Updated: Al Groh fired at Tech
Al Groh will receive an unwanted respite from his 100-hour work weeks and his intricate game plans. After a 32-game term, the Georgia Tech defensive coordinator was relieved of his duties Monday.
In coach Paul Johnson’s analysis, Groh did not fall short in his effort or smarts.
“What’s inside his head, he’s very knowledgeable,” Johnson said. “There’s no questioning that. The problem was becoming, what’s in there, we weren’t seeing on the field.”
Groh’s tenure concluded in a blizzard of points, yards and missed tackles. In Tech’s past three games, losses to Miami, Middle Tennessee State and Clemson, the Yellow Jackets gave up an average of 46 points and 573.3 yards. Opponents converted 31 of 46 third downs into first downs. Improbably, Tech fared slightly worse when opponents faced 3rd-and-7 or longer than 3rd-and-6 or less.
Tech gave up more than 40 points in the three consecutive games, the first time that has happened in school history.
“I think it’s a call to everybody, the coaches, the players, myself, everybody, that we need to do better, that we’re not giving up on the season and the way we’ve played is not acceptable,” Johnson said.
Hired following the 2009 season as a replacement for Dave Wommack because of his ability to teach his scheme and adjust, Groh came to Tech after nine seasons as head coach at Virginia and boasting an NFL pedigree. A longtime friend and colleague of NFL coaching legends Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells, Groh brought a 3-4 scheme and a confident, professorial manner.
“We’re impatient to make it look good,” he said shortly after his hire. “How fast we can do it, we’ll have to see.”
Instead, the Jackets were bogged by problems with communication and alignment and had trouble tackling. Poor finishes also began to plague the team. After Tech’s 6-0 start last season, the Jackets were outscored 48-14 in the fourth quarter of the final seven games of the season and finished 8-5. Particularly devastating was a 30-27 overtime loss to Utah in the Sun Bowl, a game that Tech led 27-13 with less than seven minutes to go.
This season, Tech has been outscored 71-48 in the fourth quarter, its worst quarter on offense and defense and the only period (besides overtime) in which it has been outscored. In losses to Virginia Tech, Miami and Clemson, Tech has held fourth-quarter leads in each only to lose.
Wommack was fired after the defense ranked 54th in yards allowed and 56th in scoring in FBS. Under Groh, Tech finished roughly the same in his first two seasons before plunging to 90th in yards and 89th in scoring this season.
“It was inevitable, at least to me, that it wasn’t getting better,” Johnson said.
Groh will be replaced on an interim basis by secondary coach Charles Kelly, who has been on staff since 2006. Kelly has previously served as a defensive coordinator at Nicholls State and Jacksonville State, two FCS teams. Andy McCollum will move from coaching the defensive line to inside linebackers and Joe Speed will shift from inside linebackers to outside linebackers. Special-teams coordinator David Walkosky will coach the defensive line. Walkosky and McCollum also have experience as defensive coordinators. Johnson said he will provide assistance, as well.
Johnson said he wants to simplify the defense, have players spend more time with their position coaches and conduct more live-hitting drills in practice.
“To me, defense is energy and playing fast and enthusiasm and all those things,” Johnson said. “I think it’s hard to get that if you don’t go live some.”
Johnson made the decision Monday morning. He met with Groh later, and told the team at a meeting in the afternoon. In a statement, Groh said he respected the decision and thanked the defensive assistants and the team. Groh’s contract, a two-year deal with a school option for a third, called for him to make “a minimum of $344,000” this season in his option year.
“I aimed to give the best that I had every day,” he said in the statement. “It’s been an honor to be a part of the legacy of Georgia Tech. I feel positive that this is a good time in life to move on to a new situation.”
Former linebacker and team captain Steven Sylvester said Monday that he enjoyed playing for Groh, citing his knowledge base and his ability to explain difficult concepts easily. Despite the age difference, players related well with the 68-year-old Groh, often stopping in to his office to find him listening to anything from Jay-Z to Maroon 5 to Bruce Springsteen.
“He was a friend and he was a coach,” Sylvester said. “I know a lot of the guys down there are really going to miss him.”
With Tech in its bye week, the team had Monday off and will resume practicing Tuesday. The Jackets’ next game will be Oct. 20 at home against Boston College.
“I didn’t want to give up the rest of the season,” Johnson said. “I still think we can come back and have a good season. That’s why I did it now.”
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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863 comments Add your comment
ole yeller
October 8th, 2012
11:08 pm
Let me understand! You are past 70 and have three 20 year old kids? You are a hero to all of us mortals.
Delbert D.
October 8th, 2012
11:09 pm
1 4 GT – By the way, I’m bought tickets in 228 for the BC game so I can slide over and join you and our other friend.
ole yeller
October 8th, 2012
11:10 pm
And at 78 your 20 year old kids sit in the stands with you?
ole yeller
October 8th, 2012
11:12 pm
The last two comments were addressed to fuzzybee.
fuzzybee78
October 8th, 2012
11:14 pm
yeller—
No, my father and uncle were Tech grads in the 40’s. Family’s been a season ticket holder since 1960, I graduated in 78, been going to games since I was 4. Daughter is a recent grad as well.
I was ruined early and often! This year is killin me but I will be there regardless!
ole yeller
October 8th, 2012
11:19 pm
Sorry, it’s killing me to pal. So will I. Tech men always get through the difficult times. I just did not understand the math, you should understand. Take care.
fuzzybee78
October 8th, 2012
11:22 pm
as Furman used to say — Selah!
ole yeller
October 8th, 2012
11:25 pm
Back at you.
1 4 GT
October 8th, 2012
11:26 pm
Jorge….what a dumb comment. Hell, Lou Holtz had it in his contract with Northwestern (he was there for 1 year) that he would retire from there unless Notre Dame came aknocking. Well, they did. And he went. George O’Leary left GT to be the HC @ ND (with a false resume as it turned out). There are probably 2 HC’ing jobs in the country that any coach would not turn down….Bama & ND.
ole yeller
October 8th, 2012
11:33 pm
To bad for Notre Dame. O’leary would have been the best fit for Notre Dame since Rockne. His resume had nothing to do with him getting the job. He earned it on performance. This was the only job he would have left Tech for.
deano
October 8th, 2012
11:35 pm
Why is it that CPJ always blames everybody else except his bad coaching. Its the players, coaches, his wife, and his dog. Just pay the man so he can leave town and take his plague with him.
1 4 GT
October 8th, 2012
11:38 pm
ole yeller….agree about O’Leary….but ND did due diligence & didn’t take kindly to nonexistent Master’s on his resume….so out the door after 2 weeks. & down to UCF if I’m not mistaken.
T-TIme
October 8th, 2012
11:38 pm
Absolutely ole…. Hated that it happend to O’Leary. I still have a pic of him with my kids hanging in my office from the year they had camp at North Georgia College.
1 4 GT
October 8th, 2012
11:39 pm
Good Delbert. There have been mt seats all around us except for Miami.
T-TIme
October 8th, 2012
11:42 pm
Did you see the lack of fans at the Clemson game? Only about 5 sitting in the section I was in. Last time I went to a game in Clemson we had a lot more people travel there.
1 4 GT
October 8th, 2012
11:43 pm
North Georgia College….my high school team started our summer practice sessions near there at a “camp” that the US Army Special Forces used for part of their training….great 2 week camp without melting in Atlanta heat & humidity.
stanh
October 8th, 2012
11:44 pm
wow….really…..should have fired himself
Momma don't let your baby grow up to be a dawg
October 8th, 2012
11:45 pm
Any of you wanna-be coaches ever heard of the scout team?
They run the offence of the next team on the schedule.
It’s the same thing with our offence practicing against the scout team defense.
Al Groh was too laid back, not enough discipline!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 8th, 2012
11:47 pm
@ deano……why don’t you provide us some documentation of when CPJ has blamed a player for a loss. Oh, I know why—–you can’t because he hasn’t. NEXT
Momma don't let your baby grow up to be a dawg
October 8th, 2012
11:48 pm
@T-Time… we don’t go to the games because we know we’re gonna lose.
When O’leary was there. we thought we could win every game.
Not now!
yeller bug
October 8th, 2012
11:49 pm
Good luck to Al Groh. Sometimes the dragon wins.
Got two weeks to re-organize on D.
I still think CPJ should platoon QBs—I think Vad from the pistol and a stronger passing attack would bring a different weapon to the game to further confound our opponent’s D. Bringing him in for sets of plays will not only give him more experience, but give D’s more schemes to prepare for. It’s nothing against TW, but why not use all of our weapons—until our D turns around, we do not need to hold back.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 8th, 2012
11:52 pm
@ stanh……I can think of something you can do to yourself that starts with the letter “f”, and it’s not “fire”
Supersize that order, mutt
October 8th, 2012
11:53 pm
@ Momma……..a TRUE fan of any team, HS, college, or pro goes to as many games as he can, no matter what he THINKS might be the prospects. If you can’t support the Jackets when you think they are down, then you are not a TRUE fan.
Buzz 2011
October 9th, 2012
12:16 am
I feel this is a good move! I went into this season feeling that the defense would be
better, but alas the same non tackling thing. Now after we hire an offensive coach
CPJ can function as a head coach. Go Jackets!!
WnE
October 9th, 2012
12:47 am
RE:
GFJacket
October 8th, 2012
4:10 pm
New Idea, get Tech some liberal arts degrees – – P.E., Turfgrass Management, etc. – – and you will see recruiting improve. Tech has not had a top-40 recruiting class since Rivals began keeping records. Johnson’s recruiting classes are about the same as Gailey’s, perhaps a little better. Tech has never had the ability to recruit a full stable of blue chip athletes like UGA does every year.
______________
Academics ain’t the issue.
CLOSING on Academically Qualified ELITE Recruits is the issue!
This weekend Tuitt at ND played light out, Flower from Arky that turned down GT played well vs. Aubie and had a Key sack, Flower planned on majoring in Mechanical Engr. had he chose GT ,but he wanted to play in the SEC. Chase Thomas from Stanford by way of East Cobb (not sure which HS) is playing All-America caliber FB and is likely to be a 1st or 2nd team All-America this yr, barring injury. Garrison Smith & Ray Drew up at UGA are getting PT and are doing well. James Vaughters the 3.9 student from Tucker that had GT as one of his finalists is the other Starting OLB for Stanford and their 3-4 is a lot better than GT’s.
Imagine that on one of the better 3-4s in the country (Stanford), BOTH their OLBs are from the Metro Atlanta Area and were Academic Qualifiers for GT, and yet they are playing 3,000 miles away, maybe if CPJ had closed the deal on these 2 guys and gave CAG the “groceries” he needed then maybe the “meal” would have turned out better for CAG & GT.
GT’s problem is not Academics, the problem is that GT has a HORRIBLE close rate on the Academic Qualifiers from the Metro Atlanta Area, it is something like 10%, get that number up to 40% maybe even 50% and GT will put more future NFL guys on their roster and more impact college-level guys on their team and more game changing plays will be made.
Give CAG half of those guys I listed above and GT is undefeated, and in no way is that list complete, Shadrick (?) Thornton from NC State made big play vs. FSU when NC State upset them and was Recruited by GT as an A-Back and now he’s at NC State and it is NOT taking him 3 years to learn to make plays in in GAMES that helps their teams beat Top-5 teams.
GT fans need to stop with the Academics excuses and put the blame squarely where is belongs……. on CPJ for being a terrible Recruiter.
WnE
October 9th, 2012
12:48 am
Flower should be Flowers
WnE
October 9th, 2012
1:04 am
re:
Momma don’t let your baby grow up to be a dawg
October 8th, 2012
11:45 pm
Any of you wanna-be coaches ever heard of the scout team?
They run the offence of the next team on the schedule.
It’s the same thing with our offence practicing against the scout team defense.
Al Groh was too laid back, not enough discipline!
________________
You are WRONG!
All of CPJ’s Offensive recruits are Recruited for the Triple-SLOPtion Offense, those that are not good enough to get on CPJ’s depth chart that end up on the Scout Team do NOT have the TALENT to adequately simulate the Offenses that GT faces on Game days.
In the Miami Game when GT was burned early in the game, that throw by Stephen Morris is something that our CBs NEVER see during the week when they prep for games, none of our Scout Team QBs have that kind of arm strength.
Smallish RBs, NO TEs, and weak armed run-first QBs, and under-sized OLs that aren’t good pass-blockers cannot get our defense ready for what they will see on game days.
How can our DLs practice pass rushing vs. 6-7 310+ lbs. OTs when CPJ doesn’t recruit those types of players for HIS offense?
This is why is seems that our DLs just “Stick” to the OLs when they try to pass rush, the moves that they learn & practice every day they aren’t used to doing them vs. the QUALITY of OLs that they see on Game days.
Just because CPJ puts together a Scout Team that doesn’t mean that Scout Team has the TALENT to get our guys ready for Game Days.
If our starting Defense had to practice vs. Bama’s Scout team for a month do you think they would be better prepared for what they see on Game Days?
If you agree, then that means that CPJ’s “system” does indeed have a negative impact on our Defense, and when you bring in borderline BCS-level Recruits, then that makes it even harder for them to react properly under game pressure.
Fair n Balanced
October 9th, 2012
1:06 am
Too bad. I was hoping he could hold on til the Ga game!
WnE
October 9th, 2012
1:19 am
re:
Rhettt
October 8th, 2012
4:33 pm
Groh should never been hired. His hiring only delayed hiring a decent Defensive Co-ordinator. Look at Groh’s record. Should never have been hired. If Johnson doesn’t shore up the defense, the next coach to be fired might be PJ. I imagine our Athletic Director has Johnson on a short leash.
__________________
No the AD doesn’t have CPJ on a short leash, in fact it is the other way around.
CPJ is owed $2.6MM for the next 4 years or slightly over $10.4MM, there is no way that the GTAA can “eat” a contract that size and still have to pay Hewitt PLUS CPJ’s replacement.
Now that the GTAA has gone up to $2.6MM for CPJ the next HC at GT will want to start out at $2.0MM to $2.3MM.
In the case that CPJ is fired, there’s no way an Agent will have his client WORKING for $1.5MM while CPJ sits at home and collects $2.6MM.
By overpaying CPJ, DRad has upped the salary structure for GT HCs for years to come, and he did it without any significant increases in attendance to help offset the increased costs.
Basically this firing was CONCOCTED by CPJ & DRad to take the heat off of themselves so that the fanbase won’t look at them as the causes for the problems with GT’s FB program.
Also keep in mind while all these bad things have happened over the last 3 yrs. during that time we have played VERY WEAK schedules in a very weak ACC.
If the ACC ever “rebounds” to being the 3rd or 4th best BCS conference (it is currently the 6th best BCS Conf.) where it should be, then CPJ will really get exposed as being in over his head!
Things would be a lot worse if the ACC weren’t such a weak conference.
WnE
October 9th, 2012
1:36 am
DRad & CPJ must think we’re stupid, CAG being alone at fault is the same as the US Gov. wanting us to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman!
Our Safeties & DBs have been atrocious, WHY not fire Kelly instead of making him the interim DC?
How in the H3LL can CPJ “promote” Charles Kelly to interim DC when I-Johnson has been a poor tackler and has been taking the SAME BAD ANGLES for 3 years, why not fire Kelly for not teaching him better?
Is it CAG’s fault that his safeties ALWAYS take bad angles in games?
Or is it Kelly’s fault, the 2ndary Coach?
The DL has been HORRIBLE for while so why isn’t McCcollum scape-goated and fired along with CAG?
This kind of BS scape-goatery won’t work with folks like me that follow CFB & recruiting and can see through the BS!
The GT Fanbase is not very sophisticated when it comes to CFB, so CPJ & DRad think they can pull a fast-one over on the gullible GT fanbase.
I can see through it!
Trying to get this kind of BS past me is like trying to sneak daybreak past a Rooster!
I didn’t like the CPJ hire way back in Dec. 2007 and I like it even LESS now because CPJ has no honor & no integrity to scape-goat CAG.
CPJ’s behavior in this time of crisis is exactly what I would expect from a PE Major from W. Carolina!
Rock_Eagle
October 9th, 2012
5:13 am
WnE…. You’re brilliant ! By your estimation above, CPJ should have resigned. Kelly and McCollum should be fired and instead of being relieved of his duties, Groh must naturally become interim head coach, based on his experience. I’m sure all would be well then. Your level of sophistication boggles the mind. Geez.
blueairone
October 9th, 2012
6:17 am
Get rid of the chicken wire uniforms. You want to make a fashion statement, do it in the fashion industry. Want to make a football statement, do it on the field.
Tech Fan #1983
October 9th, 2012
6:28 am
Does going for it on 4th down at the Tech 40 yard line on the first drive of the game against Clemson give any insight as to CPJs confidence in his defense? Tech also lost the Miami and VT games going for it at the wrong time.
MC
October 9th, 2012
6:40 am
It’s PJ that needs to go. Minus several years of Chan Gailey players he enjoyed and the foundation he had laid FOR him, he’s done nothing but tear that down. Womack’s defense couldn’t stop anybody either minus Derick Morgan and Michael Johnson, et al. Now what? TALENT TALENT TALENT. Until GT gets some, Erk Russell couldn’t win here.
Straight Jacket
October 9th, 2012
6:40 am
Tech will never be better in the future with Johnson! Pro-style football is the only hope for recruiting and real wins!
MC
October 9th, 2012
6:41 am
And BTW…does CPJ’s vaunted offense look anything like it did with Gailey’s boys. A resounding HELL NO! He’s the problem.
Flamboyant Defense
October 9th, 2012
6:58 am
Groh destroyed 3 seasons, thanks AL.
Crazy Robert
October 9th, 2012
7:01 am
Personally I was hoping Al would be a good fit, but alas, it was not to be. With that said, was he the idiot who in the first quarter against Clemson, went for it on fourth down in his own territory? That was as stupid a play as any, so the person who made that call should be given a serious look at as well!!!
Roberto Villanueva
October 9th, 2012
7:16 am
Hallelujah, hallelejah, hallelujah!!! CPJ has finally done something right! He needs to be the next to go and maybe we can move on past this nightmare.
trueblueeagle
October 9th, 2012
7:41 am
Tech should hire the DQ from USC after the way they beat the dawgs!
Joe
October 9th, 2012
7:42 am
Forget Al Gorh fire Paul Johnson! He never should never have gotten the job in the 1st place. That triple option offense is antiquated. He must think he’ll be playing Army, Navy, and GA Southern every week. Give me a break!
Shug
October 9th, 2012
7:53 am
“Jay-Z to Maroon 5 to Bruce Springsteen”
I wouldn’t necessarily call that a diverse play list. Perhaps Coach Groh needed to broaden his perspective.
Bobby
October 9th, 2012
8:14 am
Maybe Al Groh has his revenge. This morning the gojackets.com domain is for sale.
Bobby
October 9th, 2012
8:17 am
CPJ is doing alright in the offense department. His triple option is working fine and scoring plenty of points. If the defense matched the performance of the offense we would be in the top 10, if not top 5 every year. Al Groh is the problem. We can keep Paul Johnson until and unless his offensive scheme fails on a consistent basis as the GT defense has.
Whiskey Breath
October 9th, 2012
8:22 am
Don’t know where you are going Bradley, other than the players are the ones that actually have to
tackle. Isn’t that the cry of ever fired coordinator? Al flunked for the last 20 years. Check the record.
The question is why he was hired in the first place. Not very orginal, Bradley.
So none of you media guys around here are going to eat crow concerinng the love affair with Ga.
Cowards
Shame on you.
TeknocratNOTdemokrat
October 9th, 2012
8:27 am
dwags sucketh…kinda hard for us to take crap from a program that was totally dominated in every phase of the game this past Satiddy – clean up your own mess and leave ours alone.
EagleBuzz
October 9th, 2012
8:29 am
Great move in the bye week CPJ to release Coach AG. The offense is scoring points with a marginal option QB. If you still dont get this offense- look at a replay of SC GA game last weekend and what an option/ passing QB can do. Do you really think GA style offense is the answer- the option starts with a great QB- If you had a defense from the start of this season- you could be 4-1, you scored enough points. Erk
GT-UT
October 9th, 2012
8:29 am
Do the math. The offense scores points. So by the logic of CPJ haters, we should get rid of him for an O that scores, what?…24 points per game? Are you for real? We’ve only seen 2 QBs by the way. Both couldn’t read a D or throw well and we still scored a ton of points.
Lets see Vad or Justin with a slightly better than average D. GT is very exciting!
GT-UT
October 9th, 2012
8:32 am
Great minds think a like EagleBuzz
old dog
October 9th, 2012
8:42 am
Can we please borrow some of y’all’s 2nd string o-linemen??? They HAVE to better than our line was Saturday night…..S.C. tore us up! We cannot play with the elite because we are too weak up front. AT LEAST y’all are addressing y’all’s short-comings, which is more than I can say for us!