AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTech vs. Nix; what’s the story?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s weird a lot of times when a team gets ready to play a former coach, as Tech will this week when they’re at Miami, new home of offensive coordinator Patrick Nix. Sometimes, particularly if it’s a position coach, it’s no big deal. But if it’s a former coordinator, head coach, or even recruiting coordinator, it usually serves as a backstory of varying import.
I think it is quite possible the most interesting element of this matchup has already taken place, and we may not know the whole story about it. Why did Nix leave?
For my two cents, the comments from Nix and Chan Gailey in Mike Knobler’s story were fairly benign, although some read Nix’s summer comments about knowing he had to break free from Gailey was in the best interests of his career as pointed. I don’t think Chan’s response that Patrick’s comments don’t bother him were either a big deal, or completely transparent. Even if it irked the stuffing out of Gailey, what do you expect him to say?
Me, I think that was probably an accurate statement on Nix’s part, that he needed to leave to grow his career. Many had, and have, the impression that Chan’s offensive coordinator works under the head coach’s thumb. Determining the accuracy of that is no easy feat. Almost every head coach who doesn’t call plays has offensive input, although Bobby Bowden might not bother. But I’m definitely of the opinion that this impression was wide spread in the case of Nix-Gailey, and of no benefit to Nix. Ultimately, it probably didn’t help Chan and Tech, either.
I can’t help but also wonder, based on a mix of common sense and grapevine comments, if there wasn’t more to Nix’s departure. I don’t know if he was pushed, by the head coach or anyone else. I truly don’t.
Was there friction between Patrick and other coaches? Between their families? This happens in college football, for sure, but it’s difficult to document. Was it a factor here? I don’t have an answer. I’m not the only one with suspicions, though, not that anybody in the program has confirmed them.
Matt
Comments
By College Football Fan
October 10, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this
Who cares?
By Jack
October 10, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this
Its Gailey’s show and he runs it——-right into the ground.
By GT
October 10, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this
You know I can’t tell the difference between this year and last year’s play calling. We have always had the conference leading rusher, PJ, before Choice and many more before that. I think it shows the predictability of our play calling and certainly doesn’t add up to wins. Ball control is very important, but three and out is not ball control. You run a back 32 times and you are going to get some stats and the whole stadium knows where the ball is going. Nix is smart getting away from this kind of environment. It can’t be career building to be using obsolete game plans and then get blamed for its failure.
By RAMBLE ON!
October 10, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this
Maybe Nix was the good guy all along. I’ll still never get that memory of him motioning Reggie to spike the ball on third against UGAG, only to throw it out of bounds on forth, out of my head.
Nix vs. Tenuta, I’ll take Tenuta everyday.
By gtNC
October 10, 2007 1:09 PM | Link to this
No - I can’t believe Nix was the good guy here. I’m one of the group that didn’t care for Nix’s comments after he left. Coordinators leave programs all the time without bad-mouthing the program they just left. Of course Miami didn’t know he would do that, but I hope potential suitors in the future (assuming there will be any) note the way he left his last job. He was given a real break to get the job he had with his age/experience. If he wants to break free of the coach and move on, no problem. But keep your mouth shut. Especially if you’re leaving such a poor offensive team. He wasn’t exactly Ralph Friedgen.
By old gold engineer
October 10, 2007 1:21 PM | Link to this
I don’t know the actual numbers, but I think Tech’s offense was ranked in the lower third nationally for the past several years. Perhaps Nix realized that being offensive coordinator of such a poorly ranked unit was not conducive to career advancement. I expected the offense to be better this year and would like to know what it’s ranked at this point in the season. I would like to see Tech ranked in the top 25 every year. Doesn’t anyone in a position of authority realize that combining a highly ranked offense with our perenially highly ranked defense could lead to a top 25 ranking and even a championship? Well, what we’ve been doing for the past several seasons isn’t achieving that goal so let’s try something different, eh? And Matt, I continue to appreciate the great work by you and Mike. Please keep it up.
By George P. Burdell
October 10, 2007 1:25 PM | Link to this
I agree gtNC. The way Nix handled the comments afterward indicate to me that he either wasn’t happy with something in the situation or Gailey wasn’t happy with his performance. I don’t think he just bolted to Miami but rather felt like he needed to move on before he was run out.
It may or may not be better for Tech that he is gone because the offense looks almost identical to me anyway. I don’t know if he designed our offense or if Gailey handed it over to him and told him how he intended to use it. Time will tell how good Nix is but if Gailey continues to overshadow the offense, it will always have the same character and it really won’t matter who the OC is.
Bond has put some wrinkles in, but it is very clear the offense is designed to keep Gailey happy no matter if the actual play calling is all Bonds. If we have a lot of features and options that weren’t present under Nix, we certainly haven’t seem them so far.
By fred
October 10, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this
The coaching staff must send one signal: unity and “fight” (agressive, highly competive,no-quit,fire-in-belly,play 60 minutes to WIN).
Anything less is unacceptable as a goal.
The Tech athletic chemistry tip-toes around this commitment.
So, remove scoreboards, substitute nerf balls and sell $1.00 general admission passes.
SAD—-SAD.
By True Braves Fan
October 10, 2007 2:05 PM | Link to this
As a Tech grad, it is my opinion that Tech will never be a big winner as long as Chan Gailey is head coach…By my calculation, it is only 128 days till the Braves start spring training….
By Jack
October 10, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this
Play calling is the provience of the offensive cordinator——until things get down to the nitty gritty then Gailey takes over and you see the results of that. All Nix was doing was taking the blame for Gaileys poor play calling overrides. Now that will kill a coaches future
By Burdell's Brother
October 10, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this
Common thread here, the offense looks almost identical to last years, but we have a new OC….I am not a genuis but if that does not tell you, DRAD!!!< who is running this pontune into the ground, you need to get hell out too!
By Willie Coyote
October 10, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this
I doubt anyone pushed Nix out. What made him leave was common sense. He was not going to have control of the offense like every other Tech Offensive Coordinator under Gailey. Gailey may not call the plays but his “play not to lose” mentality obviously affects the offense of this team. That is why they never put other teams away and never exploit a weakness in another team’s pass defense. A little bit more aggression in the play-calling on the last drive at Maryland would have enabled Tech to get a lot deeper into the Terps territory so that holding call would have been no big deal. As it turned out, our kicker had to make a career long field goal instead of an easier one…playing not to lose. Nix probably left so he could really take ownership of an offense. Whether he is good enough remains to be seen.
By Tony A
October 10, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this
In my humble opinion I believe that it was a combination of Chan Gailey doing to Nix what Jerry Jones does to all of his coaches. I also believe that Nix grew frustrated at being a puppet on a string plus feeling the heat from tech fans particularly after the last three games. Chan Gailey needs to go back to the NFL.
By gt2bama
October 10, 2007 3:57 PM | Link to this
Personally, I could care less about why Nix left. Tech’s problem is that Chan is still with us. Fire Chan, and allow the new head coach the opportunity to work out the coordinators’ situation!
Discussing a former coordinator is pointless when everyone already knows that CHAN GAILEY IS THE PROBLEM!!!
By John in Marietta
October 10, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this
Everyone is focusing too much on Nix’s comments about Gailey, and too little on his comments about GT fans. Here is a possible explanation. Nix knew how much heat both he and Gailey were getting on Reggie. However, he also knew that Bennett wasn’t quite the saviour we all thought. He’s probably thinking they did a great job of winning the division, but were getting crucified by most fans. What was going to happen now that CJ was gone, and everyone was expecting a big year from Taylor Bennett? That scenario would tie into his comments both about GT and about Gailey.
By shane
October 10, 2007 5:26 PM | Link to this
hi guys,i have posted on your blogs a couple of times because i am tired of fighting the”fire richt”idiots on the uga blog.i see this aricle as a moot argument,nix hasn’t exactly set the world on fire at”the u”and you guys should beat them pretty easily.tenuta may need to disguise his blitz pacakages a little,maryland seemed to have his number,burning him for a lot of big plays.maybe it would be better to play it straight against miami early,they haven’t played that well,but do have a lot of wr speed.spotting um two or three big plays could take choice away,you need to keep the score close enough to fully utilize your running game.
By Gailey's a JOKE
October 10, 2007 6:01 PM | Link to this
Could someone pack a sharp object in Gailey’s carry-on so he gets stuck at the airport & misses the flight to Miami ……. the cards are stacked in the Hurricanes’ (as well as any of Tech’s oppents’) favor as long as Chan Gailey’s on the sideline! My frustration has reached the point to where what continues to happen (with the Maryland game) has become pathetically comical. It is SOOOOOO obvious that Chan is NOT THE MAN, that I want to see how many more times this can happen before the Administration grows the B@!!s to get rid of this guy. Please, beat Va. Tech then lose to Duke - you can’t change now, you’re on a roll!
By BobinBuford
October 11, 2007 2:04 PM | Link to this
Before we all complain about the OC, remember that:
1) He has coached 6, count ‘em, 6 games 2) He comes from a program that had the #1 running back in the country at Northern Illinois.
I think what we saw in the 2nd half against Maryland from TB is what we should see the rest of the year.
Also, isn’t it nice to see all the pups complaining about CMR?
By Jeff
October 11, 2007 3:18 PM | Link to this
We should be content with the coaching staff. If we get a good coach that wins they take a job at a tier 1 school. A bad coach will get fired. So we get Chan and reward him for mediocrity with contract extensions. If he has a real good season, he will find a better job.
Assitant coach’s look at Tech as a training program before heading elsewhere.
By wes
October 11, 2007 3:39 PM | Link to this
I can’t tell a deference from last year….thus I can only assume Gailey is making most of the calls.
No…I don’t see us beating Georgia this year….. I’m afraid Gailey is the one to blame….
By bh
October 11, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this
Quit blaming anyone. Be smart. I don’t watch this mess any longer. Happy depression, techies!!! and a lot more to come.
By wes
October 11, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this
I’d like to see coach Mac back…. He loved Tech…was willing to take chances, new how to coach young kids, and would do what it takes to win. Gailey is just to stubborn it seems?
By gtlinz
October 11, 2007 3:52 PM | Link to this
Gailey years: 1) Bill O’Brien serves as OC under Gailey 1 year and leaves as fast as possible after putting up good stats (last good stats we have had on offense) 2) Gailey runs the offense and after years of not scoring we get SHELLED by Utah and he realizes maybe he needs an OC 3) Patrick Nix serves as OC under Gailey 1 year and realized the same thing O’Brien did and leaves as fast as possible The sad part is that we had the same issues with DCs under O’Leary. And we had bad defenses under O’Leary every year but Randy Edsall’s tenure (1998, 1 year). I hope Chan catches on. He is doing some things well but you have to score in college football and he owes most of his success to Tenuta. The end of last season was a waste (why not put Reggie on the bench a series or 2 to see if he can calm down???) and Chan actually set Reggie up to take the fall. This season looks to be a waste too. Once these (18?) seniors are gone I don’t think anyone can save Chan. I hope Tenuta is still around to take the job.
By wes
October 11, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this
“I hope Tenuta is still around to take the job.”
Well the D suck then? :)
Chan’s a stubborn old dog who refuses to learn the hard way. The Alum may like him for getting us to a bowl game each year (and that aint saying much anymore) but if he losses to the Leg Humpers one more time……He’s simply gotta go.
We have the talent and skill on the field………just gotta coach’m and motivate’m right.
By flack jacket
October 11, 2007 7:06 PM | Link to this
I hope Pat Nix has found an environment where he can flourish. We will see in a year or two whether Miami gets its potent offense back. If so, it’s more evidence that the Oaf is running ours into the ground.
-fJ