Tech loses its chief recruiter, and that’s a major loss
Bringing football players to Georgia Tech isn’t easy. The competition for Georgia players is wicked, and not just from the state’s flagship university. All the heavy hitters come here to poach, and Tech has to fight twice as hard just to hold its own.
Other considerations: Paul Johnson’s spread option has further siphoned the pool. (Tight ends need not apply, since Johnson doesn’t deploy any, and receivers aren’t apt to be overused.) Al Groh just arrived as defensive coordinator, and recruiting for the 3-4 is a bit different. And this being Tech, there’s always the calculus requirement.
Giff Smith was landing players at a high rate by Tech’s standards, which shouldn’t be confused with Rivals.com’s rankings. Tech is never apt to duel Florida or Texas or Georgia for space in the top 10 — the famed class of 2007 was rated only 18th nationally by Rivals and contained no 5-star signees — but that class powered the Jackets to the 2009 ACC title.
Trouble is, three of those players just left early for the NFL, and now Smith is gone. That’s not good news.
Smith is leaving to join Chan Gailey with the Buffalo Bills as linebackers coach. Smith managed to do good work under both Gailey and Johnson — somewhat different personalities, you’d have to concede — and it was a credit to the chief recruiter that the Jackets’ talent base was as imposing as it was.
The kneejerk response is to say Smith’s departure delivers an immediate blow to Tech, coming as it does eight days before Signing Day. That’s probably not true. Players who’ve committed to the Jackets aren’t going to switch because the recruiting coordinator is Buffalo-bound. (The head coach would be a different story.) Where Smith’s loss stands to hurt is in 2011, when Tech was gearing up to sign its best class since 2007.
Smith is a Georgia guy — grew up in Mableton, graduated from Pebblebrook, played and worked at Georgia Southern, even did a stint at UGA as a grad assistant. He knows the state in a way even Johnson does not. Smith was the one man on this staff Tech could least afford to lose, and Gailey just hired him away.
Yes, Tech fans. Just one more reason to raise a glass to good ol’ Chan.
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249 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
6:20 pm
You know, Benjamin, I was in high-level meetings this afternoon and wasn’t as diligent as I needed to be. So I offer really belated kudos to you.
Doyouknowshon
January 26th, 2010
6:24 pm
Tech has its best year since 1990 and they lose their recruiting coordinator to Buffalo. I love it.
Plain truth
January 26th, 2010
6:25 pm
Show your Tech ring when you go in the hospital with a heart attack! See if calculus or a Dairy Queen management degree is going to impress any Dawgs working there!
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
6:26 pm
No. Just talking shop. Today’s topics — sports travel for the next few months and Outlook Express.
Maddog
January 26th, 2010
6:26 pm
I can’t believe I actually hear tech fans spinning this as a positive. I’m sure if Garner quit today the yellow jacket nation would be crowing long and loud about the devastation it would leave at Georgia. So either Smith is not as important to the program as Garner, or those dismissing the impact of his departure are full of it.
Sonny Clusters
January 26th, 2010
6:26 pm
Clusters was in the House of Burgesses for a time but we was too smart for all that and we moved to another state so we could be leaders there. Not many people know about our time in colonial Georgia and how we fought in the Revolution and won some battles because of a good and accurate throwing arm. What was we throwing? Knives mostly. That evolved into throwing a ball when we helped Gen Abner Doubleday invent baseball and we invented the breaking ball that has been the undoing of many a baseball player. We won’t go into the circle change but we always thought it took a big sissy to throw that pitch.
todd grantham
January 26th, 2010
6:26 pm
MORE high level meetings? is the AJC folding up shop?
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
6:27 pm
On an unrelated topic: Has anyone ever seen Sonny Clusters and Russ, the Temporary Mascot together?
todd grantham
January 26th, 2010
6:29 pm
Thank the Lord. I’ve been urging my old friend CWM to launch his writing career with the AJC. Maybe begin on the night court beat and see a few former players. Great human interest potential dont you think Mark?
AMG
January 26th, 2010
6:30 pm
Goodbye Giff and farewell, you were ok as a recruiter or you would have been fired with Gailey because you are not much of a line coach, the last two years proves that. I am thankful Tech will get a new line coach, maybe he will even know how to teach them to stop the guy with the ball.
Sonny Clusters
January 26th, 2010
6:32 pm
AJC will soon be moving to Dunwoody and they say they plan to keep the current name. We was thinking that gives Dunwoody two papers and the AJC is the new guy on the block. DJC doesn’t sound right and let’s hope they don’t have to call the fire department when they get there.
todd grantham
January 26th, 2010
6:33 pm
I’m afraid you just outed clusters.
shreveport
January 26th, 2010
6:33 pm
it’s a good thing tech has someone to coach ‘em up….rather than never allow them to reach their projected potential
y’all dogs come back now, ya hear!
Sonny Clusters
January 26th, 2010
6:34 pm
We deny anything of that sort but that sure is a smart little dog, isn’t it? We would be on his side in this matter if we was going to take sides.
todd grantham
January 26th, 2010
6:34 pm
its almost beyond belief the AJC blog server seems to be on duty tonight. Bless him or her or it as the case may be.
todd grantham
January 26th, 2010
6:36 pm
Sonny, maybe you should consult Herschel on this multi personality thing.
Carl
January 26th, 2010
6:36 pm
You ort not talk that way about that boy. I’d like some of them biscuits now.
Angus
January 26th, 2010
6:36 pm
Scanned the comments and didn’t see it, so I’ll say it…..
Tech’s recruiting can get worse than 44th?
Doug
January 26th, 2010
6:36 pm
Tech still has a football team?
todd grantham
January 26th, 2010
6:39 pm
so we hear the paper may fold
and end its reporting so bold
Mark, you’ll land on your feet
and not on your seat
as Furman said, son you broke the mold
SuperB
January 26th, 2010
6:40 pm
Losing the recruiting coordinator, who also coached on defense; While bringing in a DC (Al Groh) who can’t recruit is all bad news for the Bugs. Groh personally ran UVa. into the ground by being so overwhelmingly outrecruited by VT. Don’t believe it: Look at The Roanoke Times top 50 List in Virginia.
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
6:40 pm
Thanks, Coach Todd.
reggie
January 26th, 2010
6:41 pm
maybe Giff was mad we don’t change colors with helmets and uniforms when we need to be inspired for big games.
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
6:42 pm
The blog has been slow today. I apologize on behalf of all of us.
kirby smart
January 26th, 2010
6:44 pm
suckers!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Dawgman566
January 26th, 2010
6:44 pm
Do we need further proof that CPJ is a raging A-hole? Just wait till the losing starts.
Blue Fox
January 26th, 2010
6:45 pm
Do we
Blue Fox
January 26th, 2010
6:45 pm
Do we STILL have to pay Gomer Gailey now that he’s got a HC job??
The Grinch
January 26th, 2010
6:46 pm
reggie
January 26th, 2010
6:41 pm
Either that or Giff got tired of having to get the defense back on the field when Reggie Ball threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock on 4th down.
Frank
January 26th, 2010
6:47 pm
Best of luck to Giff Smith, but sorry techies I can’t see this a a great loss. As someone else mentioned CPJ has many contacts in Georgia and I don’t think ya’ll will miss out on many, if any, athletes that look to tech as a college choice. I think you will still be in on the same type kids you were in on before, and as always….
THWGT!!!!
Tokyo jacket
January 26th, 2010
6:47 pm
Is this the last time Chan can screw us or is there more opportunity in the future?
reggie
January 26th, 2010
6:48 pm
hmmm….well he’ll be reunited with half of that equation again with Chan. and now he’ll have TO instead of Reggie!
but if he’s worried about his tan up there in Buffalo i’m sure the reverand can give him a recommendation.
billcanoe
January 26th, 2010
6:50 pm
Good luck, coach Smith. You are a class act and I wish you well in your future career, although you will be missed at GT. Looks like Gailey had the sense to hire the man who saved his ass at GT the last couple of years he was there with quality recruits, because Gailey himself sure couldn’t recruit.
From Giff’s perspective, it’s probably a good career move because he will have a couple of years of NFL experience on his resume when Gailey gets canned. Never hurts.
Tech is soft
January 26th, 2010
6:55 pm
But without Giff to recruit, how will Tech continue to attract players good enough to beat Georgia once every eight years?
support Coach Johnson
January 26th, 2010
6:56 pm
dawgfan, If you do not test into calculus you will not be accepted into the Institute and there are no exceptions for management majors. Calculus is the entry level math at GT
The Grinch
January 26th, 2010
6:58 pm
Tokyo jacket
January 26th, 2010
6:47 pm
Well, if Gailey decides to install the triple option he may be calling on PJ.
Technophobia
January 26th, 2010
6:58 pm
Everybody mentions Reggie Ball throwing the ball out of bonds on 4th down vs Georgia. That WAS bad, not knowing what down it was. But the one that really amazed me was when he dropped back to pass against VT when we were on our own 2 yard line and ran out of the end zone. How could he not the friggin goal post and realize he couldn’t go back that far? Oh well, I can finally laugh about it now.
james
January 26th, 2010
6:59 pm
Dawgfan,
They still have to take calculus. I know, I tutored some of them. Instead of taking three separate calculus courses like engineers, they take 1 condensed one. It’s still no joke.
If management was really that easy of a major, we would have higher-rated recruits. Think about it.
Tokyo jacket
January 26th, 2010
7:00 pm
This is NOT a Lane Kiffin situation. Kiffin is a crap bag that led Tennesse fans on a wild goose chase. Giff Smith has done good things at Tech and yes, left for a promotion. Kiffin left for a lateral. Tech is better for having had its relationship with Smith but Tennessee is worse for having known Kiffin.
Here’s an analogy: losing Giff Smith is like breaking up with a girl because it’s just time to move on and you do so amicably. Kiffin is more like finding out your gilrfriend has been cheating on you with a better looking guy who has no substance and she moves in with him and takes your TV and your sofa when she leaves.
whiskey bottle
January 26th, 2010
7:04 pm
thanks for your good years Giff…….tech will be fine……playing for GT is an honor…..if you want to be a criminal and not win national championships…..go to UGA
It's a Freezehole
January 26th, 2010
7:07 pm
do not see how anyone would want to live in Buffalo much less work there especially for a head coach who was fired as OC with Kansas City. I agree with previos comment, I do not see how the Chan era will go more than 2 yrs..
so Tokyo....
January 26th, 2010
7:09 pm
does this mean your available now? lol (girl asking)
Georgia Tech loses its chief recruiter, and that's a major loss … | Georgia Today
January 26th, 2010
7:10 pm
[...] Read the original here: Georgia Tech loses its chief recruiter, and that's a major loss … [...]
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
7:10 pm
I was just speaking with someone who works at Tech, and he figured the shelf life on Chan with the Bills is 18 months. I’d give it 22.
Technophobia
January 26th, 2010
7:11 pm
Maddog, not spinning this as a positive, just trying to be optimistic. There are other people who can recruit out there and someone with knowledge and experience with the 3-4 could be an improvement. There’s no guarantee of that but there’s no guarantee the next guy will be worse either. Good luck to Giff and GO JACKETS!
Tokyo jacket
January 26th, 2010
7:14 pm
Groh took recruiting as a primary duty at UVA. Is there a chance he could be the new recruiting coordinator and DC?
TML
January 26th, 2010
7:15 pm
I wonder what CP”Goferit”J’s recruiting classes were ranked when he was at Georgia Southern and Navy. Giff was great but I’m not overly worried. The enticement of playing for a former NFL defensive genius on defense and one of the most innovative offensive minds as head coach should be enough to get quite the players we want and need.
“Toe Meets Leather” is available at your local The Fans Wear store (Cumberland, Peachtree Center, Northlake, and Stonecrest) and at http://www.stinGTees.com.
Mark Bradley
January 26th, 2010
7:18 pm
I can’t imagine a 65-year-old would do both jobs, Tokyo jacket. Or would want to do both.
GWB
January 26th, 2010
7:23 pm
“Players who’ve committed to the Jackets aren’t going to switch because the recruiting coordinator is Buffalo-bound.”
Mark there’s probably not 5 players on Tech’s entire list that anybody of significance wants to poach anyway. That’s the saving grace here. But you got to hand it to Chan. He got his payback.
Technophobia
January 26th, 2010
7:25 pm
Mark, how long did Gailey last with the Chiefs? Not more than a year I think. I tend to agree with the 22-24 months though. The Bills were 6-10 last season. Gailey takes em to 8-8 next year and the year after then he’s gone. By then we’ll know if our new recruiting coordinator is any good.