AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 16
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Johnson-Tenuta would be awesome tandem
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Its been about a week now since Paul Johnson was hired to be the new coach at Georgia Tech.
So what do we know, or suspect, so far?
Coaching staff
From what I’ve read and heard, Giff Smith and Brian Jean-Marie have expressed a desire to remain on the defensive staff under Johnson. It also sounds like they have been involved in some of the recent recruiting visits. This would be huge for the defensive staff, in my opinion. Giff is a rising star in the recruiting ranks and may well develop into a quality defensive coordinator on The Flats if we keep him in the family and don’t let someone steal him away. Coach BJ has produced some of the best linebackers in GT history since joining the staff. Who had heard of KaMichael Hall, Phillip Wheeler, and Gary Guyton before they landed on the national radar as Yellow Jackets? Those guys weren’t highly recruited coming out of high school … they were coached up and developed after they arrived here.
I’m also crossing my fingers and hoping that Coach Kelly stays on staff as the special teams coach. The turnaround in GT special teams should have been one of the major stories in local sports this past season.
I don’t have a solid vibe on John Tenuta at this point. On one hand I hear that he and his family like Atlanta and that one of his sons plays high school football with Radakovich’s son. I hear that he likes Atlanta and feels like he’s well paid. But then on the other hand you have to wonder if two egos the size of Paul Johnson and Jon Tenuta can survive and flourish on the same football staff … especially after one of them was passed over for the job as the head guy. Tech fans can only dream about a Johnson led offense on one side of the ball and a Tenuta led defense on the other … how much fun would that be … if it happens. If it DID happen … that would be Dan Radakovich’s biggest coup yet …
I’d be mildly surprised if we kept any of the offensive staff, to be honest. Johnson will call his own plays, which puts John Bond on the outside looking in. You have to figure that the spread option will require some special instruction from Johnson’s existing offensive line and running back coaches. That puts Joe D’Allesandris and Curtis Modkins on the outside looking in. Both of those guys have done outstanding jobs at Tech and will land good positions elsewhere, no doubt. Buddy Geis was one of Gailey old buddies if I remember correctly. He’s probably gone as well. I don’t see that as a large loss though, since outside of Calvin Johnson we haven’t had exceptional wide receivers for several seasons. We might benefit from some new blood in that position. And I have no feeling at all on Coach Hunter and tight ends. I haven’t heard anything.
Recruiting
AJ Jenkins is officially gone. GT insiders had always figured he the was the recruit most at risk … way back to his original commitment. He’s committed to Illinios now.
Sean Renfree was potentially the biggest recruit in the upcoming class but his style doesn’t match the offense we’ll see at GT next season. So he’s dropped out of the upcoming class and been replaced with Jaybo Shaw. Shaw was a Middle Tennessee State commitment who our staff has been looking at for awhile. He would fit into Johnson’s scheme the offer was reinforced by the new coach. The result was a commitment.
Rumors have been swirling around Chris Jackson a bit as well over the past week or so. Jackson has been one of the ambassadors of this recruiting class and is very tight with ‘08 recruit Drew Little, another GT target at QB. Alabama has been putting the full court press on Jackson and the new staff has been working overtime to make sure we keep Jackson headed to The Flats. This will be one to keep an eye on since Jackson was very attached to Chan Gailey and may need some reassurance in order to maintain his committed status. This is a kid who is a Tech fan and who has no interest in UGA. He’s a national level recruit. He’s EXACTLY the kind of recruit that we absolutely cannot let get away.
Speaking of Alabama…it seems like our old buddy Geoff Collins has been learning at the altar of Nick Saban. Saban swooped into Atlanta when he got the Alabama job and hired Collins away from Georgia Tech. Ever since then, Alabama has been targeting Georgia Tech recruits … gee, wonder why that would happen? Maybe when Saban skips along to the next job he’ll take Collins with him … it shouldn’t take long given ‘ole Nick’s past record.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Kansas will come to town undefeated and looking to stay that way. The Yellow Jackets have looked largely confused and ineffective this season. This is one of those games where NOONE in the country thinks Tech has a chance, except maybe the kids in the locker room before the game. Because of that … look out for an upset. Tech has the talent to make it a game, if they can play as a team instead of a group of individuals.
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