The sun is rising...

[Skeptic]

. I'm sure Clemson didn't think Dado would work out when they named him interim head coach.

Actually Terry Don Phillips eyeballed Swinney literally for months and when he appointed him gave him carte blanche to run the program as his own, including firing coaches if necessary. The potential road kill? Beat South Carolina. He did, with a healthy boost from Gene Stallings, his coach and former boss at Alabama, who traveled all the way from Texas for moral support. Among the attributes was one that Collins did not possess apparently: he was a position coach who coached every player in his group the same, from All-Conference wide out down to scrub, he coached them all. Might be something to check out the next hire on.

 

[rfjeff9]

I'm curious what in your mind makes Brent Key a better candidate for a head coaching job than Bill O'Brien?

Poorly worded, I do not think Key is a better candidate. I just think Key deserves reasonable consideration if he shows good competency. I have already seen too much fanbasing for different HC candidates that make me think Key has a huge uphill battle.

I am not against O’Brien at all and think he would make a good HC. I just don’t want Key overlooked out of hand because everyone thinks we need a big name, and in that case, O’Brien is the name tossed around more than others.

It wasn’t an attack or even discounting O’Brian. I am seriously and overly concerned with the decision about to be made, I have been around too long to be confident in the athletic decisions at GT. I want the best fit, and just because O’Brien has HC experience out the wazoo doesn’t mean Key shouldn’t get a fair shake.

 

[rfjeff9]

I wouldn't put any blame on Key if he can't get this thing turned around, but realistically he has one shot and that's this year.

Agree there's a difference between being staff and manager, and a staff member may prove to be a better manager than assistant. O'Leary was a better HC than DC.

But Key gets one shot. It may not be completely fair, but it's the way it is.

That’s my concern. I do not expect a single additional win. If Key manages to find a way to win 3 of the remaining, I consider it a huge accomplishKent, even if those were considered wins before the season started. It at least shows competency.

 

[GT33]

Key also had the toughest job transitioning the line with the roster that he inherited, and building an OL takes longer.

Yeah tough inheriting one of the best run blocking units in the country. He sure fixed that.

 

[bobongo]

That’s my concern. I do not expect a single additional win. If Key manages to find a way to win 3 of the remaining, I consider it a huge accomplishKent, even if those were considered wins before the season started. It at least shows competency.

I would, too. 3 wins would be an accomplishment he could parlay into another head coaching job maybe at the G-5 level. I believe he'd need 5, absolute minimum, to keep this one though.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Yeah tough inheriting one of the best run blocking units in the country. He sure fixed that.

They were also one of the absolute worst pass blocking units in the country. Building an OL that could do both reasonably well meant starting over, and we are still in the process of that transition. IIWII.

 

[Techster]

 

[leatherneckjacket]

I would, too. 3 wins would be an accomplishment he could parlay into another head coaching job maybe at the G-5 level. I believe he'd need 5, absolute minimum, to keep this one though.

I would say it will take at least six more wins (five if one of them is ugag) for Key to be seriously considered as permanent HC.

 

[iceeater1969]

I would, too. 3 wins would be an accomplishment he could parlay into another head coaching job maybe at the G-5 level. I believe he'd need 5, absolute minimum, to keep this one though.

Not likely
But if Key demonstrates areas of exceptional competance , could we ADJUST staff to avoid fruit basket turn over. For example say our offensive play call for passing is deemed too conservative, we could hire a young gun oc. I have been following a small school that has been running a very effective air raid.
Looking effective then adding a young gun oc offense could attract FAST FAST WR.

 

[UgaBlows]

If Key turns us around enough to make a bowl and keep recruiting alive GT would be very foolish to overlook him

 

[tmhunter52]

I mean the ATL chart was grating because we were a bad program under coach so anything “unique” was verboten.

I liked the concept of having guys practice as either being above the standard needed or below. If you’re really running separate workouts for the “developmental” players. It’s what Pastner does with his guys (remember when he had Devoe working with a track coach in the off season and Moses doing developmental work in the first few seasons during practice). We just didn’t see the results from it.

As has been hashed out here repeatedly, everyone knew there were starters and 1s v 2s v you’re only coming in for injuries.

Maybe ATL really meant “Above The Lowbar”

 

[GT33]

They were also one of the absolute worst pass blocking units in the country. Building an OL that could do both reasonably well meant starting over, and we are still in the process of that transition. IIWII.

Yes, we had an atrocious pass blocking OL, likely the worst in all of D1. We needed to transition, not abandon. You leverage your strengths until you can shore up your weaknesses. We were insistent on running plays we had insufficient or no capability to run. They were hell bent on doing things that were head scratchers like putting Gibbs between the tackles instead of Mason, having Sims heave 50 yd bombs like he was Graham throwing to Brown, etc. The brain child ostensibly responsible for that philosophy is now gone. We should now see a game plan designed around our strengths, what our players are capable of doing.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Yes, we had an atrocious pass blocking OL, likely the worst in all of D1. We needed to transition, not abandon. You leverage your strengths until you can shore up your weaknesses. We were insistent on running plays we had insufficient or no capability to run. They were hell bent on doing things that were head scratchers like putting Gibbs between the tackles instead of Mason, having Sims heave 50 yd bombs like he was Graham throwing to Brown, etc. The brain child ostensibly responsible for that philosophy is now gone. We should now see a game plan designed around our strengths, what our players are capable of doing.

All of that misses the point. When we moved away from the 3O, and decided to add more varied and modern passing routes back into the playbook, it necessitated a change not only in the blocking scheme, but the body types necessary to run said scheme. Building an OL from scratch is the work of years, and was always going to be the work of years. Most football minds said so from the very beginning. They have proven to be prescient in their observations. Blaming Key for poor OL play in what was always going to be the hardest part of the transition is disingenuous. Without CGC and CDP, we might very well see different plays called, but we will probably still be working to fix the OL for the next couple of years.

 

[iceeater1969]

I agree completely..

Year 1 No qb coach even though no qb had ever Played in a college game. Never run any option year 1 even though we knew how. Duh- we sucked. Year 4 qb coach.

He was a slow learner and would never get us to highly competitive level.

Some injuries to key Players hurt his chances. Without them he may have lasted another year.
.
. Did some very good things outside of football coaching. Those things can be handle in the ad level.

 

[WreckinGT]

All of that misses the point. When we moved away from the 3O, and decided to add more varied and modern passing routes back into the playbook, it necessitated a change not only in the blocking scheme, but the body types necessary to run said scheme. Building an OL from scratch is the work of years, and was always going to be the work of years. Most football minds said so from the very beginning. They have proven to be prescient in their observations. Blaming Key for poor OL play in what was always going to be the hardest part of the transition is disingenuous. Without CGC and CDP, we might very well see different plays called, but we will probably still be working to fix the OL for the next couple of years.

Is it too much to ask that we improve a little bit along the way? We seem to be getting worse. Our OL FEI passing stats regressed from 2020 to 2021. 2022 isn't looking any better.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Is it too much to ask that we improve a little bit along the way? We seem to be getting worse. Our OL FEI passing stats regressed from 2020 to 2021. 2022 isn't looking any better.

IMO, this is because we put too much emphasis on the transfer portal. Collins was trying too hard to hit a homerun with an already developed player, but ignored the fact that adding one transfer into an already functional line is vastly different from adding multiple transfers into a line still trying to form chemistry as a unit. Until we get a solid base from which to build, we are just tinkering, and tinkering leads to regression.

 

[LongforDodd]

Yeah tough inheriting one of the best run blocking units in the country. He sure fixed that.

How many of PJ's last LOS did Key have to start with? How many starters? Not being contrary but I don't remember except that it only seemed like a couple (maybe 3?).

 

[yeti92]

Maybe ATL really meant “Above The Lowbar”

I'm thinking it meant "About To Lose"

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

How many of PJ's last LOS did Key have to start with? How many starters? Not being contrary but I don't remember except that it only seemed like a couple (maybe 3?).

Considering Collins cut loose the two recruits CPJ had committed when he took over, all the 2019 LOS were CPJ guys except for Jarred Southers, who transferred in from Vandy.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

Considering Collins cut loose the two recruits CPJ had committed when he took over, all the 2019 LOS were CPJ guys except for Jarred Southers, who transferred in from Vandy.

I would say that was not a good thing considering all of those players were recruited to execute a completely different blocking scheme, we lost our best OL to Texas, and there was no one left who was really that good at the old scheme.