Who Should Be The New OC/QB Coach?

[MatatoGT]

From all the posts, I think it's obvious we all (or at least most of us) feel Tech needs some new offensive leadership, someone who will call plays to the strength of the players and have the ability to truly coach and develop talent.
That being said, who should that be? And let's try to stay in reality. We'd all love Norm Chow or Fridge back, but that's not going to happen.
And finally, do we need another poll for this?

 

[Geetee]

Yes, we need a poll!

Since you're only guessing to possible changes... probably should add DC, too, should Tenuta go to UT as some are speculating.

 

[CheWreck]

Gailey has not shown himself to be prone

to quick changes. Changing Nix out at OC after just one season is not something that I expect Gailey to do.

This has nothing to do with what I want to happen, but it is what I expect to happen.

 

[MatatoGT]

Taken from
http://www.burntorangenation.com/story/2006/12/5/143235/679

Van Gorder is a heck of a DC; please hire him and leave ours alone (not that I'm sure Tenuta would leave, he likes Atlanta, he's one of the highest paid assistant coaches in the country and he has very little recruiting responsibilites - and he wants to be a HC, not a DC). Frankly, Tenuta is a horse's ass. He screams and he rants and he likes the press and recruiting even less than he likes quarterbacks. I wonder how he would do at a school where he had to "play the role" a bit more than he does at GT.
As a coach though, he's extremely good. He's taken a bunch of 2* and 3* talent and made one of the best defenses in the country. Van Gorder won with top 5 recruiting classes every year, Tenuta's doing it with classes ranked below Duke (seriously, check out GT's last 4 classes - they are even worse ranked than you'd think). His defenses are built off of pressure and speed, and he'd blitz the tuba player from the band if he could find a way to do it. He's a master of zone blitzes, and much like Eagles DC Jim Johnson his primary aim is to stop the run. While Tenuta may hate QB's, he hates running games even more. If you watch Tech's blitz schemes, each rusher is assigned a back as the primary target and pressure on the QB only becomes a priority after it's clearly a pass, one of the reasons that draws and screens are so ineffective against his blitzes. Teams with quick passing attacks have had the most success against us, again similar to the Eagles defense.

There's a meanness to GT's defense that comes out of Tenuta's personality. Just watch the ND game and see Joe Anoai body slamming Quinn to the ground over and over and the dazed look on Quinn's face like a punch drunk fighter in the 8th round. Tenuta preaches discipline, assignments and speeeeeeeeeeeeeed. Everyone can run, even the DT's - and he likes them to lay the lumber when they get where they are going.

In short, with Texas' talent level - Tenuta D would kill a Big XII quarterback within a year. Frankly, it'd be a fun defense to watch (GT's is a heck of a lot of fun to watch - seeing guys flying all over the field and crushing QB's and RB's in the backfield is enjoyable). That being said, Texas would have to take all the baggage that comes with him, his prickliness, his desire not to recruit much and his open ambition to be a HC somewhere. I'm not sure (and I hope this is true, it'd be a huge loss for GT for him to move on) that is something Texas wants to take on. There's also the personality bit, I have no clue how Brown and Tenuta would get along. He was at UNC for only one year because he and Bunting hated each other, at GT he and Gailey seem to have a nice relationship of not bothering each other.

My gut feeling is that Tenuta is at Tech until he receives a HC offer he wants to take. He's got a good situation where he's already paid a ton, won't be bothered, is comfortable, and GT will have a top 15 recruiting class this year with tons of athletes for him to torment OC's with. Lastly, he and his family seem to really like Atlanta. I'm not sure Texas will want to make an offer big enough to pry him loose knowing that he might be a one year kind of guy, and that he's got a lot of "other stuff" that'd be coming with him.


Put that with the fact (correct me if I'm wrong)that JT has a son who will be a senior in high school, I don't think he'l leave for another DC. Everyone knows how good a coordinator he is, I don't think he needs to go to another program to prove that. If he wants to be a head coach, he has just as good an opportunity at Tech as at Texas or anywhere else.

 

[MatatoGT]

Re: Gailey has not shown himself to be prone

to quick changes. Changing Nix out at OC after just one season is not something that I expect Gailey to do.

Yeah, I know that, but one can dream.
I heard the reports on Nix wanting to be considered for the Tulane job.HA! Who does he think he is? An established coordinator with a proven record of success? Oh, nope, sorry.

 

[beej67]

OC: Nix, for at least one more year, depending on performance

QB Coach (grad assistant): Joe Hamilton, once he finishes his degree

 

[cyclejacket]

QB Coach (grad assistant): Joe Hamilton, once he finishes his degree

I am continually mystified at the almost universal belief that Joe Hamilton will be a great QB coach, even with ZERO coaching experience at all. He may someday be a great coach, but we have nothing aside from his exploits at BDS to lead us to believe that. If that were the one qualification then why don't we hire Joe Namath or Kenny Stabler.

Much like the fact that CCG will not be fired this year, I believe it is as likely that Joe Hamilton will leap from dipolma day to immediately being a QB coach. At Tech or anywhere else. If he does decide to pursue coaching he will most likely start as a grad assistant. And if he does decide to be a coach, I do hope GT gives him a shot.

 

[Techbert]

Don't Sell Joe Short

He was a good student of the position, and did a great job of reading defenses and calling the best plays on the line. He relates well with other athletes, speaks with instant credibility, and is a fantastic role model for any young quarterback. He learned under Ralph, and understands the need for film work, perfection, and dedication. He is a winner, and that quality can transfer to his pupils. He should be able to recruit extremely well.

Steve Spurrier was never a grad asst, to my knowledge. Spurrier and Hamilton are close to on-field accomplishment. If a HFC interviews Joe and likes what he sees, he should offer Joe an on-field coaching job, rather than risk losing him with a grad asst offer.

 

[beej67]

Another thing Joe has over many other options: Angry fans on internet discussion boards aren't going to throw him under the bus.

 

[floridajacket]

The main problem with hiring any QB coach, including Joe, is that NCAA regulations would force us to get rid of one of the current position coaches. Probably either the Tight Ends coach, the Running Backs coach or the Linebackers coach would have to be eliminated or condensed with other positions.

 

[beej67]

The main problem with hiring any QB coach, including Joe, is that NCAA regulations would force us to get rid of one of the current position coaches.

Graduate Assistant++

 

[GEETEELEE]

Re: Don't Sell Joe Short

He was a good student of the position, and did a great job of reading defenses and calling the best plays on the line. He relates well with other athletes, speaks with instant credibility, and is a fantastic role model for any young quarterback. He learned under Ralph, and understands the need for film work, perfection, and dedication. He is a winner, and that quality can transfer to his pupils. He should be able to recruit extremely well.

BUT, but, but, but, Nix has these exact same qualifications (with the exception of learning from Fridge) from his time as QB at Auburn. PLUS he has multiple years experience as a QB coach and OC.

Nix was probably as good, or close to as good a QB as Joe was. Nix has years of experience teaching the position, Joe has none - can Joe teach is the question.

Yeah, we're not real happy with the results of Nix's teaching, but I'd like to see something concrete that his (supposed) replacement would be better.

 

[beej67]

I don't want Nix fired, not yet, not till we find out how he does without a blantant choker as a QB, and I certainly don't want Joe Hamilton drawing up our gameplan. But Hamilton could be a very valuable resource in a lesser capacity, such as a graduate assistant.

 

[GT1992]

Another thing Joe has over many other options: Angry fans on internet discussion boards aren't going to throw him under the bus.

Until we lose a game. At that point, his lineage, integrity, and intelligence will be called into question. It would be Chan's fault for hiring someone with so few credentials (it's not like he won a BCS game). It will be followed by calls to hire a real OC, like Friedgren or Chow, because we know they are unhappy with their current jobs and are salivating to come to Tech.

When we finish 10-2, we will complain that Chan blew the MNC by hiring Joe and must immediately go. We have a good chance to hire the head coach at Chippola JC, who is a proven commodity and must act NOW before FAU grabs him up. Some guy with a name like Faz will start an email campaign to ACT NOW before it's too late. In doing so, he will copy the AUC to give them additional information to write yet another prize winning piece of journalistic integrity (thanks Terrence).

In the end, DRad will fail to act, leading to an 11-1 regular season in 2008. BuzzOff will complain about mediocrity and the lack of improvement (a difference of 1 game is meaningless). Bunghole Henry will have only one post on StingTalk (following the VT loss) for the year. It will start with the words "I told you so".

 

[BarrelORum]

I don't want Nix fired, not yet, not till we find out how he does without a blantant choker as a QB, and I certainly don't want Joe Hamilton drawing up our gameplan. But Hamilton could be a very valuable resource in a lesser capacity, such as a graduate assistant.

I truly don't see how you can have this opinion. Reggie Ball has more limitations as a QB than most any other QB out there. His downfield vision is awful and the farther he has to make a pass, the worse he becomes. This is obvious. Joe Blow Tech fan at any game could casually observe this in action and be correct in making that observation.

So what does the brilliant mastermind Nix do? He continually calls low percentage plays from our already low completion percentage QB. Its no coincidence that Reggie's stats plummeted at the end of the season. It wasn't just Reggie. He was constantly asked to make plays that a GREAT college QB has a tough time making. WHY?

If your tailback is coming off a late season hot streak and he's totally carried the team in the first half of the Wake game, why would you limit his carries in the second? Are you trying to forcibly redeem your QB's crap performance by calling desperation "all or nothing" plays?

Having a new QB is not going to relieve us of stupid playcalling. This much is obvious. Reggie Ball flat out stinks as a QB, but that doesn't explain away the bullsh*t calls that Nix made. What's very sad is one of them gets PAID to make those decisions and the other doesn't.

 

[beej67]

Until we lose a game. At that point, his lineage, integrity, and intelligence will be called into question. It would be Chan's fault for hiring someone with so few credentials (it's not like he won a BCS game). It will be followed by calls to hire a real OC, like Friedgren or Chow, because we know they are unhappy with their current jobs and are salivating to come to Tech.

When we finish 10-2, we will complain that Chan blew the MNC by hiring Joe and must immediately go. We have a good chance to hire the head coach at Chippola JC, who is a proven commodity and must act NOW before FAU grabs him up. Some guy with a name like Faz will start an email campaign to ACT NOW before it's too late. In doing so, he will copy the AUC to give them additional information to write yet another prize winning piece of journalistic integrity (thanks Terrence).

In the end, DRad will fail to act, leading to an 11-1 regular season in 2008. BuzzOff will complain about mediocrity and the lack of improvement (a difference of 1 game is meaningless). Bunghole Henry will have only one post on StingTalk (following the VT loss) for the year. It will start with the words "I told you so".

HAHA!

Awesome post.

So what does the brilliant mastermind Nix do? He continually calls low percentage plays from our already low completion percentage QB. Its no coincidence that Reggie's stats plummeted at the end of the season. It wasn't just Reggie. He was constantly asked to make plays that a GREAT college QB has a tough time making. WHY?

It's the only way to get Reggie's yards-per-pass up. He's got great strength and poor accuracy, so longer passes are no more difficult for him to complete than shorter ones. At least with long passes, the receiver has a chance to adjust to the ball - with short ones they're screwed from the get-go.

And it's not like the game plan is any different than many other games. Go back and watch the tape of UVA, one of our best offensive games this year, and arguably Calvin's BEST game. Watch what plays we called. Watch where we got our TDs. It's almost identical to the Wake game, from a playcalling perspective. Only difference is our receivers made plays instead of drops, and Reggie was calm instead of choking like a bitch.

 

[MatatoGT]

I truly don't see how you can have this opinion. Reggie Ball has more limitations as a QB than most any other QB out there. His downfield vision is awful and the farther he has to make a pass, the worse he becomes. This is obvious. Joe Blow Tech fan at any game could casually observe this in action and be correct in making that observation.

So what does the brilliant mastermind Nix do? He continually calls low percentage plays from our already low completion percentage QB. Its no coincidence that Reggie's stats plummeted at the end of the season. It wasn't just Reggie. He was constantly asked to make plays that a GREAT college QB has a tough time making. WHY?

If your tailback is coming off a late season hot streak and he's totally carried the team in the first half of the Wake game, why would you limit his carries in the second? Are you trying to forcibly redeem your QB's crap performance by calling desperation "all or nothing" plays?

Having a new QB is not going to relieve us of stupid playcalling. This much is obvious. Reggie Ball flat out stinks as a QB, but that doesn't explain away the bullsh*t calls that Nix made. What's very sad is one of them gets PAID to make those decisions and the other doesn't.

Well said, thank you.