MsTech and NCJacket,
Your posts about O'leary are a breath of fresh air.
O'Leary did wonders for this program, whether it was with Ralph's help or not. He was the captain of this ship, and it sailed for clearer waters than it had in the past 40 years. O'Leary's teams fought with determination and heart. There were so many hard fought victories during his tenure here, I lost count. The players on his teams were great, but they were still HIS teams. There was not a game that O'Leary coached that I didn't think Tech had a chance of winning. NOT ONE. One of his hallmarks was discipline, as many are familiar with, and he was scrutinized very closely for that. However, I would take that type of tough love any day over what Chan Gailey has brought to this team.
Chan Gailey is probably a good and decent man, although I do not know him personally. However, his tenure at Tech has shown me that he is not the right coach for Georgia Tech Football. His teams do not come out fired up. There is an OBVIOUS lack of even a hint of discipline in this program. This may or may not be attributed to him directly, but it is HIS football team right here and right now. Chan Gailey is the coach, and it is his responsibility to represent this program and push his players to be the best that they can be as football players as well as students. They are called STUDENT athletes for a reason.
The question that people have to ask themselves is this: Do you feel better about the Tech football program under O'Leary or under Gailey?
Gailey has been an absent ghost of a coach since he came to Tech. Whenever there has been controversy (and there's been plenty of it) he has conveniently offered "No Comment" on the situation. What a load of crap. This is HIS program, and he needs to get out and let the fans know that he has a clear-cut direction that he is going to take this program in, and he's not going to settle for anything less. He needs to let the fans know that he's going to lead this program back to national prominence and stop the nonsense that's been going on since he arrived.
I have been a Tech fan long enough to know that it will be tough for Tech to succeed in today's college footbal landscape without the right coaches, the right administration, and the right players all at the same time. Right now, the situation is pitiful in the Tech Athletic Association including Chan Gailey, Dave Braine, Carol Moore, and the athletes who don't have to drive or the will to represent the fine Institute that we all know and love.