Your choice for Head Coach

[stinger 1957]

Key is in the middle of what is a rebuild, something is telling me he makes the most sense to carry that forward in this time of the portal. I can comfortably see it going forward from here, I don't have confidence in a different new coach doing same, not saying he won't, just don't have the confidence that he will do it that I do with CBK. There is some soundness I see developing under Key, that seems to make sense to me as of now. There is a nice core of things already in place to build around, players and coaches, he already knows what they are looking at in the portal as possibilities.
I'm most worried about the money for coaches and even much more so NIL money. Without it we're dead IMO.

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

So here's my concerns with Key as HC:
1. Recruiting - he's rightly focused in other areas right now, but we haven't seen the influx in commits with the wins and have had some important decommits.
2. Chip Long - this guy was his recommendation and has been TERRIBLE. I know Key wants Godsey, but I would vomit if somehow Chip is still here next year.
3. OL - just inexcusable at times. Any DL with a pulse (UNC doesn't qualify) makes us look like a bad pop warner team. I don't really know who's coaching them right now. I understand having to replace the RB coach created issues here, but I expected is to improve after the bye week and we haven't yet.

He deserves a shot as HC somewhere, but I don't know if he's ready for this role. I can't help but think if he'd had the whole offseason with this team that we'd be bowl eligible already.

 

[malak05]

I mean the big questions about retaining key...

- Does he help retain most of players currently on roster. I tell you this must is kids seem to play hard and care under him.
-Online play and growth... The big story was that Collins forced transfer players down throat at oline and Key preferred targeting more kids in High School and developing them. I think some of the changes hes made has been a little better but still raw and need time to gel develop. Moving Jordan Williams inside and giving Leftwich PT has been a little better.
- Thacker seems to be coming into his own as a DC and can keep this defense solid.
- The offense is still a big question mark... I really like Pyron but Chip Long at times leaves alot to be desired he did key in tonight on Running backs catching we need more of that too... I would be interested if we went another route and used money saved from a big coach hire to address a good OC someone even said grabbing Corn from Coastal Carolina I wonder if could pull that off???

 

[MaverickGT]

I am in the Key camp. Key has beaten more ranked teams in a partial season than the previous coach. He deserves a serious look and chance. With third and fourth string quarterbacks and an injury ridden oline.

One thing is for certain the fan base is going to be divided on who ever ends up being the next HC.

 

[ibeattetris]

Key has definitely done enough for me to believe he has a chance at sustained success. He still isn't my number one choice, but it's clear he is way better than his predecessor.

 

[MaverickGT]

So here's my concerns with Key as HC:
1. Recruiting - he's rightly focused in other areas right now, but we haven't seen the influx in commits with the wins and have had some important decommits.
2. Chip Long - this guy was his recommendation and has been TERRIBLE. I know Key wants Godsey, but I would vomit if somehow Chip is still here next year.
3. OL - just inexcusable at times. Any DL with a pulse (UNC doesn't qualify) makes us look like a bad pop warner team. I don't really know who's coaching them right now. I understand having to replace the RB coach created issues here, but I expected is to improve after the bye week and we haven't yet.

He deserves a shot as HC somewhere, but I don't know if he's ready for this role. I can't help but think if he'd had the whole offseason with this team that we'd be bowl eligible already.

Peach !! Agree 100% and yes, Chip Long is awful. I’m afraid Key would hang on to Chip and our OL sucks

 

[MaverickGT]

Key has definitely done enough for me to believe he has a chance at sustained success. He still isn't my number one choice, but it's clear he is way better than his predecessor.

That’s the problem , we are so starved for success after what Collins did to us, I’m afraid we settle for mediocrity just because we are competent and aren’t beating ourselves now and having a punt blocked every game. We can do much better than Key

 

[4shotB]

I can't help but think if he'd had the whole offseason with this team that we'd be bowl eligible already.

It's interesting. People are saying they have expectations that a new coach can get us into a bowl game next year in his first year. You express reservations about Key (not without some reason as anyone we get are going to have ? marks around them) but say Key could have done this this year given a whole preseason. Doesn't that by default them make him a good candidate. We have seen his work.

 

[Jacket0323]

He has been my top choice.

No way

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

It's interesting. People are saying they have expectations that a new coach can get us into a bowl game next year in his first year. You express reservations about Key (not without some reason as anyone we get are going to have ? marks around them) but say Key could have done this this year given a whole preseason. Doesn't that by default them make him a good candidate. We have seen his work.

I have concerns about our defense taking a huge step back next year without White, Eley, and Thomas.

 

[GTThor]

It’s college football. Every school loses athletes every year. That’s why recruiting is so important.

Have we recruited guys to replace them?

Can we coach up the guys we have?

 

[malak05]

I have concerns about our defense taking a huge step back next year without White, Eley, and Thomas.

No team is having a easy time replacing Thomas or White now a couple of guys like Meiguez, Franks, Efford, Myles, Lockett, Kennard will need to step up and maybe get a decent guy again in portal.

 

[malak05]

No team is having a easy time replacing Thomas or White now a couple of guys like Meiguez, Franks, Efford, Myles, Lockett, Kennard will need to step up and maybe get a decent guy again in portal.

Ill also add thus the Secondary basically will all be back next year and they've been good but still young and growing. Players like Douse & Yondjouen have been good too

 

[A Love Supreme]

If (a big if) Key beats the dwags next week, does he get a lifetime contract??

 

[stinger 1957]

= Chan Gailey 2.0.

The UVA loss was unforgivable and losing badly to a bad Miami team is a big no thanks for me.

I am afraid you will get your wish though, classic GT to go cheap on the hire and hand the keys over to Key. I hope J Batt wipes the slate clean when we get our doors blown off next week.

The team has rallied some behind the interim coach but this Schtick won’t last.
Ceiling with Key is 6-7 wins a year in a mediocre conference.

I'm not going to agree or disagree with you on the UVA game, but with the Miami game sometimes you just don't match up well with certain teams and you need to pick your games that you can win in a season, not sure that is what happened with Miami but it definitely crossed my mind.

I believe CBK's coaching philosophy is the same as Saban's, when you're matched up fairly even with your opponent you play even with them for 3 qts and because you are mentally and physically tougher than them, you win those games with equal opponents in the 4th qt. How many times have we seen Saban do just that. I thought I noticed us doing just that at UNC tonight. For me it is a wonderful thing to watch.
Bottom line is we need to add players to this group that we have and we will have something pretty quickly IMO. It is the route I want to see us go.

 

[GT33]

I get the sense that a few here are disturbed by the win tonight. Sadly enough.

I had a guy complain because I said nice things about Thacker after tonight's game. We have a really weird fanbase. We shutdown the #9 offense in college football & somehow that's a bad thing. Just damn.

 

[ramblin_man]

Key has also made Bat’s job of selling the roster of our current FB team easier to the HC candidates that he interviews (ed) because he can point to games/wins like this tonight and say we are so close and we have capable players and young ones who are in they system. We just need a coaching staff that can develop and scheme around what we already have in place.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I voted for Brent Key because if he won out we'd be bowling and would have beaten the mutts. I've kept my vote for Key because I still believe if he beats the mutts he will have earned this job.

That being said, I really doubt he's the hire JBatt will announce, and I'll be fine with that. No matter who is announced, they will have 100% of my support.

 

[stinger 1957]

If we were to let Chip Long go, do we owe him 850 thousand for next year?

 

[WreckinGT]

Beat Duke and Pitt, hire Key! Lose to UVA, get killed by FSU, well, that’s it for Key, beat VT, hire Key!, get blown out by Miami, well, that’s it for Key, pull the upset against UNC, hire Key! You guys crack me up.