	DFEI	0.44	41
Rec	DDE	0.16	67
5-7	DPD	2.25	67
	DAY	0.52	103
FBS	DPP	5.79	67
4-7	DTD	0.269	62
	DVD	0.546	104
	DFD	0.731	101
	DBD	0.092	101
	DTO	0.151	11

 

[slugboy]

I've still been consistently baffled by last year's defense.
Our defensive success rate last year was near the bottom (98th), we gave up a lot of scoring opportunities (bottom 100), but were top 15 if limiting points per scoring opportunity.

PPD was ranked 67 against a strong SOS, but the average yards drive yards given up was atrocious (103rd), yet we were in the 60's in yards per play.

Maybe it's just the fact that we were 17th in takeaways per game and this year we have reverted back to a reasonable mean (50th).

Full DFEI breakdown. A lot of really low, and a lot in the 60's balanced by turnovers.

		Value	Rank
Georgia Tech	DFEI	0.44	41
Rec	DDE	0.16	67
5-7	DPD	2.25	67
	DAY	0.52	103
FBS	DPP	5.79	67
4-7	DTD	0.269	62
	DVD	0.546	104
	DFD	0.731	101
	DBD	0.092	101
	DTO	0.151	11

We had timely turnovers last year. Those ended a lot of drives, and sometimes put points on the board

 

[Billygoat91]

We had timely turnovers last year. Those ended a lot of drives, and sometimes put points on the board

Agree with this. Turnovers and just good luck made things seem better. Our D wasn't really all that good last year. It was made to look great bc it had to carry our team due to our offense

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

CanesCounty - Miami vs. Georgia Tech: Canes preparing for multiple defensive schemes

Hurricanes preparing for multiple defensive schemes vs. Yellow Jackets

miami.rivals.com

Just perusing Canesinsight forum, the utter contempt Miami fans have for Tech is off the charts. Can't say I blame them. They are complaining about the point spread being only 21 points or so. IIWII

 

[CEB]

Just perusing Canesinsight forum, the utter contempt Miami fans have for Tech is off the charts. Can't say I blame them. They are complaining about the point spread being only 21 points or so. IIWII

Excellent! Sounds like we’ve got em right where we want em!

 

[THWG]

Just perusing Canesinsight forum, the utter contempt Miami fans have for Tech is off the charts. Can't say I blame them. They are complaining about the point spread being only 21 points or so. IIWII

Well, **** em. Miami fans are a bunch of delusional *******s anyways.

 

[BuzzStone]

Miami has been irrelevant almost as long as we have.

 

[diehard]

Moved to safeties coach. Kevin Sherrer is the new DC

Thacker should have been fired, not demoted.

 

[Southern psu fan]

Thacker should have been fired, not demoted.

Let’s see how he turns out on being a position coach, it might be what he’s good at. CK did the right thing imo

 

[ibeattetris]

Let’s see how he turns out on being a position coach, it might be what he’s good at. CK did the right thing imo

It definitely can't be worse than paying him to not coach.

 

[roadkill]

It definitely can't be worse than paying him to not coach.

This. I don't understand the logic of those who say we should not have retained him unless they can make a case for him being detrimental to the program in other ways. We have to pay him through 2025 regardless.

 

[Southern psu fan]

This. I don't understand the logic of those who say we should not have retained him unless they can make a case for him being detrimental to the program in other ways. We have to pay him through 2025 regardless.

He didn’t just wake up and become a DC, he had to have a good track record as an assistant. Since he’s not a good DC doesn’t mean he’s not a good assistant coach. I’m his biggest cheerleader to succeed at Ga Tech.

 

[CrackerJacket]

One question about this move: what does Key do if the defense looks even worse this week?

 

[leatherneckjacket]

One question about this move: what does Key do if the defense looks even worse this week?

Nothing. Da U is better than BG. We are not fixing our issues in one week.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Well, **** em. Miami fans are a bunch of delusional *******s anyways.

That was my general thought pattern but I dare not voice it with my wife around. "Delusional" is the word that is often applied to describe Miami fans though I tend to think that unsavory is a more apt description of this fan base.