Where we might lose Coach Collins.

[GoldZ]

What did 1980 have in common with 2019? We were coming off of years of option focused football. That's not the whole story in either case, but it's a significant piece.

Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and others quit running triple option because recruits didn't want to play in it. It took Tech a lot longer to figure that out. It's telling that the only leftover OL from the last regime who had another P5 offer is Quinney, and many people on this board don't believe he will start next year.

Colorado's post I was responding to for starters. Currently we face a huge challenge, but in the early 80's we faced a death sentence. Kinda like facing a broken leg vs brain cancer. One is a LOT bigger issue than the other, even though they don't have a lot in common.

 

[LibertyTurns]

Colorado's post I was responding to for starters. Currently we face a huge challenge, but in the early 80's we faced a death sentence. Kinda like facing a broken leg vs brain cancer. One is a LOT bigger issue than the other, even though they don't have a lot in common.

You can tell the youngsters from those that been around a while. A lot of you guys are way more experienced than I am but that period from the late 70’s to early 80’s was WAY more of a challenge than we have today.

 

[jacketup]

Colorado's post I was responding to for starters. Currently we face a huge challenge, but in the early 80's we faced a death sentence. Kinda like facing a broken leg vs brain cancer. One is a LOT bigger issue than the other, even though they don't have a lot in common.

Susan Phinney was a support staff person at the AA in those days. She was the de facto recruiting coordinator and an Auburn graduate. She told me she would call Auburn to see who they weren't interested in. That was our recruiting research.

Before I made this post I did a web search for her. I am sad to learn that she passed away in 2016 at the too young age of 72. It's people like Susan that kept the football program alive, yet she passed with little notice.

I found this in an obit:

Portions of The Certificate of Appreciation for Susan Phinney (Vice President), recognized by the Georgia Tech Alexander Tharpe Fund Board of Trustees on September 27, 2001:

For two decades Susan Phinney represented the best of Georgia Tech athletics: Integrity, Fairness, and Teamwork. As a friend and surrogate mother to a generation of students, alumni, staff, and friends of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, Susan leaves…a legacy of commitment and perseverance. The young teacher turned football recruiter honed her skills to become one of the best fund-raisers Tech has ever known. Among Susan’s accomplishments is Georgia Tech’s renowned Point System….for the equitable distribution of athletic ticket priority. She (can) justifiably be proud of her work quadrupling Alexander Tharpe’s endowment from seven million dollars when she began.., to a market value in excess of twenty eight million dollars, providing essential scholarship support for students in seventeen sports. Susan also was the …architect of Georgia Tech’s Olympic Facilities Campaign…

 

[GoldZ]

Susan Phinney was a support staff person at the AA in those days. She was the de facto recruiting coordinator and an Auburn graduate. She told me she would call Auburn to see who they weren't interested in. That was our recruiting research.

Before I made this post I did a web search for her. I am sad to learn that she passed away in 2016 at the too young age of 72. It's people like Susan that kept the football program alive, yet she passed with little notice.

I found this in an obit:

Portions of The Certificate of Appreciation for Susan Phinney (Vice President), recognized by the Georgia Tech Alexander Tharpe Fund Board of Trustees on September 27, 2001:

For two decades Susan Phinney represented the best of Georgia Tech athletics: Integrity, Fairness, and Teamwork. As a friend and surrogate mother to a generation of students, alumni, staff, and friends of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, Susan leaves…a legacy of commitment and perseverance. The young teacher turned football recruiter honed her skills to become one of the best fund-raisers Tech has ever known. Among Susan’s accomplishments is Georgia Tech’s renowned Point System….for the equitable distribution of athletic ticket priority. She (can) justifiably be proud of her work quadrupling Alexander Tharpe’s endowment from seven million dollars when she began.., to a market value in excess of twenty eight million dollars, providing essential scholarship support for students in seventeen sports. Susan also was the …architect of Georgia Tech’s Olympic Facilities Campaign…

Met her a number of times. Very sharp, helpful, professional, and nice. She's also why I sat on the 47 yard line in upper east for a few decades.

 

[jacketup]

You can tell the youngsters from those that been around a while. A lot of you guys are way more experienced than I am but that period from the late 70’s to early 80’s was WAY more of a challenge than we have today.

The root of the problem in the late '70's and early 80's was money. Our facilities fell WAY behind the competition. A lot of Tech fans don't want to admit it, but Bobby Dodd's failure to raise money as AD put us in a deep hole. He admitted that he was uncomfortable asking his friends for money.

Fortunately, Homer Rice took the job (it's a miracle that he did). Homer was a fund raiser and made us competitive again. Then Clough's buddy Braine came in and spent reserve money that Homer raised. Braine was followed by some knuckleheads. We again got behind, particularly with staffing and salaries and contracts. It's up to Stansbury to get us back on track, and hopefully AI 2020 is a start.

Things aren't as severe as 40 years ago, but there are similarities.

 

[iopjacket]

The root of the problem in the late '70's and early 80's was money. Our facilities fell WAY behind the competition. A lot of Tech fans don't want to admit it, but Bobby Dodd's failure to raise money as AD put us in a deep hole. He admitted that he was uncomfortable asking his friends for money.

Fortunately, Homer Rice took the job (it's a miracle that he did). Homer was a fund raiser and made us competitive again. Then Clough's buddy Braine came in and spent reserve money that Homer raised. Braine was followed by some knuckleheads. We again got behind, particularly with staffing and salaries and contracts. It's up to Stansbury to get us back on track, and hopefully AI 2020 is a start.

Things aren't as severe as 40 years ago, but there are similarities.

IMHO Homer Rice was by far the best AD since I entered Tech in June of 1968. We would probably be playing Division 1AA today without him.