Where do we go from here?

[GTweatherguy]

The apathy is real. Long time season ticket holder. First Saturday the kids had no sports commitment. Wife and I are both Tech grads and we just decided we couldn’t stand sitting in the stadium on a dreary Saturday to watch yet another poorly coached Tech team take the field. We continue to support financially and even started to provide additional support with the Collins hire. But when the product on the field doesn’t align with the marketing message from the coach and the longtime fans see that, then you know there’s a very real problem on our hands …

 

[stech81]

I haven’t seen many comments about the crowd size. Saw someone on Twitter say 35k followed by a lot of statements that it was nowhere near that many.

We can talk about 7 year contracts and buyouts but at some point the pain threshold is crossed. One part is $$ donations and the other is ticket sales. I live in TX so would only consider coming in for at most one game per year, but I wouldn’t have any interest in flying in for a game right now.

Hell I live 30 miles north of Tech have season tickets and really don t care about going to the games this year

 

[bke1984]

There are a lot of examples of NFL coaches taking on a free agent player with a bad track record, with the idea that they can turn them around. Josh Rosen is on his—what, fourth or fifth team?
So there are the people who see themselves as capable where other people failed. I’m not sure how accurate the buzz was at the time, but Pastner was one of our few interested candidates in basketball and I heard the same for Collins in football.
A lot of frustration about Stansbury is coming up. His main focus was probably to get the AA financial house in order. Football attendance is the biggest pillar of our income—or should be. That should have his attention. I’ve watched GT football for a long time, and I’m hard pressed to remember an emptier homecoming crowd. Stansbury doesn’t have any slack to give Collins now—butts in seats are a forewarning for ticket sales and donations and a score of other things.

If we lose out I’m considering dropping season tickets. With two kids under five I’ve got better **** to do on Saturday than watch what is likely a sure loss every week.

 

[RamblinRed]

I haven’t seen many comments about the crowd size. Saw someone on Twitter say 35k followed by a lot of statements that it was nowhere near that many.

We can talk about 7 year contracts and buyouts but at some point the pain threshold is crossed. One part is $$ donations and the other is ticket sales. I live in TX so would only consider coming in for at most one game per year, but I wouldn’t have any interest in flying in for a game right now.

All sports, professional and college, report paid attendance, not actual attendance. So paid tickets was probably 35K, the number in the seats might be far less.

 

[Gt2019]

I think the biggest problem is the lack of good assistants around Collins. You need to fire everyone on the defensive side except Coleman and maybe Knight. Let Key walk if he wants. Spend money and get Collins good quality assistants around him to make him better. He’s a young inexperienced head coach and needs quality guys around him that are P5 quality and not pop Warner quality like we currently have. There will be multiple changes on the defensive side of the ball coaching wise this offseason.

 

[GTrob21]

Attendance, attitude and general fan engagement is bad and anybody that tries to window dress it, is kidding themselves. The apathy for GT has been sliding for years, and it didn't start with Collins.

The one bright spot is the recruiting. We have gotten better talent, we have done well on in the transfer portal. That at least gives some hope that maybe there are better days on the horizon. But when you watch a team that consistently and continually makes the same mistakes. Or you watch the DL get pushed back over and over and over again. And then you see our coaches not address it, but always talk about how excellent and elite our players are. There comes a time where there is a disconnect between the leadership and the fanbase.

I would submit we are rapidly approaching that time for Collins. He needs to show he can coach. He can recruit, but can he coach? Right now i'm leaning to no.

 

[cthenrys]

All sports, professional and college, report paid attendance, not actual attendance. So paid tickets was probably 35K, the number in the seats might be far less.

Understood. Just asking for those that were there - what did the stands look like ? I didn’t get back from golf until the 3rd quarter and there were VERY FEW shots showing the stands on the TV broadcast.

(Incidentally, living away from the Atlanta market does make it pretty much a slam dunk that I get all the games on TV - even on YoutubeTV and ESPN app)

 

[bobongo]

Understood. Just asking for those that were there - what did the stands look like ? I didn’t get back from golf until the 3rd quarter and there were VERY FEW shots showing the stands on the TV broadcast.

(Incidentally, living away from the Atlanta market does make it pretty much a slam dunk that I get all the games on TV - even on YoutubeTV and ESPN app)

Around 25,000. I would guess. Looking at the East stands I thought 20,000, tops, but the West stands where I was seemed fuller than the East so 25,000 would be my estimate. Plenty of VT fans.

 

[TechBurn]

A LOT of VT fans! Can you imagine the GA game!?!!!

 

[bobongo]

A LOT of VT fans! Can you imagine the GA game!?!!!

O.M.G.

 

[Yaller Jacket]

Animal answered a question which has bugged me. Why offer a seven year deal to an unproven coach? I guess we did solve the problem of a factory snatching Collins.

 

[ilovetheoption]

I will admit that I didn't believe that GT would be a 9 win program under Collins, but I have been proven wrong.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Apathy is really something our program cannot afford - I don't believe we are creating fans faster than losing them, and that was true before this debacle. I still am concerned about whether the only STEM school competing in division 1 football will continue in a few years. (except military academies) This is not just a CGC concern - it is a concern about the program in general.

 

[DavidStandingBear]

Stansbury has to do something to keep what little money he has coming in to re-up. Status quo will not accomplish that so my guess would be fire the coordinators. That will at least satisfy some of the donors. I'm not saying that is the right thing but at least one of them has to go and maybe both just to show that something is being done.
I think the team has talent deficiencies but not as bad as some might think. With some creativity we should be able to win a few games. Collins is a decent recruiter but doesn't appear capable of building a coaching staff and is not a coordinator himself. So Someone (Stansbury with help) needs to step in and hire him some coordinators for him who can scheme and teach better. My personal opinion would be definitely a new offense coordinator and jury is still out on defense. Defense has done some things but secondary play is not good.

So you're good with Stansbury's judgement?

 

[GTjunkie]

I will admit that I didn't believe that GT would be a 9 win program under Collins, but I have been proven wrong.

GT is a 9 win program under him, it's just taken 3 years to get there.

 

[ilovetheoption]

GT is a 9 win program under him, it's just taken 3 years to get there.

I gently kid. Remember I root for UVa, where football scores are basketball scores, and basketball scores are football scores, and even Zima is a sin

 

[DavidStandingBear]

The sad part is I really think a lot of fans have got to the point they don't care any more

I think the biggest problem is the lack of good assistants around Collins. You need to fire everyone on the defensive side except Coleman and maybe Knight. Let Key walk if he wants. Spend money and get Collins good quality assistants around him to make him better. He’s a young inexperienced head coach and needs quality guys around him that are P5 quality and not pop Warner quality like we currently have. There will be multiple changes on the defensive side of the ball coaching wise this offseason.

Who's in charge of hiring assistant coaches?

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Granted, things look bleak right now. However, we are about a 7 point better team this year than we were last year and we were about a 7 point better team last year than the year before. I just can’t believe people don’t see what a hole we were in. We not only had to transition from the 3O, but had to rebuilt an absolutely terrible defense that was saved only by limited game possessions

I see one ray of hope, albeit from a most unusual source. Miami was forced to resort to using a freshman quarterback to replace a talented but injured starter. He has literally changed the trajectory of that team. According to the Miami board he has called out team mates that were slacking off (as Miami players are wont to do from time to time), repeatedly led the team through difficult games, and gained the trust of the coaches. It can happen that fast, if you have the players. I know we are not Miami but Tech could experience a similar turnaround. If Van Dyke can wrought a miracle akin to feeding the five thousand as our Lord did by making Manny look like a latter day Lou Holtz, then perhaps Sims can do the same. Probably not, but it could happen.

 

[jacketup]

Who's in charge of hiring assistant coaches?

The fans. You can only hire what you have money to hire. Compare Venables' salary at Clemson with the aggregate of our entire defensive staff.

Tech fans want to win but don't want to pay to win. They seem to be happy complaining about not winning, so they get what they want without paying for it.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Yesterday was a dreary day.
Other than B.C., it might be best to start the onside kicking team early in the game. Play keep away.

In all of my years of GT Football, home or road, I have never seen our HC get on the field of play to trot over to the student body to fire them up? Collins was imploring them to make noise on that end of the field(North)for the defense.
Seriously, is this good or bad as a look for the program in your eyes? Beneficial?

I was perturbed at him before that, but afterwards thought he really is genuinely a rah, rah type of guy. He also, runs out to his players when they are down or injured. It’s difficult for me to stay angry at him. Could this be another Pastner who needs a few more years to fight this through? After a few games in ‘88, Coach Ross was as despondent as a HC could look.

Well, if getting shellacked by Duke and being taunted by smack talk from the scoreboard at Wallace Wade in the form of "Welcome to the basement, Teckies" doesn't make a football coach despondent nothing else will.