Bud Elliott has a somewhat provocative post up about what the offseason hiring market may look like and suggests some schools have some soul searching in store.
If you’re an AD who has a coach likely to enter 2017 on the hot seat, consider making the move this season.
Schools willing to pull the trigger now have all the leverage. Coaching stars burn hot, but fast. Great success at a mid-major job can be fleeting. Many coaches in this cycle cannot afford to be picky as they try to cash in their stock when it is hottest.
For a coach having success at a lesser school on the backs of a senior-laden roster, it’s time to go.
And for that reason, an average job could be filled in 2016 by a much stronger coach than might be available come 2017, when the market could again go crazy.
Take the ACC, for example.
Virginia Tech, Miami, Syracuse, and Virginia made inspired hires in 2015. Unless the schools who did not make those are very confident in who they have running the show, they should consider making changes now, especially if they are likely to drop the pink slip in 2017 anyway.
Some jobs in the ACC are not top-25 jobs, but are certainly top-45 jobs. And in this market, it’s possible that those teams could land coaches like those typically signed only by top-25 programs. It’s taking advantage of the market to make an upgrade.
If you’re Georgia Tech, and you’re watching Kirby Smart shift Georgia’s recruiting machine into overdrive with the No. 3 class nationally, are you confident Paul Johnson is still the right coach? Or could you swing for the fences with a Chad Morris type?
That’s a tough call for Tech’s new AD. It’s my understanding that Johnson’s buyout is still pretty steep after this season, but drops significantly in another year. If Elliott’s right about how things may be shaping up this offseason, what do you do if you’re him?
Get The Picture 
CPJ is a fine coach and a great man. He is an asset to The GIoT and should be given a lifetime appointment for his work on the field and in the community.
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Not to mention, he is a genius, and a great fish fryer. Just ask him.
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Man, I couldn’t agree with you guys more. I have never loved seeing a coach on the GT sideline more than seeing the glorious visage of Paul Johnson and his ingenious system of futuristic triple option football. Sexiness personified. We’ll never be able to compete with that sight.
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Johnson is also a great recruiter. Tech needs to keep him forever.
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Exactly, how can a HS baller resist putting himself in the hands of such a warm guy with a great history of winning big games?
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It’s time for a contract extension.
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Should we start a Go Fund Me?
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Agreed
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Johnson essentially dared the new AD to fire him in his press conference on Tuesday. He may be ready to go.
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Johnson saw how well things worked out for CMR and wishes he could get the buyout AND a new job far away from the Flats, too.
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What’s crazy is that he probably could have had a better job after 2014. He missed his window.
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We can’t really know what to think about Tech until all the junior geniuses at Stingtalk have their say. If there is anyone who knows Tech football, they’re the ones.
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Let’s pass our red hats with the G on them to keep CPJ as coach of tech.
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The summer or the winter red hat?
Don’t we have contingency funds for this called “Hive Repair”? “Float Their Boat”? “Fuck’em , Then Beat’em”? “Extend Their Johnson”? Not even a “Go Fuck Yourself” Fund? Forgot. That one’s for FU.
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I’ve always said that I want Paul Johnson to stay at Georgia Tech forever. With that said, oh MAN am I excited to see the first year that a new coach comes in to the Flats and tries to run a different offense with all of the players recruited for Johnson’s attack. THAT season would be a disaster of epic proportions. It would make it almost worth losing my favorite opposing coach.
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It would take 3 years maybe 2 if he’s top notch coach and recruiter. If a new coach came in this Dec/Jan, this years recruits would still be CPJ class. So to build depth he would want to redshirt his own recruit, which wouldn’t be until next year. Man it would take 3 years just to start to see any dividends. That is one hell of a deep hole they have themselves in.
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They also would be in a deep financial hole. They are already paying off 2 basketball coaches. Add Johnson’s buyout to the list and Tech likely wouldn’t have enough left to hire a quality HC for football.
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And you think our oline struggled, imagine the poor new OL coach trying to teach a bunch that knows little beyond “fall at the opposing player’s feet” w/r/t blocking technique.
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I’m sure there is a team of lawyers that graduated from Georgia advising Elliot that “there’s nothing you can do, don’t fire him until his contract runs out”.
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What ‘hot’ coach would even answer the phone if gtu called? Elliott makes the foolish assumption somebody worth having would accept the job. Case in point being gtu’s recent basketball HC search and hire. Search committee funds would be better spent on a la-z-boy recliner for ol fishfry.
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Derek Dooley is available, he is former Sabanite and former head coach in the SEC. Maybe he can keep fish fry as an OC?
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tech brainmeisters could down size their stadium again, produce a buzzing video of the new hc driving the wreck mobile onto that downsized stadium with all those calculators cheering playing on their playstation score board……naw, just keep the genius. GO DAWGS!
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If they dismiss CPJ, they have to pay him through the 2020 season, so I am confident we will see him on the GT sideline next year.
In basketball, they just finished paying Paul Hewitt and they owe dismissed coach Brian Gregory through 2018.
Not sure where GT will find the money for a new football coach.
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TheJohnson is only like 59 or so, he could spend the next 10 years making Tech football great again. It is ridiculous for these people to be talking about changing coaches. Everybody in Mumbai says so.
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Yeah. We already gave’em money for “new balls” and they still kept The Johnson.
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It is unnerving to see this much agreement in the comment section.
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Where do I make a donation to keep fish fry?
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They need to hold on to CPJ for as long as possible. I am a bit worried about this years game as first year defensive coordinators have had a rough go against their offense the first time they play them. Willie lost in 2008 in epic fashion. Grantham won 42-34 but gave up a lot of points. Pruitt lost. The one game Smart had against a triple option team was the “They ran through our ass like shit through a tin horn” game against Georgia Southern. Outside of those “first year” games, it has only been competitive once (the injury plagued 2013).
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Yeah, but there were caveats:
Grantham was stuck trying to stop the dive play with a 290 noseguard.
Pruitt lost, but held them scoreless for a half (and that 2014 NATS offense was very, very good). I’d say the loss was far more on special teams and Bobo’s offense having a surprisingly mediocre game (which was mostly the fault of the OL not adjusting to Tech’s run blitzes at all.)
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On the other side of this. Let him go after this year. Find a great hire and give him 3 to 4 years. There has to be someone out there who would take the job and be able to win in the ACC.
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