Paul Johnson makes a move.
Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Al Groh has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately. The school will hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m.
Groh, hired following the 2009 season, was unable to deliver improved play in his third season. In fact, Tech is on pace to give up the most yards in school history (431.0 through six games). The Yellow Jackets lost 47-31 Saturday to Clemson, marking the first time in school history that they had given up 40 points or more in three successive games.
Can’t wait for the AJ-C editorial spin. I’m guessing Bradley goes praiseworthy for the genius not letting things wait until after the season – never mind that Johnson hasn’t hired a decent defensive coordinator in two tries now. Should be fun.
********************************************************************************
UPDATE: Schultz weighs in. Turns out it only took about two years for Al Groh to go from impressive to a mistake.
********************************************************************************
UPDATE #2: Bradley’s all out on the recruiting.
Get The Picture 
Scapegroht?
LikeLike
Grohner!
LikeLike
Ruh Groh
LikeLike
The bigger problem is recruiting. But I guess he couldn’t fire himself.
LikeLike
But…but…who will Tech get to replace Groh? He wasn’t that bad, and there’s no guarantee that the next guy will be better. Big chance they’re taking! Probably not worth the risk. For every great DC hire, there are lots of bad hires, ya know. Johnson should at least give him until the end of the season to see if he can turn things around.
LikeLike
I see what you did here. Haha.
LikeLike
Dude, take a timeout and have some fun at the expense of our rival. If ever there was a time we needed to enjoy some low hanging fruit, this is it. You posted what, like, 200 comments – all with the same underlying message – since Saturday’s debacle? We get it. You aren’t happy. Neither is anybody else. We played a lousy game. Get over it already. You’re ruining the Senator’s good blog with your incessant vocal berating of the program. Don’t you think maybe we should all get behind the team and hope we maybe, like last year, win the rest of our reg. season games and sneak into the SEC Championship? Seems a little better to me than bitching for the next 6 games about something that ain’t gonna happen.
LikeLike
+1. It was ONE game, dammit. Did we all think that the team was going undefeated? That’s only happened 3 times in UGA history and one team had a tie.
LikeLike
Yes, it was one game…and the latest in a series of games in which the Dawgs were outcoached and outplayed over the past 4 plus years. Enough is enough.
LikeLike
Just the Facts Ma’am
Record against Top 25 teams since start of 2010 season: 2-8 (beat Auburn and GT in 2011)
Record against Top 10 teams since start of 2010 season: 0-4
Record against Top 25 teams since start of 2008 season: 6-14
Record against Top 10 teams since start of 2008 season: 1-9 (beat GT in 2009)
Record vs nonSEC Teams that finished ranked since 2008: 2-16 (beat Mich State 2008 & GT 2009)
Record vs SEC Teams that finished ranked since 2008: 0-11
Record in Big Games ALL LOSSES:
2008 – Alabama and Florida
2009 – Ok St. LSU and Florida
2010 – Auburn
2011 – Boise St and LSU
2012 – South Carolina
LikeLike
“Record vs nonSEC Teams that finished ranked since 2008: 2-16”
I see what you’re doing here, and I’ve posted something less complete than this – but I don’t understand that line. By my count, Georgia is 6-6 against non-SEC, BCS league teams since 2008. 2 wins against Arizona State, 3 against GT, and 1 against Michigan State. Losses include Colorado, UCF, Okla State, GT, Boise, and Mich State. I think most of them ended the season ranked, although I haven’t checked. ASU – not. GT – mostly. Col – not. MSU – yes. OSU – yes. Boise – yes. UCF – yes.
LikeLike
First, I’ll post any damn thing I want, and I sure as hell don’t need your permission to do so. Second, I’m not berating the “program”. Third, whether or not any of us are “behind the program” has absolutely no effect on the outcome of the games. Fourth, feel free to ignore my posts (or any others); nobody is forcing you to read them.
LikeLike
It was just one game? No. It has definitely been more than one game.
LikeLike
It’s not that we lost “one” game that matters. It’s how we lost. Do you fellas seriously think it is acceptable to lose by 28 to USCe? I can’t understand how any dawg team could look that out of place against a team we have owned for over a hundred years. Sad.
LikeLike
I’m with you. I think we should fire CMR today. Hire the best available coach. Sign him to a contract that says that if he loses, ever, he’s fired and owes the university a buyout and the fans an apology. I, I mean we deserves nothing less. I hope this underscore my quality as a fan because I accept nothing less than perfection. We have the talent. Hell Dallas Lee would bury every lb he saw if his coaches would simply tell him it was a good idea to do so.
LikeLike
To think that not being “behind the program” has no impact, then you are simply blind. If people showed up and simply booed and lacked interest in what was happening, the idea of a home field advantage would be meaningless. Players at all levels thrive on fans being behind them. While it has nothing to do with the preparation from Sunday and Friday, it has a meaningful impact on Saturday, or Thursday if you’re a fan of MACtion. Thus, the Dawgs need everyone who bleeds red and black behind them whether you like Richt or want him gone like Skeptic Dawg.
LikeLike
Obviously, I’m not talking about fan behavior in the stands at a game. Come on.
LikeLike
The SC game wasn’t “the end.” But it wasn’t an outlier, either. There’s a pretty clear trend over the past 5 years. Pretending that discussion of that trend amounts to a “no one is ever allowed to lose a big game” perspective is pretty ludicrous.
LikeLike
Hear hear
LikeLike
With the talent we seem to recruit, and the players we put in the NFL, I am tired of “sneaking” into SECCG.
LikeLike
Sorry, Senator. Markie Mark is too busy writing articles ridiculing the Dawgs. At last count, he has three up since Saturday night and so far, not one about Tech’s latest and greatest.
LikeLike
When Al looks at “The Guy in the Glass” I know he’ll see a crappy defensive coordinator. We’ll miss you, Al.
Signed, Dawgnation.
LikeLike
Did he receive a punch in the nose on the way out?
LikeLike
Probably keeps PJ employed for at least two more years.
LikeLike
Don’t think so….
LikeLike
Paul Johnson is a genius.
LikeLike
Unfortunately, Some would say CMR has now made 2 straight bad DC hires.
LikeLike
Perhaps we can no longer Grohmanticize about Tech having a weak defense?
LikeLike
Jeez, you guys. Johnson doesn’t NEED a good defensive coordinator when his genius offense can just outscore everyone!
LikeLike
Wonder if this’ll work out as well as that time Tuberville fired his OC mid-way through 2008. Here’s hoping Tech loses at least 8 and that horrid “bowl streak” they have goes the way of Groh.
LikeLike
Freaking Schultz….I hate that there is a hyperlink to his b.s. Don’t you know that Groh rubbed him the wrong way after that Kansas game and he’s been dying to pay him back since.
If only sportswriters were held to the same standards that they hold coaches to…we’d have fresh blood at the AJC every 3 years, too.
LikeLike
Say what you will, laugh at Tech all you want, but Johnson had the stones to say enough is enough. That is more than we can say for Richt. I just hope McGarity has enough stones (& the smarts) to do the same in Athens.
LikeLike
Well put.
LikeLike
Johnson firing Groh mid-season is a stunt, nothing more. Tech is heading for a lost season, and this at least gets his former suitors at the AJC off his back. Meh. They still won’t win a legitimate game and will get dumped by Georgia. Again.
Who exactly should Richt fire now? Detail your reasons. And be very clear and careful.
LikeLike
My statement was in response to Richt’s delaying the canning of Old Willie. Not only did he hang on too long, but too long by a few YEARS. We will all agree that Paul Johnson is a johnson. However, I give him credit for cutting bait now as opposed to giving Groh a few years to completely wreck their defense. As far as Richt is concerned, we all know that he will be here for the remainder of the season. However, I have high hopes that McGarity will cut bait at year’s end. As for the reason…how ’bout averaging 4 losses over the past 6 years? What about losses to Colorado, Central Florida, Miss State, Kentucky, and now 3 straight to South Carolina. Add to the mix the multitude of games in which Richt failed to have his team ready to play: UT 2007, Alabama 2008, UT 2009, Oklahoma State 2009, Boise State 2011. Do I need to rehash the program’s track record over ranked teams the past few years? Kirk and Brent made sure the entire world saw them Saturday night. This is not a blip on the radar. This is a 6 year, yes a 6 YEAR trend. Go ahead, give me 2007 with horrible losses to South Carolina and Tennessee. Fire off 2008 with a terrible loss at home to ‘Bama and a 39 point loss to Florida. Over the past 6 years, 07 and 08 are the blips, not the norm. Either you see it or you don’t. It is apparent what we will get from Richt heading forward. The signs have been there for some time now.
LikeLike
You forgot West Virginia.
LikeLike
Now, this news on Groh should have BOBO over thinking again on how to overcome GT defense. He has all figured it out in the last few years with Groh. SAD for BOBO, he has to watch the films all over again.
LikeLike
Chizik has a good reputation as a defensive coordinator, I wonder if they can get him after the season.
LikeLike
Some of you must be a real pleasure to be around.
These games are fun. It isnt life and death, they dont cut my paycheck when the team loses,
serenity is accepting the things you can not change.
LikeLike
Thanks Mr. Miyagi! Now head on back to the Upwards football game where everyone is a winner and gets a whole snow cone after 0-0 win!
LikeLike
Maybe PJ can install the triple option defense … DTs will cut block & the LBs will play the hidden tackler trick while the secondary continually defends the sweep
LikeLike