Will N.C. State’s decision affect Tech’s future?
N.C. State basketball coach Sidney Lowe resigned on Tuesday, three days after Georgia Tech decided not retain Paul Hewitt.
That’s two coaches out in the ACC, with perhaps a third, Miami’s Frank Haith, on the horizon.
Talking to colleagues at last week’s ACC tournament, many agreed that N.C. State and Miami are arguably two of the toughest jobs in the ACC. Miami because of its apathy and geography. N.C. State because of its expectations and geography.
Before Hewitt was let go, a former colleague said that Georgia Tech and N.C. State would most likely butt heads if they were looking for coaches at the same time.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two schools is the salary budget. Athletic director Dan Radakovich said the next coach’s salary won’t be “capped” (a question I asked him. Capped wasn’t his word, it was mine). I would be stunned if Tech opens its wallet like N.C. State will allegedly do. A guess on my part, but I’ll be surprised if Tech spends more than $1.7 million per year, which would be a decent raise over what Hewitt was paid. Again, that’s just a guess.
Reports out of the Triangle say that Yow is looking at Arizona’s Sean Miller and Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon, among other men that are competing in the NCAA tournament. Apparently, N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow is willing to spend as much as $3 million per yer, which is better than a football coach’s salary at most schools. It also shows to what length N.C. State will go to compete with its across-the-street and established neighbors in Durham and Chapel Hill.
So, which is the better job?
Tech has the fertile recruiting ground of Atlanta, in which is must compete with just one other in-state, power-conference school for recruits. (Lots of out-of-state schools mine the area, too). N.C. State must compete with three other schools in the same conference, not counting East Carolina, Charlotte, and others. Edge: Tech.
Tech will open a new basketball arena in 2012. N.C. State plays in an arena opened in 1999, which is very nice. Edge: Tech.
Tech averaged a few fannies more than 6,000 last year. N.C. State averaged a few fannies less than 14,000. Edge: N.C. State.
Tech has Atlanta, a cosmopolitan city that dozens of Fortune 500 companies call home. N.C. State has Raleigh, a beautiful city where numerous technology companies are headquartered. Edge: Atlanta.
Potential for winning quickly? If Iman Shumpert returns for his senior season, Tech has the potential to be very good next year. Brian Oliver’s shooting form couldn’t be much worse than it was last year. Glen Rice will have another year of maturity to improve his offensive game, Daniel Miller and Jason Morris were solid performers that should improve if they don’t experience the sophomore slump, etc. N.C. State has some talent returning, but not as much as Tech. Edge: Tech.
Of course, money is the thing. If N.C. State is willing to spend $3 million, it has the clear edge.
According to the NCAA, there are prestigious openings at:
Georgia Tech
N.C. State
Texas Tech
Arkansas
There are less-prestigious openings at:
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Kennesaw State
Georgia State
Manhattan College
Towson
– Doug Roberson, AJC
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206 comments Add your comment
jesusislord
March 16th, 2011
10:39 am
You gotta’ study Engineering or Management at Tech; State offers everything. Huge advantage to State. You also get to play pick up games with the UNC- Duke guys at State. Winning at Tech is an anomaly, winning at State expected. There is no debate here, State is the better job. Tech should hope State hires Mark Fox. PS: Luke 24:5
juvenal
March 16th, 2011
10:42 am
capital J…….
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
10:43 am
The State job will pay 30-50% more than the Tech job. We might be competing for some of the same coaching prospects, but the nature of each job is very different also.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
10:46 am
Tech offers as many different majors as NC State and with much greater prestige. As a founding member of the ACC and with a rich basketball heritage, NC State is an excellent opportunity. For media exposure, endorsement bucks, and recruiting purposes, the Georgia Tech position is by far the more attractive situation. State will pay more, but then again, they HAVE to pay more to attract someone of stature. Both jobs are good gigs.
Gordon
March 16th, 2011
10:49 am
Even with Hewitt, we’ve been getting better players and winning more than NC State for years. One thing Doug left out was who the new coach would be working for. Ask Gary Williams whether he would rather work for Debbie Yow or Dan Radakovich.
Ramblin Man
March 16th, 2011
10:50 am
Winning at Tech is an anomaly, winning at State expected
First and dumbest post all in one. Both programs are a good oppurtunity to just about any coach and offer different things so you can’t really go wrong it’s just what is right for that particular person.
blasphemy
March 16th, 2011
10:51 am
jesusislord doesn’t know crap about this situation. There is no comparison between the academics in Raleigh and those at Georgia Tech. NC State is a good job, with good money, large fanbase, and a rich tradition to draw on. But Ga. Tech offers its own advantages in media market, recruiting, and prestige, too. As a professional in the medical field, I know that a Biology, Biochemistry, Psychology, or even HST degree from Georgia Tech commands far greater respect than NC State, which offers a limited menu of Ph.D. programs to boot.
Big Ol Stinger
March 16th, 2011
10:52 am
Jesus,
Winning is expected at NC State????
Thanks, I needed a laugh to brighten my day.
Tech Forever
March 16th, 2011
10:55 am
I find it interesting we’re talking about two schools who pretty much wrap their athletic identity around what their rival schools are doing. It’s sad and I’m sick of it. Much like Tech fans attitudes regarding Georgia, State fans hate UNC as much as or more than they love State.
As far as which job is better that’s tough. Tech’s academic requirements and State’s proximity to Duke and UNC cancel out each other’s recruiting advantages. Facilities? Tech. Money? State. Both programs will be used as catapults to better jobs for the next coach that’s brought on assuming he can win. I say it’s a wash. Neither job is an easy one.
Luke Skywalker 2:15
March 16th, 2011
10:56 am
Haha. Jesus! The initial, insipid post is so lame. The State job is more lucrative, which may make it the de facto better job materially, but the advantage ends there. I know, I am a State grad, and proud as I am of our basketball heritage and Everett Case’s place in basketball history, the academics are standard state-university quality. I got a good education for a good price, and I love the Pack, but I’m also smart enough to know the truth.
GT45
March 16th, 2011
10:56 am
Noodles would come for lunch!
Buzz
March 16th, 2011
10:56 am
Hire Craig Neal as long as he gets a hair cut!!!!
Tech Forever
March 16th, 2011
10:57 am
FullMetalJacket
I know Tech has about 40 undergraduate degree programs. Surly State has far more than that.
Buzz
March 16th, 2011
10:57 am
He looks like the surfer character off of “Fast times at Ridgeview High”.. Spacollie!!!!
Doug Roberson
March 16th, 2011
10:58 am
Gordon, that’s an interesting point.
Newtonite
March 16th, 2011
10:58 am
Blasphemy, you may be correct in your comparison of NC State & Tech’s health-related programs, but get real! Do you think high school kids who play basketball really care about such things?
Tech Forever
March 16th, 2011
10:58 am
I think the one thing moving in Tech’s favor is the fact that the next guy at State will have to work for Debbie Yow as has been mentioned. She’s aweful.
Dawglasville
March 16th, 2011
10:58 am
Does Hewitt seem like a really good fit for Georgia State? If his family is happy in Atlanta then why not?
Tech Forever
March 16th, 2011
10:59 am
Dawglasville
I’m sure there’s a clause in the contract that says if he gets another job the gravy train ends.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:03 am
With all due respect, Gordon, AD Yow and the new chancellor at State are very pro-athletics and even as a Tech man I would say the administrative comparisons are a push. True, Williams and Yow did not see eye-to-eye at Maryland, and I like Williams as a coach, but Yow is the one who ended up getting a promotion by going to State. I agree that Williams would not want to go work for Yow, but most anyone else would not have a problem with it. I prefer DRad, but the State administration top-to-bottom is extremely proactive in recognizing the importance of athletics in university promotions.
jomo
March 16th, 2011
11:03 am
Did anyone watch Bobby Cremin’s College of Charleston win in the NIT last night ? they looked great. We SHOULD GO AND BRING BACK Cremins !!!!! NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:07 am
I’ve never met Debbie Yow, but her cred at State is high, and the funds she has available to pay a basketball coach are considerably more than DRad’s. Isn’t she the AD who hired Ralph Friedgen? If not, she at least supported him during her tenure, giving him a generous extension. Again, I like our DRad, but give Yow her due.
Doug Roberson
March 16th, 2011
11:07 am
Jomo, I understand Cremins’ place in Tech’s history, but he’s been to 1 NCAA tournament in his last 11 coaching seasons, I believe. That’s your expectation?
ormewood
March 16th, 2011
11:08 am
Neither job is particularly easy, but I believe it’s easier to win games and attract top players at Tech. For a state with a comparable population to Georgia, NC has nowhere near the in-state talent that GA has produced the last 10-15 years. Only one viable in-state school to compete withe here in GA, and that one doesn’t care too much about hoops, compared to UNC and Duke where hoops is ahead of football on the priority list.
Tech may pay less, but in the end, it will be easier to succeed here compared to Raleigh.
Terrible Terp
March 16th, 2011
11:11 am
Debbie Yow was the AD who hired and kept Ralph Friedgen at UM. I HAVE met her and she’s got a good personality. I imagine she put up with a lot of mess as the first female AD in the ACC. Williams never got along with her, but he’s a difficult man to work with. Love him as our coach, though. But I think as an AD she was about average overall. I don’t know about DRadakovich.
Dr. Nick
March 16th, 2011
11:12 am
Why not bring Cremins back as “interim coach” for 1 or 2 years with Mark Price or Craig Neal as “Head coach in waiting”.That way they could gain some experience and recruit at the same time.JUST SAYING !!
GT Baby
March 16th, 2011
11:12 am
Grant are Mooney’s job to lose………..what say you!
HOME GROWN ONLY
March 16th, 2011
11:17 am
why should Hewitt take any job? If Hewitt were really interested in coaching, he would have taken the St John’s job last year especially with the way GT fans were grumbling. Hewitt admitted he didn’t like it. The contract he had knowing he was better off waiting to get fired was way too attractive and it consumed him.
If he cared at all about winning, it didn’t show.
I believe that is why so many of us GT fans desire GT people involved in the basketball program. Because we know where their heart is instead of someoone coaching who quit trying and could care less.
NC St is tired of having to take a back seat to UNC and DUKE. They are the joke on sportstalk for the last several years. They will throw money at the problem but as we all know, money isn’t going to make you a winner.
GT can hire a coach who loves to coach and loves GT (like Bobby Cremins) and the recruits and their families will see that. I cannot imagine DRAD hiring a fired coach from some place else. But I can see NC St doing just that. I bet if they do, it won’t work.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:18 am
Doug, while the applicant pool may overlap I think the positions are sufficiently different to cause any real competition or conflict. Listening to my friends from State, I believe State is under much more pressure to hire a big name and make a big splash. They are willing to spend very big bucks to stop the hemorrhaging of recruits and fans in the Triangle. Chancellor Woodson and AD Yow have been very vocal in acknowledging the importance of athletics (esp. hoops) to marketing their university. Like UGA, NC State depends on its athletics to differentiate it from the many other state of NC options in secondary education. (Not meant as a slight at either school, both of which have good academic programs too.)
TomB
March 16th, 2011
11:19 am
Wow, higher expectations at State, imagine that Doug. And, dang, both Hewitt and Lowe knew their situations and only one felt the need to resign. I wonder why?
Heels Rock and Rule
March 16th, 2011
11:19 am
Based upon what I hear from the “children” on this site who appear to be blind fans of one or the other of these two programs, and who insist on building up their program by berating the other program, I would hope that they were not graduates of either school. If so, neither school is doing a good job of educating their students.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:21 am
Enough of Cremins coming back. I love the guy, know him personally, but it would never work here. He doesn’t want the hassle and pressure, and Tech wouldn’t benefit from it if he did. Cremins loves living and working in Charleston.
School teacher
March 16th, 2011
11:23 am
Heels R&R: Your first sentence is a run-on sentence. I hope you are not a graduate of UNC.
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 16th, 2011
11:25 am
The one benefit we can get from this comparison is to learn from NCSt mistake; DO NOT HIRE AN INNEXPERIENCED/UNDESERVING ALUM. How did Sidney work out for them? They never finished better than 9th in the ACC while he was there!!
Thankfully, it will be DRad making the decision, not some on this blog or other boards.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:28 am
Homegrown: Are you referring to your stinky weed or the next hoops coach? I don’t think Bobby Cremins had any connection with, affiliation with, or affection for Georgia Tech when he was hired. He grew to love Tech as we grew to love him. He was a New Yorker who played at South Carolina and coached at App State…definitely not home grown. Since NC State’s experience with alumnus Lowe just failed miserably, of course they are willing (and financially able) to look nationwide for their next coach. In the end, coaches don’t usually come to schools because they love the school beforehand (and when they do it usually ends badly for both). The best coach-school relationships develop over time because of chemistry and mutual respect.
Okeefe/Bob
March 16th, 2011
11:30 am
JOMO–no way with Cremins
Fullmetaljacket– you are way off on the number of programs offered at Tech vs N C State. State has way way wat more options.Just like any university.
Gordon
March 16th, 2011
11:33 am
FullMetalJacket,
I’m not questioning Yow’s credentials. I have heard from many sources she is very difficult to work for. It’s one thing if your fan base has unreasonable expectations, it’s another if your boss does.
TomB
March 16th, 2011
11:37 am
Well, Doug everyone defending Hewittand his record at Tech, it seems, always likes to compare Hewitt with Cremins and specifically Cremin’s final four seasons at Tech. So, lets set the record straight. Both men finished with similar conference records during that time(final four seasons), but Cremins teams did manage go to two NIT tournaments during that time. But, this is what bothers me: Cremins felt the need the honorable thing to do, and the best thing for Tech, was to resign. Why did Hewitt not feel the same?
Okeefe/Bob
March 16th, 2011
11:38 am
Bobby Cremins is exactly where he wants to be. He is “retired” but still doing what he loves to do—teaching young kids the game of BB.He left Tech partly because of the constant pressure of big time BB and he sure as heck is not going to get back in to it.Good for Bobby, I say.
Pack Man
March 16th, 2011
11:38 am
TomB If you think it was Sidney’s idea or choice to resign then you are pretty gullible.
collegeballfan
March 16th, 2011
11:40 am
Pay Brad Stevens, the coach at Butler whatever he wants. From the Butler website:
“In just his fourth year as a collegiate head coach and 11 years after leaving a business position as a marketing associate, Brad Stevens sits on top of the list for best basketball coaching starts in NCAA History.
Stevens, who owns two Horizon League Coach of the Year awards, has guided the Bulldogs to 110 wins in his brief career, breaking the previous four-year NCAA Division I record of 107 wins set by Everett Case of North Carolina State from 1947 to 1950. He also holds the NCAA three-year record with 89 victories, and he’s second on the two-year list with 56 wins. This season, he’s guided Butler to a 21-9 campaign and the school’s league-record fifth consecutive Horizon League regular season championship.”
Like I said, pay him what he wants and hire him.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:43 am
Gordon, you may be right about working for Yow. The only problem I’ve heard about is Williams relationship with her, and I’ve heard that he is difficult to work with also. I do know she was patient with Ralph Friedgen, though I don’t know if she was nagging him all the time or not. Her successor is the one who fired him of course.
TomB
March 16th, 2011
11:44 am
That is kinda my point Pack Man. Both men knew they wouldn’t be retained; the only difference being one had a golden contract(7.1 million reasons) with no incentive to resign.
Okeefe/Bob
March 16th, 2011
11:47 am
NCSU is still trying to recover from the “nightmare” left to them by the “great” Jimmy V.What a disaster.The next coach at N C State better win a Nat Championship or ship out.The next Tech coach better win big also because( as I have just recently realised )the expectations are unreasonably high. Anybody remember Whack Hyder or Dwayne Morrison? Tech is an extremely hard sell and it is extremely difficult to recruit the numbers of good scholar athletes to consistently compete at the highest levels.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:48 am
I stand corrected: NC State claims to offer undergraduate degrees in about 100 majors; Tech offers about 40. NC State is similarly about twice the size of Tech (30K vs. 15K students). Tech offers a much higher percentage of Ph.D’s per major than State, but a basketball player is not going to be concerned with that generally. Tech wants STUDENT-athletes; State courts student-ATHLETES. I would maintain that Tech is in the far better recruiting position, with less competition and the appeal of a truly prestigious degree.
Petey
March 16th, 2011
11:49 am
3 of NC St’s starters are from Atlanta area HS’s. LBrown (Centennial), RHowell (Wheeler) and RHarrell (?) (Walton). What does that tell you about who has the more attractive program?
TomB
March 16th, 2011
11:51 am
That’s complete Bull Okeefe/Bob. Jimmy V certainly didn’t cause the problems at State, and neither did Cremins for Tech. Both coaches proved that you are 100 percent wrong.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:52 am
State will pay more because they can and because they have to. Tech will pay less because they must and because they don’t have to pay more. Both schools offer advantages and both are good gigs. I can see NCSU hiring a really big name (in 2006 they went after Calipari) because they need to make an immediate big splash and turn around. They’ve lost to rival UNC about 10 games in a row, I think.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:57 am
Love him or hate him, Valvano revived State’s athletics program with the unlikely NC in ‘83. He left the program in far greater shape than he inherited it. Since that time they have made some bad decisions, and they chased off their best coach post-Valvano, Sendek, allegedly because he was boring (but had NCAA tourneys in 4 of 5 seasons). The V’s success tailed off after the overachieving ‘83 team, but then again, it had to, didn’t it?
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
11:58 am
Petey: We’ve never heard of any of those guys at State. What does that tell you?
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
12:01 pm
State pays more money; Tech has better perks. The Head Basketball Coach at NC State, UNC, and Duke are the equivalent of the Head Football Coach at most SEC schools. They are the figurehead of athletics and the basketball programs are the most important programs. Ironically, back in the ’50s the three Triangle schools were also football powers, which led to the formation of the ACC out of the old Southern Conference.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
12:04 pm
NC State’s Everett Case created the ACC Tournament. He was recommended for the State job by Chuck Taylor, whom he had coached in High School in Indiana. Case modelled the ACC Tourney on the h.s. tourneys in Indiana. Case was also the first major coach to put numbers on basketball jerseys. Thus endeth the lesson.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
12:07 pm
I know the first dozen or so of the ACC Tournaments were played in Reynolds Colesium, where State still practices and the women’s team still plays games. I’d rather live in Atlanta than Raleigh, and I’d rather have to beat UGA each year than UNC in basketball. It would be nice to have the endorsement and media bucks available in the Atlanta market, too. Base salary will be much higher in Raleigh. Depending on the success of the new arena’s design and atmosphere, Tech facilities should be better than the adequate RBC Colesium at State.
Luke
March 16th, 2011
12:08 pm
Petey-
That tells me that they are all players Georgia Tech didn’t offer to. You can only have so many guards and when Howell was signed, we had already signed Favors, Holsey, and Oliver. They’re all from the Atlanta area. Imagine that.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
12:09 pm
Great point, FMJ. Beating UNC in basketball is analogous to beating UGA in football each year. Rather have to beat UNC in football and UGA in basketball.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
12:10 pm
Luke: Amen, bro.
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 16th, 2011
12:11 pm
Petey, that tells me that Atlanta’s basketball talent base is quite impressive. It can feed several programs, that is definitely something our next coach should be interested in!! Even if it were to not work out for him, in the long run, he’ll be getting his foot into some HS gyms and in some HS coaches’ rolodexes that will eventually pay off. Advantage – Tech on that one.
Luke
March 16th, 2011
12:11 pm
Actually, Rice is from the Atlanta. Oliver is from Virginia. My bad on the false information. But you catch my drift.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
12:12 pm
Doug: Bottom line, I don’t think State’s position makes the Tech search any more difficult. There won’t be a bidding war, and for now there are enough good prospects.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
12:14 pm
A new contract and the gravey train ends?
That wasn’t written into Gailey contract so why would it be in Hewitt’s?
I wonder who chooses our ADs and who our contract consultants (attorneys) are.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
12:15 pm
I don’t expect to hear anything new on Tech’s search until after the Richmond-Vandy game, if Vandy wins (and that’s a big “if”). What do you think, Doug, and everyone else?
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
12:23 pm
It might be in Hewitt’s because it wasn’t in Gailey’s.
Luke
March 16th, 2011
12:25 pm
I think Vandy wins, honestly. But yeah, probably.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
12:33 pm
A point I’ve made before is that any indignation towards Hewitt about his contract should also be expressed towards Gailey.
What does a pro football head coach get paid?
I would think even Buffalo would pay 3 mil a year, maybe more.
He also could give us a break by not taking his last year.
He won’t do that.
Is the lesson of the both the Gailey and Hewitt hires that saving money can lose it too?
I wonder who the other options were when they were hired.
I didn’t see Gailey as a good fit from the start.
Maybe this is unfair but I thought he had this smile on his face like he couldn’t belive he had fooled us.
Americus Ga.
He never pulled for us.
He would have been a dawg, nole or tiger.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
12:37 pm
Our worse football coach had been an assistant at Georgia: Bill Lewis.
I hope I don’t need to suggest “never again”.
Also Lewis had three lousy years at East Carolina before one good one.
That’s not enough of a resume and why I sometimes say remarks about Homer Rice. Rice has friends so I’ve tried to see the good things he did too.
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
12:39 pm
Boy, we are really having to pay up for a replacement for Hewitt. As it appears, the new coach is not exactly going to be a household name either. Oh well, water under the bridge.
If we are being realistic, we have to admit that NC State is probably a better basketball job than Tech. They are Tobacco Road, have a better tradition and are willing to pay significantly more money, which whether we like it or not means more commitment to the program. They may not get a better coach in the end, but they certainly have a better shot of getting a “brand name” coach
UGA = Yawn
March 16th, 2011
12:45 pm
No it won’t. GT / Atlanta / New Arena all make our position much more desirable than NC ST’s.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
12:46 pm
I wonder if our basketball job isn’t better than our football job. After Heisman and Dodd, we do not have any coaches of their stature. Since Ross only gave us 5 years and benefited from a non BSC bowl game to win the NC, he did not achieve their level but easily the best since Dodd.
Born2Buzz
March 16th, 2011
12:47 pm
The postings on this blog are proof that there are a lot of idiots out there.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
12:48 pm
The different amount of pay really makes this a non competition. Let’s say our max is 1.5 – 2 mil. The two schools will be looking at different candidates.
T3
March 16th, 2011
12:50 pm
I’ll take the authoritative opinion of Jay Bilas, who stated:
GT is the PREMIERE B-Ball job opening right now.
yeah
March 16th, 2011
12:53 pm
Jay Bilas is right! But NC State could be good too…the ACC could use both programs getting back to prominence. Both are sleeping giants in college basketball who can recruit with the best of them.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
12:55 pm
I thought Doug had a telling point about our fanbase.
After winning the ACC in a thrilling game against Clemson, we still were unable to sell out a single game the next year in a stadium half the size of many other colleges.
I’ve heard the excuse that Tech fans are all over the country.
Still a championship and no growth.
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
12:56 pm
With respect to the arenas, I know Tech will reengineer a nice AMC, but at the end of the day, it still is slated to be only 9,000 seats right? The RBC is almost 20,000 for basketball and has a number of luxury boxes. More seats=more potential revenue.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
12:58 pm
I like Bilas too.
Even more hearing that.
He told the VT folks in 2009 to pipe down.
Their RPI was not good enough to get in.
I thought they should make it this year though.
Tough break for their best player Delaney.
Paul in RDU
March 16th, 2011
12:58 pm
GT has a better arena than NCSU? Have any of you guys ever been in the RBC Center? It holds 20,000 people, has luxury boxes/suites, club level seats, a sit down restaurant, a sports bar (not used for NCAA games, unfortunately).
GT does have some good talent but Lowe’s problem in 2010-11 was not a lack of talent. CJ Leslie, Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown will be SOs next year (asssuming Leslie doesn’t go to the pros) and they would all start for GT.
GT is a better job than NCSU (mainly because of the Atlanta location, local competition and the expectations of the fan base – NCSU would have bitten the bullet on Hewitt’s contract 3 years ago) but let’s be real in comparing the 2 schools.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
1:05 pm
Maybe NCSU would have gotten more advice about the wisdom of the annual contract. Seems like a way of getting out of providing a big raise.
I like DRAD but am curious who picks our AD.
BigTimeTECHFan
March 16th, 2011
1:07 pm
NO
As of Monday Tech has their new coach, waiting coaches current obligations to finish before announcing name.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
1:08 pm
I mean this comment for laughs but is it safe to say every grad has a higher opinion of their college’s prestige that they actually have.
Thinking sports prestige, not academics.
Jackets 2011
March 16th, 2011
1:09 pm
Monday if he loses?
NovaJacket
March 16th, 2011
1:13 pm
Nationally (i.e.outside of Georgia), the perception is that Tech is a better situation to succeed at. State will never be more than the third best program in it’s metropolitan area. No top flight men’s coach wants to work for Debbie because of how she treated Gary Williams.
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
1:27 pm
Paul, always appreciate your posts. I agree with you about the positives of Tech over NCSU, but I think where they have the edge is in the curriculum. The difference maker athletes, i.e. The onew who will jump to NBA and not graduate anyway, I feel would still find it more attractive to be told they can major in sports management, rather than business management. I also agree that NCSU probably is more demanding from its fanbase, but the egos of most of these coaches do not permit the thought of failure, so I don’t think that enters into their calculation in any large measure.
T3
March 16th, 2011
1:32 pm
See new ThrillerDome here:
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2010/10/19/the-new-thrillerdome/
FWIW:
ACC B-Ball Seating Capacity:
BC: 8600
CU: 10,000
Duke: 9300
FSU: 13,000
GT: 9000 (New)
MD: 18,000
UM: 7900
UNC: 21,000
NCSU: 19,000
UVA: 15,000
VT: 9800
WF: 14,000
Ken Stallings
March 16th, 2011
1:35 pm
Doug Roberson,
You need to do a bit more research before writing a column like this! To say that Ga Tech’s facilities are better is unresearched and therefore factually incorrect!
The RBC is a shared facility between NC State and the Carolina Hurricanes. However, if push came to shove, NC State holds the controlling interest. The good news is that Canes owner, Peter Karmanos, is a very smart man and easy to work with. He understands the shared nature and is doing everything to be an excellent partner in the use of the RBC. First, the new Ga Tech facility is years away. The RBC is here now. Projecting year of construction as the litmus test is flawed.
Second, facilities also include those for practice. At NC State, the athletes have the Dial Basketball Center, which is one of the very finest dedicated Division 1A basketball training facilities in the nation. Ga Tech has nothing to compete with this! Look it up for yourself and then come back and show everyone the training facility at Ga Tech: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jrquesen/MBB.htm
Actually, I will say for you. It is the Zelnak Facility. It is a 20,000 square foot facility and is just opened. At best it is equal to the NC State facility. Given that the RBC is already here, NC State has the advantage in facilities.
Additionally, you failed to adequately state the other advantages of NC State. NC State has the second largest enrollment in the ACC, only behind FSU. Enrollment translates directly into alumi and that translates directly into the size and power of the athletic booster club. The Wolfpack Club is well above average in the ACC, and vastly larger and better funded that Ga Tech. That is why NC State can afford $3 million a year in compensation.
You did correctly note the passion and loyalty of the NC State alumni and fans. Paul Hewitt guided the Yellowjackets to five NCAA appearances and a Final Four in his years at Ga Tech. His reward? A small arena that echoes from the lack of fan support inside it! At NC State, if Herb Sendek or Sidney Lowe had done what Hewitt did, they would still be there! Sendek barely made it into the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 once. And he resigned! We did not fire him nor force him out. Lowe resigned also, but it is clear it was a mutual decision.
Duke and UNC has derived benefit from the chaos at NC State since Valvano was forced out. This has more to do with the inept choices for Athletic Director, including Todd Turner (a UNC alumn) who hired Les Robinson and gave him zero support and then Lee Fowler who botched the post-Sendek hiring and had to take a flyer on Sidney Lowe with zero college coaching experience, and limited NBA experience.
Now we have an AD and chancellor who doesn’t regard athletics as alien to the academic mission! Therefore, we can now hire an excellent and proven coach and finally get NC State back where it should have been long before now.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
1:45 pm
Tech is in one of the largest cities in the nation and maybe drew 6,000 per basketball game …. Can only sell out a home football game of 50,000 if they’re playing UGA, Clemson or V.Tech …..What a joke!!!!
GTBob
March 16th, 2011
1:52 pm
At NC State, if Herb Sendek or Sidney Lowe had done what Hewitt did, they would still be there!
Herb Sendek made the NCAA tournament his last 5 years at NC State. Do you really think that if GT had made the NCAA tournament the last 5 years that Hewitt would have been fired? Sendek also had one losing season at NC State. Hewitt has had 4 losing seasons in the past 6 years. If Hewitt had performed anywhere near as well as Sendek then he would still be the coach here. Why you guys forced Sendek out is still a mystery to me.
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
1:55 pm
Byrddawg, it pains me to recognize you’re right. At the same time, if you are fair you will agree that Tech is a much smaller school where approximately 40% is student body is from outside of state versus a large student body at Georgia where approximately 92% come from the State of Georgia and generally return to their home town or Atlanta.
Paul in RDU
March 16th, 2011
2:00 pm
IL Jacket
I agree with your assessment on the curriculum – it is much broader at NCSU and elite athletes have more options there. Your point about the egos of coaches is a good one, but my point about the demands of the fan base is that GT will give the next coach a little longer to turn things around. Heck – we are splitting hairs here. Both are good, but different, opportunities.
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 16th, 2011
2:07 pm
While we have never sold out football games consistently in the last 30 years, we did sell out AMC on a consistent basis during that time period. Just a fact so that the “byrddawgs” among you don’t end up looking as ignorant as he does.
AtlantaWolf
March 16th, 2011
2:31 pm
ACCelerator- you will- two of them are freshman and the other is a Soph- NCSU also won out on JJHickson a few years ago who is now starting for Cleveland Cav after spending only one year at NCSU
Atmosphere in Raleigh when State is winning is only about 10 times as exciting as the typical wine and cheese crowd who are staring at their sliderules while sitting at the GT games- no comparision when both teams happen to have a good BB team
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
2:34 pm
Paul, why is the ACC Tournament never held at RBC? Why are we locked into Greensboro with the occasional Charlotte or Atlanta? I would think the Hurricanes could spare it for 4 days in March.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
2:36 pm
Mighty, all that means is that you have 9,000 fans in one of the largest cities in the US! IL Jacket , what you’re saying is EXACTLY right….that’s the same deal with NC St vs Tech too!! Just sayin…
Ramblin Man
March 16th, 2011
2:40 pm
As far as Hewitt or Gailey giving the money back or taking no further payments you need to honestly ask yourself, would you? The answer no. Call it greed or planning for the future or whatever you like but nobody is going to give up that kind of money unless your last name is Trump. Look at the NFL it’s billionaires vs. millionaires and the fans are the ones that will pay in the end. All we fans can hope for is that DRad makes a good choice and is smart in the wording of a the contract. Speaking of contracts how is multiple bad seasons, low attendence, and multiple lossing seasons not considered cause. I do not know about you guys but if I were to perform as bad as some of these coaches I would get fired quick and no check will be flowing my way.
Not a Hewitt Fan
March 16th, 2011
2:45 pm
Idn care who we get as long as they energize the fan base and finish no worse than 5th in ACC every year.
All that involves is winning ALL ur home games and stealing 2/4 on the road. Cremins did it for years. S@#$-can the one and done model and get kids who want to be here for more than a semester. And please, dont get a coach with anuther agenda besides winning. Seems like the last clown that was here was trying to make a statement about socioeconomics/race/attitude or something.
Paul in RDU
March 16th, 2011
2:51 pm
IL Jacket
The problem with trying to schedule the ACC tourney in the RBC Center is that the Hurricanes also play there. The ACC Tourney takes over an arena for at least 5 days and the Hurricanes would not want to have a 1 week road trip in the middle of March when they are trying to make the playoffs
reebok
March 16th, 2011
2:56 pm
Bring back Cremnins for 2 years as a recruiter/face of the program w/ Craig Neil as understudy head-coach-in-waiting
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
3:03 pm
The owners of the United Center are greedier, both the Bulls and Blackhawks have to go on two week roadtrips in November when the circus comes to town.
Paul in RDU
March 16th, 2011
3:07 pm
Big difference between long road trips in November and in March when you are trying to make the playoffs. Heck, the Canes played their first 2 regular season games in Finland this year.
GTBob
March 16th, 2011
3:07 pm
BYRDDAWG, just curiously, do you have any data to backup your claim that being a college team in a major city automatically increases your attendance? St Johns averaged less attendance then we did last year and they play in Madison Square Garden in the best conference in college basketball.
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
3:11 pm
That’s true. It just pains me to watch the late game on Thursday and see what looked like 300 fans on the stands. Of course, VT vs. GT In basketball this year is a tough matchup to draw a crowd to.
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 16th, 2011
3:17 pm
Byrddawg, your ignorance keeps showing. What the numbers mean is that, at least 9,000 people are willing to buy a ticket and show up if we put a good product on the court. The price of those tickets will reflect, how many more would be willing to do the same had they had an opportunity to purchase. A little matter of Supply vs Demand, but based on your arguments so far I don’t expect you to grasp the concept.
StingerSplash
March 16th, 2011
3:18 pm
Doug,
Keep in mind Bobby Cremins coaches in a one-bid conference now. But look at the teams his CofC teams have beaten and how many games they win per season.
Alabama Jack
March 16th, 2011
3:22 pm
Duke is puke, and Wake is fake, but NC State is the one to hate.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
3:23 pm
Mighty, how about the 50,000 in football?? I was an Econ major genius so maybe you could explain the fact thay you’re building another 9,000 seat arena?? Not expecting a good product maybe?
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
3:33 pm
Byrddawg, Mighty you boys should come to Chicago. The Cubs have suspended the laws of supply and demand. It doesn’t matter what product they put on the field, 3,000,000 guaranteed. If they didn’t start the season in the middle of winter they could draw more to their little bandbox.
Stinger 2
March 16th, 2011
3:35 pm
Some of these comments show how important it is that the schools make their own decisions about who they hire as coaches. As a fan, I have no idea who is the best choice for GT. I believe that is the case for all of those who make suggestions such as to hire Mark Price,Kenny Anderson or bring back Bobby Cremmins. Also true with the other suggestions made. Fans just do not really know who should be hired. They just want to be heard under assumed
blog names.
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 16th, 2011
3:40 pm
Byrddawg, you don’t need to tell me where your degree is from, it shows. The 55,000 football stadium results from a trade off between maintenance cost, average and peak attendance. Au contraire mon amie, we are expecting a good product. With a 9,000 seat arena you can count with sold outs all the time, bringing in more $$$ with the same maintenance cost we currently have (probably less because it will be new). I get that you WERE an Econ genious, I will like to know what happened. You have my sympathy.
Paul in RDU
March 16th, 2011
3:44 pm
If the size and age of a basketball arena had anything to do with wins and losses, Duke would be a mid-major.
gomabman2
March 16th, 2011
3:46 pm
It does not matter what type of arena a player plays in, as long as there is an opposing team and a couple of hoops. They need a coach who they can confide in and an environment surrounding the school to enjoy. Tech meets that criteria better than any school in Raleigh, NC. I lived there, not the most enthusiastic place to be outside of attending college sports games. No knock on Raleigh, but as an athlete, NOT!
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 16th, 2011
3:47 pm
Paul, could you please explain that to our friend Byrddawg, he’s having problems understanding the concept.
PTC Dawg
March 16th, 2011
4:11 pm
All this talk about the modern “Arena Advantage” is overstated. I believe the Dukies at Cameron would validate that.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
4:12 pm
This is getting comical….Hire Noodles & most of your fan base SHOULD be happy! Maybe he could do better than Hewitt {4-7} vs my DAWGS …..and we play in a barn!
GT45
March 16th, 2011
4:27 pm
Does anyone know what Keith Brookings waist size is?
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 16th, 2011
4:31 pm
PTC, like Paul stated before, a new arena has nothing to do with wins and losses, but it is a feature that will help attract/detract a coaching candidate.
GT Baby
March 16th, 2011
4:45 pm
Dadgun we need a insider up-date on GT’s future Basketball Coach………….
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
4:57 pm
BYRDDAWG, if I were you, or any mutt fan, I wouldn’t be talking about basketball and attendance at games. Once every 20 years or so for a couple of years, the mutts have a half-way decent to decent b’ball team, and then the coach either moves on to greener pastures, or cheats and gets fired. For those 2 or 3 years every 20, the fans MIGHT come out in Athens. The rest of the time, how many do you get? Maybe 2 or 3 thousand on the average? And that with a 30,000+ student body and a pathetic arena built with Georgia tax-payer dollars, unlike any of Tech’s facilities which have NEVER used any tax-payer money to build or maintain. THUGa is, for the most part, totally irrelevant in college basketball—-always has been; always will be.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
5:05 pm
Supersize, I’m glad to see they didn’t take you off lifesupport after all….Is this really you or not???I think the other you is hewitt fan in disguise… LOL! I’m not talking about UGA basketball as I stated earlier we play in a barn! What I don’t understand is why the new arena is only 9K…EXPLAIN!!
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
5:11 pm
BYRDDAWG, I sorta disagree with the decision to make it smaller than it was, but why should we have one the size of NC State’s? Duke, as others have pointed out, doesn’t, and it sure doesn’t hurt them. If Tech ever needs a larger arena for some of the more important games, we can probably use Phillips, just like we used the OMNI back in the 80s. But the dome, or whatever meaningless name it may be “officially” called in the future, was (and hopefully will be again) a very intimidating place for opponents BECAUSE of its size, shape and “intimacy.” It didn’t become the “Thriller Dome,” simply because of the quality of Tech’s teams, but also because of the fact that it was a helluva place to have to play.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
5:13 pm
BTW, BYRDDAWG, yes, I am the ORIGINAL supersize. I have no idea who the other guy was or why he thought it necessary to use my name. I assume you recognize me from the contents of my post. I appreciate that. DAMN, I showing gratitude to a mutt—what’s the world coming to? LOL
Suck it nerd
March 16th, 2011
5:15 pm
Tech will always have problems due to academic standards. Coaches see that the expectation is high (as it should be). But some coaches are going to shy away from the challenge of recruiting talented players that can make the grade. I think that is one of just a few things keeping Tech from being a powerhouse.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
5:20 pm
LOL!!!! Supersize, my wife & I will be going to the Ga- tech football game this fall with a tech pastor friend of ours from Cumming….If you want to meet us @ the V I’ll buy your dinner!!!! It will be my 31st straight of the good clean old fashioned hate game ….my 1st was my freshman yr w/ Hershel!!!
Old Tech & Mountaineer fan in NC
March 16th, 2011
5:21 pm
Coach K, Roy and G Williams are 60ish. Hope Tech hires a younger guy so when these present icons are gone, the Tech guy will have sufficient experience to step into the “guy to beat” role.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
5:25 pm
That’s very kind of you, BYRDDAWG, but the V??? Can’t you do better than that? LOL I guess that place is still somewhat a novelty for visiting fans, but I haven’t been there since I graduated from Tech in 1967. I quit going to the games in Athens after the debacle in Gailey’s first year (probably would have quit regardless because of the traffic, parking, and fans), but I have been attending since 1962 when I was a freshman at Tech. I have been a season ticket buyer since I graduated, and had season basketball tickets from about 1998 till last year. I stopped buying them because of the combination of Hewitt’s lousy coaching and the 2+ hour drive back to Augusta late at night.
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
5:26 pm
Tokyo Jacket, you out there? You doing OK? Our prayers are with you and the Japanese people.
Genius Jacket
March 16th, 2011
5:28 pm
Tech’s academic standards?
Have you seen the graduation rates for Tech B-ball players under Hewitt?
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
5:30 pm
IL Jacket, I’ll second that. I had completely forgotten about our brother over there.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
5:30 pm
I know his UGA past is a big negative for you guys but I’d give Tubby a good look if the HOGS don’t get him first…..BTW , I was wondering who the Tech fans will be pulling for if we play “baby blue”????
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
5:34 pm
BYRDDAWG, I for one would rather go with someone much younger than Tubby. My only thoughts about him are how much fun it would be to rag all the mutts with the fact that a former mutt coach came to Tech. But I don’t think he would do it anyway. Who is “baby blue”? Not that it matters, because, as has been said so many times in the past by so many others, my favorite teams are always the Jackets and whoever plays Georgia.
BYRDDAWG
March 16th, 2011
5:36 pm
North Carolina
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
5:38 pm
oh, ok. North Carolina, of course
GT72
March 16th, 2011
5:47 pm
Don’t know about NC State but I think we need a new coach with a few new ideas. First, finishing in the middle of the road in the ACC during the regular season is a bad thing. Bobby C wasn’t happy with that but how many times did you hear PH say that was okay. Second if you have 1 pro player = NCAA, 2 pros = Sweet 16 and 3 pros = final four. We had one year with PH with 3 pros that we didn’t make the NCAA. Third the players should get better the longer they stay. Fourth the team sould be able to get the ball in bounds. Finally we should go down to North Ave and fill the stadum!
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
5:48 pm
Congratulations to both of you Supersize and Byrddawg. Those are tremendous records of consecutive years of fandom. Obviously, both of you are passionate about your teams having seen them through thick and thin. It also shows what can be best in the rivalry of alums from Georgia’s two great institutes of higher education.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
5:51 pm
Thanks, IL Jacket. I have to admit though that I hate running into a mutt fan like BYRDDAWG seems to be. I can’t be my usual offensive self with him. LOL
Pack Fan
March 16th, 2011
5:54 pm
hahaha so the arena that hasn’t been built yet gives Tech an edge on our 150 million dollar arena that was designed similarly to the Staples Center? stout logic there I’m assuming he went to an SEC school.
bring back glory days
March 16th, 2011
5:59 pm
If Tech goes within our lineage then State’s search has no effect. Personally I think we could do just fine with a Neal, Price or Barry. Other up and coming coaches might also bring success but it’s a better story if someoine in the family has success in the program…would energize the fan base quicker I think.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
6:00 pm
OK, dinner time here. Hope to see some more of you guys’ comments later. For the first time I can remember, other than BYRDDAWG, there haven’t been any mutts in here posting their usual drivel. And, as hard as it is to admit, even BYRDDAWG has been pretty cool. lol
Tony Shumpert
March 16th, 2011
6:03 pm
Doug, do you think DRad will get the opinion of Iman and other leaders concerning the coaching search?
Doug Roberson
March 16th, 2011
6:09 pm
Well, Pack Fan, I’d say next year is a wash because Tech will likely play most of its games at Philips Arena. And then the new arena will open that is built specifically for basketball and not a multi-plex building like the one N.C. State plays in.
Doug Roberson
March 16th, 2011
6:10 pm
He may, but I’d be surprised. The players won’t be around more than three more years at most (maybe four). The coach is supposed to be around for longer.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
6:14 pm
Tech and State both ought to be looking at Bruce Pearl, now that Tennessee is tepid about him. With a few contractual provisions about NCAA compliance in place, he would be a formidable hire for either school.
BIG BEE
March 16th, 2011
6:16 pm
Jesusislord, The first commandment is “Thou shall have no other Gods before me”!This includes football and basketball and all other sports. This is not a suggestion. There are no suggestions in the Bible, only commandments.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
6:18 pm
Pack Fan: The RBC arena is nice, but not exactly state of the art and not the intimidating place that Cameron or even the old Reynolds was. It is not a slam dunk better arena than Tech’s, which will be finished for the 2012-2013 season. And playing in Philips Arena ain’t too shabby. With other facilities upgrades already in place, Tech gets the edge on physical plant. The Pack still has the advantage in heritage and hoops tradition, and certainly they will pay more than Tech. But overall, they are different kinds of positions and both excellent places to coach.
Wilson Dunkit
March 16th, 2011
6:20 pm
jesusislord: you are wrong, my friend. Jesus is a Yellow Jacket.
Wilson Dunkit
March 16th, 2011
6:20 pm
And even Jesus hates the Bulldogs.
Wilson Dunkit
March 16th, 2011
6:22 pm
It ain’t the size or the age of the arena: it’s how well you fill it and how often you win in it.
Long time state fan
March 16th, 2011
6:23 pm
I don’t agree about the talent for next year. Howell, Leslie, Harrow, Brown, Painter, and Uchebo (incoming freshman from Raleigh) were all in ESPN’s top 100. Wood and CJ Williams were in Rivals and Scout’s top 150. There was a reason NC State was picked to finish 4th in the ACC this year by the media without actually winning games the last few seasons to justify the ranking. Shumpert’s getting to be a good player but the rest of Tech looked pretty bad against us.
And about expectations: why should NC State not want to be a top notch program? Inherently, there is nothing that UNC or Duke or any other program have that we don’t other than having had better coaches the last 20 years. I’m not saying we’ll be competitive again anytime soon but we might as well try. Herb was good but can anybody remember more than 2 or 3 big games he won in 10 years? Herb’s problem was the demoralizing collapses (losing 7 straight after getting ranked in 2000, losing 6 of 9 to end his final season after climbing in to the top 10 with a 9-2 mark in the ACC, etc) and blowing big games (examples: 03 ACC championship game when we were up by double digits for most of the second half before choking, 04 acc semifinal game up by 20 at the half and losing, 04 tourney game – losing a 15 point lead in the final 5 minutes to Vandy) Those are my memories of Herb!
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
6:25 pm
I won’t stand too close to Wilson for fear of a lightning strike, but I do agree with his comment on arenas. Coaches want good practice, workout and rehab facilities, preferably dedicated to one sport, one team. Of course they want to be comfortable in their offices and locker rooms. But mostly they want a packed house, any house, where they can win.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
6:33 pm
LGPF: Sendek went to the NCAA the last five years he was there, but I know State fans wanted and expected more. That speaks to their desire and expectation to win. In Atlanta, and to a lesser degree in Durham and Chapel Hill, people have a hard time remembering past the last five years and ironically view Raleigh as provincial. But many in the ACC know of State’s rich ACC tradition, Everett Case, etc., and I agree that State is in the catbird seat to turn it around and surprise some folks in the next couple of years. That said, no coach seriously considers the previous coach’s recruiting classes when signing a long term deal. It is something he finds out about when they show up for the first team meeting after signing on the bottom line. Curious, maybe, but who’s going to let a few pimply-faced adolescents stand between him and millions of bucks for his family?
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
6:41 pm
The answer to Doug’s original question is “No, the NC State opening will not significantly impact the Tech search or hiring process.” I like both programs, both schools. Both are good gigs and it is pointless to argue which is best….each is different in nature and similar in stature. Most importantly, we both hate Duke.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
6:42 pm
Why can’t we all just hate Duke and UNC and get along? Peace. Love. VW buses. All that s**t.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
6:44 pm
Mooney’s Tech team and Miller’s State team should have some good games over the next decade.
Old Tech & Mountaineer fan in NC
March 16th, 2011
7:19 pm
Without a doubt Jesus is a yellow jacket! Why does Heaven have streets paved with gold?
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
7:42 pm
Too late, FAKE Supersize. He’s already gone, and he already knows me. GET A LIFE, SUCKER !!!
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
7:45 pm
Why in God’s name one guy steals another guy’s screen name, I’ll never know.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
7:47 pm
Beats me too, IL Jacket. I guess it’s some kind of insecurity or penis envy.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
7:53 pm
I guess since BYRDDAWG had figured out who the real supersize is that others should be able to also. At any rate, I’m logging out for the night, so anything further that is posted in my name is the faker. Pay him no heed. And if any of you see him post, call him on it, because it’s definitely not me. Have a good night, all !!!
JACKETNATION
March 16th, 2011
8:21 pm
Enter your comments here
JACKETNATION
March 16th, 2011
8:21 pm
here is a great read about Bobby Cemins
http://johnstrubel.com/2007/05/18/one-on-one-with-bobby-cremins/
IL Jacket
March 16th, 2011
8:31 pm
You sir, need help.
sasquatch
March 16th, 2011
8:43 pm
Look guys, the job at Tech is really simple. Just show up and play competitively, because we recognize that the cream will likely end up in the Carolinas. Or elsewhere lately……When FSU can come up to Dunwoody High and get one of the best Georgia players under Hewetts nose, that is embarassing. And then FSU strolls in and puts an old-fashioned whooping on Tech, opening up a 17-2 start. C’mon man. Back to the subject – If a coach wants a lot of pressure, he can go to the Carolina’s. If he wants lower expectations and a fat salary and a new arena, come to Tech. He will live longer and not have to regularly beat Duke and UNC to meet fans demands.
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
8:45 pm
What the hell?
ACCelerator
March 16th, 2011
8:45 pm
Wichita State, under potential coaching prospect Gregg Marshall, is beating up on Nebraska in NIT.
Jesusislord has SFB
March 16th, 2011
8:48 pm
nuff said
Jesusislord has SFB
March 16th, 2011
8:48 pm
Enter your comments here
jesus is dead
March 16th, 2011
9:00 pm
both school stink
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
9:01 pm
OK, I said I was logging out for the night, but I wanted to check to see if anything else of interest had been posted. WOW, was I surprised. Paud in RDU !!! Who on earth do you think I am? I don’t have a partner named Joseph, nor for that matter, one named Josephine. Hell, I don’t have a partner at all. I think you obviously have the wrong person in mind here. And who the heck is Gary ???
Paul in RDU
March 16th, 2011
9:01 pm
Looks like I have an imposter. Middle school must be out in Georgia
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
9:03 pm
Paul, that’s sorta what I figured. I know you don’t know me personally, and I don’t know you either. Takes all kinds, doesn’t it?
Supersize that order, mutt
March 16th, 2011
9:04 pm
I think it’s way past time that the people in charge of these blogs start screening names for correct email addresses.
ThrowdownG
March 16th, 2011
9:47 pm
I believe that Bruce Pearl will soon be available. If you don’t mind a little dirt in your recruiting…
Coach Grohbo
March 16th, 2011
9:51 pm
The ACC is and will always be controlled with the Tobacco Road schools’ interests at heart. Officiating, rules enforcement, site selection, will always be heavily slanted toward Tobacco Road. Tobacco Road also invests much more resources on basketball.
N.C. State is Tobacco Road. Georgia Tech is not.
Illinois Jacquet
March 16th, 2011
9:56 pm
IL,
Maybe you do know.
Ramblin Recluse Road
March 16th, 2011
10:02 pm
As Tech grad from early 70’s, I predict Noodles will get the job. Cremins has a new arena at the C of C, a semi-retired coaching job, lost to the C of C in Atl, and I don’t think he’d be interested. Noodles is assistant coach at New Mexico. He’s white, the great white hope after Hewitt recruited unfaithful black players who went to the NBA. Maybe Price might get the job. How about Barry? Harpring? Too young? Noodles is in the coaching profession, and that’s why his experience and Tech experience might get him the job…if he wants to leave New Mexico. Tech has nothing in common with NC State. We had the living daylights beat out of us by them in football this past year when they put on a football clinic for us. One of their two colors is red, like Georgia’s red and black. Tech needs to divorce itself from this love affair with black for uniform color of football teams. No, I don’t believe what happens at NC State will affect Tech at all. North Carolina is not like Atlanta at all. I’ve lived in both states, and NC is small potatos compared with Atlanta.
Ramblin Recluse Road
March 16th, 2011
10:16 pm
One reason for for hiring Price or Noodles- they wore those gym short-styled pants with the uniforms, not the long, knee length uniforms they wear now. Another reason is they never chewed gum playing for Cremins, as somer of the black players have done on tv playing for Hewitt, as if they were playing pickup games of street ball in ghettos, maybe a Techwood playground pickup game from the old days of Techwood housing south of North Avenue in the 70’s and 80’s, pre-Olympics days.
GT93
March 16th, 2011
10:27 pm
concerning the size of GT’s new arena, you might consider the fact that it is located on a land-locked inner-city site at the North edge of downtown Atlanta. Aside from the building itself, you have minimums that must be met for street setbacks, # of parking spaces, ADA accessibility … just to name a few. Once all of these are laid out on a Site Plan, I’d say we’re lucky to have a seating capacity near 10k. Similar story for Bobby Dodd Stadium. It is what it is, Byrddawg.
GT just does not have the ability to expand its facilities endlessly because it is an urban campus.
Titus
March 16th, 2011
10:57 pm
You people that denigrate or mcok the comparisons per Raleigh and/or the state of NC are numb to the world and of poor taste. And who the heck cares about Atl’s pomp, circumstance, cosmo traits…and oh yea, utter squalor.
Raleigh’s one of the finest, fastest growing, most beautiful cities in the union. Perfectly located…hrs from the beach, mountains to the west and Pinehurst close by.
The great state of NC takes the cake folks…
LizardLick
March 16th, 2011
11:13 pm
Noodles Neal might one day coach at Georgia Tech, but he’s got to pay some dues as a head coach first. Not that he couldn’t do it, but I don’t think DRad is in an experimental mode. It is true that one way to energize a fanbase is to hire a fan favorite, but the best way is to hire a proven winner who can deliver wins and confidence quickly. I think Richmond’s Mooney or WSU’s Marshall might be on the short list but like many of the best prospects, they are in tourneys right now. I couldn’t go for Grant (who wouldn’t go for us, either) or Amaker (too Duke) or Pearl (NCAA).
LizardLick
March 16th, 2011
11:18 pm
The schools, their host cities, and the positions themselves at Tech and State are both of similarly high quality. Trashing one or the other is pointless. Of course each position will affect the other, AFTER the respective coaches are hired they will have to play each other for years to come. While there may be a little overlap, for the most part Dan Radakovich and Debbie Yow are fishing in different ponds. Tech is using a search consultant, while State is using a search firm. Both must wait for some of their targeted prospects to exit from the NCAA and NIT.
FullMetalJacket
March 16th, 2011
11:20 pm
Disappointed that the AJC hasn’t dug up any more info on the search, but not surprised. I don’t expect any reliable announcements (or leaks, even) until after another round or two of tournament play.
Uga is dead (all of 'em 1-7); Jesus is a Yellow Jacket
March 16th, 2011
11:21 pm
Just the facts.
Dollar Bill
March 16th, 2011
11:50 pm
Petey – it tells me there was some money floating around.
Now VCU just won. I thought they looked like a High Scool team. My list has narrowed. USC coach put team under a cloud with his crap so this game may not be a good display of VCU. Weshall see.
I wait to see my #1 choice and his Spiders.
C C
March 17th, 2011
1:31 am
Funny how so many people are saying that GT “won’t open their wallet”, even though they have no real info or facts to back it up, other than a perception that the GTAA has fallen on hard times financially recently. There are still good income streams, big donors, and reserves. Dan R has made it clear that Hewitt’s buyout will NOT affect the new coach’s salary, and told Doug directly that it won’t be capped.
GT will is much more willing to spend more than these people think. Dan knows the stakes are high with this hire.
C C
March 17th, 2011
1:33 am
I agree with Doug’s “advantaage: Tech” and “advantage: NC St” conclusions, but there is a lot of pure speculation on his part about GT not spending nearly as much as NC State.
Also GT has had several years of consistent sellout crowds during better times. The fan base can and will respond.
C C
March 17th, 2011
1:44 am
BTW things have changed, but back in the day Chris Washburn was admitted to NC St after getting LESS THAN 500 on his S.A.T. Another NC St player had one of the great dumb sports quotes of all tiime:
“Left hand, right hand, it doesn’t matter. I’m amphibious.”
I’ve got nothing against NC St. Loved their Cinderella run back in ‘83. I do hate to see schools go so far to compromise their standards for athletes (good riddance, Bowden!). It was a long time ago, and hopefully wasn’t systemic to their program (ref Bowden again, Jan Kemp). But I just had to find an excuse to share that Shackleford quote…
C C
March 17th, 2011
2:25 am
@ Doug “I understand Cremins’ place in Tech’s history, but he’s been to 1 NCAA tournament in his last 11 coaching seasons”
Doug, 5 of those years were at College of Charleston, so it’s not fair to expect the same level of participation in the NCAAs. They have come very close at least twice there, maybe more than that. In his 5 years there, they have won had FOUR seasons of 22 wins or more, and they just beat Dayton in the opening round of the NIT. More than GT can say this year. Not bad at all for a small school.
True, Cremins only took GT to one NCAA and 3 NITs during his last 7 years (though GT just missed NCAAs at least 2-3 of those years and truly got jobbed at least once). But right before that GT made the NCAAs NINE times in a row, and the Sweet 16 FOUR times during those 9 years…helluva run!
Things weren’t the same after the South Carolina debacle in 1993. Give Cremins credit, he HAS done well at Charleston.
I do NOT think he is the answer for GT now. As CPH favorite Mark Bradley said “You can’t go home again”. And I think he’s happy with the situation in Charleston anyway.
Vidalia Bubba
March 17th, 2011
7:40 am
Any fool would like a job, that paid 3.5 million or 1.7 million. I would coach for a lot less, and put my record in iwo years against those two that left. Try me Dan for a million.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
March 17th, 2011
8:43 am
Sorry Tekis, you remain delusional. Headline should read GT wants winos.
Chuck Allison
March 17th, 2011
9:35 am
Tech has been the laughingstock of the NCAA for the last five years because everyone knew we wanted to dump Hewitt but could not afford to.
I hope we can find someone old enough to remember the Tech basketball program before Hewitt and realize that we did have some basketball tradition at one time.
Jackets 2011 (Robert Barron)
March 17th, 2011
9:42 am
I realize I have some views out of the mainstream of Tech thinking.
Is it fair to hold it against a coach when a player, who has saved the coach’s and team’s rear, doesn’t have a happy ending at Tech?
Anthony Sherrod made the winning shot against Uga one year.
Now don’t we all miss plays like that?
He shot himself his senior year.
Against FSU, we had lost 12 in a row and I was sick and tired of it.
I forgot his name but the son of a past Tech QB stepped up and broke the Nole’s hold on us and won the game, preventing another heart-breaking loss.
Instead of Tech being his oyster, it appears to be like “what have u done for me lately?”
He transfered to Richmond.
Seems like we could have used him somewhere on last year very mediocre team.
So I don’t have Bobby or Paul on any pedestal of admiration because I wonder about both situations.
I have my own reasons but that’s how I see it.
MC
March 17th, 2011
9:53 am
Tech better get this right. If Mark Fox stays at UGA and GT whiffs this hire, GT losses all relevance athletically in this state.
GT Bee
March 17th, 2011
9:54 am
Any chance for Steve Alford..?
Paul N Destin
March 17th, 2011
10:29 am
Ga Tech and relevance?…LOL….good thought though. The Jackets crashed the day Dodd thought he was bigger than the SEC. Coach Bryant made his azz quit just like Nick Saban did , Fulmer,Tubbs,Tommy Bowden and put the Pastor Richt on life support after the blackout.
It's a new day, Doug. Time for a new topic.
March 17th, 2011
10:33 am
I know the leading candidates for the Tech and State jobs are still coaching in tournaments, but this blog is getting really stale. Time to mix it up, Doug.
It's a new day, Doug. Time for a new topic.
March 17th, 2011
10:35 am
Paul N Denial: Made the drive up to Auburn to kill any shrubs lately?
jojo sunshine
March 17th, 2011
10:36 am
There are plenty of names that have been thrown into the mix but only a couple of scenario’s that make sense. One, hire a coach that is not coaching but is looking for the right situation: Larry Brown would be awesome. He has a national championship under his belt from when he and Danny Manning won it at Kansas. He has many NBA final appearances. He has instant credibility. This would be a great hire. Or you still have Billy Gillispie who was ousted at Kentucky. Yes he failed to get Kentucky into the NCAA tournament his last year (I think Kentucky should have went that year but I have a conspiracy theory on that) but he took A&M every year he was there I think. He is a great recruiter and a great coach. You could also go the route of the mid-major coach. I would give Butler’s coach the first nod, then move onto St.Mary’s coach, and might possibly go with the assistant of Butler. I mean they had Thad Matta, Lickliter, and now Stevens. Every assistant they promote to the head job has done very well at Butler. I know Lickliter did not do so hot at Iowa, but look at Thad Matta at Ohio State.
Thanks for reading.
C C
March 17th, 2011
10:51 am
Ken Stallings, you MIGHT be right about comparing the facilities. But have you been to the Zelniak Center? Can you be so definitive in your statements? Can GT fans who say their facilities will be better, be so sure? I think the answer to both is “no”.
There’s a lot we don’t know what the new facility will be like at GT, other then some renderings. It will be very nice, no doubt. Yes, much smaller than RBC. But the stands at RBC looked pretty empty lately too (as did AMC, we all know). The new GT facility will be ready after 1 season of temporarily playing off-campus. As Doug mentioned, it will be made for basketball, not multi-purpose, which does provide a better atmosphere. Philips is cool, but I’d MUCH rather go to a game in a good college BASKETBALL facility, than a general-purpose arena.
BTW NCSU isn’t 2nd in enrollment in the ACC, it’s 3rd. (You forgot about Maryland.) But yes, it’s much larger than GT and offers more majors. I’m not one who argues that GT provides a broad spectrum of majors. It doesn’t, but it’s better than SOME people give it credit for. Of course it does not have the really athlete-friendly majors of a Free Shoes University, for example.
IMO your characterizations of Lowe, Sendek, Hewitt and fan support are WAY off: Sendek did MUCH better than ACC than Hewitt overall. GT fans loved Hewitt after 2004 and 2005. There was PLENTY of fan support. But the last 6 years have been really bad, similar to Lowe, and BOTH fan bases have responded similarly. While Lowe “officially” resigned, a lot of fans wanted him out last year, and Yow made it clear his results weren’t good enough when it ended for him this year:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/03/15/2142962/sidney-lowe-resigns-as-nc-state.html
Sendek didn’t make a final four but made the NCAAs his last 5 years, 2nd round 4 times, Sweet 16 once. And it was made clear the fans didn’t want him despite that. With Hewitt we’ve had FOUR losing seasons OVERALL (not just ACC) in the last 6 years, have ranked DEAD LAST in ACC winning percentage over the last 7 years (and the last 6 years). So it’s ludicrous to say that the NCSU fans who ran off winning Sendek were somehow ‘more reasonable’.
Will post some numbers on Sendek and Hewitt’s records shortly. The results speak for themselves.
At least we can all agree to hate on UNC and Dook…
C C
March 17th, 2011
10:59 am
@ Gordon “Even with Hewitt, we’ve been getting better players and winning more than NC State for years.”
@ Doug “Gordon, that’s an interesting point.”
Not so fast, my friends! Only during the Sidney Lowe era — the last 5 years, just under half of CPH’s career at GT — has GT been “winning more”…and not by much. If you tally up the last 6-7 years, GT is 12th of 12 in the ACC.
During the first 6 years of CPH’s GT tenure, Sendek did better than CPH in the ACC, even though that was the much more succesful part of CPH’s time at GT. Herb S. didn’t make a final four run, but did get to the NCAAs his last 5 years, and at least to the 2nd round 4 of those years. During those 6 years, GT made the NCAAs 3 times.
Now if you consider ONLY the last 5 years, when things dropped off even more at NC State than they did at GT, then we’ve done slightly better. Or, you could say, CPH has sucked slightly less than Sidney Lowe, on average.
GT HAS been getting better players throughout for the most part, but what has CPH achieved with them? The numbers don’t lie:
Last 11 years (CPH era):
NCSU 76-100 ACC — 5 NCAAs, 2 NITs
GT 72-104 ACC — 5 NCAAs, 1 NIT
The numbers show the bIg difference for both GT and NC State, if you break down those 11 years into the “Sendek era and “Lowe era”
Hewitt’s first 6 years (end of the Sendek era):
NCSU 51-45 ACC — 5NCAAs
GT 43-53 ACC — 3NCAAs, 1 NIT
Hewitt’s last 5 years (Lowe era):
GT 29-51 ACC — 2 NCAAs
NCSU 25-55 ACC — 2 NITs
C C
March 17th, 2011
11:06 am
Jackets 2011,
Interesting quotes from Bilas earlier. He’s usually pretty objective and insightful. One can’t help but wonder if, as a Duke alum, he likes tweaking NCSU for Duke’s benefit. Maybe not, but it’s possible. JB does a good job keeping any homer-biases to himself. The anti-Lou-Holtz, I guess.
This year Bilas rightfully stood up for VT. Agree with Jackets 2011 and Bilas about VT not having much to complain about in 2009, but plenty to complain about this year.
(Speaking of Duke alums and the NCAAs: After Duke’s loss in the opening round of the 2004 Final Four in San Antonio, we saw Chris Duhan buying some shots for folks in a bar, so he was being a good sport. At least he was after he had been drowning his sorrows for a while…)
C C
March 17th, 2011
11:11 am
AtlantaWolf, yes it was quiet this year at GT games for the most part, but RBC looked dead when I watched them play GT too. Obviously BOTH fan bases were unhappy this year. But there’s a reason AMC was dubbed the Thrillerdome by Brad Nessler. When GT is doing well, it rocks. Absolutely nothing like you’ve described. I have no doubt that NSCU fans get loud and RBC is awesome when they are doing well, but there’s no need to fabricate BS to denigrate GT to make yourself feel better.
If you want to see wine and cheese fans, you know you can go to a UNC footlball game for that. Slide rule jokes are exceptionally lame at this point. We expect (and continue to receive) that sort of junk from some of the less-creative SEC fans. Call us nerds if you must…We’ll laugh all the way to the bank. Or to the International Space Station.
Paul in RDU
March 17th, 2011
11:14 am
jojo sunshine
Larry Brown? You can’t possibly be serious. The man is 71 years old – and a Carolina grad to boot.
Doug Roberson
March 17th, 2011
11:40 am
Actually, I was responding to an earlier point Gordon had made. But those are interesting stats, also.
Doug Roberson
March 17th, 2011
11:41 am
I said that my thoughts about GT’s salary budget was mostly speculation.
jomo
March 17th, 2011
2:32 pm
CREMINS mkay be “retired” as you say but he has a built a team, and program at Charleston that right now is better than Tech, hands down….
tigerfan
March 18th, 2011
9:33 am
Tiger fan here…you Tech fans that think the head job is equal to or better than the NC State head job are borderline delusional…wow. Check out NC State’s rich history and tradition and compare it to your own history and tradition. Tech football is vastly superior to NC State, but NC State basketball is vastly superior to Tech.
TruthBKnown Returns
March 18th, 2011
2:15 pm
I’ve never seen so many stupid people posting in one place — not since the last time I ventured into an InsideCarolina.com blog.
You people have come here like moths to a light. Hilarious!
neil marlowe
March 18th, 2011
9:56 pm
“tech expected to be very good next year”? are you kidding? same players who went 13-18?
we will be lucky to finish .500.