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DEL.ICIO.USIt’s now or never for Gailey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Things happen faster nowadays. No longer can a coach serve at the displeasure of his constituency for years on end. Either he wins people over by winning big or he accepts a hefty buyout and eases on down the road. Jim Donnan took Georgia to four consecutive Top 25 rankings but never won big enough to suit his fans, and Jim Donnan was gone after five years.
Chan Gailey is about to enter Year 4.
Chan Gailey hasn’t had a losing season at Georgia Tech but hasn’t had a breakout year, either. His teams have won when they probably shouldn’t have and lost when they absolutely shouldn’t have. He hasn’t endeared himself to Tech fans by force of personality. (Gailey works hard to hide any signs of having a personality.) He’s clearly not a bad coach, but he hasn’t yet stamped himself as a good one. And this is Year 4. If he doesn’t win big this fall, will there be a Year 6?
Tech people can be tough to please. Bill Curry was liked but not entirely respected, Bobby Ross respected but not always liked. The gruff but successful George O’Leary stands as the second-most beloved coach in Institute annals, behind only the sainted Bobby Dodd, and it fell to Gailey to succeed a man whose charm he couldn’t match. Perhaps to his credit, Gailey didn’t even try. Trouble is, alums don’t much like it when a coach —- especially a new coach —- comes across as aloof.
And so it was that by the end of his first season, the one that came unstuck with that 51-7 abomination in Athens and the subsequent Silicon Valley Classic loss to Fresno State, Gailey had become as unpopular as a first-year coach ever gets. Tech people hated what they were seeing on the field, and off the field they couldn’t really say they liked Gailey himself. And then, almost on cue, came the mass of flunkouts —- not Gailey’s fault, but they did happen on his watch —- and the decision to demote incumbent quarterback A.J. Suggs and ride with freshman Reggie Ball.
Two summers later, not much has changed. Tech fans still don’t know what to make of Ball, or of Gailey. The two have engineered spectacular victories —- over Auburn in 2003, over Clemson last year —- but have lost some of the worst-looking games ever played. And you wouldn’t have thought a close loss to Georgia could sting more than that embarrassment of 2002, but somehow it happened. With a chance to beat the Bulldogs last November, Ball and his coaches infamously lost track of downs. When your entire school is founded on the concept of precision, sloppiness is the sin of all sins.
So now it’s Year 4 for Gailey and Year 3 for Ball, and Tech fans are in the peculiar position of feeling optimistic about their team’s assembled talent but not nearly so good about their team’s chances. What exactly has this regime done to make anyone believe that it can succeed at a higher level? Where on this schedule do you find the seven wins athletics director Dave Braine seemed to set as a baseline last fall? Yes, it’s likely Tech will upset somebody on the road, but isn’t it just as likely the Jackets will then lose to somebody they shouldn’t?
This is Chan’s chance, maybe his last real chance, to turn the doubters into something approaching believers. If Tech finishes 6-5 or worse, its coach will be seen as having left his AD’s target unmet and will surely be viewed as a lame duck headed into 2006. But if the Jackets could get to 7-4 or even 8-3, the perception will be of a program that has fought its way up from mediocrity and is capable of accomplishing even more.
One way or another, this season figures to tell the tale of Chan Gailey at Georgia Tech. If he wins big, he might still be able to win over a critical audience. But if he doesn’t now, he never will.
Permalink | Comments (33) | Categories: Mark Bradley, Tech / ACC
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By wes
August 29, 2005 12:31 PM | Link to this
Mark, this is why GT’s 2005 season is so highly anticipated. Not since heading into the 2001 season have Tech fans been this excited. Either Gailey wins big OR he doesn’t and something changes. Pronto! But, IMO, no matter what, Coach Tenuta must stay on board for this program to be succesful. Tech 20, AU 16.
By JB
August 29, 2005 12:51 PM | Link to this
I just have a bad feeling about this one. Tech will be overmatched on both sides in the trenches. It hurts me to say this but we are headed for a bad year. Wes….How can we be excited about 2005 as we were in 2001. There is no comparison.We had way better athletes and size under O`Leary.Tech had the best team speed of anyone in the ACCC….Noles included!!!Bad smoon rising….4-7 overall Auburn 24 Tech 9.
By wes
August 29, 2005 01:56 PM | Link to this
How? Because this is the best team Tech has fielded since 2001.
By Jackets fan
August 29, 2005 02:01 PM | Link to this
I am not the biggest Chan Gailey fan. But the least that the media can do is report the facts. Sure this will be Gailey’s 4th season, but remember he’s only had 3 recruiting classes. And based on the last two, I’d say he deserves a chance to see where this thing goes. He’s made some pretty good decisions on putting players in different positions. Tony Hollings was a safety not likely to play, moved to RB and was leading the nation in rushing until his unfortunate injury. He moved Wilkinson to DE in 2003, and back to LB in 2004. Both moves were successful. He moved Chris Reis from S to LB in 2004 and now he’s moved back to S. These moves have put the best players on the field and also increased the defensive knowledge of the players involved. The Bilbo move to WR is still up in the air, but to be fair, Tech had 3 WR’s that were more talented and experienced than Bilbo last year. So he’s just now going to get a chance to prove himself. So I think Gailey will most likely stick around with 7 wins, especially if that 7th win is against UGA.
By R R
August 29, 2005 02:26 PM | Link to this
JB to say 2001 team was superior to the 2005 team is pure specalation only the season will tell if this team compares to a good group in 2001… but 2005 team is a very talented team at the skilled positions and the defense is better than 2001 version by far imho(again specalation this time on my part) Calvin is a speacial player along with PJ gives us a real chance to win the big ??? is the Offensive Line play
By Eric
August 29, 2005 02:34 PM | Link to this
I am optimistic about the upcoming season because all the pieces are there including a quarterback who will finally fully mature and shine. Gailey has been plagued with inconsistent quarterbacks his whole tenure. Starting with Suggs and then being forced to go with Ball as a freshman. Ball has an ACC rookie year and then follows it up with a sophomore slump. My optimism rests on his junior year being one where he steps up and shines! (it may ultimately prove to be false hope but it is something to hold onto before the first few games of the season)
By Jacket Fan Stuck In "Nole" country
August 29, 2005 03:22 PM | Link to this
It is a shame that we still do not meet FSU each year. With Bobby Bowden getting older their teams are not what they use to be. FSU would be easier to beat than either Va Tech or Miami. It looks like the FL Gators and the Ga Bulldogs are set at head coach for years to come. This is going to be the year for Coach Gailey to Get-R-Done or be gone. For his sake and that of the Yellow Jackets, I hope that he does.
By Framk
August 29, 2005 05:20 PM | Link to this
No worries. Bradley thinks Tech’s fans are not convinced about Gailey and Ball because he listens to Coleman Rudolph and a few loud malcontents that repeatedly send him emails.
If he would actually bother to attend a Tech club meeting, he would see the standing ovations that haven’t always greeted many of our coaches in the past. He would notice that Chan is drawing much bigger crowds than O’Leary ever drew to club meetings. If Bradley bothered to check the season ticket sales, he would see that they have grown every year and are now 30% higher than before Chan arrived. If he bothered to attend a game and sit in the stands or to actually speak with a number of fans, he would see that most fans - except for a sad, loud few that incessantly campaign against our coach and quarterback - love and respect our coaches and players for their heart and character.
Also, note that the 2001 team was the most talented at Tech since the Dodd era (even more than 1990, where the team had several future NFL players but didn’t have real depth of ACC quality size and speed). O’Leary brought in a ton of real ACC quality players that could run and hit. He deserves great credit for resurrecting the program. That 2001 team finally had the players and depth to beat anyone. Unfortunately, they quit on O’Leary during that season and sadly the same group of O’Leary’s players quit on Gailey the next year.
For the first time since “flunkgate,� this 2005 team is again approaching the level of the 2001 team. If this team had Darryl Richard, Travis Parker, Reuben Houston, Eric Williams, DJay Jones, etc healthy, it would more or less have a legit two deep of talent, lacking only a little experience in places like the offensive line. Already, there are plenty of young guys that are as good as we have seen (talent-wise) on the flats. Kenny Scott and Jamal Lewis may be the most talented pair of corners we have had. The current stable of running backs and tight ends are as good as we have seen. Calvin Johnson has a chance to be the best receiver we have had. Even with the injuries, our starting linebackers and defensive line should be as good overall as we have seen in a very long time.
And, the 2006 team figures to have as much real depth of talent as we have ever had as we get a lot of those guys back (Richard, Williams, Jones) and gain experience for a ton of young guys that have a chance to someday play in the NFL: Tashard Choice, Colin Peek, Michael Johnson, David Brown, Gary Guyton, half the young OLs, Anthony Barnes, Michael Cox, Darrell Robertson, Tony Clark, Elris Anyaibe, Greg Smith, etc. When has Tech ever had that many big guys with large frames that could really run and hit?
Bradley gets paid to stir things up. It doesn’t matter how much or little he knows about what is really going on. Good for him. But, for my part, I’m thrilled with where Reggie, Chan and the program are headed.
By JB
August 29, 2005 07:27 PM | Link to this
Good post Frank…..We are deep at running back and Calvin may be the most talented athlete that has ever played at Tech. The defense will have to stay injury free to win more than 6 games. If this happens I`ll retract my post from above. The ACC is much deeper than it has ever been. That makes it that much tougher with Auburn and Georgia added to the schedule.
By techaholic
August 29, 2005 07:39 PM | Link to this
I don’t always agree with Mark Bradley but his article about the Gailey and the Gailey era is to the point. I do have to disagree - even if Chan were to go 7-4 or 8-3 this season, he will never be a consistent winner.
Matter-of-fact, for the person who some on the inside said could take us to the next level (BCS), he can’t and will not maintain the level GT was at when he took over - Top 25. This is an average coach and has been average most of his professional life.
GT made a mistake, Dave Braine made a mistake - time to fess up and after this season, find the Paul Hewitt of football and get this program and it’s fans turned on again.
By Gumbo
August 29, 2005 08:27 PM | Link to this
Why are us Tech fans as Mr. Bradley puts it “feeling optimistic about the assembled talent, but not so good about the team’s chances”?
Simple - we are going into the season with possibly the worst QB in Division I football.
Here’s to 5-6. Go Falcons…..
By WTF GUMBO
August 29, 2005 09:50 PM | Link to this
dude gumbo i can many other D1 QB’s that are worse than Ball…..and actually Ball isnt bad at all……he’s had Curry and CJ for his receivers when he plays over the past couple years he needs talent to be good and this year will be a good year for Tech…..i guess after that huge bowl win they’ll follow it up with a huge upset of Auburn…..o and Gumbo maybe u shouldnt talk any more
By mtraininjax
August 29, 2005 11:32 PM | Link to this
17 years of giving to the AT fund and season tickets and now I refuse to give any more, and I am 350 miles away from campus, until Braine admits, as techoholic correctly states, that the Paul Hewitt of football is out there and waiting. Gailey is unlike BL and O’Leary and even Ross, he will never take the Tech program anywhere but sideways. Move up or down, but move somewhere.
I think the players we have are amazing, but there is no leadership from the sidelines. Our coaches are probably “nice” fellas at Morton’s in Buckhead, but they do a lousy job at motivating these fantastic players. Our QB is nothing like a pro QB, for one, he still has the tendency to throw the ball at the back of the offensive lineman’s head! Joe Hamilton had showed more character in his pinky than our QB has in his whole body.
I think Tenuta could build a heckava program, and could do it the same way O’Leary did it, lead with Defense and he could find offensive minded coaches the same way O’Leary brought in the Fridge. It can be done, it has been done, so why do the faithful believe we are any better off than we were last year? Another sideways year is coming, then what? A 5th sideways year? Bradley’s right, its now or never for Gailey!
By Alan
August 30, 2005 01:31 AM | Link to this
mtraininjax while you think you may be hurting the program know this, our season tickets sales increased this year by 2,100 over last year.
By Bill
August 30, 2005 06:22 AM | Link to this
Mark I would be curious as to how you would rate Pepper Rogers.Liked or respected?Tech fans feel free to comment.
The Clemson game last year was giftwrapped by Tommy Bowden and presented to Tech.Yes Tech had the abilty to take that gift and do something with it but that was a gift.
The Paul Hewitt of football has been taken.His name is Urban Meyer and he is at Florida.
I personally hope Tech has a good year
By gtjack
August 30, 2005 07:18 AM | Link to this
I believe in this team and what Gailey is doing. It has taken a few years to rebuild through all the adversity, but I applaud him for staying the course. The players believe too. So it really doesn’t matter what some ignorant fans say about them or Gailey. They will prove it on the field this year and next. We are living in the age of instant gratification. Patience folks.
By Kudzu
August 30, 2005 08:33 AM | Link to this
I agree with everything everyone of you have said, the good, the bad, and the ugly :)
By wes
August 30, 2005 09:05 AM | Link to this
Unfortunate for Gailey’s 1st year, A.J. Suggs was probably the worst QB in Tech history…by far. So he had to go with a freshman. Then the freshman has a bad 2nd year. I too am sick of this “sideways” movement. Something tells me there will be upward movement this year. I would be even more confident if the schedule wasn’t so absolutely brutal! Man, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Clemson, N.C. State…etc. That’s ridiculous. The only reason Tech is playing these tough games is because they scheduled them BEFORE expansion…when the ACC was not quite so highly touted. They’re paying the price now…or, quite possibly be rewarded.
By GTChE
August 30, 2005 09:09 AM | Link to this
mtraininjax: O’Leary may have come from a defensive background, but it’s a stretch to say that he built the program on defense. Thanks to Fridge, we had one of the highest scoring offenses in DivI, but we needed to score 50 to outscore our opponents who were scoring 48! With better defense, Tech could have (please note, I’m only saying COULD have) won a national championship with Hamilton and Fridge, or at least beaten FSU once or twice.
By Big Jimmy
August 30, 2005 09:48 AM | Link to this
I say whether he wins or loses, this should be Chan’s last year as head coach. Its obvious he’s a good coach and good offensive coordinator, but the last few years the team has constantly had let downs when they should have won the game. I personally don’t care about his personality, he needs to win football games, and 7-5 doesn’t get it. I say we go to Jacksonville and get Brian VanGorder to come in and make this team tough. I know he has been at Georgia, but I think he will come and make a difference. You’ll see how big a difference or an impact he had when georgia takes the field saturday.
By toemeetsleather
August 30, 2005 10:27 AM | Link to this
Tech was very talented in 2001, thus exposing O’Learys’ weakness as a coach. The Fridge was the main reason for Tech’s success.
By Thomas
August 30, 2005 11:16 AM | Link to this
Bobby Ross was the last good coach we have had. Once the Fridge left, our play calling went with him and that is the main reason why we are inconsistent. I do hope the talent on this team does not save Chan’s job because he is absolutely awful.
By Tech Football: it's Chantastic
August 30, 2005 11:49 AM | Link to this
All you Tech fans have been visiting Rueben Houston a little much. You have confidence in a coach who was named the worst coach in college football by CBS Sportsline, a coach who was 5-6 in his only year as head coach for Samford, and was 18-14 as an NFL Coach? By the way, as an observer…I see Reggie Ball’s career closely imitating that of Quincy Carter…great freshman year, and a mediocre 2nd year. Quincy’s third year was the worst of all and I would say the odds are good for Ball to follow suit.
By wes
August 30, 2005 11:58 AM | Link to this
Interesting perspective. However, I disagree because, unlike Quincy Carter, Reggie Ball doesn’t go around snorting cocaine off people’s Bibles.
By Frank
August 30, 2005 01:53 PM | Link to this
To “Tech Football: it’s Chantastic”
I actually laughed out loud when I read your post. Thanks for the humor.
You had to work pretty hard to find that season at Samford in Chan’s long record of winning, didn’t you?
And, given that the CBS writer that named Chan as “the worst coach” put him there next to the second winningest coach in history (Joe Paterno), I’ll take that any day. That guy is just like Mark Bradley, he was just trying to stir up commentary. That’s what he gets paid for. Next year, it may just as well be Bobby Bowden if he has another disappointing season. Without looking it up, two years ago, it could easily have been Tommy Tuberville (who is, by the way, a great coach). That guy doesn’t know football so much as he knows how to drive sales and hits on the website.
By the way, Chan’s 18-14 record as an NFL head coach (including an NFC East title and playoffs both seasons) is much better than Pete Carroll’s, Al Groh’s and another other current college coaches’ record except Bobby Ross. And, he did it under tougher circumstances (remember, that was the team that had won only six games the previous year and then lost Michael Irvin, Leon Lett, Eric Williams, etc).
I suppose it’s possible that Reggie’s career will parallel Quitsy’s; but given circumstances, it is more likely to approximate Joe Hamilton’s. Only time will tell.
Anyways, thanks again for the laugh!
By Big Jimmy
August 30, 2005 01:54 PM | Link to this
That was a low blow Wes, but you are right. I don’t care what they do, get Chan out of here, he sucks.
By old Tech fan
August 30, 2005 08:00 PM | Link to this
It is fun reading all this pro and con about our coach. But sometimes I wonder if some of these bloggers ever served in the military or actually worked in industry as an engineer. In the service or working for a plant manager or engineering manager in industry, you are not normally asked what you think of the “coach”…you either go along with their demands or you just go. I wonder if the Tech brass (AD) even read this type blog? Some of us need to root more/gripe less! ps/the betting mag (INSIDERS BETTING DIEGEST) has GT 14th…I believe them!!
By Kirk
August 30, 2005 08:56 PM | Link to this
The Bobbys (Dodd & Ross) enjoyed success because they hired good assistants and weren’t afraid to delegate responsibility. Chan is a class act with a great defensive coordinator in Tenuta. Now what he needs is a ‘Fridge’ who can turn the talent Tech gets into a real offensive machine.
By MUTT H8R
August 30, 2005 09:51 PM | Link to this
I stand with the United States of America, President George W. Bush, the great state of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology and COACH CHAN GAILEY.
I look forward to seeing all the morons who hate CCG make excuses and avoid giving coach credit when the Jackets win 9+ and make a trip to Jax.
GIVE ‘EM HELL, TECH!!!!!!!!!
By Nick
August 31, 2005 12:00 AM | Link to this
I believe that Coach Gailey needs one more recruiting season before the jackals try to run him out of town on a rail. A 6-5 or 7-4 season this year would be an accomplishment considering the depth and quality of current competition.
Gailey might not be Mr Personality but he’s quietly putting together a strong program. If GT still struggles in 06’ then the naysayers will be proven right.
But deep down, I believe that Gailey will end up being a pretty solid coach for Tech and GT will end up in the upper tier of the ACC before the end of 07’.
By wes
August 31, 2005 08:35 AM | Link to this
Mutt H8R. No politics! Football only.
By Mark
August 31, 2005 08:59 AM | Link to this
Give Chan some credit bees. Tech is probably better than Clemson, a former year in, year out ACC contender and they have someone named Bowden as their coach. Chan is building the way it will have to be done in the new ACC. Slowly. Recruiting class by recruiting class. Face it. Tech is not FSU,Miami, or VT, with the ability to wiggle a finger and the recruits come running. As for O’Leary. Get over it people. What was his record pre-Fridge…post-Fridge? What will he do at Central Florida. Absolutely nothing. Chan is doing a good job playing the hand that has been dealt him.
By chris
September 1, 2005 07:26 PM | Link to this
Calvin,P.J.,and the defense will singlehandedly win tech 6 games…leave it up to Gaily to see if he wins or loses us a couple with his conservitive play calling…i prefer 8-3, but i also doubt Gailey will last in the ACC if he doesnt open things up and take chances…GO JACKETS!!!…and may the GAMECOCKS CHOKE!!!!