Ramblin' On

By DawgGrad311

November 27, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this

You also need to make sure your head coach is nationally recognized and respected b/c all those committs are teetering on whether they will like the new coach or not. Chan had to go, but was this not the year to do it with all the other big firings in CFB? I feel you’re having a hard time letting go of Coach Depends Mr Boggs. Time to move on.

We’ll make it 8 next year.

By TDone

November 27, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this

I think it depends on the coach. Chris Hatcher may get a grace period…Paul Johnson would not nor would Tenuta.

Gailey was a great guy, but he was a victim of himself. The man was indeed jinxed especially when it came to playing Touchback Jesus.

I beg to differ with your view of Touchback Jesus. They have beneifited by the follies of others (Tech especially) and in doing so, sold their collective souls.

When you really think of it, who have they beaten in a BCS Bowl? A 5-loss FSU team in the Sugar Bowl. Wow, I am impressed…not.

Every thing goes in cycles. Touchback Jesus has caught a lot of breaks lately. But for the lack of a better phrase, the tide will turn.

By michaelgee

November 27, 2007 12:54 PM | Link to this

GT is simply looking at the greener grass, firing a Coach who wins much more than he lost and leaves the program in better shape than he found it is just dumb football. But, that green grass in Clarke County and the constant ajc attacks got the firing completed. My question is this, why didn’t GT just call a meeting to see what Chan needed to reach this next level and make an effort to make further improvement? TOTAL CHANGE will backfire and the AD will be next on the list to be gone when his MASTER PLAN falls through in 2008. Looking at the winning percentages, Chan was equal to Bobby Dodd, remember Dodd? Not exactly a bad coach, Chan got fired for not beating UGA and nothing else. If UGA had lost to GT would Chan still be HC? Yes. That is how silly this decision was. Good Luck to Chan in his next and soon to be new HC job at a better place with a better plan and wiser AD.

By KennyD

November 27, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this

I agree he needs to win more than he loses in the beginning, but first he must unite the Tech community. There is a great divide in the Tech fan base that needs to be unified and excited about the future. This is a great opportunity for the right man!!!

By buzztrip

November 27, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this

Unless there are some unexpected issues or competition from other schools (both very likely), I expect that DRad has his successor identified, and will announce new hire in two weeks or less. I expect a coordinator to get the job, but do not know if Tenuta will We have a good nucleus of players to move ahead. But, the loss of 18 seniors is the largest departure in years. There is some rebuilding to do.

By michaelgee

November 27, 2007 1:00 PM | Link to this

Hatch is not for sale. Forget that one.

Paul Johnson will walk in and win. PJ is the smartest guy on the list.

Who the heck is Touchback Jesus?

By I hate the yellowblood dude!

November 27, 2007 1:02 PM | Link to this

I keep hearing about “Chris Hatcher” but I don’t see him mentioned anywhere (AJC or ESPN) as far as possible replacements. Only on the blogs. Is he THAT likely to get the job? Just wondering. We need a tall, athletic looking, full of energy coach who has all of his hair. I googled Chris Hatcher, saw his pic…..he has no hair….he’s out. GO JACKETS!

By Larry

November 27, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this

GT fans are headed for a major let down. There is no coach that will be able to live up to the expectations of the fans here. It was a big mistake to fire Chan. Tech is going to miss out on a lot of good recruits.

By ChicagoAlumin

November 27, 2007 1:04 PM | Link to this

The next coach must first make the fans and alumni feel he is connected to the school and to the tradition. Chan won some games, but never connected - winning is great, we all want that. But being a leader and creating excitement for the program was never there - fans will have some patience if the connection and excitement is created.

By Larry

November 27, 2007 1:10 PM | Link to this

GT fans are in for a huge disappointment. Firing Chan was a major mistake. The fans will still be divided on the new coach as well. I’m going to be yelling the loudest for the A.D.’s job when this things plays itself out. Firing Chan - HUGE MISTAKE. I hope the anti - Gailey fans are happy now.

By TDone

November 27, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this

There is a distinctive difference between between being a leader and an manager. Chan was a great manager, but a terrible leader. A manager manages resources, but a leader leads people. Some can do both, some can’t.

By the way to michaelgee et al, Touchback Jesus refers to the certain unnamed group 65 miles up Highway 29, which benefited from three touchbacks last Saturday.

Talk about Dumb Luck!!!

By Change in the air

November 27, 2007 1:15 PM | Link to this

Singletary of the super bowl bears would be a great coach here at tech. all you need to do is {ASK}!

By DD

November 27, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this

What good to decent coach would come to a school where the fan base is clueless about being loyal to the team, for the most part. If I’m a coach with a good background and had GT call on me all I would have to do is look at the last home game. Half the stands were the visiting team’s fans. The Tech fans will be a major road block for most coaches. You guys should look in the mirror when making excuses on why you can’t obtain a successful coach.

I love the comment, “Must win immediately.” What are you guys smoking? 90% of all coaches would lose their jobs in the first year if that was the case. A good coach needs at least 3 years, an average, to turn things around. If Tech had a good player base maybe 2 years, but you don’t.

By jax jacket

November 27, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this

the AD fires a consistant football coach, but gives a long leash to the basketball program. The football team never had the ups and downs of the basketball team. Coach Gailey was improving his freshman class each year while the basketball team has not done anything since Coach Cremins last recruits graduated. Seems unfair to me. Love to see coach Gailey across the field one day with a winning record against the former employer.

By gtfan

November 27, 2007 1:22 PM | Link to this

I wouldn’t say the program is in better shape today then when Gailey got it… The new coach will be coming to a team that loses its leader, Choice and 18+ seniors. Next year was going to be a tough year regardless of who was coaching… Yeah the young guys are talented, but they are going to make mistakes. With Gailey we’d win 6 games next year - without Gailey we’ll win 5. @VT@Clemson@BC@UNC@UGA = Doom

By MDH

November 27, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

“But, that green grass in Clarke County and the constant ajc attacks got the firing completed.” This statement is absolutely correct. The ajc has no loyalty.

By GT80

November 27, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

michaelgee and all the other Chan supporters, never, ever compare Chan’s record to Dodd’s. Chan won 7 games a year when he played 12 & 13 games and scheduling Div 2 & Div 1 cupcakes (Army, Troy, etc.). Dodd won them playing 9 & 10 games with no such gimmes. Without the 2 gimmes a year Chan goes 5&6 or 5&5.
And don’t tell me he left the program in better shape than when he got here. It’s about the same. He came into a program that had been in the top 25 for 4 straight years and still loaded with talent.

But enough about that, the deed is done and we get to move on with a new coach who the AD has declared will be energetic and enthusiastic.

I’ve not heard anything about Hatcher until just recently. Seems like a good coach but who knows. I know about Paul Johnson, but is 50 too old? My gut says we get an assistant from a major program, say Muschamp or Fisher.

By Chris

November 27, 2007 1:25 PM | Link to this

Had anyone heard of Jim Tressel when Ohio State hired him out of Youngstown State?

It’s not necessarily that fans are expecting to win 10 games and the ACC every year. Maybe it’s just because you haven’t watched GT football for the past 6 years, but the record wasn’t the root of the issue. The change had to happen because Radakovich’s main mission is to put more butts (Tech butts, that is) in the seats, and Chan’s somnambulant offense ran totally counter to that goal. We couldn’t take one more season of his low-energy style. Nobody was really excited about Tech football anymore. Nobody was going, “Oh man, this is gonna be a great game!”. It was more like, “Jesus, how are we going to screw this one up?”. It was more akin to dread than excitement.

Tech fans’ displeasure with Gailey ran much deeper than the record. It was never really about the overall record. It was the somnambulant performances against inferior opponents, the failure to develop a single decent quarterback in 6 years, and the tight, predictable offensive game plans.

All the people saying that we’re dumb for firing a coach that never had a losing season must not have been paying attention to Tech football for the last 6 years.

By HSV Jacket

November 27, 2007 1:29 PM | Link to this

CBS has Neuheisel jockeying for the Tech job … any truth to that rumor?

By JA

November 27, 2007 1:31 PM | Link to this

I think the next coach does get a pass for a season or two. He must reach out to the Tech family and bring us back. Bill Curry did that in 1980 - 1982.

I expect a drop off in record not because of the change but because of the seniors we lose. A coaching change always has a short term impact on recruiting, I think it is best to get it behind us now

By Wes King

November 27, 2007 1:32 PM | Link to this

Gaily was fired because he refused to change……He had the talent he needed all along.

Winning season and bowl games? Nearly half the teams in the US go to a bowl game these days and beating teams like Sanford and Duke each year is gonna do it.

The only BIG win we had all year was Clempson….. that’s it. What BIG games did we win last year yet still got to the ACC Championship game?

UGag could win the SEC championship every year but if they lose to Tech 6 or more years in a row, they wouldn’t hesitate to fire the head coach….hell they wouldn’t go 4 years in a row before making a coaching change.

By GT80

November 27, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this

Chris, Amen brother, amen!

By buzz is wiser

November 27, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this

Chris Hatcher would be a great hire, but I dont think he’ll leave GSU. I was at Valdosta State when he was coaching and loved his offense but it was a tought decision for him to leave Valdosta and go to Ga.Southern his wife loved it here and he has a small boy. I spoke with him before he left and you could see how the decision weighed on him. I don’t think he would move his family again this soon. But I do have an opinion on how to energize the fan base, hire Jimbo Fisher, he has a nat’l championship and hire Joe Hamilton as quarterbacks coach, I know he has no coaching experience but it takes fans back to the good old days of nine + win seasons and beating Georgia.

By Spike

November 27, 2007 1:34 PM | Link to this

Good luck getting a decent coach there with that attitude. Face it, the Tech job is not that attractive, especially with all the other openings around this year.

By brian

November 27, 2007 1:44 PM | Link to this

Paul Johnson is the only choice that makes sense, he is a proven winner. Why in the world would they hire Jim Donnan is beyond me, the guy failed at Georgia.

By GTVegas

November 27, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this

I disagree with your assessment here Chris. First of all, I do not believe the primary reason for firing Chan was his record against UGA. It certainly did not help, but other factors had to be much more important and those relate to fundraising and game attendence.

I really did not care that much about the UGA record in the grand scheme of things. What bothered me about Chan was his apparent inability to motivate and COACH these kids. To have personnel not improve over their time at Tech is just not coaching. He showed next to no emotions and could not make the necessary changes.

Somebody above wanted to know why we just didn’t sit down with Chan to find out what he needed to get to the next level. That was done already and he brought in Nix/Bond, neither of which he would let do their job. Sure, there were glimpses, but things always reverted back to Chan’s style. The college game does not lend itself to Chan’s style of “play not to lose”. What needed to change was Chan’s personality, culture and approach to football. That was not something that could be done and now we have a coaching change. Nobody seems to be mentioning Bond at all. It is like he has disappeared, but that is Chan’s style again. I would love to hear what Bond has to say about this subject.

Much of the discontent relates back to his original hiring. Many did not support his hiring in the first place, but his integrity got him the job at a time when that was needed. Nobody will argue that he is not a good person, and Chan should be proud of that. His style of coaching is just not fun to watch and breeds mediocrity. He is supposed to be this offense minded coaching genious, but has anyone seen any of that? His offense ranks close to the bottom in all D1 categories, except disappointment and mediocrity, and is, quite frankly, offensive.

I would like to see improvement with the program, but more than that, I would like to see a little emotion, excitement and flare.

We won’t even get into some of the monumental blunders he made while “coaching” during the games or personnel changes or player development, etc.

What I want to see in the new coach is some youthful energy, vitality, ingenuity and some real player development. I want a coach who has fun, can get the players up emotionally and will take some chances. I want to see a coach who knows how to make halftime adjustments and make solid in-game decisions. I want a coach who appears to care….about winning and about player development. I want a coach who will COACH when needed, but also knows when to deligate.

Chris - You wrote your entry to give every excuse to Chan and to spin it as a “can’t beat UGA, hit the road”. It is far deeper than that and you know it, shame on you for twisting the reasoning for Chan’s demise. It was not so much about his win/loss record as it was about how he plays the game and his ability to truly coach. I believe the new coach will get more leeway than you give credit as long as he makes going to the game fun again. He does this by getting the team and fans involved emotionally, good player development and good game management.

By Hilarious

November 27, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this

All I know is the new coach better be able to duck fast given Georgia Tech’s new proud tradition of throwing things on the field during losing efforts. Grant Field will be like a battle zone next year when Tech stumbles to a 4-8 season. Maybe you’ll crack 5-7 if a few touchbacks go your way.

By Make the call for Paul

November 27, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

Tech could do no better than Paul Johnson as head coach and Tenuta as defensive coordinator. They could challenge for the ACC right away.

And talk about fun to watch. That would be a very aggressive offense matched with an attacking defense.

Radakovich, it’s up to you.

By GTstudent

November 27, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this

I believe that firing Gailey was exactly what Tech needs. I did not agree with the booing during the game a couple weeks ago. I feel as though we gave Gailey plenty of chances, but he has just made so many mistakes. I was distraught last year when Reggie Ball was constantly playing when it appeared we had a perfectly good Taylor Bennett to step up. Then this year, with the high hopes of Bennett after his performance in the Gator bowl, I thought we would be competitive. Despite the fact that Bennett might not have been a good replacement for Ball last year, it would have been nice to give him a shot. The same as I feel this year Nesbit or Booker should have. Any change that Gailey made would not have to be permanent, but simply show Bennett that he needs to get his act together if he expects to keep his starting position. Four interceptions in a game should be enough to bench your quarterback for at least the rest of that game. If anyone does not agree just look at Virginia Tech, Sean Glennon was not doing so hot so they benched him and since he came back he has been playing well. Gailey is just sending the wrong message to players by saying if you mess up multiple times we will keep playing you just as much. I believe Gailey is a good recruiter and a great person, but a bad coach.

As for the new coach I think we should bring in somebody young or familiar with the program. I want to see a coach that gets involved and to quote DRad , “energize the fan base.” I see the decision being played out in one of three ways. First, Tenuta becomes head coach, I don’t think this would hurt recruiting too bad (on the defensive side at least). Second, we get a former head coach. Hopefully if we get a former coach the man was not fired but simply left his old position for a break from football, or we are stealing them. Lastly, we get an offensive coordinator. I do not think it would be a good idea to get a defensive coordinator from somewhere to put over Tenuta. I hope for an offensive mastermind at head coach because that is where we have been hurting. I want to be able to give our defense a break during games rather than keeping them out there ¾ the game.

By Southern Football Fan

November 27, 2007 1:54 PM | Link to this

To Tech:

Anyone out there old enough to remember how the Falcons fired Leman Bennett because they wanted to take the Falcons to the next level? The next level was to win half as many games each year for the next 20 years.

In truth Tech’s football rcord since Bobbie Dodd retired in 1966 is 243-221-8 for a 51% winning percentage. That is an average of 6 wins per season over 41 years. A lot of those wins came over patsies like the Dukes, UNC’s, and Division II teams of the world.

Chan Gailey’s winning percentage with a 44-32 record was 58%. He averaged 7.3 wins per season, which is above the Tech average. Chan also lost 5 straight to UGA.

As comparison: Bobbie Dodd’s record was 165-64-8 or 70% over 22 years. That is 7.5 wins per season - which is .2 wins per season better than Chan Gailey. Not much difference, huh? Bobbie also lost 7 of his last 8 games to UGA.

Yeah I know that Tech plays 2 more games a year now than when Bobbie coached. But I also think there are going to be a lot of Tech fans that regret running Chan off, when he was willing to stay here and work to build the program, rather than use it as a stepping stone to something better.

Atlanta was a smaller and safer city when Dodd was here. What quality coach is going to want to live close in to Atlanta with the crime and homelessness problem? What quality coach is going to want to commute considering Atlanta morning and afternoon traffic?

Maybe not even 1 (at least for long) with jobs in safer smaller college towns with university amenities and easy drives to nice homes with plenty of land to raise families.

That plus the unrealistic expectations of Tech alumni are going to lead to a lot more turmoil at Tech. I think Tech made a foolish choice to run off Chan and as a result will continue to suffer.

We will see, because it is too late now.

By Chris Hatcher

November 27, 2007 1:55 PM | Link to this

Gentlemen, I’ll be on The Flats before you can shake 8 fingers at the Chattahoochee River! Just let me give a fitting farewell to my friends in Statesboro!

By JS

November 27, 2007 1:57 PM | Link to this

Christmas came early this year. Hope springs from every soul wearing white and gold this holiday season! Way to go Danny boy! Now snatch somebody before they are all gone.

To Hell With Georgia!

By CW

November 27, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this

Chris,

I understand why you think the new coach must win immediately, but I couldn’t disagree more. Too many people from the outside are looking at this move saying Tech will regress and we never had it so good with Gailey.

BS.

Tech fans are pretty reasonable when it comes to expectations. I don’t think the new coach has to win 10 or 11 games his first season or the coaching change is seen as a bust.

Tech fans need to feel like the program in general is moving towards a greater goal and improving from year-to-year. Rebuilding years at Tech are more than acceptable as long as a period of success follows. (and winning 7 out of 12 games is not success when you play two cupcakes every year.)

Granted, Coach Gailey’s teams never “rebuilt” by only winning 3 or 4 games, but his teams also never got any better. Recruiting has markedly improved, but the play on the field remained as inconsistent and inexplicable as it did his first season on campus.

Yesterday, the ACC announced the all-conference teams and Tech led the conference with 8 players named to the 1st or 2nd All ACC teams. Tech has had as much talent for the last five years as any other time since I started going to games in 1979. Yet no amount of seniors or returning starters under coach Gailey has prevented Tech from losing to some horrible teams.

Wins and losses didn’t ultimately cost Coach Gailey his job, inconsistent play and the inability to get the most from his players is what cost him his job.

Whether it was Bill Curry, Bobby Ross, or George O’Leary, Tech fans supported these coaches because their teams played up to or above expectations nearly every week whether they won or lost. Under Chan Gailey, the losses were unbearable, but too many of the wins were almost as torturous as we made Duke and UNC look like juggernauts.

Any number of coaching candidates being discussed now would love to have the HC job at Tech. And any number of them will be more successful than Coach Gailey in both wins and losses and support of the fan base. But, they need to consistently beat inferior teams, and win their fare share of games against equal or superior competition.

All the talk right now is about finding the next Mark Richt and that is all fine. But for me, the model is finding the next Vince Dooley. Dooley almost never lost to a team he was favored to beat and probably only went .500 against everyone else. I’d take that and so would most everyone else who roots for Tech.

By TDone

November 27, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this

When The Good Word, Ramblinwreck, and White and Gold all have references to your rival, but you don’t beat your rival in seven straight tries, it goes to a credibility problem/issue. That it why Gailey, in spite of all his successes, had to go.

Now for those who don’t get it, the opportunities for a head coach to be successful at Tech are endless.

After Bobby Dodd:

Bud Carson was fired, but then coached in the NFL and has Super Bowl rings from his time with the Steelers as their DC.

Bill Fulcher went into private business.

Pepper Rogers left UCLA to come back here and even did well once he was let go.

Bill Curry was hired out of here to go to Alabama.

Bobby Ross came here after successes at Maryland, then left to go to San Diego where he coached in the Super Bowl.

Bill Lewis came here out of East Carolina and when he left, he still got jobs with the Dolphins and now is at Notre Dame.

O’Leary came back to Tech from the pros, then left for Notre Dame.

Gailey will be fine. The contacts one meets in the ATL and from being a part of Tech makes it a very attractive position.

Any coach knows this and would welcome any challenges which come with it.

By noyellowinthisblood

November 27, 2007 2:06 PM | Link to this

I hear you are in negotiations with Parkviews Cecil Flowe. He already coaches in roughly the same size stadium. Seven in a row!!!

By Jacket for Life

November 27, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this

Southern Football Fan - Do you think Athens, Ga or Clemson, SC is a “GREAT” place to live and offers more than Atlanta? Even football coaches love Atlanta! Unless your talking about Hawaii or Florida, don’t think the town has a lot to do with coaching! If your too afraid of coming to Atlanta, stay home! The school and it’s tradition has a lot to do with if someone wants to coach and Ga. Tech is rich with tradition and one of the top engineering schools in the country. As far as football, Tech can and will bring in every bit as good a coach as they need to get the job done. Tech has had National Championships before, they will again. They have had conference championships, they will again. They have beat Ga many times, and make no mistake, they will very soon again! Ga. Tech is rich in tradition and stands tall in its history of fine athletes, fine coaches, fine graduates, and the finest in engineering. THWG

By MDH

November 27, 2007 2:14 PM | Link to this

Christmas is a time of giving, sharing and celebrating the birth of Christ and his love for us. I don’t call “a man being fired from his job” an appropriate occurance to be considered a Christmas present. If that is the consensus of Tech Fans,then good for Coach Gailey that he is free of the job. We have lost a class act whose repose to being fired was: “But all they can take is your job. They can’t take your faith. They can’t take your family. They can’t take your integrity.”

By CW

November 27, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this

Southern Fan,

Comparing Leeman Bennett’s situation with the Falcons and Gailey is a pretty big stretch. At the time, the Smith family said the Falcon’s had “plateau’ed” and needed somebody to get to the next level. Nobody at Tech is saying that.

What they are saying is that his teams have been maddeningly inconsistent, that his teams offensive units have been inept despite having experienced and talented players (PJ Daniels, Calvin Johnson, Tashard Choice etc.) and that the few bright spots (Defense) were completely overseen by someone else (Tenuta).

Georgia Tech will do just fine without Coach Gailey. And whether we go 10-2 or 7-5 next year, I guarantee a new coach will make Tech football fun again.

Regarding Atlanta as a place to coach, you are waaaaaay off base. Atlanta is one of a handful of towns that is college football mecca. It is geographically right in the middle of the ACC and the SEC. Granted, not every coach wants to live in a city with 4 million +, but Atlanta has plenty of amenities to compete with “small town universities”.

By gtlinz

November 27, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this

I think DRad with come up with an assistant that likely has LSU ties and gives us a chance to complete. Gailey ran a good program but when in position to win a state championship last year we lose allowing 15 points (well, 8 plus the ref gift). When in position to win an ACC championship allowing 9 points we lose. We had a team in position to rise above last year and his conservative approach derailed us. It was obvious that Reggie was not in control of his emotions and Gailey refused to sit him. That is when Gailey lost the fan base and had to be replaced - this was obvious at the UGA game this year. I don’t think GT fans expect to be a dominant 9+ win team EVERY year. I think they expect to be able to rise to that level some years. That is how college football is now except for a few elite programs. We need a coach that can coach up and motivate and hold his own recruiting. And what the mostly non-college-attending mutt fans (UGA is a good school BTW) don’t understand is that while they are chasing league and national championships we be there to bring them back to reality. They did us a favor, just like we did them with Donnan. I also agree that next year will be hard due to the graduation losses. I do think the next coach will be given the opportunity to build his program.

By fred

November 27, 2007 2:26 PM | Link to this

College football is a business, with W’s and L’s impacting students, community and alums. When it becomes glaringly apparent that a “leader” is incompetent—-replace him (DONE). We will find a guy with “example”(leadership) and “competitive fight”(again, leadership). And, performance will improve over time. The real problem:any dumb-dumb who ever played/watched football realized Tech was in “mediocrity freefall”. This now 50% corrected, I am —as always—a die-hard Ramblin’ Wreck.

By Southern Football Fan

November 27, 2007 2:28 PM | Link to this

Jacket for Life:

To answer your question - yes I do think Athens, Clemson, Auburn, Gainesville, Lexington, Oxford, Durham, Chapel Hill, Raliegh, Blacksburg, Charlotte (Va), Morganton, etc all offer a higher quality of life for coaches and other adult professionals with families than the urban mess that is Atlanta.

Those are better places to raise a family and one can buy land and build a wonderful type of home with the type of income that college head coaches make these days.

You will understand one day when you grow up. Regards,

By MIKE

November 27, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this

Maybe if we gave away T-bone steaks and Wine Spritzers instead of cokes and pizza we could get our fans to the games. UGA came into Atlanta and took over. Maybe we could ask them for help paying for a new coach.GOOOOO BEEZ - Sting um BZZZZZZZZZZZ. Thats so cute

By Name and Address Withheld

November 27, 2007 2:45 PM | Link to this

Amazing how many are still crying for Gailey. He was a bad hire for Tech, the contract extension was ludicrous and he tried his best to be hired away from The Flats. Unfortunately, NOBODY WANTED HIM.

There’s a reason why, which still escapes Gailey and many of you, including Chris Boggs. Gailey wasn’t fired because of his “inability to beat UGA.” (Certainly that didn’t help.) He was fired BECAUSE he was a stubborn old man who couldn’t have TURNED MORE PEOPLE OFF TO GT FOOTBALL if he walked around wearing a raw onion and garlic necklace. Get it?

GTAA finances NEVER IMPROVED, and in fact got WORSE, when Offensive Genius Gailey came to town. He is too arrogant to ever realize that fans will play a part in his success or failure, just as he “dared” the Cowboys players to do it Gailey’s Way or take the Highway. He was then shown the Highway.

ONLY Gailey could’ve saved Gailey’s job. He said it best himself when he basically acknowledged: “I’m the only guy I know that went to the playoffs twice in a row in the NFL and got fired…And went to bowl games 6 years in a row and got fired.” He just still doesn’t understand WHY.

If it ain’t a performance problem, then it has to be a personality problem. When you see the blimp shots from above BDS last Sat, that’s all you need to see to understand WHY DR had no choice but to cut him loose…Even taking a $4Mill hit was the lesser of two evils when compared to keeping him on the sidelines.

Gailey could’ve survived by 1) warming up to fans and his new boss, 2) beating UGA at least once in 6 years, 3) having a 10-win season and at least one Top 25 finish. The EASIEST for most people would be 1) above. Of course that was the most difficult for Gailey and it’s something he never felt he HAD to do because of his “iron-clad contract”.

The “required” W/L record of the new coach and the fans’ eagerness to return to BDS and put their butts in the seats depends on WHO the new coach is. If DR screws this up, it will take a long, long time to repair. Doing away with the point system in favor of the Tech Fund was a huge mistake. The only way to avoid a crash landing from that is to generate huge demand for GT Football. That is more important for the new coach to do FROM DAY ONE than his first year W/L record.

Can you imagine the dollars flowing in from the very minute that a Lou Holtz would be named new GT Head Coach compared to a “no-name”? DR can. Anyone who isn’t ALREADY a big name is certainly at a disadvantage in this hiring process. It simply can’t take a few years to bring the contributions back to full steam and fill up BDS. It has to happen NOW.

Those who say “Gailey built a great program at GT” and “He was unjustly fired” and even “He didn’t leave the program much better or worse than he found it” just don’t understand the situation. GT Athletics is facing a mountain of DEBT and DECLINING REVENUE. Much of this can be directly traced to 1) Chan Gailey and 2) DR’s elimination of the point system driving away fans in droves.

If you wanted to keep Gailey, then you should’ve bought tickets and put your butts in the seats. But even those on the blogs yelling and screaming at Gailey’s firing WEREN’T INSPIRED ENOUGH to buy tickets and go to his games. Chan Gailey may not have been The Grinch, but he was also no Offensive Genius. Too MANY, he was simply Offensive…

By GTECH91

November 27, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this

I don’t know who the next coach will be or who I would even cast my vote for at this point, but if a coach stepped up and said they he wouldn’t allow the players to have dreads hanging out of their helmets, I would vote for him! I know all teams have 1 or 2 players sporting the “Marley” dreads but Tech has way too many! What’s the deal with that!! Cut your damn hair! You guys look STUPID!!

By Trey

November 27, 2007 2:47 PM | Link to this

As a huge Georgia Southern Fan. I truly belive that hatcher will stay at southern. I believe that he is commited to turn around our program to the Championship Tradition that started with Erk Russel. Howvever It would be nice to see Paul Johnsohn get a shot there

By TechCrybaby

November 27, 2007 2:47 PM | Link to this

Let’s be clear. Tech will have a new coach, but he cannot catch up, & start beating Georgia, unless Tech comes down off its high horse, and gives itself a chance to recruit depth, DEPTH, DEPTH. That figures into the academics debate.

Somebody recently wrote in here that “academics” was an EXCUSE made by Tech and Notre Dame. That’s crazy. They ARE both academically respected, - - and academically restricted.

Football requires depth - enough top players to substitute for the first string, so you have fresh legs, and avoid getting beaten in the second half.

Somebody needs to phone Auburn and ask, “What did you do, decades ago, to broaden your curriculum, and start winning consistently? Did A.P.I., to become a virtual second state university alongside Alabama, have to buck an Alabama Board of Regents loaded with Crimson Tide law graduates? or did they have it easier than Tech would have it, here in Georgia, battling against Dawg-loving regents?

It’s never been easy for Tech. Heisman made do (.700-plus) with small, fast guys for 11 years, before he got better material and started slaying every opponent in sight, going .900 his last 5 years. Alexander had a good thing going, before he made the bad decision to stop giving grants-in-aid scholarships at Tech. Bobby Dodd had to battle the rules of S.E.C. warlords in front, and the Tech academicians in the rear, who thought Tech ought to be M.I.T.

Tech players deserve our thanks and sympathy. Could YOU think about football, and get ready to play, if you were burdened with calculus? Big bodies sign with Dawgs because, like quarterback Stafford (who’s a fine boy), they can study Speech Communication.

It does not have to be that way. My native Atlanta is a key center for college football dynasties, even with other sports in town. After Dodd had back-to-back unbeaten seasons, somebody in the USA suggested, and the news reported, that a “Super Conference” ought to be created, consisting of Southern Cal, UCLA, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, etc., and - - Ga.Tech. Imagine that!

By Jacket for Life

November 27, 2007 2:51 PM | Link to this

Southern - You just made a very incorrect assumption here. I have a son who spent 8 years in the Army who is on his second tour in Iraq as a contractor, teenage daughters, all raised in Marietta, we now live in Alpharetta on 3 acres with deer and rabbits and horses, work in Atlanta, enjoy all the amenities the BIG city has to offer such as the arts (ASO, High Museum, Chastain), the sports, (Ga. Tech, Braves, Thrashers), my family runs the Peachtree every year, we hike, we bike, and we stand firmly behind our beloved Jackets. My daughters currently play select soccer and the violin. Both are straight A students and one is going to Washington on the ambassador program founded by Eisenhower. Sorry if you think living in a big city is an automatic sentence to having a bad family but I can clearly tell you it is not. It has more to do with parental involvement than a big city or a small one. I would rather live in the big city or close to it and have my family well rounded than stuck in a small town atmosphere with only football and tractor rides to look forward to. THWG

By GSUEAGLE

November 27, 2007 2:52 PM | Link to this

We love Coach Hatcher but, he has yet to take us into the playoffs. Paul Johnson is the man. If you want GT to go straight to the top, hire PJ. The guy fits well with your program. Ask anyone from Georgia Southern about him. Better yet, ask anyone who had to coach against him, say Jim Tressel for instance. Jim lost the game.

By Scoop

November 27, 2007 2:55 PM | Link to this

Wayne Hogan (Asst. AD)was seen having lunch with Petrino at the hotel at Lake Lanier Island near Flowery Branch…..interesting

By TechTony

November 27, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

The issue is for DRad: are we looking for the here and now or with an eye towards the future?

To my mind, the short term answer is Paul Johnson who would unquestionably best be able to maximize what talent does return next year. However, at 50, he’s unlikely to be the best long term answer.

For the long term, and because Tech’s likely going to have to hire a coach “on the cheap”, it’s probably going to be a Fisher or a Muschamp,i.e., an assistant that wants a HC shot.

I’m not at all adverse to hiring Tenuta but please, please, please, rectify one sin from the past and grant Mac McWhorter the courtesy of an interview.

By Jacket for Life

November 27, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this

Southern, All of that is beside the point for this blog. Tech will find the coach to take them to the level we know we can get to - I have faith in DRAD and know he will get the man for the job. I am excited for next year and can’t wait to get back in the stands! Goooooo Jackets!!!!!! and THWG :)

By scooter11

November 27, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this

“IS” a key center for college football dynasties? Never ‘was’ a key center. If you’re citing a Dodd-era idea (unsubstantiated) about a super-conference that included (way past tense) Tech, you are really reaching to make yourself feel better. And I’m certain all the football players take calculus. Get a grip, Crybaby (or maybe you need to release it).

By Diaw

November 27, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this

I’m Tech Alumni. I am first to sponor this AD to go by making such a poor decision firing coach Gailey (#3 winning HC in tech history). Hello, can someone wake him up????

By Jacket for Life

November 27, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this

TechTony, I know for a fact Mac would love to be head coach - and his family is still in Ga. It sounds as though the push is on for a younger guy however.

By Hal

November 27, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this

This is a very big decision. I hope DRAD does his homework. The key will be what he can do with what we have and improve on what we get to play for us.

By Jack G

November 27, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this

Hireing an asst. coach to be your head coach is always a crapshoot. Great asst coaches do not always have the ability to run the entire program.

Get a proven head coach if one is available——Uconn or GaSou look like 2 good possibilities to me

By Tinky Winky

November 27, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this

Scoop:

It is a well known fact that Wayne Hogan (Asst GT AD) and Coach Petrino have been dating for some time now, meeting discretely at Lake Lanier Islands for lunch when both could get away.

Don’t get too excited about seeing them and please do not post about it anymore. Alimony and child support are just too outrageous.

By Jack G

November 27, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

Also Paul Johnson at Navy

By Chris

November 27, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

Southern Football Fan -

You do realize that you don’t have to live next to crack houses if you want to work in Atlanta, right? I work in Midtown and live in Vinings, and my commute is 10-15 minutes most days (was 30 yesterday…3 wrecks between Cumberland and Howell Mill). The quality of life issue is, well, a non-issue. There are plenty of places to lay down roots and raise a family. My family did it in Fayetteville and there are plenty of other places to do the same.

Again, it was never about the overall record or the losses to Georgia, although the 0-6 record didn’t help. It’s about maddening losses to inferior opponents, coma-inducing offensive game plans, and a stubborn inability to adapt to the college game from the pros.

How soon Georgia fans forget that, before Richt came along, you weren’t all that and a bag of chips either. All it takes is the right coach that can work with the talent he has on-hand and effectively recruit more talent to fit their system. If you’ll notice, we aren’t exclusively recruiting in Georgia. We have recruited great players from Ohio, Arizona, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and all over the southeast. So what if Georgia gets more in-state talent? We can get talent from the rest of the country.

I think Mark Bradley is right (for once) in that we are sort of searching for who we think will be our Mark Richt, Jim Tressel, Pete Carroll (USC was in a pretty deep funk before he came along), Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, or whoever you want to use as an example of a coach who took over a solid program with a case of the blahs and took it to the next level.

By I hate the yellowblood dude!

November 27, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this

Ha Ha Ha Ha….that guys name is “Scooter11”….Ha Ha Ha….

By Gabe

November 27, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this

What is scary is that UGA had 4 freshman all-americans this year. It is not going to get any easier for the new coach.

By gt45

November 27, 2007 3:57 PM | Link to this

All you GA fans still thumping your chest about how good you are best take another look at the GT game. If the ball bounces the other way and a couple of BS whistles aren’t blown, you guys are beaten by a “mediocre” ACC team. The only place ya’ll have Tech beat right now is in the QB spot and recievers. The talent pool maybe closer than you think. Either we’re a whole lot better than on paper, or somebody is a whole lot worse.

By scooter11

November 27, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this

JacketforLife: You don’t ‘live’ in Atlanta - you just selectively take advantage of a few amenities. But it sure sounds like you have the perfect Stepford Jacket family. Wow, 3 acres AND rabbits. Golly gee, select soccer AND the violin. Can’t you people just say you live the good life and let it go at that? Lotsa bragging, and who cares? THWT!

By Jack G

November 27, 2007 4:03 PM | Link to this

For all you bloggers Pi—ing and moaning about why Gailey was fired——just think 8 players on the ALL-ACC team (more than any other team) and look at the 7-5 record and make excuses for that

By scooter11

November 27, 2007 4:11 PM | Link to this

gt45: Took a good look at the game. No sense in dealing with woulda, coulda, shoulda. You lost. You were outgained by about a hundred, you were outsacked 5-1, you had 3 turnovers. But you are right about one thing: you have a mediocre ACC team - a real double-whammy.

By Jacket for Life

November 27, 2007 4:20 PM | Link to this

Scooter11 - As a matter of fact I do live the good life - except my team was very hard to watch this year. I wasn’t the one who started the crap about the big city not being a place to build the house you want and raise a family. If you felt I was bragging, sorry -I only responded to the small town guy who thinks Tech can’t get a coach simply because it is in Atlanta. That being said, a coach at Tech doesn’t have to live in Atlanta, they also can live in the “metro” area and commute to work. As far as the insults - let me guess, your a dawg fan aren’t you? THWG

By surfrider

November 27, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this

Here is Surfrider’s advice for “free”. My football history at Tech or memory of it goes back to the end of the Bud Carson era. He was a top DC that went onto pro star DC status. The problem then was the changing taking place in college and Tech’s inability to see it and adapt to it. Now it’s much different particularly since Homer Rice set the model of which Rad is now running the show. Tech needs to do some thinking and looking back at history then find the right person. First, Tech needs to analyze the financial situation and see what is needed in both fundraising and ticket sales. Second, Tech needs to decide on a recruiting model. It’s my opinion we can only recruit say 15-20/yr or so players from the south who can handle the academics and then need to go up north, midwest, southwest, and west for the remainder. Third, Tech needs a defensive model similar to Tenuta’s, O’leary’s 90 squad, Black Watch of mid 80’s, or Bud Carson’s defenses. Fourth, Tech needs a balance pro style offense that is unpredictable, can come from behind, and capitalizes on Tech’s advantage-the intellect of it’s players. The names that come to mind are 1.) Fridgien-Md 2.) O’leary-UCF 3.)Mcwhorter-Texas 4.) Edsall -UConn 5.) Johnson - Navy 6.) Curry-Espn 7.)Barnett -Espn 8.) Cutliffe-Tenn 9) Croom -MSU 10.) Robinson-NYG? 11.)Tenuta-GT 12.)Roof . Fisher and the Auburn DC sound good but the only question is whether a youthful coach with no experience at an academic institution is good. Bill Lewis was full of enery and innovation and had even coached at Tech for a few years under Fulcher I believe. It failed miserably, because of attrition. Ross understood attrition from day one kills a GT. A system that promotes from within would also be helpful in keeping consistency. Redsshirting helps more at GT than many places. Joe Hamilton, Shawn Jones, Godsey were all redshirted. It should be an interesting process.

By WTH

November 27, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this

Name and Address Withheld:

Those who say “Gailey built a great program at GT” and “He was unjustly fired” and even “He didn’t leave the program much better or worse than he found it” just don’t understand the situation. GT Athletics is facing a mountain of DEBT and DECLINING REVENUE. Much of this can be directly traced to 1) Chan Gailey and 2) DR’s elimination of the point system driving away fans in droves.

You hit the nail right on the head. It wasn’t just Chan Gailey that made Tech football so unbearable this past season - it was DRad’s colossal blunder of implementing the Tech Fund without (at the very least) reseating the stadium beforehand and rewarding those who had paid into the point system for the previous 6 years.

Georgia Tech is not LSU, but DRad hasn’t figured that out. The Tech Fund would work fine if supply exceeded demand (as at SEC schools), but there are empty seats in BDS almost every game. Consequently you have the GTAA charging loyal season ticket holders full price, while handing out discounted tickets with free coke and pizza to people walking off the street - and in many cases their seats are just as good as the season ticket seats! A lot of alumni are mad as hornets, and rightly so.

Two factors are going to cripple the GTAA budget next year, and they’re both DRad’s doing:

(1) A lot of people who contributed the the AT Fund last year did so out of confusion, or in the hope that the point system would somehow be salvaged. If DRad doesn’t make some major changes to the Tech Fund in the next few months, those people are going to drop their AT donations next year, and Tech is going to lose hundreds of thousands in annual revenue at the very least. I truly do not think DRad understands this.

(2) A lot of current Tech Fund ticket holders will scale back their PSL levels or even drop their season tickets for a year or two, because they’ll assume the new coach will have to rebuild. They know full well that can buy their way back into better seats anytime they want. There are empty seats in almost every section of the stadium, and everyone sees them at every game. So the Tech Fund will also take a hit, and again Tech will lose more money.

DRad doesn’t need to just find a coach. He absolutely must fix the Tech Fund and bring back the disgruntled fans who bailed this season because the point system was eliminated. He’s got a very limited time to do both, or the GTAA will be facing disaster next year.

By reebok

November 27, 2007 4:28 PM | Link to this

Gailey was not a natural college coach. Much better suited to the pros (Spurrier is a prime example of a guy who is exactly the opposite). This wasn’t a wins & losses decision - Chan wasn’t doing all that badly at that - it was a business decision. There was no excitement at Tech. The ACC Championship game was poorly attended, even though J-ville is an easy drive from the ATL, because Tech fans just didn’t care much. Maybe Tech gets better w/ a new coach. Maybe Tech gets worse. But the status quo wasn’t an option. Get Jimbo Fischer or Paul Johnson. Don’t hire a division II coach.

By gt45

November 27, 2007 4:28 PM | Link to this

You are right, scoot, we lost. But that ain’t my point.

By Trey

November 27, 2007 4:32 PM | Link to this

Chris Hatcher is 1-AA not D2 Coach. He is going to stay where he belongs at Georgia Southern. Which is a lot better then Tech

By gtnation

November 27, 2007 4:35 PM | Link to this

Since GT is a top five football program lets look at the coaches who are patiently waiting for DRad to call. Lets start with Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, Jim Tressell, and Stevie Spurrier. I got the feeling they all cannot wait to work for DRad. DRad will be gone before the next coach is fired. Wait and see.

By scooter11

November 27, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this

gt45: Your point is no point. Until you get quality depth on both sides, Athens ain’t worried. Don’t see it happening anytime soon. You will always have guys to be fired up and keep it close early on. It takes more than you’ve got, and for the full 60 minutes. THEN, you either win or lose - no woulda, coulda, shoulda. Oh, never mind.

By Clemson Mania

November 27, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this

All you have to do is read this blog to see how “whacked” out Tech people have become. Man, you talk about a program in disarray. I think Wake Forest and Vanderbilt have better programs these days.

By Chris

November 27, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this

Trey-

The days of a coach staying at a lower division school because “he likes the town” or “he’s loyal to the school” are long gone. D1-AA (or FCS, to use the new term) is a stepping stone for coaches to bigger, better programs. It was for Paul Johnson and it will be for Hatcher, sooner or later. FCS coaches get hired out all the time. Donnan from Marshall, Tressel from Youngstown State, Johnson from Southern, and I’m sure there’s others.

There is no reason - none whatsoever - that the right coach can’t come into Tech and really make the program take off. If the new coach is exciting and succeeds relatively quickly, alumni dollars will start to flow and the AA will be in much better shape. We just have to make it through next year and make sure that if we aren’t dominant, we’re at least fun to watch (worked for Kentucky while Hal Mumme was there!).

By GT80

November 27, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this

Southern Football Fan, I’ll bash you some as well. I think Chris and Jacket for Life accurately shot down your rant against living in the big city so I won’t go there. My peeve is what I said earlier, all you Chan apologist never, ever compare his record to Bobby (not Bobbie)Dodd. You yourself stated it in your stats, Dodd average 7.5 wins a season, but only 3.2 losses a season. Chan averaged 7.3 wins and 5.3 losses. Chan was just over a .500 winner while Dodd won 70%. You don’t need to be a Tech grad to know that is a huge difference.

Drop it. Chan is gone, we won’t miss him. We will get a new coach to lead us to better times. And if he goes 7-5 a few seasons while he gets a new system on board that’s OK. At least we will have a more entertaining brand of football, which we did not get the last 6 years.

And when I said Amen to Chris, I meant the posting Chris, not Boggs.

By gt45

November 27, 2007 5:09 PM | Link to this

scootch-the point is you might not be quite is good as you think. If you have so much great talent, you shoulda, coulda, woulda, smoked our doors, and you didn’ta. You beat Fla on a down year, got beat by Spurrier, barely got by the powerhouses of Vandy and Ala and Troy. I just hope you don’t get exposed as a fraud when you play the likes of USC, or whoever, in a BCS game. I’m sure you will have some sort of come back with no merit for my pointless point.

By ToccoaDawg

November 27, 2007 5:12 PM | Link to this

I heard they tech called Barbra the other day to see what he was doing. GOOD LUCK

By Chan Gailey's Designated Driver

November 27, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this

ClemsonMania—

You guys do CHICKEN right (as opposed to UGA), but that’s about it.

Scooter11—

Were you born one, or did you work at it your whole life? And I’m not talking about being a bulldog either.

Go sit at the kids’ table if you want to talk smack.

By trey

November 27, 2007 5:19 PM | Link to this

Chris

Southern has already has a storied tradition in its 25 years of football. we have already won 6 national champiohips in those years. how many does tech have. i know you will say it is 1-AA but it is still 6 championships. It is only matter time before we move up to 1A and start winning there. Hatcher could be the man to take us there. Either way Georgia Southern already has a proud tradition and the opportunities are endless for us.

By UGA Slobberknocker

November 27, 2007 5:34 PM | Link to this

You Techies did the right thing in getting rid of Chan. There is no excuse for Tech to be so bad. When O’Leary and Friedgen were there nobody was whining about hard it is at Tech or about unrealistic expectations..because Tech was in the top 10 and were beating the Dawgs. Same thing with Bobby Ross. He won half a natl champ. Seasons like those are the expectations you should have and they are not unrealistic. If those guys could get it done..somebody else can.

Tech could dominate the ACC as bad as it is now..and a couple of BCS checks will solve any financial problems. You just have to find your Mark Richt.

and please ..get someone who doesnt use Tech’s academics as an excuse for losing. Stanford has the most successful sports progtam in the country every year. Wake Forest won the ACC last year and 8 games this year. Both of those schools are far tougher to get into than Tech. Two other Techs (Texas and VA.) did pretty well this year. So quit whining and start recruiting. Make us worry about you again..cause right now, you’re a non factor.

By gaDawg

November 27, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this

You Techies!! That’s right hire a Georgia Boy for HC. How quickly you forget that Muschamp is a Dawg. He’s just waiting for his time for mama to call him home. Why would he want to put himself and his family in the Tech situation? Neuhessel (sp) would be a great choice but he would bet on UGA each year.

Go Dawgs in a BCS bowl!!

By pcbuzz

November 27, 2007 5:50 PM | Link to this

Chan’s problem in my opinion was 2 fold: (1) the offense was boring, ineffective and inconsistent (2) his failure to make change(ala playing RB when it was clear a change was needed only to see if the back-up might create a spark). I was not a Chan fan when he was hired, but kept an open mind for 2 years. Was glad to see him go though he is probably a decent man and wish him well. Unfortunately money runs the train, and the fans got off a long time ago. Get down by 10 points and you pretty much know the game is over. Just hire a coach that can develop players, and put an entertaining product on the field, and the fans will come back. As soon as I heard RB was out of the Gator Bowl, I bought my tickets, and was actually able to enjoy the game since the offense performed pretty good that game, even losing it was fun as you felt we had a chance. I think the fans will give the next coach a chance as long as the team plays well, and if the player needs sitting down due to lack of performance, he sits him and gives a a backup a chance to get it done.

By Good Guy

November 27, 2007 6:21 PM | Link to this

You want to unite the GT community. Here’s how you do it. Go hire a UGA assistant or Ray Goff. Talk about rivalry again.

By smitty

November 27, 2007 7:06 PM | Link to this

good luck chan; nice guy, poor coach… its been real…..

one more comment on chan’s reign and bogg’s blog…

Not beating ga was one of the reasons chan was fired…..and uga was vulnerable and beatable the previous three years, and they were not historically successful recently (except against gailey and tech)

yes, chan had to deal with flunkgate, probation, and injuries, ( and many, many teams have to deal with injuries) and he was given SIX years….no progress, no improvement……time to go

the bowl streak cb incessantly chimes about is meaningless as many posters continue to point out; especially in the age of 47 annual bowl games and a requirement of a 6-6 record to qualify……and i believe most of the lower tier bowls that GT has played in actually end up costing the school money when you consider the small payouts and costs of transporting an entire college team and support staff…..thankfully they share all monies in the ACC

the next coach will be demand, and be given, a fair shake; o/w, all the hivers complaints about who GT would get will come true because no one will take the job ……..”less margin for error than was given to gailey?”…..you’ve got to be kidding….you can’t get less, or is that more margin than chan had….there’s an
oxymoron in your comment somewhere

“the program is in better shape than when gailey arrived”….why is this?, merely because of the most recent recruiting class and a new AD ?( did gailey have anything to do with drad’s hire?)….you mean, that’s all it took to improve the program and we had to wait six years for that?….

and the new coach wi