Radakovich not interested in Tennessee
It shouldn’t come as a great surprise, but Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich said Friday he has no interest in becoming the next athletic director at Tennessee. The opening at Tennessee was one of a number of topics covered in a wide-ranging interview with the AJC that will be published next week.
“I’m really happy here at Georgia Tech,” Radakovich said, adding that he had had no contact with Tennessee.
In light of his previous employment at LSU, Miami and South Carolina and his producitve tenure at Georgia Tech, Radakovich has often been linked to high-profile AD openings.
Tennessee is in search for a replacement to Mike Hamilton, who announced his resignation Tuesday. Tennessee has been charged with major NCAA violations in men’s basketball and football and goes before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions Saturday.
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68 comments Add your comment
O'Mally
June 10th, 2011
5:45 pm
Sweet.
Americus Jacket
June 10th, 2011
5:45 pm
I’m glad he’s staying!
Innocent Bystander
June 10th, 2011
5:59 pm
Only a crazy person would be interested in the Tenn AD job. Lots of cleaning up to do.
Jacket Backer
June 10th, 2011
6:07 pm
Good!
GTfanForever
June 10th, 2011
6:07 pm
Great to hear!!
5150 UOAD
June 10th, 2011
6:11 pm
The VOLS 3-4 times the money and the problems. Who really want the job? And you have to wear that ugly Orange.
threetrone
June 10th, 2011
6:31 pm
He got the new indoor football practice facility for the old Rose Bowl field- “The Flats”. I would like to see him do something about the art coup that took place at Tech in 1980 when “Buzz” was born. This coup took over the yellow jacket art we enjoyed at Tech in the early 70’s. Now every yj is “Buzz”, whether you like it or not. Nobody had a chance to voice their likes or dislikes about whether to allow “Buzz” to take over by art coup. Why create “Buzz” that has to look like the mascot at games? Why not keep the old yj from when BD was the coach and AD? Maybe Radikovich can bring back the old yj in various forms and see if this art becomes more popular than “Buzz”. When visiting ramblinwreck.com, a t-shirt called “vintage” has “Buzz” on it, not the yj from the BD years. Radikovich also needs to embrace what the head of the alumni association said in the “Tech Topics” alumni newspaper when he said that “black is out” for one of Tech’s colors. That means no black thigh high stockings for the football team to wear AT ALL, no wide black side stripes on football pants irregardless if some tiny bit of gold was included as “art”, no black football “black watch defense” jerseys, but black leather shoes and boots like those worn by Bobby Ross’s teams would be all right to wear since they’re the original football shoes. Some use of black is, of course, expected, in pin striping, but large scale black is out.
Delbert D.
June 10th, 2011
6:43 pm
Knoxville is a special place. I’ve lived there, and it’s just special. Fortunately, there are alternate routes north to civilization these days.
NOVAJacket
June 10th, 2011
6:45 pm
You’re an idiot, threetrone. Don’t bring gratuitous racism into this.
bitter collage football fan
June 10th, 2011
7:19 pm
thats good he is staying—but new recruiting reporter that took chip towers place needs to be flushed out to well grade school where he came from————–read his latest artical on ricky parks going to all-burn
————-he spent all of 15 min writing it and never showed up with any chip towers im here waiting and well he just anounced !!!get it
————————–new guy su———-xxxsss
bitter collage football fan
June 10th, 2011
7:23 pm
ask the ?——why did ricky parks not chose ga or ga tech????—–lame reporting
Stirring the Pot
June 10th, 2011
7:32 pm
To bitter collage(sic) football fan, Parks said that he had a $pecial relationship with the Auburn Coach. I hear there’s lots of money hidden at the Barn.
Tech Fan Since 1950
June 10th, 2011
7:40 pm
Threethrone,I can’t agree with your overall thoughts as expressed above but glad for your continued interest and support of Tech. The overall yj(s), as you say, were all over the place during my youth but Tech lacked a true visual athletic identity. A good bit of work went into the development of “Buzz” with test marketing from students and alumni. Today Buzz is one of the most popular athletic mascots. I do wish Tech could be consistent year to year, like in the old days, wearing the same type of uniform, but i am not opposed to black, blue or gold jerseys from time to time, especially on the road.
Dan Radakovich has done a terrific job at Tech and I hope he stays for as long as he wants. Tech does need to reach out more to the overall Atlanta community. So far there has not been a magic formula for that except consistent winning. Yes, I know, things change, but some of us recall that Tech games were also consistently number one in attendance in the state and to get to go to a Tech game at all was a privilege. I still feel that way. There is no place greater to be than Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field during football season. The setting, with the skyline of Atlanta, and all the history is just fantastic. Go Jackets!
reebok
June 10th, 2011
7:58 pm
glad he is staying, i think/hope things are moving in the right direction for our athletic programs. it is up to us, the fans and alums, to help create the buzz (sorry) by showing up and supporting the teams. proud to be a jacket!!!
Crazy Robert
June 10th, 2011
8:02 pm
GET RID OF DANNY HALL or move to Knoxville
Stinger 2
June 10th, 2011
8:04 pm
Tech Fan Since 1950: I also go back to the early 1950`s. I think GT has
so much more competition to deal with now. The Falcons, UGA was no
draw like they are now, Atlanta did not have the Braves and Hawks then.
Most folks do not have the money to attend multiple games when the seasons overlap. Actually back then, GT did not have to reach out for fans. They do now and maybe just need to come up with more innovative
marketing ideas.
threetrone said "irregardless"
June 10th, 2011
9:36 pm
smooth…
DRad Fan 2
June 10th, 2011
9:39 pm
I think DRad is one of the best ADs in the country. As for “Buzz”, that is a reat mascot, and it is recognized everywhere. Why would you want to tamper with that? I was never a fan of using black as the third color either. We have always used navy blue as long as I have been a fan except for that short time with black, and I go back to the Dodd era.
DRad Fan 2
June 10th, 2011
9:40 pm
Should be “great” mascot.
GT GRAD
June 10th, 2011
9:51 pm
Great news……..thanks for everything DRAD!
OldTimer
June 10th, 2011
10:00 pm
Threetrone calm down you’re on the wrong blog. However, a lot of people would like to take a hit off of what your have seriously been smoking.
5150 UOAD
June 10th, 2011
10:06 pm
BUZZ is a cute mascot, but I do agree I like the Real Hornet, Wasp, Yellow Jacket mascot for the Print ads. Buzz only has 2 Legs/ Arms and it is just not Mean enough looking. Cute for stuffed animals for kids but not as the LOGO.
Hell UGA has a good looking Mascot Bulldog that is on the hats and shirts. it is Long legged lean and HEALTHY looking. The Real Ugas are fat, stupid and lazy looking. Keep BUZZ & Uga’s but Keep the LEAN AND MEAN looking LOGO.
Nomobama
June 10th, 2011
10:17 pm
So who actually said TN was interested in him? Nobody…so who cares.
it isn't what it isn't
June 11th, 2011
12:06 am
why would DRAD want to be the AD in that redneck backwoods blank hole? Good luck cleaning up that mess
JacketBacker01
June 11th, 2011
1:07 am
I echo your sentiment NOVAJacket. Threetone…irregardless?? Really??? As far as Radakovich, he seems too smart to leave the situation he has now for a program in shambles like UT, or any other football factory for that matter. At least I hope he is. He is in a position to be very successful where he is and maybe even leave a legacy if he stays the course.
AW38
June 11th, 2011
1:55 am
Hey Threetrone, about the only black you left out of origiinal comment was the black athlete. You wanna leave him out too. I believe in tradition, but you also have to move forward with the times. I don’t always agree with uniforms, but if you’d research a little bit bit, you’d see D’Rad and PJ had nothing to do with the new uniforms and it’s about money. That is why we have a deal with Russell and not Nike or Reebok which is why it is probably soooo difficult to find any GT gear at WalMart, Target, KMart, TJMaxx, Ross, etc… They don’t have agreements with Russell. Only the local GT bookstore does. I’d rather see them move to Nike or Reebok to help with reruiting and brand awareness for the younger kids growing up. Nothing like marketing, but you stay in your Cocoon looking for the youth of life and GT will continue die with you. Who cares what that wear as long as they win both in the class, on the field and in life? (BTW-I still believe in the Old Gold and White like O’Leary petitioned and was granted) Also, back in the Dodd days, they did wear black shoes, you idiot. White shoes didn’t exist til After Dodd, like maybe Bill Fulcher and then Pepper Rogers. I was born in 69 and atleast I know that. Sounds like you’re older than I but obviously loosing your memory. Try some Namenda & Aricept. Also, GT didn’t exist during the Dodd era as a coach. GT became the logo in 67 after he quit coaching. Keep up the stupid comments. How researching stuff before you comment.
Sorry Dogs
June 11th, 2011
7:10 am
Who gives a rip what color uniforms, shoes, socks they wear or what the mascot looks like. I’m embarrassed you guys call yourselves Tech fans.
There are two important things for the sports programs – win and graduate. Do those, and nothing else matters.
Drad’s job is to see to those two things. He gets it. Glad he’s not going to UT.
kc
June 11th, 2011
7:21 am
Tech’s dark accent color for their uniforms is NAVY BLUE(not black). As i recall, tech hasn’t wore football uniforms with black since he Curry years and the “Black watch” defenses. PJ’s teams have not wore black for their uniform. Fyi-I consider the uniform the pants, jersey,and helmet. They may have worn black socks, but who cares.
kc
June 11th, 2011
7:22 am
since “the” curry years. sorry.
ToeMeetsLeather
June 11th, 2011
8:21 am
This is good to hear, I hope we are able to keep the current leadership in place for quite some time. With DRad, CPJ and Gregory, I feel good about the direction and stability of our major sports programs. After seeing the mess at Ohio State and the likes, I am confident nothing like this would ever happen on DRad’s watch. Can’t wait for football on 9/1 and attending Gregory’s first exibition basketball game.
GOLDNWHITEFORLIFE
June 11th, 2011
8:34 am
Time will tell on Brian Gregory. Will see how good of a coach he is next January. As far PJ, I don’t think people understand how Tech recruits. Tech goes after student-athletes than can compete not just on the football field, but also in the classroom. Tech is tough. My pastor told me once “you don’t go to Georgia Tech, you endure Georgia Tech.” It’s the truth. It won’t change. Yes I know that most of the athletes are not taking engineering, but the school is a challenge. Therefore, the coaches have to recruit kids who can deal with the math and science Tech offers. They will hardly ever get elite talent, but PJ will make the most out of them. Tech is lucky to have him. Go jackets
Buzz Me
June 11th, 2011
9:05 am
glad DRAD is staying…he is a class act and a damn good AD
Coach
June 11th, 2011
9:24 am
Yea you wish Tennessee. However, I hear that Dave Braine is available….
gt
June 11th, 2011
9:55 am
There is something to be said about being one of hundreds of important people in this city. Your kids can go to a good school and not be bothered by who their father is. They can make life time friends and develop interest here you just can’t find other places. Your wife can have a life out of your shadow. Her social life is not all about the athletics or even the campus. You can also learn and make good contacts from these kind of people that give as much as they take from you. Tech is not for everybody, neither is Atlanta, but for a guy that carries himself like DRAD it is a destination job just as it was for Rice. There is a certain dignity these guys brought to the job and the job let them keep it. Good combination.
ToeMeetsLeather
June 11th, 2011
10:13 am
“Gold”, I agree with everything in your post except the comment on Gregory. It will take a lot longer than two months to perform the “exorcism”. We probably want have a real good feel for how good of coach we have until January 2013. But I like what I have seen so far.
collegeballfan
June 11th, 2011
10:33 am
“Only a crazy person would be interested in the Tenn AD job. Lots of cleaning up to do.”
That is the exact reason to take the job – the challenge.
run & shoot every now & then
June 11th, 2011
11:26 am
Coach Paul Johnson
must develop a productive passing game for the GT offense.
GaStinger2005
June 11th, 2011
12:00 pm
Glad to hear DRad is staying. Why do AJC columnists throw every GT folks to other jobs so quickly?
THWGA
Jacket Fan
June 11th, 2011
12:46 pm
Can we get some baseball superregional scores?
dt4c
June 11th, 2011
1:53 pm
Funniest thing I have read in a headline in a loooong time! WTH would TN even want Rad? What exactly has the done at GT that would give TN thought? Hired a high school football coach. Stuck with a losing basketball coach too long. Keeps a baseball coach that consistently underachieves. Seriously, do you really thing TN would have him on a short list? Seriously?
mwh6767
June 11th, 2011
2:04 pm
D-Rad staying is big for Tech. He has managed to consolidate Tech’s debt and make it managable and upgrade the facilities at the same time. Trust me, being able to take recruits to the brand new indoor football field is a big plus. But also look at what is being done to the other facilities under his watch and its no suprise Tech’s spring sports are getting very good. I think his true legacy will be the hires of CPJ and CBG. I believe both coaches will have the two major money earning sports competitive and competing for championships for a very long time. My only knock on D-Rad is that he has kept tech in a uniform and clothing contract with Russell Athletic. Its time to take the next step D-Rad and increase Tech’s visiblity and sign with Nike or Addidas. Russell just can’t compete with prodution output and outlets that the big boys distribute to. I don’t care what colors they wear. I do like the white jerseys at home because only tech and lsu do it. But by going with a Nike or Addidas we have more opertunity for special uniforms, throwbacks etc. and the players love wearing them and recruits love it to. And face it thats what its all about.
Tech Guy
June 11th, 2011
2:31 pm
ADRad will leave when the first SEC offer comes along. He knows the debt he’s taking on for Tech will be bad news for the Jackets longer term.
mwh6767
June 11th, 2011
3:38 pm
Tech guy, how will the debt Tech took on be bad in the long term? That was the whole point of the restructure of the debt when they built the indoor football and remoldel of AMC? The amount of debt gets less and less with each passing year. If anything DRAD should leave in the next two or three years, after that it becomes a much better job for him wiht each passing year with more room to do things with each passing year.
Buzz Me
June 11th, 2011
4:56 pm
Hey tech guy..Tennessee is in the SEC and he left an SEC school where the job was his you moron
black & blue Buzz
June 11th, 2011
5:23 pm
Man I get mugged every day here on this ghetto GT campus.I’m out of here good luck to all and to hell with gt!
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 11th, 2011
5:54 pm
I don’t blame the AD at tech. for sticking with tech. That idiot coach they had managed to rack up over a dozen major violations in his short tenture there. There are challenges and then there are challenges, and for the next couple of years, UT is going to be a challenge for any AD that takes the job there. Couple that with the basketball violations, not to mention, the baseball ones, and you would have to spend too much time doing damage control to be able to run the dept. the way it needs to be run.
HBTD
June 11th, 2011
5:59 pm
Thanks goodness!
Tech Bum
June 11th, 2011
7:10 pm
Dan said he has not had any contact with UT and is happy at Tech. How the helll do you get he is not interested in the UT job from that?
Tech Bum
June 11th, 2011
7:15 pm
When someone says I’m really happy at Tech but doesn’t say I’m not interested they are usually really interested.
gmcinva
June 11th, 2011
7:28 pm
I can certainly understand why anyone would be concerned about the situation at UT. However, I am at a loss to understand exactly what causes anyone to be highly supportive of what Radakovich
is doing at Tech. The athletic teams have not exactly been decimating the competition, the graduation rate is not superb and attendance at events is mediocre by major college standards. At some point we have to either quit making excuses due to Tech’s academic rigor, or understand that it is not up to major college competitive standards. If the AD is doing anything to change that, it is not easy to see.
Not a Hewitt Fan
June 11th, 2011
9:57 pm
Now, lets get down to the last “less with more” coach left on campus, one D. Hall. Talk about a whiffer. Get someone who knows how to coach AND recruit. As much talent that has passed thru Russ Chandler, we should have more to show…ya know?
sports
June 11th, 2011
11:26 pm
him not interested ’cause they ain’t calling…that’s the real reason knothead, got it?
Gen Neyland
June 11th, 2011
11:29 pm
Happy to be at GT…No contact with Tennessee…So the story is..? Geez Ken, can you say sensational journalism wanting to create news that ain’t..?
UGASlobberknocker
June 12th, 2011
8:03 am
under normal circumstances, UT is a far better job..but with the current situation, even Tech looks better than UT right now..so this isnt surprising. If another SEC school not in trouble comes calling, tho, he is prob gone.
Joey
June 12th, 2011
9:48 am
Good news for Tech! As a UGA fan, I think he is one of the best in the business.
gtfanfrom1951
June 12th, 2011
2:07 pm
I don’t understand why we have to change our look N.D., Navy, Southern Cal, and Bama all keep the same look year in and year out. I do like the navy blue jersey from 1990 but we should have kept the gold pants from Bobby Dodd err.
Ken Sugiura
June 12th, 2011
3:10 pm
To clarify, I asked him if he had interest. The full answer was, “No, I’m really happy here at Georgia Tech.”
Gen. Neyland, I’m not sure if I’d call it sensationalist, but you’re entitled to your opinion. I think some people were wondering. I think if you don’t at least clarify, even if the answers themselves are the least intriguing combination, it leaves the questions out there.
Da' Truth
June 12th, 2011
6:39 pm
Why would he leave a cream puff job at Tech where they not only expect mediocrity but reward it with large rollover contracts? It would be career suicide to go to a SEC school where they demand excellence.
threetrone
June 12th, 2011
7:33 pm
I can respond to commenters. Bringing racism in was not what I meant. When I was at Tech we had Eddie McAshan as quarterback and nobody cared that he was black at all, and I never heard any negative talk around whites about him being black. I believe that Hewitt was black, not a Tech former player, and not popular and now a white comes in. We’ll see if he is popular afer Price and Neal were turned down. I really do believe Tech needed a white basketball coach at this time, like Hyder was when I was there, who gave me an “A” in basketball, although Salley or Scott or Yvonne Josef in my opinion would’ve been ok since they were good players at Tech, some getting their jerseys retired. The word “irregardless” exists in a dictionary- look it up for proof. I do not agree with black jerseys or socks, because “black is out”, again what not I, but the alum assn head said in “Tech Topics”. I don’t agree with black for anything but pin stripes, and maybe numbers, but then again, what about the satin gold numbers of O’Leary’s teams that haven’t been worn since? I don’t like black and white shoes because of the usage of black in them. Either all black or all white is ok for Tech in my opinion. BW shoes look dorky to me with conservative uniforms of white jerseys and gold pants. As far as Buzz is concerned, I, as an alum, was never sent an attitude survey about whether I wanted a new yj. One of the reasons I went to Tech was because of the yj art, and now it’s been taken over coup style by “Buzz”. I recall when “Buzz” was being created, and Tech said there were too many yj’s prior to that. Well, the yj on the T Club jackets in the early 70’s is the BD coach/AD years main yj, and was replaced with “Buzz”. “Vintage” on ramblinwreck.com means to me prior to “Buzz” which is vintage only back to 1980. BD was AD when I was there in the early 70’s, no longer a coach. Carson was coach then. He developed the white GT so I heard. A black GT for license plates was developed after white, years after. I can’t stand it because “black is out” and white is one of Tech’s colors. I don’t like pink socks worn by the football team either because they look powder puff. Pink last year on Grant field in the breast cancer ribbons would have sufficed, but no pink worn by the team, give me a break.
threetrone
June 12th, 2011
7:37 pm
I mean we’ll see if the white, non-former Tech player coach is popular, and if not, Radikovich gets blamed. But if the new coach was on David Robinson’s Navy team, he’ll probably be good.
sasquatch
June 12th, 2011
8:51 pm
even bobby dodd chose tech over ut. in good company, rad.
sasquatch
June 12th, 2011
8:57 pm
really, chris bosh was hewitts undoing. did you expect hewitt to say no i don’t want a raise. and once the bar is raised by a final four appearance, hewitt was doomed to fail. even cremins couldnt consistently bring in the talent he needed to compete in the acc.
looking around at all the NCAA violations occurring with nearly every major school, it is obvious that rule breaking is the norm and if you try to run a program with integrity, you wont be competitive. good and great coaches end up in the nfl and nba to get away from this kind of nonsense.
William Casey
June 12th, 2011
11:53 pm
@Sasquatch: Cremins couldn’t bring in the talent to compete in the ACC? Price, Salley, Dalrympal, Ferrell, Hammonds, Scott, Anderson, Marbury… you must have only watched the last four years.
Freddy Blassie
June 13th, 2011
9:44 am
Tech needs more MARKETING??!! You make me puke. Too many pencil neck geeks working at the AA now. Every second at every game is filled with someone hawking pizza pies, beer halls, and any other establishment that will send a buck to the AA to hear their name on the loud speaker.
Never heard Coach Dodd speak about the Georgia Tech “brand”. Ditch all the marketing assistants to the assistant for public relations and media whatchamacallits and buy some more big_ss dumbells and barbells, helmets and shoulder pads. Win some games and get the benchwarmer Tech president to step up and help the football program by asking CPJ how he can help him out and then doing it.
JM
June 13th, 2011
2:54 pm
Mr Radakovich needs to do something to stablize ticket prices. Entertainment budgets are falling for most families.
lovetravel
June 13th, 2011
3:02 pm
don’t be surprise or shock if Tenn offer him more $$ than what GA Tech has offer him. He shouldn’t never say not interersted until he was call or contact by the school. Honest I am not interested him anyway because he fired my belove Basketball coach.
mark
June 13th, 2011
4:20 pm
The last several times I have attended games I had trouble parking and the police were incredibly rude. Also, the stadium is now completely smoke free, even in open areas where other stadiums allow smoking. If they want fans to show up then they need to make it easier!!!
61-39-5
June 13th, 2011
5:51 pm
I couldn’t be happier for us, I mean you.
Your AD announces he doesn’t want to leave Trek and half the posts are about what color socks to wear – thanks again for more laughs techhies. See ya in November for another beat down.
CPJ and the triple joke forever.,,,,,,,