Once again: Georgia Tech lacks a ’special’ brand of expertise
"Well, my kickers might not be very good, but at least I've got a cool hat." (AP photo)
Back in October, this correspondent suggested Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech would be wise to hire a full-time special teams coordinator. Being Paul Johnson, he wadded up the advice and hurled it toward yonder trashcan.
This was PJ, speaking the day after the outrageous suggestion saw print:
The whole thing is ridiculous. Guys calling for special teams coordinators don’t have any idea. You know how many teams in the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten have special teams coordinators that don’t coach another position?
Six. You know who it is in our league? Boston College – which is helping them a lot – and N.C. State. And the Big Ten, it’s Purdue. In the Big 12, it’s Kansas State. I think it’s coach [Bill] Snyder’s son. Most staffs are set up the same as ours.
Coach Charles Kelly is quote-unquote the special teams coordinator, which means he collects and puts things together for the book. He has the punt team [and] punt return team. Other coaches are assigned areas of special teams. It’s been that way everywhere I’ve ever coached for 32 years. Sometimes, you’re better than others. It’s like Coach Kelly. I asked him today: Are you coaching the punt team any different than you did with [2007 second-team All-American punter] Durant Brooks? “No, coaching ‘em the same.”
Update: Georgia Tech lost the Sun Bowl to Utah in overtime after missing three field goals, yielding a 68-yard kickoff return (that didn’t hurt) and a 31-yard punt return (that engineered the Utes’ tying touchdown).
If you’re keeping score, that made two losses, Miami being the first, traceable to failures by Tech’s special teams. Yes, the defense yielded two late touchdowns to Utah, and no, Johnson’s offense couldn’t make a first down when one first down might have sealed the deal, but the offense gained 448 yards and the D held the Utes to 339 (and that’s counting overtime). Those units weren’t awful. Yet again, special teams were.
The only category pertaining to special teams at which Tech excelled this season was punt return defense. (Right up until its final punt of the year, anyway.) It entered the Sun Bowl ranked 50th nationally in kickoff return defense, 55th in net punting, 63rd in punt returns, 109th in kickoff returns. It finished 11 of 18 on field goals and didn’t make one longer than 41 yards. It had two blocked. It managed eight touchbacks on 80 kickoffs.
This wasn’t it just been a seasonal aberration. An incisive October post from Coaches By The Numbers illustrated the difference between the special teams of other prominent coaches — Nick Saban, Bob Stoops, Frank Beamer and especially Les Miles — and Johnson’s. And that difference, it would appear, translates to a game or two a year. At the highest level of college football, that’s a major gap.
Tech finished 8-5. Flip the two games undone by special teams – of Miami’s three touchdowns, two came on a muffed punt and after a long kickoff runback near the end of the first half — and Georgia Tech would have been 10-3. That’s Top 25 territory, probably Top 15.
OK, and now you’re saying: Saban and Stoops and Beamer don’t have designated special teams coordinators, either. Neither do they employ Johnson’s stylized offense, which doesn’t keep him from doing it. (And please note that LSU, which is unbeaten in large measure because of its special teams, does have a designated coordinator.)
Me, I’d suggest Tech take one of its two offensive line coaches and make that position a special teams coordinator. (Don’t coaches — some coaches, anyway — say that special teams are one-third of football? Should that one-third be allocated piecemeal?) But that’s just me, and I’m guessing PJ would say I’m being ridiculous again.
By Mark Bradley
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166 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
January 1st, 2012
3:11 pm
I would never suggest that Paul Johnson should be fired. But I do think he can stand to tweak a few things.
UGA = Yawn
January 1st, 2012
3:14 pm
Snellville. Forget 3 or 4 years ago. Last year 6 wins. This year 8 somehow and about 3 or 4 just AWFUL games – VT, UGA, Utah, Virginia / Miami. I don’t really see improvement and 2009 seems sooo long ago now.
UGA = Yawn
January 1st, 2012
3:17 pm
Mark, he should be fired or maybe accept a job at another school. 0-4 in bowls. 1-3 vs UGA. 1-3 vs VT. He is 2-10 in the 3 biggest games we play. What exactly are his metrics that he is judged to? I would suggest these 3 games. If so, he is a total failure. Anyone of us, if we did this bad at our jobs, would be let go immediately. Add another metric, ticket sales. Awful this year and will be even worse next year.
swarmi
January 1st, 2012
3:20 pm
Garyl follows Tech ball closely. He surely knows Smith re-injured his turf toe on his first/only carry.
MB, even without a ST coach, all Johnson had to do to win was just play to win…he seemed to play not to lose.
Angus
January 1st, 2012
3:24 pm
It doesn’t matter who Tech’s coach is – Tech will always be a 7-8 win team with the occasional really good season and the more frequent stinker of a season.
That being said, I don’t like watching bad football and Tech played a bunch of bad football this year.
How’s the hoops team this year?
It’s tough times for the Jackets.
Steve
January 1st, 2012
3:25 pm
“Snellville Jacket,” excited about 9 wins. Says a lot about Tech fans expectations. UGA would never be happy with averaging 9 wins a year.
Sugar Hill Dawg
January 1st, 2012
3:30 pm
Sure seems like Dave Braine knew what he was talking about. Maybe Chan and Reggie can return and work some more Joke Magic!
wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2012
3:30 pm
9-4 would not have been a great achievement. Lose to Miami ? Virginia ? Explain those. And any team that can convincingly beat Clemson should beat Va Tech, UGA and especially Utah.
wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2012
3:33 pm
Mark the ” tweak” needed here is radical. I hope DRAD can’t sleep . It starts with him.
Atlanta Native
January 1st, 2012
3:33 pm
Take out all of the wins against Division II teams (and Duke) and see what Paul Johnson’s Won-Loss record is.
Not too impressive, is it?
wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2012
3:34 pm
The second half collapse of this team is worse than that of the Braves.
UGA = Yawn
January 1st, 2012
3:37 pm
And Snellville misses a big point. We were 6-0 in our 1st 6 games and 2-5 in out last 7. That isn’t progress.
curt moore
January 1st, 2012
3:38 pm
CPJ crossed over into CPH territory on Saturday. The feeling toward him will be forever etched in this total collapse of GT team. I’m a TECH fan of 61 years, this is one of the worst ever. Lots of frustration regarding the management of our football program. Our PK(MOORE) who is on scholarship, was not good enough to call to win the game. CPJ called on a kid from Dawsonville to attempt his first FG of the year. What a revolting development this is. It appears the kid is a better kicker than Moore. Whats the deal. Frustration is at a high level. CPJ makes jokes about ST coach and even said to me one time that he didn’t give much thought to the kicking game. It’s about time he gets interested. Our PK and P are not of the caliber to perform at the level necessary to be at this level in college football. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2012
3:40 pm
The college bowl setup is designed to breed mediocrity. When you send Miss State, Wake Forest, Tech, Auburn, and Virginia to bowls you are reducing the standard for high achievment. The “good old days” of 5-6 bowls set a high standard of achievement. Lets go back to that. College football should not humiliate itself just because a few advertisers want to spend money. Let these advertisers buy NFL TV time of give it to Google.
We Own You....
January 1st, 2012
3:41 pm
It never gets old.
wreckmaniac
January 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
Steve: If a team had UGA’s schedule, it shouldn’t lose any games.
Mark...
January 1st, 2012
3:56 pm
if you are so smart regarding football…. why arent you coaching anywhere? It seems the best you can do is write about it
Snellville Jacket
January 1st, 2012
3:57 pm
Sorry UGA=Yawn, I’ve been around too long and seen too many cases where a good coach has been fired to get the team off some imaginary performance plateau. Think Leeman Bennett (Falcons) and Joe Torre (Braves) just to name a couple. Am I happy with our season? Not especially. Is it time to do something stupid like firing a good coach? Not a chance.
Mark Bradley
January 1st, 2012
3:59 pm
I’d suggest that Clemson is a fairly big game for Tech. And I believe Johnson is 4-1 against CU.
JoeFan
January 1st, 2012
4:00 pm
Yep Tech tossed this game away and one or two during the season because of defensive and special team lapses. Really think Johnson can win consistently at Tech and occasionally have a monster season but first he needs to improve in the two areas just sited and add a few more wrinkles to the offense just to keep defenses honest. Lets hope he is not to hard headed to make changes.
Douglas
January 1st, 2012
4:01 pm
Mark: I believe you are correct in that teams need to designate a coach as special teams coach. UGA needs to choose someone because special teams play definitely hurt UGA this year. We had an all American kicker who suddenly missed many FG’s. Our coverage was pathetic against LSU.
Mark Bradley
January 1st, 2012
4:02 pm
You’re right, Douglas. I wouldn’t hold Georgia up as the paradigm of special teams, either. I covered the game in Jacksonville.
Douglas
January 1st, 2012
4:03 pm
Bananajacket: you play in the ACC and that is the best you can do? Try playing in the SEC.
Ted M
January 1st, 2012
4:23 pm
Has Johnson ever had team that was at least average on special teams?
jackdog
January 1st, 2012
4:27 pm
As a long time Jacket fan, I am tired of Tevan Washington, the option offense, and a coach that is content with mediocrity. CPJ will probably get another year, but GT should cut his pay as he is without a doubt not a 2 million dollar coach. GT deserves better but now there is no respect for the school and Georgia fans do not even take the GT football team seriously. It is too bad that our Yellow Jackets have sunk this low and I don’t see it getting any better with the current coaching assembled under Radakovich, and CPJ. I think i will pull for LSU!
BigGAdawg
January 1st, 2012
4:38 pm
Please do not fire CPJ–as a UGA fan that is who we want to play against every year til he retires.
However, Tech, you have officially become an embarrassment to the state. SEVEN Bowl losses in a row. Just not acceptable. I expect that sort of play against our guys in bowl games you are not just playing for yourselves you are playing for the state as well.
So, until you figure out how to win a bowl game we are going to have to change your name–you may no longer use the name Georgia. We will call you the “Tech School in the Hood.” When you learn to win a few bowl games we may revisit this issue you silly little nerds.
UGA = Yawn
January 1st, 2012
4:54 pm
Clemson is one of those anomolies. A big rivalry for Tech that we seem to win. VT is a bigger game now as that usually decided who wins our division. UGA is a super big game and the bowl game is the last game of the year. Those 3 are the true biggies and he is horrid in those 3. He must go ala Hewitt. Let’s not wait 2 or 3 more years like we had to do with Hewitt.
GTfan..
January 1st, 2012
4:57 pm
Special teams & Open up the Offense …Defense has got better but ?
I didn’t say fire Johnson but I’m like Mark, alot needs fixing. Go Jackets next year!
T-Bone
January 1st, 2012
4:57 pm
No matter what CPJ says, he pulled the reigns back in the fourth qtr. Not being able to milk the clock with 4+ minutes left and a 2 TD lead, is inexcusable . . . and that’s coaching.
Mark Bradley
January 1st, 2012
5:04 pm
I was surprised that Tech seemed to get so conservative. But the core of option football is making the read. Apparently — I say “apparently” because I wasn’t in El Paso — the Jackets were getting a certain look and then not being able to block it.
yeller bug
January 1st, 2012
5:08 pm
A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. –Prov 17:10
I like CPJ and GT football is better than what we had in the Gailey era. That said, there are some special team deficiencies that keep popping up and it should be obvious to most that as Mark has stated just a few key plays here and there during a game can make the difference between a win and a loss–a 10 -3 record vs. a 8 – 5. We’ll see if CPJ takes notice and takes action in 2012. That said, the coach can’t kick the ball for the player and having a dedicated coach may not resolve that. Perhaps a kicking consultant or mentor may provide greater improvement or simply find better talent. Tech’s high quality academic degree should entice the best kickers and punters to come to our school as our unique offense has no bearing on the kicking game—-we score a lot of points so kickers should want to come here. Also, consolidating all special teams under one coach doesn’t necessarily imply better special teams performance. What commonalities or synergy is gained by having the same coach do kick off returns and punts? The two are as different as offense and defense.
wes
January 1st, 2012
5:35 pm
However, I agree that our special teams stink.
CPJ just needs to do gooder in recruiting.
Kudos on all of your predictions in 2011. You pretty much nailed it.
Dacusville Bill
January 1st, 2012
5:41 pm
Never thought, I’d say “I miss Gomer Gailey” Only Coach worst that the Fat man occupying the position would be Bill Lewis–He loses 4 straight to Jawgie and lose another bowl game, maybe Lewis will be given a 2nd chance–
Dacusville Bill
January 1st, 2012
5:43 pm
Enter your comments here Bring back Gomer Gailey or give Bill Lewis a second chance
CPJ
January 1st, 2012
5:56 pm
We won the first three quarters, so it was a moral victory for us.
BILLDAWG
January 1st, 2012
7:41 pm
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU HIRE A COACH AWAY FROM A MILITARY ACADEMY? IT’S NOT LIKE HE EVER DID ANYTHING OTHER THAN LOOK GOOD AT GA SOUTHERN AT THAT LEVEL AND WIN SOME AT NAVY. LOOK AT THE NAVY SCHEDULE WHEN HE WAS THERE — NOT A REAL TOUGH SCHEDULE.
IF JOHNSON WAS AT ANY SEC SCHOOL WITH HIS RECORD AND ATTITUDE, HE WOULD BE READING THE HELP WANTED ADS TODAY.
GT Grad
January 1st, 2012
8:40 pm
Paul Johnson was about to go for it on 4th and 2 in OT…really? All Utah needed was to get into field goal range if that little gimmick did not work out…He actually thought about going for it…
Former 1990 Champ
January 1st, 2012
9:04 pm
@Snellville Jacket. PJ is 0-4 in bowl games. 1-3 against UGA. That is not good enough.
The Ole Ball Coach
January 1st, 2012
9:16 pm
I am so glad I am not a Georgia Tech fan,,,,,,how much misery they must have……How many different ways can you lose a game…..
Sugar Hill Dawg
January 1st, 2012
10:12 pm
CPJ’s primary task for the next month is to evaluate talent, “close the deal,” and work with his kids. Look at what happened to Bama vs. LSU – I find it hard to believe Nick Saban told Les Miles at midfield “Gee, it never occurred to me to recruit a competent place kicker.” The kickers are human – some rise to the occasion, some choke. Tech’s on the right path – now if the APD can keep the student body from being daily shooting gallery targets I’d say Tech’s on the way up! (My boys are at Auburn – I gladly pay the out of state tuition to keep them safe in a college town environment. My math major son told me he’ll transfer to Tech to ease out financial burden – while I’d be proud of my son for earning a Tech degree, I’d rather him survive for the remaining two years he needs than to eliminate the tuition costs.)
Ga Tech Old Timer
January 1st, 2012
10:14 pm
Mark – I’ve been a Tech supporter since the Bobby Dodd days and a season ticket holder for not quite as many years. You’ve “hit the nail on the head” both in terms of your suggestion and Coach Johnson’s attitude. The problem with Coach is he thinks he can be defensive about his attitude, coaching hires, play selection and allocation of personnel do certain necessary functions like “Special Teams” but the truth is that only works with the fans and the support base that recommended him to the AD if you continue to show improvement every year – in every phase of the game. Bobby Dodd had some great teams back in the day. He didn’t win them all every year but his teams were coached a hell of a lot better than what Tech has today and with a lot better attitude toward fans and media alike. Johnson’s refusal to even consider a different approach shows the lack of leadership qualities that will eventually be his demise on the Flats. Johnson doesn’t have to try everyones ideas – but what he does have to do is overcome his stubbornness. When he first came to Tech – his attitude was perceived as confidence – today – it’s arrogance and it’s hurting the team and that translates to fans and money (ticket sales) for the school which is the bottom line. Please keep plugging away with your analysis and one of these days maybe either Coach Johnson or the institution – or the fans will have their eyes opened – one way or the other.
GTforever
January 2nd, 2012
1:34 am
GT doesn’t have the athletes. CPJ is not getting the job done in recruiting. Bottom line. No coach can succeed with inferior athletes. CPJ’s first two classes 2008, 2009 have been flops as a whole. Gailey was a very good coach but he could not recruit a very good QB, so far CPJ hasn’t put any Playmakers at all on the field (his recruits). He had better find some Playmakers or he is gone.
Mama says
January 2nd, 2012
6:36 am
Facts we cannot deny and post corrections.
We did not have 2 of our starting rb’s. 1 starting lb, 1 starting corner and 1 starting o lineman.
During the game we lost another lb and our fill in b back hurt his ankle. And 1 starting o lineman was suspended.
Washington cannot throw the ball and was only slightly better at it than Nesbitt. CPJ was right to try to run the ball in the 4th when we were winning by 14 with 8 mins left- it’s football 101.
Orwin Smith did suit up and start, one of you complained because he was benched , he reinjured his turf toe and took himself out with that pain.
Finally like Snellville Jacket said, we have won more now than in the past and I will add this question, do any of you remember the predictions for the team at the start of the season ? I do 6-6 would have been an accomplishment according to most.
Bottom line in this game and others ? Nealy told us- they let up on defense, so they lost.
Buzz2011
January 2nd, 2012
7:03 am
That ’s just you Bradley ” once again”.. Stick to your ovrated leghumpers with the high school schedule . Lert’s see how much expertise the Dawgs have. Maybe you could get the Dawgs field goal kicker to help us at GT..I understand he had a big year!…………………
Having a Eureka moment here
January 2nd, 2012
7:57 am
After reading some of the positive (if misguided) GT comments regarding the could’a- would’a- should’a approach they use in assessing their program I notice my dog has some pretty large ears. Now if they were only a little bit larger and he could learn to flap them a little harder I bet he could fly or at least hover.
Hey Buzz2011 that kicker has a chance to leave the program as the all time scoring leader in UGA kicking history. You might want to look into the All American kickers that have traveled through Athens before you make embarassing commnets.
mdp1985
January 2nd, 2012
8:18 am
I am a true Tech fan. I went to school there; walked on in football and graduated in 1985. To all the aggravated Tech fans, who on the bench did CPJ have to kick the ball? He had no one. Justin Moore simply has not done very well. Remember Luke Manget and Scott Scisson. Tech has had some great kickers in the past. CPJ simply has not found a gem kicker yet. The kid from Calhoun would have been great but he chose Alabama. Kicking is about individual performance and Tech does not have that kid. Due to the lack of a great kicking recruit coming to Tech perhaps a specialist might just be the ticket. I heard that Scott Scisson was in town for the Calhoun game.
JetBuzz
January 2nd, 2012
8:23 am
For this grad, I share in the frustration and disappointment of many Jacket alumns and fans. This annual end-of-season gut bomb is more than old. It’s unacceptable. Coaching miscues (4Q O & D) combined with player miscues leads to Loss. And many of these very issues (ST, QB efficiency, D backfield, etc.) were hot topics LAST January 2nd….
The second half of our typical season is a better metric of evaluation. The Div II FCS games in Sep help get us IN the bowl games, but don’t prove we can WIN the bowl games.
Some recruits look very promising – but let’s talk after signing day, not now. First area for evaluation – QB. TW is a good kid but not Top 25 calibre, and this was obvious LAST season. Without a very talented QB, this option offense doesn’t win many big games, and we haven’t.
Second area for evaluation – special teams. ST were horrible LAST season. Again nothing much has changed.
Defense – year to year improvement, questionable.
Next year is now. Time for change and major progress.
Technically Correct
January 2nd, 2012
8:45 am
Tech will continue to experience attrition of its fan base, if CPJ’s teams continue to under-achieve. He needs to either do a better job of recruiting to increase his talent level or do a better job of coaching and preparation to get more out of the talent level that he has or, better yet, both. It can start with a quality, dual-threat QB on offense and pass rush on defense. It might be time for CPJ to learn to kowtow to some 5-star egos…
Albert
January 2nd, 2012
8:46 am
@Buzz2011: Looks like you guys could use some help. Seven in a row is pitiful.
Trade School FTW
January 2nd, 2012
9:18 am
I aint feelin it on the Flats for next year. I figure 8 wins(maybe) a loss to Ga and another third tier bowl loss. At that point Drad will have to save his own neck and fire CPJ. Turkey neck is too old and too prideful to change. He cant recruit, and he doesnt care about defense OR special teams. Frank Beamer have a son interested inna job at all?