The following, a weekly feature of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, allows our reporters to open their notebooks and provide even more information from our local teams that we cover daily. We think you’ll find it informative, insightful and fun.
More than passing grades at Tech
Georgia Tech athletes put together one of the more successful academic semesters on record for Tech athletics last fall, highlighted by a 3.14 mean GPA, according to a release from the school.
The Yellow Jackets’ 3.14 GPA during the fall 2023 semester is the second-highest mean GPA on record for Tech athletes, surpassed only by a 3.23 GPA posted during the COVID-19-interrupted spring 2020 term. The 3.14 GPA marks the 10th time in the past 11 semesters that Tech athletes have compiled a GPA of 3.0 or higher and is a 9% improvement over the fall 2022 term.
Ten of Tech’s 13 programs had team GPAs of 3.0 or higher in the spring semester, led by golf (3.68) and women’s tennis (3.45).
Additionally, nine teams improved their team GPAs from the spring semester, led by men’s basketball (up 20% from spring), softball (up 12%) and golf (up 10%). Golf, softball (3.41) and men’s cross country/track and field (3.40) team GPAs were program records, while football posted its highest GPA on record for a fall (in-season) semester and was 28% higher than the previous fall term (2022).
Nagel joins Jackets
Tech recently announced the hiring of Nick Nagel as associate athletics director for facilities, operations and events.
Nagel comes to Tech after spending the past 16 years at North Texas, most recently serving as UNT’s senior associate athletics director for facilities and event management since 2015. He joined the Mean Green as an assistant director of facilities and event management in 2007 before being promoted to director after 10 months. He was named assistant AD in 2013 before being elevated to senior associate AD in 2015.
In his 16 years at North Texas, Nagel was the project manager for more than $125 million in capital projects and renovations, while also overseeing the gameday operations for all UNT sports and the day-to-day operations of the Mean Green’s 14 athletics facilities.
Hall officially in the Hall
Tech baseball coach Danny Hall officially went into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony Friday in Dallas.
Part of a 10-member class, Hall has compiled a career record of 1,378-749-1 (.648) in 36 seasons as a coach, including an 1,170-632-1 (.649) record in 30 seasons at Tech (1994-present). His 1,170 wins are the most in Tech history and the most among any active NCAA coach in the country.
Okudah on list of Falcons headed for unrestricted free agency
Falcons cornerback Jeff Okudah doesn’t know what the future holds for him.
Okudah, who was taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the Lions in 2020, was acquired in a trade. He played in 13 games and made nine starts.
His future is in limbo as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent.
“I had a great time in Atlanta,” Okudah said. “Just will talk to the front office. See what my options and see where it goes.”
He was supportive of former coach Arthur Smith.
“It was unfortunate,” Okudah said. “Art has been a great guy to me since I’ve been here. I wish him the best.”
Okudah shared what Smith spoke to the team about in their final meeting Monday.
“He was grateful for the opportunity,” Okudah said. “Got a chance to work with some special people. Obviously, he envisioned this going a different way, but he still (had) accountability for how everything turned out.”
Okudah’s market value is projected to land a four-year deal, worth $59 million by Spotrac.com.
Other Falcons headed for unrestricted free agency are defensive end Calais Campbell, running back Cordarelle Patterson, outside linebacker Bud Dupree, wide receiver Mack Hollins, fullback Keith Smith, wide receiver Van Jefferson, defensive tackle Kentavius Street, wide receiver Scotty Miller, cornerback Tre Flowers, tight end MyCole Pruitt, wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, defensive end Joe Gaziano, center Matt Hennessy and quarterback Logan Woodside.
Saban fear is real
The fear that Nick Saban put into his coaching staff was real. Georgia Tech general manager and former Yellow Jackets offensive lineman Errin Joe not only experienced it during a brief stint on Alabama’s recruiting staff, he also unwittingly administered it.
For a time in Tuscaloosa, Joe favored hard-soled shoes, just as Saban did. As a result, when Joe walked down the hallways of the team offices, his shoes clacking on the tiled floor, coaches and staffers were thrown into alarm that Saban was coming their way, only to be relieved that it was merely Joe.
Such was the angst that Joe’s Sabanesque footfalls caused that Alabama coaches prevailed upon Joe to switch to soft-soled shoes.
Joe’s career accomplishment to date is his leadership of Tech’s recruiting efforts, resulting this year in the team’s first winning record and bowl appearance since 2018. But he can also claim that he has literally walked in Saban’s footsteps.
What a run
Think about the length of Nick Saban’s Alabama run. He beat Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett in SEC Championship games. He beat Texas’ Colt McCoy (kind of, since McCoy was injured early) and Ohio State’s Justin Fields in title games. As college football changed – coaches, players, formats – Saban continued winning. Every player who spent four seasons in his program won a championship. His most recent title team, in 2020-21, went 13-0 and blew out every opponent. Its closest game was a 63-48 win at Ole Miss early in the season.
“I’m not going to be the Alabama coach,” Saban infamously said before leaving the Dolphins to become the Alabama coach. Saban coached two seasons in Miami, winning 15 games and failing to impress.
Notably, the Dolphins doctors failed free-agent quarterback Drew Brees’ physical when he was close to signing. Otherwise, perhaps history is changed if Saban and Brees – who went on to become a Hall of Famer with the Saints – had teamed up.
It worked out for Saban, who cemented himself as the greatest college coach in history. The Dolphins, meanwhile, have had eight coaches (including interims) since Saban’s departure. They have one division title and no playoff wins over that time.
The top commit of Saban’s first full recruiting cycle, receiver Julio Jones, has basically completed a Hall of Fame pro career. Other names in that 2008 recruiting class: Mark Ingram, Marcell Dareus, Courtney Upshaw, Dont’a Hightower, Mark Barron, Terrence Cody and Barrett Jones.
-Staff writer Chad Bishop, Gabriel Burns, Ken Sugiura and D. Orlando Ledbetter contributed to this report.
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