When a school is looking to hire a head coach, it’s my opinion, this is what the administration is looking for:
(1) Can he motivate SA’s to play week in week out at a highly competitive level? Can he have his players “ready” to play every game day.
(2) Can he hire assistant coordinators/coaches who know and can teach the game? Very few head coaches are their own coordinators in todays game. Yes, there are some but there are way fewer than in previous years. As in any business, the “company” is only as good as the people you surround yourself with. If you hire good, quality people I believe you are increasing your chances for success exponentially. Todays head coaches do way less coaching whether it be because of experience or having good people around him.
(3) Can he excite the fan base with what he brings to the table? A successful head coach and winning fills the seats and gets the fans to buy into what he brings to field on Saturdays.
(4) Can he make the tough decisions and pull the strings when there is a need? Many times during a season a head coach has to make decisions that may or may not be popular but that decision HAS to be made and he isn’t afraid to make the decision and stand behind why he made the decision.
(5) Can he recruit? I don’t care how good of a coach you are, if you don’t have some jimmy and joes you will have a more difficult time winning. Recruiting is the lifeblood of a successful program. They don’t all have to be four or five stars but you need a few will aid your success.
(6) Can he manage the NIL/portal in todays game? I don’t like either and I think they are ruining if not already ruined college football, but todays HC better be good at managing these two areas. They are the future and you will get left behind if you falter in this area.
(7) Can he win? Some, not all, have enough experience to get hired as a HC because he has done it before. That’s not always the case but it does happen.
I’m not suggesting this is the extent of the list, but it’s a few of the important characteristics. Again, this is just my opinion. I may be mostly wrong or right but I have had to hire many coaches over the years as a high school principal and the above list came into play when I was hiring. Obviously not all because it was a high school and not a Power 5 institution.
I‘m not advocating for one coach or the other and the new AD has a tough hire to make in the coming days, I just want, like most of you, a head coach that can make Georgia Tech relevant again on a conference and national level. We’re not going to win multiple national championships, but I believe we can be a relevant/competitive program.
