How Walkosky ended up at Georgia Tech
Greetings
Hopefully you read the David Walkosky story that I wrote for Sunday’s paper. As I think I said earlier, time will tell how this hire works out, but he sounds like a good choice for Georgia Tech. A few details that I couldn’t fit into the story:
1. When he heard from Minnesota Vikings special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer that Tech might be hiring a special-teams coach, Walkosky said he wasn’t looking to leave his job as defensive coordinator of the Calgary Stampeders. As he put it, he doesn’t “chase logos.”
However, Priefer’s endorsement of coach Paul Johnson (the two worked together as assistants at Navy, and Johnson called Priefer “a really close friend of mine”) made a difference, as did Walkosky’s guiding philosophy on choosing jobs – “who you coach with, who you coach for and a chance to win. Other than that, nothing really matters.”
Priefer found it noteworthy that several of Johnson’s assistants have stayed with him several years at different jobs. (Quarterbacks and B-backs coach Brian Bohannon, for instance, was hired at Georgia Southern and went with Johnson to Navy and then to Tech.)
“You don’t see that (often),” he said. “That says a ton about him as a person, as a man and as a coach. That really intrigued me.”
While he didn’t know any assistants, that spoke enough to the “who you coach with” leg. And he saw the chance to win at Tech.
“Everyone in the country knows Georgia Tech, around the world knows Georgia Tech as a phenomenal school and great football,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of it.”
(Johnson’s side of the story: “I think when I interviewed him and talked to him, I though he had some good schemes and some good ideas. A lot of the stuff – the techniques and stuff – is similar to what we’re doing. He’s high energy, he had a lot of great recommendations. One of the guys, Mike Priefer, who is a really close friend of mine, special teams coach of the Vikings, was really, really high on him. The more I talked to him, I thought, ‘Hey this guy would be a good fit.’”)
2. Walkosky has developed a network of special-teams coaches that he consults and visits with. He got to know Chuck Priefer (Mike’s father) when Walkosky was at Toledo and the elder Priefer coached special teams with the Detroit Lions. (Detroit is about an hour from Toledo, which happens to be the headquarters of my favorite Chinese restaurant from college, Magic Wok. I want to say I ate there 10 days in a row once or something like that.)
“I’d spend a couple days with [Chuck Priefer] every year, and then I started to meet with Mike and NFL combines, Senior Bowl,” he said. “You know you’re a special-teams nerd when you meet for an hour over field goal (protection schemes),” Walkosky said.
He got to know Mike Priefer through his father and also by coaching against him in the MAC. He also counts Tampa Bay special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees as influences.
3. Walkosky went to Toledo as a walk-on, earned a scholarship as a junior safety and was the second-leading tackler as a senior for the MAC champions. His coach that year was Nick Saban, who was in his first year as a head coach.
“I always say I got him started,” Walkosky said. “I’m sure he feels the same way.”
4. A couple quotes
“I’ll handle the responsibilities of all the special teams. Every single one. The grading and the depth of it, the positions, so it’s very much like professional football. Handle all the special teams and be a phenomenal recruiter.”
“I like to be an intense coach, demand perfection, want our players to do the same.”
5. On recruiting, Walkosky will handle counties due east of Atlanta, the eastern half of the Carolinas and, notably, Ohio and western Pennsylvania. With the graduation of linebacker B.J. Machen, Tech has no players from Ohio on the roster. Walkosky is from Ohio, played there and coached 11 years there.
“I’ve recruited so much there that I have a lot of connections,” he said. “If there’s a guy that I think we can go up and get, I’ll spend time up there.”
6. Walkosky didn’t know why the kicking and punting was inconsistent last season and didn’t seem too keen to dig out the reasons why.
“I don’t want to talk to them about that,” he said. “I’m just going to move forward and train the positive. I believe in feet forward. What are we going to do next? That’s kind of how I coach.”
7. Punter Sean Poole on Walkosky’s knowledge about technique:
“He definitely knows his stuff, coaches us up on from the little things to the main big things. It’s hard to get into specific detail with it, but the nitty gritty stuff, he knows what he’s talking about.”
This is not germane, but Poole is taking 18 credits this semester, which is five classes. Egads.
One link: my colleague Michael Carvell reports on Tech’s first 2013 commit, who is said to be a “step faster” than former Tech star Tashard Choice.
Thanks for reading. I’ll have some evaluations from offensive line coach Mike Sewak and wide receivers coach Buzz Preston Wednesday morning.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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403 comments Add your comment
GT Lee
April 3rd, 2012
11:19 am
First again?
deuce coupe
April 3rd, 2012
11:30 am
Second again ?
macrotech
April 3rd, 2012
11:33 am
“Everyone in the country knows Georgia Tech, around the world knows Georgia Tech as a phenomenal school and great football,”…..THAT should fire up the pups!!!
Joe
April 3rd, 2012
11:42 am
Fourth
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
11:52 am
LOL @ macrotech. Bring on the damn trolls
lucky21
April 3rd, 2012
11:53 am
18 hours of class ewwwwwww that hurts
GT Gilbert
April 3rd, 2012
11:53 am
“Everyone in the country knows Georgia Tech, around the world knows Georgia Tech as a phenomenal school and great football,”…..THAT should fire up the pups!!!
That’s what I’m worried about.
They will see that line and laugh.
Great school for sure, but seriously great football?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
11:54 am
@ Ken…..GREAT article. Lots of insight into how this all came about and into the man himself. Keep up the good work !!!
BigTimeTechFan
April 3rd, 2012
11:54 am
David Walkosky sounds like a great hire.
1st game against Va Tech will be about the biggest test you can get, Beamer always has something up his sleeves with special teams. If Beamer see and holes in the 1st half he will take advantage of them.
Paddy
April 3rd, 2012
11:55 am
Now this guy sounds like someone I would have liked to play for, back in the day!.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
11:56 am
GT Gilbert, I can promise you that in spite of recent years, especially in competition with the dwags, Ga Tech has a far richer football history than UGA ever thought of having. They will call it living in the past, but Ga Tech is in the history books as a football powerhouse up until the 70s. UGA is merely a footnote in the history books.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
11:58 am
And if that comment doesn’t stir up the dwag trolls, nothing will. LOL
dawgfan
April 3rd, 2012
12:08 pm
“….but Ga Tech is in the history books as a football powerhouse up until the 70s.”
LMAO.
Tokyo jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:08 pm
Hopefully he pans out and proves to be a good hire. So far, I like just about every move our athletic department has made since DRad came on board, although one took about two years too long. All it will take for a good season is for special teams to get just a little better and for the defense to get just a little better, and that’s based on last year’s offense. I look for the offense to be a little better too. I really don’t think the ACCCG is out of reach; but I’d be on an 8-win season with one win each for improved special teams, improved defense and improved offensive efficiency (red zone, turnovers, etc).
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:09 pm
laugh all you want, dwagfan, but you know it’s true.
Tokyo jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:09 pm
@dawgfan – at least 1990. Also last year was our first year without beating a ranked team since 1991.
Fix my computer, Geek Squad
April 3rd, 2012
12:12 pm
Any news on CPJ hiring a offensive coordinator too?
Tokyo jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:12 pm
If we were an LMAO-type team in the 90’s, how did a ranked UGA team lose three consecutive years to a joke of a football team?
DesignerJacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:14 pm
By all accounts so far this coach brings the fire. I like to hear that. CPJ’s whole staff is like that – knowledgeable instructors with high energy and high aggression. They expect extreme intensity and good decision making. If that gets ingrained into the players as it saturates the program then we’ll be one of the hardest-nosed teams in the ACC. I really hope we can see the results of that in the next couple of seasons.
FL Jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:16 pm
Tokyo, what do you mean? We beat Clemson handily and if not for their complete lay down in the OB that streak should stay intact…
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:17 pm
“You don’t see that (often),” he said. “That says a ton about him as a person, as a man and as a coach. That really intrigued me.”
While he didn’t know any assistants, that spoke enough to the “who you coach with” leg. And he saw the chance to win at Tech.
“Everyone in the country knows Georgia Tech, around the world knows Georgia Tech as a phenomenal school and great football,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of it.”
———————————————
Great quotes, Ken. Funny I did not read anything in that which resembles the following:
“CPJ is terrible recruiter that is setting GT FB back from where it could be.
CPJ is terrible at all other phases of being a BCS level HC, outside of his triple-SLOPtion running game, CPJ is terrible at putting together a BCS-level passing game, defense, and STs.”
————————————
Apparently, Walkosky does not see Coach Johnson as a Kung Fu Panda failure. He must be a boot licking toady.
More on "Stamps"
April 3rd, 2012
12:19 pm
[...] [...]
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:20 pm
WELL SAID, HT !!!!
FL Jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:22 pm
18 hours…that what I had to do my last semester (not by choice)
IE Senior Design – 2 hrs
Thermodynamics – 3 hrs
Differential Equations – 4 hrs
Psycology II – 3 hrs
Organizational Behavior – 3 hrs
Southern Literature – 3 hrs
At least I didn’t have to go to practice and be chewed out by CPJ after it was over. Food wasn’t as good tho…
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:24 pm
When I was at Tech, we were on the quarter system, and I regularly HAD to take 18 – 21 hours. It was HELL !!!
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:26 pm
Supersize…we are old. I always thought the quarter system was better for co-ops.
FL Jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:27 pm
Super…
I got caught in the transition of quarters to semesters, so even though I had taken Calcs 1-4 and Linear Algebra…they still made me take the combined Linear Algebra/DiffEq course. I was there 5 years and still had to bust it my last semester to finish in the Spring.
18-21 hours might BARELY put you on a 4-year pace
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:28 pm
Fl Jacket is an expert on eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
FL Jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:29 pm
HT…
Thank the BOR for the stroke of genius of getting rid of quarters. Academically it made the most sense. Being out of state, however, it meant I mised 1-2 football games.
FL Jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:31 pm
Right-hand rule…HT…Right hand rule
Like I remember how to define a Gaussian surface, or solve a double integral, or measure heat displacement. I’m an IE now baby…
GT Lee
April 3rd, 2012
12:32 pm
Hey FLJ…….you check out hardradio.com or James Murphy yet?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:32 pm
HT, the quarter system is DEFINITELY better for co-ops. There is a co-op sophomore who goes to my church in Augusta. He did his freshman year straight through and went co-op at the beginning of this year, working at some plant in Greenville, SC. The rotation with the semester system is just all screwed up, because it’s really a trimester system, and that means he’s in school one fall and working the next fall. With the quarter system, you were always in school the same quarters each year, and you got 2 school quarters 2 work quarters each year. FAR more sensible.
dawgfan
April 3rd, 2012
12:32 pm
“laugh all you want, dwagfan, but you know it’s true.”
No its not. To call yourself a “powerhouse” you have to show us some major bowl wins. The 1970’s doesn’t go back far enough. You need to go back to the 1950’s. I’ll grant you your “powerhouse” status up until the 1950’s Techie. Do we have a deal?
LMAO. Unreal.
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:33 pm
You mean laplace transforms were not your specialty? Those are so useful.
GT Lee
April 3rd, 2012
12:35 pm
who posted the picture of Dwagfan’s wife a few days ago? Post it again please…..
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:35 pm
FLJ, I don’t see how it made the most sense academically to go to the semester system. I can’t imagine getting all the course work done in 4 two-semester years that I got done going 3 quarters a year for 4 years.
And yes, FLJ, I DID finish up in 4 years. 21 hours was the maximum load fortunately, but like I said before I had way too many quarters taking between 18 and 21 hours.
FL Jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:38 pm
Nope HT…I haven’t had to break L’Hopital’s rule either
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:38 pm
Summer quarter was always a good time to catch up. Only problem was a few of the classroom buidlings weren’t air conditioned back then and Atlanta is very hot in the summer.
jasperjacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:38 pm
Ken, your insights are great, your reporting exemplary! I for one hope that you are with us for a long while! It’s a pleasure reading what you write. Candid, spot on as the brit’s like to say. keep it up.
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:39 pm
lol @ FL Jacket
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:40 pm
dawgfan, I stand by what I said. I said we were CONSIDERED a football powerhouse until the 70s, and we were, regardless of major bowl victories. Remember, if you will, Notre Dame never even played in bowl games between 1925 and 1970, much less won any major ones. So based on your logic, Notre Dame was not a powerhouse. Yeah, right. Search the annals of college football, and you will find the Ga Tech Yellow Jackets mentioned regularly in every decade up until the 70s (and then again, of course, in 1990). Like I said earlier, the dwags are just a footnote in those annals.
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:40 pm
Ditto for what JasperJacket said, Ken. Thanks.
JM
April 3rd, 2012
12:41 pm
This will be an interesting trasition for GT special teams. I like this coach, he has a great attitude. Hope things go well for him.
Quarters was definately better for co-ops. Best thing was getting out with ZERO college debt!
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:41 pm
damn, you guys have good memories, using terms I don’t think I have even heard since I was in school. It’s been so long, in fact, I don’t have a clue what they are. LOL
FL Jacket
April 3rd, 2012
12:42 pm
Super…I was arguing it didn’t either
10-week quarters meant the course study was much more specialized, modular, and personal. Plus obviously it aligned itself nicely with the Coop program.
HighTech
April 3rd, 2012
12:43 pm
Some of us are not as smart as you, Supersize. We didn’t leave the experience unscarred or early for that matter.
GT Lee
April 3rd, 2012
12:44 pm
I think I found it……picture of your wife, dwagfan…..
http://www.yourfunnystuff.com/tag/flies-on-a-womans-butt/
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:44 pm
@ FLJ……OK, I misunderstood what you posted. Gotcha now, and we are in agreement
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:45 pm
Hey, GT Lee, are those flies on her butt because she has some hashbrowns stuffed in there?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 3rd, 2012
12:47 pm
HT, I wasn’t so much smart as scared as hell not to do good; I don’t know that my dad would have paid for me to go more than 4 years. And I can assure you I was scarred and still bear those scars. But I wear them PROUDLY