Why Geoff Collins's Georgia Tech Rebuild Starts With a Rebrand

[ATL1]

https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/04/geoff-collins-georgia-tech-recruiting-signing-day

 

[Deleted member 2897]

https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/04/geoff-collins-georgia-tech-recruiting-signing-day

Its a really good article, other than the fact we're not in a rebuild.

We have 1 single sub-0.500 season in ACC play in the last 25 years. That's something no other ACC team can tout. We also have more ACC Championships and more Divisional Championships than the vast majority of other ACC teams during the last 25 years.

I guess I'll just take it as a positive that other people outside our circle expect so much of our program that they'll consider such longevity in need of a rebuild.

 

[bobongo]

Its a really good article, other than the fact we're not in a rebuild.

We have 1 single sub-0.500 season in ACC play in the last 25 years. That's something no other ACC team can tout. We also have more ACC Championships and more Divisional Championships than the vast majority of other ACC teams during the last 25 years.

I guess I'll just take it as a positive that other people outside our circle expect so much of our program that they'll consider such longevity in need of a rebuild.

The recruiting is what needs a rebuild - Tech outperformed on the field. Extra money and staff will augment the new approach. I was cautiously optimistic, but as to recruiting I'm less cautious and more optimistic with each passing day. Look at what Collins helped put together in 2007 - and that was with the old staff and old expenditures. What's he gonna do now?

 

[smokey_wasp]

Good article.

 

[GTHomer]

https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/04/geoff-collins-georgia-tech-recruiting-signing-day

Great article. The national publicity should help also...

 

[jgtengineer]

The problem is people don't have the language to describe this. I actually believe that had paul stayed (and been into it say we don't blow defense against USF and we beat pitt so you get motivated CPJ and team against Auburn or something) Next year was shaping up to be a big year potentially.

Paul retires as people do. And collins comes in. Well Collins in't wrong that tech has a branding problem. A lot of what he's running with was being laid by Stansbury and Johnson to address the crap bobinski left us. Does he need to rebuild the team? Yeah about like an NFL rebuild after about 6 years when you have to figure out who you are going to pay and who you are going to let go to free agency. We have 13 Rbs now i'd say that some of them will probably be slot receivers. But one of our LBs (Swilling) Should be a running back which means our roster balance is off.

That does need a rebuild just like CPJ had to build rb depth in 2008 and 2009 to shift his roster.

The big thing is Collins wants to play "jimmies and joes" which means he has a huge obstacle in negative recruiting to get over. The only way to fix that is to make it not matter by changing the exaggerated narratives.

 

[iceeater1969]

Yes, and we all agree it really matters what we do on the field.

 

[AE 87]

Great Article on rebranding. Ref to rebuilding was probably ref to new roster needed rather than us being down.

There's no doubt that a big challenge is the NOT TECH mantra that kids get inundated with in the state. If/when CGC can overcome that consistently, then great!

 

[Techster]

https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/04/geoff-collins-georgia-tech-recruiting-signing-day

Collins wants to incorporate that intelligence into his brand strategy. He saw how Stanford went from using its academic bona fides as a crutch to using them as an effective recruiting tool. That’s why Collins got miffed at his introductory press conference when he was asked if Georgia Tech could win with its academic rigor. “I kind of bowed up a little bit, because I see [academics] as such great advantages,” Collins says. “The greatest players I’ve ever coached in my career are elite in every phase of their lives—from athletics to their work ethic to their attitude to their academics. Socially, spiritually, they are elite in everything they do.”

It's as if CGC has been reading my posts on GTSwarm all these years....is it a little dusty in here?!

 

[herb]

Thanks for the link @ATL1 , good article. Staples is a good writer and it is difficult to argue with hardly any of what he said. A very fair and positive look

 

[Jacket05]

Its a really good article, other than the fact we're not in a rebuild.

We have 1 single sub-0.500 season in ACC play in the last 25 years. That's something no other ACC team can tout. We also have more ACC Championships and more Divisional Championships than the vast majority of other ACC teams during the last 25 years.

I guess I'll just take it as a positive that other people outside our circle expect so much of our program that they'll consider such longevity in need of a rebuild.

We know what CPJ has done on the field in his tenure but the national perception is that we are still a lower level ACC team and the ACC (outside of Clemson) is a lower level conference. I love CPJ and think he did a great job with his players and for the school but he was not good at building a positive national perception of the program. This staff is working to change the national perception to believing that we should and will be in the discussion with programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, LSU, etc. Even as much as CPJ did in making Tech competitive, we are still far from a perennial Top 25 program at this point.

Edited to add: I also think that a major factor in Tech "being left behind" in the college football arms race has been institutional support. Under ADTS that has been changing for the better, but unfortunately CPJ left before the effects could be realized on the field. CGC now has more resources than any other HC to actually "take Tech to the next level".

 

[jgtengineer]

Collins wants to incorporate that intelligence into his brand strategy. He saw how Stanford went from using its academic bona fides as a crutch to using them as an effective recruiting tool. That’s why Collins got miffed at his introductory press conference when he was asked if Georgia Tech could win with its academic rigor. “I kind of bowed up a little bit, because I see [academics] as such great advantages,” Collins says. “The greatest players I’ve ever coached in my career are elite in every phase of their lives—from athletics to their work ethic to their attitude to their academics. Socially, spiritually, they are elite in everything they do.”

It's as if CGC has been reading my posts on GTSwarm all these years....is it a little dusty in here?!

Its easy to say that. We will know based on how many he convinces to come ( and gets in) that are still in for the first APR report. We don't have easy majors to hide them in like stanford if they aren't cutting it.

 

[Techster]

Its easy to say that. We will know based on how many he convinces to come ( and gets in) that are still in for the first APR report. We don't have easy majors to hide them in like stanford if they aren't cutting it.

Not gonna get into another discussion that's been repeated over and over and over ad nauseum. My stance on it is, and always will be this: There are enough elite recruits that are qualified AND willing to do the work that GT requires. It's up to GT and our coaches to convince them GT is the best place for them.

 

[Techster]

Its a really good article, other than the fact we're not in a rebuild.

We have 1 single sub-0.500 season in ACC play in the last 25 years. That's something no other ACC team can tout. We also have more ACC Championships and more Divisional Championships than the vast majority of other ACC teams during the last 25 years.

I guess I'll just take it as a positive that other people outside our circle expect so much of our program that they'll consider such longevity in need of a rebuild.

Staples made it clear what CPJ accomplished for GT...but he also verbalized something a lot of GT fans were feeling towards the end of CPJ's tenure:

Let’s get one thing straight. The option was good for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets won the ACC in 2009 (the title was later vacated by the NCAA) and won the Coastal Division in 2014 running that offense. It was an experiment that worked, but it also was an experiment that had run its course.

 

[DieselTeeth]

Finishing somewhere in the top 25 each year will fix alot of perception problems. Just look what happened to Vtech when they joined the ACC. They where always in the media discussion somewhere. Bud Foster defense, and Beamer ball special teams was their Branding. Each year they started in the top 25 and finished in top 25 for the most part.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Collins wants to incorporate that intelligence into his brand strategy. He saw how Stanford went from using its academic bona fides as a crutch to using them as an effective recruiting tool. That’s why Collins got miffed at his introductory press conference when he was asked if Georgia Tech could win with its academic rigor. “I kind of bowed up a little bit, because I see [academics] as such great advantages,” Collins says. “The greatest players I’ve ever coached in my career are elite in every phase of their lives—from athletics to their work ethic to their attitude to their academics. Socially, spiritually, they are elite in everything they do.”

It's as if CGC has been reading my posts on GTSwarm all these years....is it a little dusty in here?!

It helps when you throw piles of money into the mix....

"The question is: “How did Stanford get there when others have not”? Three elements come to mind: Money, Talent and Coaching. Unlike all other schools in current times, Stanford’s endowments from private sources allocated specifically to football are substantial and perhaps unprecedented. According to recent Wall Street Journal statistical findings, no other college football program in America has an “athletics-only endowment worth between $450 million and $500 million”. According to the WSJ’s Ben Cohen, “almost everything the football program touches is endowed”, including each of the 85-scholarship players, and the salary of its head coach."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerg...r-success-in-college-football-2/#10d13b23132c

 

[Deleted member 2897]

We know what CPJ has done on the field in his tenure but the national perception is that we are still a lower level ACC team and the ACC (outside of Clemson) is a lower level conference. I love CPJ and think he did a great job with his players and for the school but he was not good at building a positive national perception of the program. This staff is working to change the national perception to believing that we should and will be in the discussion with programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, LSU, etc. Even as much as CPJ did in making Tech competitive, we are still far from a perennial Top 25 program at this point.

Edited to add: I also think that a major factor in Tech "being left behind" in the college football arms race has been institutional support. Under ADTS that has been changing for the better, but unfortunately CPJ left before the effects could be realized on the field. CGC now has more resources than any other HC to actually "take Tech to the next level".

That hit the nail on the head - we are in a PERCEPTION rebuild.

 

[Techster]

It helps when you throw piles of money into the mix....

"The question is: “How did Stanford get there when others have not”? Three elements come to mind: Money, Talent and Coaching. Unlike all other schools in current times, Stanford’s endowments from private sources allocated specifically to football are substantial and perhaps unprecedented. According to recent Wall Street Journal statistical findings, no other college football program in America has an “athletics-only endowment worth between $450 million and $500 million”. According to the WSJ’s Ben Cohen, “almost everything the football program touches is endowed”, including each of the 85-scholarship players, and the salary of its head coach."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerg...r-success-in-college-football-2/#10d13b23132c

Absolutely. I think that's the model most programs are working towards. TStan touched on that a bit with endowing several assistant positions. Now GT needs to step up and work towards endowing EVERYTHING in the football program. I believe we have an opportunity to do that in the coming years, and one of the benefits of what CGC and our program is doing with the social media stuff is it put GT on a higher plane for advertisement and marketing partnerships (as CGC touched on with synergies) that will help with putting ancillary $$$ into our athletic war chest. Our football program has the potential to get there given how much visibility GT has in the South's largest media market, and a top 10 media market in the US. GT has untapped revenue sources, but we need to give future media partners a reason to partner with us.

Baby steps.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

GT has untapped revenue sources, but we need to give future media partners a reason to partner with us.

Baby steps.

I read something last week I got in the mail from GT about a bunch of various fundraising updates. It detailed what I've read in multiple other places - 4x as many people give back to the academic side of GT than do athletics.

 

[okiemon]

Its a really good article, other than the fact we're not in a rebuild.

We have 1 single sub-0.500 season in ACC play in the last 25 years. That's something no other ACC team can tout. We also have more ACC Championships and more Divisional Championships than the vast majority of other ACC teams during the last 25 years.

I guess I'll just take it as a positive that other people outside our circle expect so much of our program that they'll consider such longevity in need of a rebuild.

I agree with you, but maybe we should change the...er...narrative (I've come to hate that word). While we are not in a rebuild, we are in a transition, which has some similar characteristics. We have talent, but maybe not the experience we need in the the positions where we need to have it.

Did I tap dance good?