What Is The Worst Fan Criticism You Have Seen At Tech?

[Northeast Stinger]

In your mind how dissatisfied is the fan base with our current coach compared to past coaching situations?

I remember when Bud Carson followed Bobby Dodd at Tech. Some fans hated him from the get go. Criticisms were that his coaching style was too hard on players, he was not affable and the warm fuzzy Dodd was, and that he was a “yankee.”

Pepper Rodgers was considered a “Hollywood showboat” by his biggest critics and some fans just didn’t like anything about him.

Bill Lewis probably soured the fan base quicker than any coach in history for a variety of reasons.

Bobby Ross was booed from the stands, got hate mail and was almost run off in 1989.

We could name others and give more details but I am interested in whether the current criticism of Geoffrey Collins is the worst you have seen in your life time and how you think it compares in intensity to past coaching controversies. I am not just talking about relative popularity but the urgency for change as expressed by the fan base.

 

[slugboy]

Seems kind of like a remake of Pepper right now, but our stadium isn’t leaking and dreary.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Was

Seems kind of like a remake of Pepper right now, but our stadium isn’t leaking and dreary.

Was always curious if the reaction to Pepper was orchestrated by certain powerful alumni because the average fan seemed to love his style, even the cartwheels onto the field.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Seems kind of like a remake of Pepper right now, but our stadium isn’t leaking and dreary.

Who Geoff reminds me of more even than Pepper was Ron Zook the coach at Florida that replaced "Steve Superior". He was brash, full of hype just like Collins but had more talent and was a better recruiter. His turning point game was losing to Mississippi State in Starkville with the cow bells ringing so loud you could not hear the announcer. He was also a "players coach" to the point of somehow getting involved in an altercation that some of his players had with some fraternity.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Who Geoff reminds me of more even than Pepper was Ron Zook the coach at Florida that replaced "Steve Superior". He was brash, full of hype just like Collins but had more talent and was a better recruiter. His turning point game was losing to Mississippi State in Starkville with the cow bells ringing so loud you could not hear the announcer. He was also a "players coach" to the point of somehow getting involved in an altercation that some of his players had with some fraternity.

But how would compare fan criticism of Collins to the criticism of other Tech coaches?

I guess to me it feels like Bill Lewis in the sense that criticism is deep and wide throughout the fan base. But I get the Zook comparison in that one game finally unleashed a mountain of pent up frustration.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

This has a different feel to it than any I’ve experienced. Lot of hot air but very little substance.

 

[4shotB]

Lot of hot air but very little substance.

The fans? The coach? Both?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I

This has a different feel to it than any I’ve experienced. Lot of hot air but very little substance.

Hot air by the fans or coach? Just want to make sure I understood.

 

[jgtengineer]

Pepper at least won games and ran an offense to his strengths. Its pretty obvious throwing g it isnt a strong **** and running it is a good head coach would say so
Run it until they stop it.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I

Hot air by the fans or coach? Just want to make sure I understood.

Not the fans.

 

[SimpleGT]

When I started at Tech in 1971 there was a "FIRE BUD" in 6 foot letters painted on one of the service driveways near the bottom of the hill. Not much patience with him as a head coach

 

[Scubapro]

I remember some folks being super frustrated with Curry. The only angry boos I witnessed were when Lewis was here...lost of grumbled frustration with Gailey tho.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Do past criticisms of other Tech coaches give us any perspective on the current situation? And if so, how?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I will always contend Carson was a good coach who had the constant pressure and criticism for not being Dodd. More support would have kept his relationships from getting so warped and out of balance.

I think, by contrast, Collins came in with a lot of support. Also, Tech fans do not have as high an expectation level as the generation that remembered Dodd.

 

[LibertyTurns]

I remember some folks being super frustrated with Curry. The only angry boos I witnessed were when Lewis was here...lost of grumbled frustration with Gailey tho.

Up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt was hard to watch.

I missed the entire B***L*** debacle. Chan couldn’t find a QB.

 

[stech81]

I remember some folks being super frustrated with Curry. The only angry boos I witnessed were when Lewis was here...lost of grumbled frustration with Gailey tho.

I really don't remember folks being frustrated with Curry because I was one the really liked him. as for B** L**** at the time I was working for one of the top money man and he called me into his office and ask what I thought of him . I told him and he said yes that is what he was thinking picked the phone up and made a call the next day B** L**** was fired . and as for Gailey it seemed like half the fan base didn't like him and the other half was ok with him.

 

[awbuzz]

B* L* lost a chunk of the players, I don't think CGC has done that.

Most fans want less BS and more winning, especially when we supposedly out talent the competition.

 

[stech81]

Up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt was hard to watch.

I missed the entire B***L*** debacle. Chan couldn’t find a QB.

I really think he did find a good QB but didn't do anything with him there was no improvement .

 

[jgtengineer]

I really don't remember folks being frustrated with Curry because I was one the really liked him. as for B** L**** at the time I was working for one of the top money man and he called me into his office and ask what I thought of him . I told him and he said yes that is what he was thinking picked the phone up and made a call the next day B** L**** was fired . and as for Gailey it seemed like half the fan base didn't like him and the other half was ok with him.

With gailey is think chan wasnt the issue as much as it was his oc

 

[DeepSnap]

As a former player under Carson, all I can really add is thank God the internet didn't exist in 1971. Both Atlanta papers, all three TV stations, and any and all of the monied GT alumni had become very vocal & open about wanting Budro gone.

As for us players, he'd lost us the previous year during the Sun Bowl 9PM practices during Fall Quarter Final Exams, essentially the last straw. As the season fell apart, then recovered to finish the regular season 6-5 before we, as a team, voted NOT to play Ole Miss, the pressure from (and on) Bud ramped up as evidenced by Bud telling us "We're going to stay in this room until you vote to go to the bowl."

Until CGC loses the locker room, there's a chance of redemption.

Fulcher was a well-liked guy, had a great staff, but was a victim of his own "Be careful what you wish for."

Pepper? Wasn't around for his turn in the barrel, but there was a major obstacle in the way, namely Joe Pettit, with the support of the aforementioned monied alumni who didn't like the changing face of GT athletes.

Curry is probably as close to CGC as any of these guys. Too much loyalty to his assistants (see Rip Scherer) which carried over to his move in Tuscaloosa. Losses to Memphis and Furman, plus a tie with Furman, had CBC in hot water for a while, too. They hated everyone but Don Lindsey.

As for Boss Ross, I was ready to see him gone after his first team (really Curry's last group) went 2-9 and flat out quit in the second half of the UNC game on Grant Field. He was a whopping 5-20 in his first 25 games at GT before the light bulb came on in the 4th game of '89 vs his old team, Maryland. I whiffed on that one......

Lewis had two careers at Tech. His first under Carson he was a players' coach & well liked. Then he screwed the pooch in Round Two with his Al Lugenbill hire and the nepotism fiasco that blew up his Locker Room & doomed him.

O'Leary had his faults, but he won. Then he left.

Gailey was a mediocre NFL assistant/Dallas HFC who was a fish out of water in college. 7-5 & lose badly to Ugag was all he was ever going to do.

CPJ? He did well following the blah Chan, but talent/recruiting eventually did him in. It really is Jimmys & Joes.

CGC? Afraid we have at least to the end of year 5 before a buyout becomes feasible, short of a CPJ negotiated exit.