Georgia Tech’s coaching search: Won’t be much longer, folks
Gregg Marshall in his Winthrop days. I'm guessing he's high on Radakovich's list. (AP photo)
Perhaps you have questions about Georgia Tech’s coaching vacancy. You’re not alone. I do, too. The man who could answer them all — athletic director Dan Radakovich — isn’t talking, but in his stead I’ll offer what I know and what I’ve been given reason to believe. And, as a bonus, even a wild guess.
What’s taking so long?
Paul Hewitt was fired nearly two weeks ago. If Tech hasn’t interviewed anyone — and as of Wednesday morning, it hadn’t — it hasn’t been to heighten the drama. Most of the coaches in whom Tech has interest have teams still playing, which would only make sense. Wouldn’t want to hire someone whose team didn’t reach the postseason, would you?
When will interviews begin?
As soon as those coaches’ teams lose.
Does Tech have a short list? Is there a leading candidate?
Yes to the first. And if there’s a leading candidate, he hasn’t been identified by any outsider in position to know. Though it seems fair to guess that Chris Mooney of Richmond and Gregg Marshall of Wichita State — both of whose teams were still alive as of Wednesday – are obvious top-of-the-list possibilities, with Tommy Amaker of Harvard, Shaka Smart of VCU and Chris Mack of Xavier mixed in.
Why didn’t you include Brad Stevens of Butler?
He could have his pick of almost any job almost any year. There’s no guarantee he’ll ever leave Butler, and if he does there’s no reason to think Tech will be the destination.
What about Mark Price? What about Craig Neal? What about Kenny Anderson?
Tech has to know those distinguished alums have expressed interest in the job, and there would seem no percentage in not making some sort of contact with each. That said, it’s difficult to conceive of a scenario in which Radakovich’s first look wouldn’t be at candidates who are head coaches.
Is money a factor for Tech?
It is. Hewitt made $1.3 million; in hiring his successor, the Institute can’t go much above that. (Anthony Grant, by way of contrast, is making $1.8 million at Alabama. The big football schools can also afford to spend on basketball.) A key reason to focus on mid-major coaches is that they’re more apt to fall in Tech’s price range.
Will the searches of North Carolina State/Oklahoma/Missouri/Tennessee squeeze Tech?
All four will aim higher than a mid-major coach. (As did Arkansas, which just lured Mike Anderson from Missouri.) Rumored targets at N.C. State include Pitt’s Jamie Dixon and Arizona’s Sean Miller; Buzz Williams of Marquette is thought to be on Oklahoma’s list. Tennessee is looking to make a splash in finding Bruce Pearl’s replacement — AD Mike Hamilton has his own job to save — but might not be as attractive as Tech. The Vols, as you’ve heard, have NCAA issues.
Some have questioned whether Tech is a good job. Is there reason to believe no worthwhile candidate will say yes?
It’s in the ACC. It’s in the capital of a state that produces a ton of basketball talent. It can pay more than a million dollars a year, and in 2012 it will open a refurbished arena. More than a few accomplished mid-major coaches would take a charge from Shaquille O’Neal for the chance to work here.
Does Radakovich know what he’s doing?
Let’s recall his admission that he’d reached the decision to fire Hewitt three weeks before doing it. Does anyone think those three weeks were spent not mulling replacements? Let’s note that Radakovich made the considered decision not to employ Parker Executive Search, the Atlanta-based firm that does almost everyone’s coach-hunting now (including N.C. State’s and Georgia State’s), but to seek the counsel of Eddie Fogler, a former coach and a basketball lifer. Let’s also note that D-Rad’s first big hire — Parker Search assisted in that process, FYI — was Paul Johnson, and two years later the Jackets were playing in the Orange Bowl.
Radakovich has said he wants a coach in place by the Final Four, which convenes April 1 in Houston. Why?
Three reasons. First, it has become difficult for a high-profile AD to interview coaches in a city overrun by coaches — their annual convention is held concurrent with the Final Four — and media. Second, the convention would give the new Tech coach a chance to hire his staff, should the need occur. Third, Tech would like to take advantage of that media glut to get a little buzz going regarding its new man.
When should we expect D-Rad to have his man?
By this time next week, give or take a day.
Last question: Who will it be?
Just guessing, I’d say Mooney or Marshall. Just guessing, you hear?
By Mark Bradley
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382 comments Add your comment
Buzzett
March 23rd, 2011
6:33 pm
I heard Tech has something short, but it wasn’t a list.
Tech Forever
March 23rd, 2011
6:34 pm
UGASlobberknocker
Oh you’re way off. I’d say far more bloggers of Tech have or have had season tickets to bb and/or fb than Georgia. Remember, you’re comparing a group of less than 30k to a group of more than 70k. People who didn’t go to Tech typically don’t care about Tech…..they’re Georgia fans.
tech faithful
March 23rd, 2011
6:37 pm
I wonder if Bill Lewis is available….he did such a great job with our football program a few years ago
UGASlobberknocker
March 23rd, 2011
6:42 pm
@Tech Forever Maybe you’re right..However, it seems to me that based on Tech’ poor football attendance every year and and poor basketball attendance in recent yrs, there are a lot of people who went to Tech don’t care about Tech.
Hoopster
March 23rd, 2011
6:43 pm
Mark Fox to NCSt.
Tech Forever
March 23rd, 2011
6:45 pm
UGASlobberknocker
I agree with that. But remember, if you took every single living Tech alum within a 3 hour drive of Atlanta and put them in BDS it still wouldn’t be full. That figure according to the Alumni Association incidentally is approximately 40k.
1785 Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
7:08 pm
It is a fact that more than 50% of all engineers in the state of Georgia were educated outside the state of Georgia. That being the case, from my perspective, Georgia Tech should be doing a better job of educating engineers for the state of Georgia. So, don’t complain that if all Georgia Tech alumni in Georgia are too few in number to fill up a stadium or basketball arena. Do a better job of educating engineers and you will have more alumni in your stadium. The state of Georgia needs more engineers, preferably some with people skills.
Tony
March 23rd, 2011
7:09 pm
Said another way- compared to the BD attendance in relative terms Sanford Stadium should have 776k fans a week. UGA fans may want to sit down as their head will spin on that one.
buzzwax
March 23rd, 2011
7:14 pm
From a very good source – Hewitts buyout DOES NOT impact GT’s ability to hire/pay our next coach. Several ’supporters of the program’ have taken care of this…..Gailey’s buyout is done at the end of this year. ESPN’s new ACC deal gives GT an additonal 2M per year OVER Drads estimate from his 2010 budget delivered BEFORE the details of the new ESPN deal were finalized (Go to ramblinwreck.com and listen to DRads ’state of the GT union’ presentation. Very impressive detail and plan for GT’s financial future!! GT will NOT have a ‘money’ problem.
MSU
March 23rd, 2011
7:24 pm
Tom Izzo was an assistant to Jud Heathcote before he was hired.
1785 Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
7:24 pm
Hey Tony,
If Sanford Stadium were expanded enough, we could sell 776,000 tickets to each home game. Secondly, Georgia’s football program is financially strong enough to pay for such an expansion, if we could find an engineer that could build it.\\
Shelah.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
7:28 pm
1785, sad to say, most engineers don’t give a rip about sports; many are, as you mutts love to call all of us, nerds. I hate the hell out of that, but unfortunately, from what I have seen, it is true. I DID graduate from Tech, I DID stay in the state of GA (although I worked in SC till I retired), and I have been a season ticket holder in football for 45 years. I had b’ball season tickets for 10 years, until the long late night drives home, plus Hewitt’s incompetence, made me decide not to renew. And as far as the poor attendance at b’ball games the last few years, that does not indicate that Tech fans don’t care; it shows how much they do care and how sick they became of the situation.
Jackets 2011
March 23rd, 2011
7:29 pm
2nd chance Big Dance
Yahoo league 11391
No pw needed.
Name of league – Yellow Jackets
Motto – DRAD will pick the right guy.
Dawg fans can join but as a past commish, I’ve been called Hitler & if you post insults, you’ll get the boot.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
7:33 pm
1785, I might remind you that in spite of claims to be sold out, there were lots of empty seats in the cesspool at every game the past couple of years. They were very visible on TV.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
7:36 pm
1785, the fact that most working engineers in the state of Georgia only indicates that those who graduate Tech go elsewhere to work. That can only mean two things: they wanted to work closer to where they were from, or the pay was better outside the state of Georgia. The sad thing is, and I hate to admit this, that those who do stay in Georgia or close by, apparently don’t give a rip about sports. I know several who are like this. It pains me to say this, but, to use a word you mutts are so eager to use in describing Tech fans, they are nerds.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
7:39 pm
I DID stay in the state of Georgia, and I have bought season tickets for football every year since I graduated. I bought season b’ball tickets until last year, when I decided that the long late-night drives home, coupled with the poor teams, were too much for me.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
7:40 pm
I DID stay in Georgia after I graduated, and I have been a faithful football season ticket since then. I also bought basketball season tickets for several years.
Wesley Chandler
March 23rd, 2011
7:56 pm
MARK PRICE!!!!!!!!!! DO IT
Larry
March 23rd, 2011
8:04 pm
Please quit listing Tommy Amaker as a candidate, your making me sick!!
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2011
8:18 pm
Thanks for a well-reasoned, honest, objective look at the situation, Mark. It’s nice to have a columnist who can stir up interests without resorting to shock tactics, schlock tactics, and mindless rumor-mongering. And at least you tell everyone you are just guessing, instead of offering some cryptic rationalization for an inside scoop.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2011
8:21 pm
Mooney and Marshall have been my first two preferences since Hewitt’s firing, so I am pleased that others share the view that they might be on the short list (obvious as it may be). TO ALL THOSE FELLOW TECH FANS who insist that MOONEY IS A DONE DEAL: Just one of you name a reliable source or inside connection to verify and validate your assertions. I think it is just wishful thinking….and don’t tell me you figured it out on your own. Many of us want Mooney (or Marshall, for that matter), and most of us trust Radakovich, but no one knows who he will hire (perhaps including himself) until he says so, or until someone comes forth with a reliable source.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2011
8:24 pm
Radakovich has shown restraint and discretion, his staff and search committee has shown restraint and discretion, the AJC has shown restraint and discretion….seems like only a handful of supposed Tech fan bloggers can’t restrain themselves and be discrete, even if they don’t really know jack.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2011
8:29 pm
1785, if you intend to imitate Furman Bisher with your sign off, it is “S-E-L-A-H.” Now that we have established that you never attended a university (the doors weren’t open in Athens in 1785…that is just when the politicians decided they would do something there), I suggest you look for the heading on the AJC Sports site that says “U-G-A” (no, they’re not telling you that you are gay) and there you will find numerous other like-minded (i.e., no-minded) dogs with whom you share many things.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2011
8:33 pm
I don’t resent dawgs reading Tech blogs (for those who can read). After all, they will be needing to hire a new coach very soon themselves, since Fox is bound to leave in the near future. It doesn’t even bother me when they post on Tech blogs (though bothering Tech fans is clearly the objective of most of them). It does, however, annoy me that most are semi-literate at best and don’t know anything about their own athletics programs, much less the Institute’s.
1785 Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:33 pm
Hey Supersize(?):
It is common knowledge, that when one can not refute the facts, people tend to drop back to the “insult” mindset. The fact remains, that if Georgia Tech educated more engineers, the state of Georgia would not have to be a net importer of engineers. The subject of sports is not so much the point, as the lack of the ability of the historical, typical Georgia Tech graduate to have an informed interesting, conversation.
Selah.
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 23rd, 2011
8:36 pm
17-85 dawg: Two things. First, I’m guessing the 17 is your IQ and the 85 is the number of charges on your rap sheet. Second, FMJ has your number and just shut you down!
SELAH!!!!
Jack Daniels Terrier
March 23rd, 2011
8:40 pm
1785: 2 COMMA SPLICES IN EACH OF THE THREE SENTENCES OF YOUR LAST POST TO SUPERSIZE. AT LEAST YOU LEARNED THE PROPER SPELLING OF ‘SELAH.’ As far as refuting facts, are you suggesting that expanding Sanford Stadium to 776,000 seats and filling them for each game is a fact? Go back to school, boy.
FullMetalJacket
March 23rd, 2011
8:44 pm
We all know that UGA was chartered in 1785 and opened in 1801 as Franklin College. But I think the poster 1785 is more clever than that. I think the 17 refers to the average lifespan in months of an Uga mascot and the 85 is the equivalent age in human years. Just like MB, I am only guessing….
blazer
March 23rd, 2011
8:46 pm
no Dukies-K thinks he is a god! doesn’t even grant half time interviews-geez!
no choir boys-get a coach!
James Franco
March 23rd, 2011
8:56 pm
Congratulations, Nerds!
AMG
March 23rd, 2011
8:58 pm
DRad will pull off a mircle hire that will shock almost everyone including Mark Bradley. He has his man in mind and he is NOT on this list and is a way bigger name than anyone has guessed at.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:05 pm
1785, and just how do you propose that Tech educate more engineers? The GA state legislature and board of regent sure won’t allow that. After all, we’ve already seen that they opened a needless engineering school in Athens rather than funding expansion at Tech. It’s a little hard for Tech to educate more engineers when we can’t even get support to do so from the redneck politicians under the gold dome. So now there will be a bunch of poorly educated redneck engineers from Athens available for jobs in Georgia, giving more reason for Tech grads to leave the state.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:06 pm
AMG, I tend to agree with you. I think there could be a BIG surprise coming. The next week is going to be very interesting.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:08 pm
And one thing’s for sure, it won’t be Mark Price
1785 Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
9:12 pm
Dear Georgia Tech alumnus:
Please note that I have been trying to encourage Georgia Tech to graduate more engineers, as the state of Georgia is a net importer of engineers. Your response has been to insult that suggestion. Think about that for a moment.
The engineering schoools outside the state of Georgia are more relevent in providing engineers to Georgia than Georgia Tech. Is that because there are better engineering schools elsewhere, or are other engineering schools producing more engineers with superior people skills and better manners?
Marlon
March 23rd, 2011
9:18 pm
Tech 86 gets it. Tyndall signed a 4 year extension but don’t think for a second that he wouldn’t bolt for GT. GT is his dream job and the one he wants. He believes he can win the national championship at Georgia Tech. He loves to recruit in GA. All 5 of his teams at Morehead State have been filled with GA talent. His currrent recruiting class in loaded with GA. talent. In reality he has come within one win of reaching the Sweet 16 which would be the pinnacle at Morehead State.
He has built the Morehead State program from the ground up. He didn’t inherit a program that had talent or a winning tradition like a lot of these coaches that Mark is mentioning. The coach from VCU inherited a program. Let’s see if he can recruit and maintain. Mooney and Marshall gets respect and would do well at GT. My alma mater is not a house hold name and that hurts coach Tyndall. I do know what an amazing job he has done and he deserves to have his name mentioned with the so called A-list of candidates.
dawgfan0711
March 23rd, 2011
9:21 pm
Gregg Marshall should be Tech’s choice. Great coach and would have Tech back in the NCAA tourney no later than year 2. I’m a DAWG fan so it doesn’t matter to me, but this is the right guy for the job.
Dawg Squeeze
March 23rd, 2011
9:23 pm
I’m with you 1785 dawg….the colleges in this state just aren’t doing the job. For instance, look at the sorry state of the vet medicine program at UGA…heck, they can’t even keep their mascot alive! Maybe we could import some Auburn or Clemson grads to get better medical care for animals.
dawgfan0711
March 23rd, 2011
9:24 pm
Hoopster—Mark Fox isn’t going anywhere, UGA will pay whatever it takes to keep him.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:26 pm
LOL @ Squeeze
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:26 pm
dawgfan, you couldn’t keep Tubby. What makes you think you can keep Fox? Nobody gives a rip about THUGa basketball; why would anybody want to stay there?
Tech Forever
March 23rd, 2011
9:27 pm
1785 Dawg
Cite the “fact”. Please. “50% of all engineers in Georgia come from outside the state of Georgia” that is your “fact”…..cite it!!!! That is MY challenge.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:28 pm
1785, apparently you haven’t yet learned how to read. Tech cannot produce more engineers without the money to expand, and the redneck legislators and board of regents in the state of Georgia will NOT give money to Tech. In addition, name me any really high-profile engineering positions in the state of Georgia. Tech grads go where the best opportunities (and biggest salaries) are.
1785 Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
9:29 pm
Georgia Tech is a non-issue in its home state, in terms of engineering. It is looking up upgrade its basketball coach by hiring the Morehead State coach. Think about that for a moment.
Tech Forever
March 23rd, 2011
9:38 pm
1785 Dawg
You want a fact? In 2008 the state of Georgia ranked 47th in the nation in “public high school graduation rate” at 58.77% (11.33% below the national average of 70%). Since UGA has overwhelmingly the largest Education Department of any campus in the state and Tech doesn’t have one at all I wonder who’s on the hook for this abyssmal figure? Maybe UGA should do a better job of not graduating dummies to go out into the high school classroom and create more dummies.
Tech Forever
March 23rd, 2011
9:41 pm
1785 Dawg
No answer to my challenge because you know your “fact” about 50% of engineers fell out of your butt when you got up from your 1984 Lay-Z-Boy to go get another bottle of Richard’s Wild Irish Rose out of the icebox (yes……you have an icebox).
Tech Forever
March 23rd, 2011
9:51 pm
dawgfan0711
Wanna bet? I like Coach Fox and I think UGA did a great job in getting him and he’s a great hire. But he’s gone as soon as the right job comes along and there’s nothing you can do about it. You see there’s one thing wrong with Fox that Damon overlooked or discounted, and that is that Fox is a westerner. Coaches have two ties that bind over all else; one pedigree and two geography. Coaches with strong pedigrees can and will go coach at any successful program that is ultimately linked to them in some way through their past and/or ancestrial past (i.e. Roy Williams being at UNC). But coaches like Fox who have no true pedigree are generally tied to their upbringing and roots related to geography. For Fox that’s the SW and NW part of the country. These coaches will go to places in other parts of the country for a spell (Fox to the SE to coach in Athens) but they almost always end up back in their area of familiarity. And it doesn’t help that Cindy is from I believe Washington state. Couple more years like this one and Fox will be headed back across the Mississippi.
1785 Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
9:53 pm
Dear Tech Forever:
The statistic that more than 50% of engineers employed in Georgia were educated as engineers outside Georgia is from a member of the Georgia legislature who is on the Georgia Board of Education. It is public information. Feel free to research it and look it up. I sincerley hope you do, as I would like to see Georgia Tech produce more engineers.
Look it up.
It is ironic that an alumnus of UGA is trying to point out to you thact that Georgia Tech does not produce enough engineers, and all you nerds think I am misinformed.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
1785, you apparently still can’t read. Nobody disputes the fact that Tech is not supplying the state of Georgia with the engineers it needs. The question is why. The answer is that most are going elsewhere to higher paying jobs with better opportunities. After all, how many truly outstanding engineering jobs are there in Georgia to begin with?
Supersize that order, mutt
March 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
1785, you never did answer the question I posed earlier as to how Tech CAN produce more engineers. Do you have an answer for that?