AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 23 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWhile Techsters were at the beach …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ll tack on a football note or two after practice tonight, but I thought today I’d review changes at Tech in and around the athletics department since the end of the 2006-‘07 school year, while fans — at least those with sense and opportunity — were sunning themselves, golfing, etc.
I asked the sports information department to help with a list, and this is ALL generated by them (spearheaded by Mike Stamus). I’m merely a relay.
Some of these items are much better known than others.
Off the Field
• Big overhaul of the annual giving and donation structure for Tech athletics, anchored by the new TECH Fund, which establishes minimum giving levels tied to season tickets in various seating areas of Bobby Dodd Stadium and Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Some happy, some sad, many still withholding judgement.
• In the planning stages is a new stadium for Tech’s softball team, which will be located next to the O’Keefe building and open in 2009. Looks like they’re already tagging trees to be felled adjacent to current parking lot. Maybe I’m wrong.
• Tech’s former football locker room on the ground floor of the Edge Center being transformed into a new Technology Center facility for student-athletes.
•Georgia Tech Athletic Association, through its website, RamblinWreck.com, has formed a partnership with TeamFanShop, a company that specializes in online stores that sell officially licensed products for collegiate and professional athletic teams. More options available for purchase.
Women’s Basketball
• Teri Moren, formerly head coach at the University of Indianapolis, hired as an assistant • Mark Simons promoted to associate head coach • Ballyhooed recruiting class now in school includes high school All-Americans in Iasia Hemingway (Newark, N.J.) and Alex Montgomery (Tacoma, Wash.)
Women’s Track
• Samantha Musil, a freshman from Dubois, Neb., earned the silver medal in the women’s discus at the Pan American Junior Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil. • Adriane Lapsley, a former Tech standout, hired as an assistant
Men’s Basketball
• Anthony McHenry, member of the 2004 Final Four team who finished eligibility in 2005, working in the basketball office as a student assistant. Played in Leicester, England last year for former Tech point guard Karl Brown, a member of Tech’s 1990 Final Four team.
Golf
• Hired Christian Newton as assistant coach, following two years at Alabama and two years at Georgia Southern • Three current Tech players, Cameron Tringale, Taylor Hall and John-Tyler Griffin, and one former Tech player, Carlton Forrester, qualified for the U.S. Amateur, ongoin at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Swimming and Diving
• New coach Courtney Shealy Hart - Two-time gold medalist at 2000 Summer Olympics … NCAA Female Swimmer of the Year (2000) while swimming at Georgia … … National Champion in 50-meter freestyle, 100m free, 100m backstroke, 400m free relay and 400m medley relay … 26-time All-American • Tech will host 2008 ACC Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Feb. 20-23, 2008 (women), Feb. 27-March 1 (men)
Softball
• Projected to be one of the top teams in the nation next season by ESPN.com. Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=2942209
Baseball
• Assistant Bobby Moranda became the head coach at Western Carolina and assistant Josh Holliday accepted an assistant coaching position at Arizona State. New assistants are Bryan Prince, former Tech catcher from 1998-2001, and Tom Kinkelaar, who has been the director of operations the past three years.
• Seven of the 10 current players drafted in June signed contracts, including C Matt Wieters (Baltimore) OF Danny Payne (San Diego), SS Michael Fisher (Atlanta), LHP Tim Ladd (Atlanta), OF Wally Crancer (Baltimore), RHP Jared Hyatt (Texas) and LHP Ryan Turner (Texas).
• RHP Eddie Burns (Atlanta), LHP Chris Duncan (Washington) and OF Luke Murton (N Yankees) unsigned, and back in school. One of three drafted high school prospects made it to Tech, although Derek Dietrich had recent surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.
Volleyball
• Returning 12 of 13 members of team that finished 20-12. Only additions are two local players, both tabbed AJC Players of the Year and players of the year in their respective classes (Mary Ashley Tippins - AAAA, Jordan McCullers - AAAAA).
Womens tennis
• All-American Kristi Miller was selected to play in the Pan American games but could not attend after going through wrist surgery. She has returned to the courts and should be fine for the start of fall.
Comments
By Ramble ON!
August 23, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this
THWG!!!!!!!!!
By shivas
August 23, 2007 2:14 PM | Link to this
Football only, please. How about giving us a little something about Notre Dame on slow days such as this.
By The Bee
August 23, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this
I understand land is being cleared for a Giant Tickle Pile to be held the night before the Notre Dame game. It is near the arena set up for the Girlyman Contest. Let’s win one for the Tickler!!!
By ATL-Irish
August 23, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this
Man, I thought the headling was going to be “new stadium in the plan for football.” That would have been funny considering you have to rely on visitors and packages just to sell out your current “mini” stadium.
By Dude
August 23, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this
Bee, yeah! You didnt know it, but I preemptively griiiiiimed you! lolz! (one hand raised in grime formation!) lollerskates, baby! lollerskates!
By Matt Winkeljohn
August 23, 2007 2:50 PM | Link to this
No. No Notre Dame stuff for you.
Patience, young grasshopper. Patience.
By 9 days
August 23, 2007 2:57 PM | Link to this
Agree with Shiva, can we get some insight into Notre Dame on these slow days. How do you think we match up?
By Rudy
August 23, 2007 2:59 PM | Link to this
How are those bowl games coming, irish?
By Chan
August 23, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this
Don’t worry Rudy, I will rein in the hosses.
Dadgummit Reggie!!!
By Your Daddy
August 23, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this
The only tickle pile considerations are going on over at UGAy. Matt Stafford & Joe Cox are considering whether to use feathers in their next tickle pile. Cute the way those two spoon together.
By shivas
August 23, 2007 4:12 PM | Link to this
Matt, I here the ND linebackers are a concern, as is the secondary, besides that monster safety that hits like a truck. A concern for ND, that is. What do you hear?
By David
August 23, 2007 4:28 PM | Link to this
“Chris” Duncan????
And what’s the deal on the giant font?
By Matt Winkeljohn
August 23, 2007 5:25 PM | Link to this
Dunno about the giant font. Some sort of coding screwup.
As for Notre Dame, I’ll start filtering some Irish stuff in tomorrow.
Sorry to whine, but I’ve been grinding for days and days on special section stuff, all NFL-related, for Sunday’s paper.
Get this: One of my assignments was to look at every former Georgia High school player who’s made it to the NFL (more than 650) and rank them from 1 to 25, the top 25 based on THEIR NFL CAREERS.
There’s a lot more than that one chart, but anybody care to guess the Georgia Tech players who made the list?
Remember, they had to play at Georgia high schools first, so players like Marco Coleman (Ohio) don’t qualify for the list.
By The Bee
August 23, 2007 5:30 PM | Link to this
Your Daddy,
Your posts have no credibility. No one believes Matt Stafford is a homo. Georgia Tech students/alumni; now that’s another question.
By Buzzcut
August 23, 2007 5:40 PM | Link to this
Larry Morris, Kent Hill and maybe Drew Hill.
By Jack
August 23, 2007 5:40 PM | Link to this
Just checked USA Today, I was surprised to see ND favored. I thought GT would be at least a one TD favorite. Really thought GT would have the experience edge that would be key for an opening game.
By shivas
August 23, 2007 7:04 PM | Link to this
Hey Matt, on your special assignment, do not forget Chip Banks. The most awesome high school player I ever saw out of Lucy Laney in Augusta. Same high school as Emerson Booser. When I was a kid- 10-12, I used to walk to Richmond Academy stadium and watch Lucy Laney play Richmond Academy. What great memories. Anybody else out there have some knowledge of this?
By Observer
August 23, 2007 7:34 PM | Link to this
Keith Brooking has to high on the Georgia High School - NFL list.
By Jake
August 23, 2007 7:48 PM | Link to this
Uh…Jack, are you kidding?
By Matt Winkeljohn
August 23, 2007 8:01 PM | Link to this
Buzzcut,
You nailed all three!
Chip Banks and Emerson Boozer are both mentioned in my coverage in other places. Brooking didn’t make it, at least not yet.
A lot of tough cuts, including former Tech LB Reggie Wilkes (six Pro Bowls). Very, very stiff competition on the list to where guys like Garrison Hearst, Jason Elam, William Andrews, George Rogers, Jamal Lewis, Victor Green and others didn’t make it.
By Tech's North Ave Pimp
August 23, 2007 8:07 PM | Link to this
I hear UGA is expanding there football fecility, look for all NEW SEATS in the Clark County holding cells :)
By Donnie
August 23, 2007 9:18 PM | Link to this
Nice spelling North Ave Pimp!! Keep posting….you shine some light on true Tech fans.
By GT Fan
August 23, 2007 10:44 PM | Link to this
Matt,
You shocked me when you said Keith Brooking has not made the list yet……you have got to be kidding.
He is the ultimate Pro Football Player. He is very fast, has great size and plays all out every play. He never complains and always supports his teammates and organization. He is a leader and great motivator. He has had success on good teams and poor teams. He plays hurt if possible and always brings it. He leads the team in tackles almost every year. He plays all three linebacker positions and stays on the field in all situations. He really has no weakness; he is the ideal linebacker with great integrity and character to boot!
Keith is the kind of person and football player Georgians can be proud to claim.
As I stated before, you have got to be kidding……….or maybe you are just trying to prompt this sort of reaction.
By yellowblood
August 24, 2007 12:54 AM | Link to this
Bee: you will be invited to no tickle piles, so why do you care ? Your Doggies will be skinned by OSU. Your choices of first-game patsies has just wrecked.
By Calvin
August 24, 2007 1:06 AM | Link to this
How about some more improvements in marketing? 1. You should market and open the Hall of Fame on Fan Day??? We are there to get pumped up for football not to go to a fair, pay more old Tech studs to come and sign autographs, organize the lines better, and how about an official word from Chan or D-Rad to the fans, show a little appreciation for coming out.
2. Ditch Russell and go with Addidas 3. Find someone to produce more vintage Tech gear, last year’s helmet and uniforms were awesome, more of that, and more vintage stuff for fans.
4. If you are going to sell mini-packages with food, parking passes, etc, you should at least include more benefits for those who actually buy a full season ticket. Put in some vouchers for concessions, not worthless coupons under the guise of BuzzBucks. Treat your base as good as you treat newcomers.
By yelowblood
August 24, 2007 1:08 AM | Link to this
Wink: Tough job. Will wait to see your article. We will have tolerance. Another point of interest to me is the Div 1 players who never got to NFL such as Larry Good of Camilla. I will NEVER forget this guy when I was at Tech. A one-man team. Or Joe Hamilton. RUDY/IRISH: Does ND have to play in another bowl game this year ? Why do they get punished like this ? They should be bowl-exempt. Or do the rules require that they must play ?
By DiegoMaradona
August 24, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this
If the trade school would start playing futbol, instead of the facsimile of football that they play at GT, they could probably fill that crackerbox.
By DawgBite
August 24, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this
By yellowblood
August 24, 2007 12:54 AM | Link to this
Bee: you will be invited to no tickle piles, so why do you care ? Your Doggies will be skinned by OSU. Your choices of first-game patsies has just wrecked.
We much prefer eneding our regular season with a patsy yellowblood.
By DE
August 24, 2007 10:56 AM | Link to this
btw - Notre Dame being slightly favored means it is at best a draw. Home teams always get three points, thus if they are only three point favorite then it is a draw. Tech by at least 2 touchdowns in a laugher.
By The ACC is OURZ
August 24, 2007 10:56 AM | Link to this
Shivas, I too am from Augusta. Did you ever see Chris Brown throwing people around at Butler? Man that guy was a helluva blocker. NFL career never amounted to much though. I heard he was a part of the longest yard in Hollywood and more appearances are to follow. Tolbert was pretty awesome too.
By shivas
August 24, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this
ACC is ourz, I’m a little older so never got to see Brown and Tolbert at Butler (I moved away), but did follow their careers. How about Leroy Irvin. I completely forgot one that I played baseball with at ARC, who is now a head coach in the NFL: Ken Whisenhunt. I guess I forgot because he wasn’t that great a player, but bloosmed at TECH. Lot’s of great players from Butler, and always tough to play.
By futeboll fan
August 24, 2007 4:56 PM | Link to this
So Stafford is gay and so tech does have the pics to prove it…there is nothing wrong with that!
By Matty Stafford
August 24, 2007 5:37 PM | Link to this
I love c**!!!