Best Ga Tech coaches since Dodd Poll

Who are the three best GT coaches since Bobby Dodd retired?

  • Bud Carson 27-27

    Votes: 2 0.9%
  • Bill Fulcher 12-10-1

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • Pepper Rodgers 34-31-2

    Votes: 4 1.7%
  • Bill Curry 31-43-4

    Votes: 3 1.3%
  • Bobby Ross 31-26-1

    Votes: 180 78.6%
  • Bill Lewis 11-19

    Votes: 5 2.2%
  • George O'Leary 52-33

    Votes: 191 83.4%
  • Chan Gailey 44-32

    Votes: 10 4.4%
  • Paul Johnson 82-61

    Votes: 183 79.9%
  • Geoff Collins 9-25

    Votes: 7 3.1%

  • Total voters
    229

siggy

Varsity Lurker
Joined
Aug 14, 2010
Messages
56
Is this really up for debate? Ross-O’Leary-Johnson. Gailey would be #4, the rest are also-rans.

JRjr
There is a debate for O'Leary and Johnson. Johnson faced more recruiting restrictions, a stronger ACC for the most part (FSU was the only team worth anything in the 90s), and in an era of increasing money disparity between the haves and the haves-not. They're 2a and 2b, IMO.
 

StraightFresh

Midtown Zoomer
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
1,257
There is a debate for O'Leary and Johnson. Johnson faced more recruiting restrictions, a stronger ACC for the most part (FSU was the only team worth anything in the 90s), and in an era of increasing money disparity between the haves and the haves-not. They're 2a and 2b, IMO.
Completely agree. The fact that Johnson did what he did in the buttoned-up late 00's and 10's is remarkable. The margins were very tight in that era.
 

79tech

Damn Good Rat
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
1,268
It would be hard for me the rank the 3 -
- Bobby R - won a national championship - can't top that

- G. OLeary - brought us back from B*** L**** and beat a lot of good teams. FSU was unreal-go back and check the top 5's (87-00) so his inability to beat them was understandable

- P Johnson Two Orange Bowls - 3 ACC championship games - 3 wins in Athens and for whatever reason I loved him kicking Stoops butt in the Gator Bowl. Classic

if i had to - Bobby R, CPJ and GOL in that order
 

GTM3

Varsity Lurker
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Messages
83
Chan kept us above water after flunk gate… never made up some stupid catch phrase either like Geoffrey.
 

GT flunkout

held in very high esteem
Staff member
Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
10,671
There is a debate for O'Leary and Johnson. Johnson faced more recruiting restrictions, a stronger ACC for the most part (FSU was the only team worth anything in the 90s), and in an era of increasing money disparity between the haves and the haves-not. They're 2a and 2b, IMO.
FSU was top 5 in all of college football in the 90s. NC state (1998-00), Clemson (early 90s), UNC under Mack Brown, and especially UVA under Welsh, all had solid runs in the 90s (Including Georgia Tech). I agree with your sentiment but don't agree that the ACC schedules were somehow weaker or stronger, especially without playing FSU every year (and we caught them on Bowden's downhill in 08 and 09).
 

RamblinWreck92

Dodd-Like
Joined
Oct 14, 2013
Messages
12,950
There is a debate for O'Leary and Johnson. Johnson faced more recruiting restrictions, a stronger ACC for the most part (FSU was the only team worth anything in the 90s), and in an era of increasing money disparity between the haves and the haves-not. They're 2a and 2b, IMO.
Flip side: O'Leary had an empty-cupboard rebuild on his hands when he was hired; PJ had the best-stocked shelves coming in of any coach in GT history. O'Leary has as many ACC Champs (1 - 1998) and the 1999 Gator Bowl was the same as the 2014 Orange Bowl IMO, where neither team qualified for BCS but played and won a NY Day bowl against an also-ran team. Bowl invites didn't number in the 80s during GOL's time here. O'Leary recruited and coached a should-have-won Heisman candidate and beat the mutts 3 IAR. GOL left the program in better shape than what he inherited. PJ did the exact opposite of that.

Both are behind Ross, obviously.
 

aeromech

Dodd-Like
Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Messages
15,945
FSU was top 5 in all of college football in the 90s. NC state (1998-00), Clemson (early 90s), UNC under Mack Brown, and especially UVA under Welsh, all had solid runs in the 90s (Including Georgia Tech). I agree with your sentiment but don't agree that the ACC schedules were somehow weaker or stronger, especially without playing FSU every year (and we caught them on Bowden's downhill in 08 and 09).
NC State fired O'Cain in 1999 and hired Chucky the Chest. UVA had a lot of 7-5 runs. UNC was 3-8 in 1999 (Mack Brown left in '97). Clemson was under Tommy West, who they fired in '98 after he went 3-8. O'leary got here at a good time, his good years were 1998-2000.
 

BrentwoodJacket

Dodd-Like
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Messages
9,755
Pepper Rogers had terrible support
Had he came in after facilities upgrades and a better AD - who knows?
He was a pretty good coach
Did beat the dawgs twice- and should have had a 3rd one in 78
I always liked him
I do not understand why Pepper was treated so poorly by Dodd and the Hill given what he accomplished as a player. He gave up a good position at UCLA to return and coach Tech. Then they fired him even though his teams performed well. Finally they blackballed him so he never got another college coaching job.
 

GTCrew4b

NIL Supporter Strictly On Capitalist Grounds
Joined
Aug 19, 2010
Messages
31,169
FSU was top 5 in all of college football in the 90s. NC state (1998-00), Clemson (early 90s), UNC under Mack Brown, and especially UVA under Welsh, all had solid runs in the 90s (Including Georgia Tech). I agree with your sentiment but don't agree that the ACC schedules were somehow weaker or stronger, especially without playing FSU every year (and we caught them on Bowden's downhill in 08 and 09).
We played FSU a couple more times than that thanks to ACCCG and they needed Winston’s best game as a QB to beat us in 2014. Remarkable how well he played that night. And it wasn’t all just “bad D.”
 
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