Tech

Georgia Tech has hired Andy McCollum as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

Formerly N.C. State’s linebackers coach, McCollum is from Marietta and his father still resides there. The hire still must be approved by Tech.

“We will be happy to have a coach with the experience and knowledge that Andy will bring to our program,” Tech coach Paul Johnson said in a statement given to the media. “I have coached against and recruited against him for a long time, and I am confident he will do an outstanding job here at Tech.”

McCollum, 50, recruited Atlanta for the Wolfpack, where he’s been for the past three seasons. He replaces Giff Smith, who recently accepted a job with the Buffalo Bills.

“I am excited to be a part of a great coaching staff and to work with Coach Johnson,” McCollum said in statement given to the media. “It’s a great opportunity to come back home to Georgia and work at an outstanding school.”

Details of McCollum’s contract weren’t released. He …

Continue reading McCollum joins Tech staff — updated »

When it was reported last week that Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Al Groh was going to be paid $150,000 a year, I immediately thought that he might be the lowest-paid in that position in the ACC.

So, I did some checking this morning (thanks to USA Today’s salary database) and discovered that yes, pre-bonus, Groh will be the lowest-paid defensive coordinator in the ACC, at least among the schools that have to report their coaches’ salaries.

Here is a chart, from highest-paid to lowest-paid, of the ACC’s defensive coordinators. Virginia’s Jim Reid is missing because his salary hasn’t been reported. Boston College, Duke, Miami and Wake Forest didn’t participate in USA Today’s report. The chart doesn’t include bonuses, just base pay:

Clemson’s Kevin Steele        $575,000*

Virginia Tech’s Bud Foster $402,000

FSU’s Mark Stoops                 $400,000

UNC’s Everett Withers          $330,000

Maryland’s Dan Brown         $307,440

N.C. …

Continue reading ACC defensive coordinators salaries…not too shabby — updated at 12:15 p.m. »

Hey, there’s some consolation for Tech fans after a nutty 48-hour stretch that included a blow-out loss at Duke and a hang-on-for-dear-life win over N.C. State.

The Yellow Jackets just moved up a step in the Associated Press poll today, from No. 21 to No. 20.

It’s just a figurative pat on the back, yes, but it also tells you something about the bigger picture. A loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium isn’t the end of the world, and a win is a win.

There’s no question this has been a wobbly stretch at a strange time from a Tech team that should be rounding into shape for the February run. But there’s not much time to sit around and pout and reflect, with a game at Miami coming up on Wednesday and at Wake Forest on Saturday.

From what I gathered in the time spent around Tech today, talking to Paul Hewitt and a few players before their walk-through practice this afternoon,  they are handling this like they should.

After some time to cool off, Hewitt thought he overreacted in the shots …

Continue reading Hewitt, Tech calm again, prepping for Miami »

Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors took ACC rookie of the week honors for the third time this season. The 6-foot-10 forward from South Atlanta averaged 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds while Tech lost to Duke Thursday and beat N.C. State on Saturday.

Favors had 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in Tech’s 73-71 over the Wolfpack. In his past two games he made 10-of-12 (.833) field goals.

Favors is tied with Wake Forest’s C.J. Harris for the ACC lead in scoring by a rookie (11.3 points per game). He leads all ACC rookies in rebounding (8.5) and double-doubles (7).

Continue reading Favors – once again – is ACC rookie of the week »

Hey, good time for a short turn-around, eh? I’m sure the Yellow Jackets are antsy to get back on the court today against NC State and right all the wrongs that went on Thursday in Durham.

Gani Lawal had to want a clean slate since the first 33 seconds Thursday (and his two fouls). Now he’s got it, and at least he didn’t have to wait a full 48 hours to get it.

Tech goes from playing a Duke team atop the ACC standings (at least before Duke tipped off against Boston College today) to a team tied with Miami at the bottom of the ACC standings. You figure they should take advantage, especially playing at home.

The Yellow Jackets are 3-1 at Alexander this season, 1-3 on the road, and it’s pretty obvious by now, you better own your homecourt if you expect to make headway in the ACC.

At 4-4 coming in, Tech is in a three-way tie for sixth place in the ACC, with Clemson and Florida State, not a great place to be. But this point in the schedule is. Tech is playing three of its next four …

Continue reading Tech ready for clean slate against N.C. State »

Al Groh will be paid $150,000 a year to be Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator, according to a copy of his contract obtained today by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the state’s open records law.

Groh signed the two-year deal, with an option for the third year, on Jan. 25. Tech paid Dave Wommack, the previous defensive coordinator who was let go in January, $288,500 a year. However, Groh will receive a minimum bonus of $321,000 on or before Jan. 12, 2012, regardless whether he’s still employed by Tech.

Also, should Tech pick up the option year on Groh’s contract, his pay will jump to a minimum of $344,000. The option must be exercised before Dec. 15, 2011.

There is no buyout in the contract, and he will receive a bonus of 1/12th his salary should Tech make a bowl game. That is a common clause in all of the assistant’s existing contracts.

New A-backs coach Lamar Owens, who was promoted from a graduate assistant position, will make $127,000 annually.

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In other news, …

Continue reading Groh will make $150,000 a year….but there’s more to it than that »

Georgia Tech linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary has accepted a position at Louisville.

Jean-Mary, who has been at Tech for the past six seasons, will be asst. head coach, as well as linebackers coach,  for first-year coach Charlie Strong.

The two have known each other since Jean-Mary was a junior at high school and Strong the assistant head coach at Florida (1991-94). They worked together for Lou Holtz at South Carolina in 2001-02, where Jean-Mary was a grad assistant and Strong the defensive coordinator.

Jean-Mary said it was hard decision to make, pointing out that both his kids were born in Atlanta. But he hopes to one day become a head coach and felt being more involved in the structure of practices and the final product on the field, which is what Strong offered, was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“Always scary when you are going from a team that just won its conference to a team that hasn’t gone to a bowl in two years,” Jean-Mary said. “[My] Career goal is to be …

Continue reading Jean-Mary heading to Louisville »

DURHAM, NC – Greetings from Cameron Indoor Stadium, which I gather is not as crazy as the Tech campus today. Wow, good day to be on the road? Just read about the samurai sword attack this morning at the Weber building. I thought this was a tough crowd….(ooh, bad, sorry.)

The Crazies were just starting to file in as I came back into the press room to write this blog and Tech players were shooting around, getting a feel for a court they haven’t played on in two years, if at all.

It’ll be an interesting night for Tech’s freshmen, getting their first taste of having students practically breathing down their neck – literally when they inbound the ball on the side of the court opposite the benches. Glen Rice Jr. and Brian Oliver have both made strides lately and have been key contributors for Tech off the bench.

In a game where Tech will surely try to use its depth in the backcourt to its advantage and press a good bit – if Paul Hewitt sticks to the strategy that worked so …

Continue reading Bring on the Dookies »

Georgia Tech will open its season at home on Sept. 4 against S.C. State and will begin defending its ACC title at North Carolina on Sept. 18, according to the schedule that was released today.

The Yellow Jackets went 11-3 and won the ACC Championship last season with a schedule that opened with three games in 12 days, including back-to-back  Thursday night games against ACC contenders Clemson and at Miami. Tech will not host a Thursday night game this season for the first time since 2002. However, in a showdown that should be circled on calendars, the Jackets will travel to Virginia Tech for a ESPN Thursday night game on Nov. 4. The Jackets defeated the No. 4 Hokies, 28-23,  in Atlanta last season. This year’s contest could be a battle of top-10 teams and may decide the ACC’s Coastal Division rep in the championship game on Dec. 4.

The rest of the schedule is almost a mirror copy of last year’s, with tough conference games on the back end at Clemson on Oct. 23, at the Hokies …

Continue reading Tech’s 2010 schedule is set — updated at 3:17 p.m. »

The ACC will release the 2010 football schedules this afternoon.

Here’s a breakdown of Georgia Tech’s opponents next season, done alphabetically. This ran a bit ago online and in print, but I figure it’ll help you remember who Tech is playing this year.

When the schedule is released I’ll rearrange these and add some fresh comments.

A reminder that most game times aren’t set until a week or two before the game.

Here you go:

A first look at Georgia Tech’s 2010 football schedule (dates to be determined):

at Clemson: Tech won two epic games against the Tigers last season. But, with Mr. Everything C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford gone, can Clemson make it back to the championship game? Can Dabo Swinney coach without Spiller? The orange and purple will find out soon.

vs. Duke: This might be a tough season for the Blue Devils, who lost their record-setting quarterback (Thaddeus Lewis) and best defensive player (DT Vince Oghobaase). Plus, after a hot start in 2009, the Devils burned …

Continue reading 2010 football schedule comes out later today »