Banged for the buck

You could have knocked me over with a feather with this:  from 2004-2010, the ACC school which has had the highest budget for recruiting expenses is Georgia Tech.  Now there’s some money well spent.

The alarming thing, if you’re a Tech fan, is that the school cut recruiting expenses this past season by roughly a quarter.  Was the money needed for Paul Hewitt’s buyout, did Paul Johnson tell the school he was brilliant enough not to need the extra jack or did Radakovich figure he could spend less money and still finish in the upper forties in the recruiting rankings?

17 Comments

Filed under Georgia Tech Football, Recruiting

17 responses to “Banged for the buck

  1. Senator,

    I saw that & it was a bit of a “do-what?” moment for me. Must have been free wheeling Chan Gailey just spending cash galore huh?

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    • I think it’s partly an admission that Tech can’t recruit in state worth a damn most years.

      Which is pretty sad, when you think about it.

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      • Phocion

        Or an admission that unlike in North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina, Georgia Tech can’t find enough Georgians that meet their admissions standards.

        Seriously…with GT’s admissions statndards it should come as little surprise that it needs to spend more money by traveling farther to fill its roster. The ROI of what is spent is disappointing though.

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      • Dan Radacovich

        That’s LOWER 40s, not upper 40s. BIG difference.

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  2. 81 Dog

    Why so surprised, Senator? You know that tickets to Dragon Con, instuctional videos highlighting the Humans and Zombies atmosphere at Tech, and maps showing the nearest locations of storage units and U-Haul rentals (for transporting and storing your 100 pound weed stash) dont pay for themselves.

    Just think where they’d be if they HADN’T spent the money. Oh wait, we should be able to see that in a year or two, at the latest. Once Fish Fry gets his entire scheme and roster set up like he wants it, complete with Georgia Southern size and quality (sic) talent (sic), watch out. “Brace for Impact!” Isn’t that what the captain said on the Titanic just before they hit the iceberg?

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  3. Paul Johnson

    I oughta punch you in the face

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    • BMan

      If I let Paul Johnson punch me in the face, does that make me a genius like letting Georgia score made him one?

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  4. Hogbody Spradlin

    To add to the surprise, travel is a substantial chunk of recruiting expense, and Tech has the best airline service of any school in the conference.

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  5. There’s another shocker from that post — look at how much Tennessee has spent on recruiting, even in the final years of Phil Fulmer’s tenure. Those were the years when UT’s recruiting went off a cliff, enough to get Phil fired and leave Kiffykins and now Dooley with wasteland rosters. What the hell was UT doing with all that money? Would Mike Hamilton know?

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  6. Hobnail_Boot

    What amazes me is that they can afford all that recruiting jack AND still give away free Cokes and hot dogs.

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  7. NRBQ

    What do Slippery Rock, Abilene Christian, and Yale have in common?

    Each had a player selected in the NFL draft before a GTU player was picked.

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  8. Go Dawgs!

    Well, they DID buy a Transformer so their guys would have something to lay across half naked for their calendar shoot. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
    – Roger McDowell’d

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  9. Irishdawg

    I’m curious as to where all of Tech’s recruiting dough went, because it sure as hell didn’t go into improving facilities.

    But, I guess those hideous uniforms don’t pay for themselves.

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  10. TennesseeDawg

    With gas prices what they are, driving around in the Rambling Wreck selling wide receivers on the glamourous life of down field blocking just ain’t as cheap as it used to be

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  11. shane#1

    Tech’s problem stems from the fact that that it doesn’t sign enough of the top recruits in Ga, not that the recruits can’t qualify. Tech offered 11 of the 26 recruits that UGA signed. Included in the 11 were Ga natives Ray Drew, Sterling Bailey,Herrea, Nick Marshall and Scott-Wesley. Drew is a five star recruit, the rest are four stars. Other top recruits don’t fit well in CPJ’s system, like Lemay, a drop back passer, and Rome, a top ranked TE. Those guys want to play where you throw the ball. Let’s face it, top players want the NFL, and a triple option offense won’t put many WRs, QBs, and TEs there.

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    • Chadwick

      You nailed it. You don’t have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to know that there aren’t a ton of opportunities to show the NFL scouts what you can do on offense when you’re part of that system. Passing QB? Nope. Running Back? Not when your only play is a dive or pitch. WR? One one catches the pigskin and Tech and the rest are blockers. TE? nonexistent. OL? With those crazy splits?

      That offense naturally limits the talent you get, no matter how smart the head guy thinks he is. Heck, Gailey recruited better talent on O because he ran something that translated to the next level.

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