THE FLATS – New Georgia Tech head men’s basketball coach Damon Stoudamire has completed his first coaching staff for the Yellow Jackets with the hiring of Karl Hobbs as associate head coach, as well as Terry Parker, Jr., and Pershin Williams assistant coaches.

Collectively, the trio has 61 years of college coaching experience, have been involved in 25 post-season tournaments, and come to The Flats from programs that have enjoyed recent success on the national level.

Hobbs, a former Division I head coach at George Washington, comes to Tech following seven seasons as the associate head coach at Rutgers, a program on the rise in the Big Ten with two NCAA Tournament appearances in the last three seasons. Williams joins the Jackets after a successful building of the men’s basketball program as Kennesaw State, which won the Atlantic sun championship and played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a Division I program. Parker transitions to Tech following a successful three-year term at UAB, which won 78 games and made two post-season appearances during his time with the Blazers’ program.

“This staff is a good mixture of younger and experienced coaches, a good blend,” said Stoudamire. “The college basketball landscape is changing, and I wanted to align myself with coaches who can relate on both levels. Pershin and Terry have grinded their way to where they are today. Coach Hobbs has had high major experience, and has been a head coach before.

“Their strengths are in relationships. They have great ability to connect with people in all shapes and sizes. They have a shared vision for what I and the Georgia Tech program want to put out there. They are strong in the development of players, both on the court and as young men. They’re high-character guys who exude the morals and principles of what I look for, and what Georgia Tech stands for.

“They’ve all been with programs that have had recent success, which has value and was taken into consideration. The success is still fresh for them, especially for Terry and Pershin where they came from. Coach Hobbs is a no-brainer to have here, but I’m very excited for Pershin and Terry to have this opportunity at such a great institution. These are guys who are hungry to be successful. They’ll roll up their sleeves and work to get this program back, brick by brick.”

KARL HOBBS | Associate Head Coach

Hobbs directed George Washington to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances as a head coach, captured two national titles as an assistant at Connecticut and helped Rutgers to three post-season appearances in his most recent stop.

Hobbs has 36 seasons of Division I coaching experience and 21 post-season appearances on his resume, and comes to The Flats following seven seasons as associate head coach at Rutgers. He helped guide the Scarlet Knights to post-season appearances each of the past three seasons, including back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2022, marking the first time RU made the big dance in consecutive seasons since 1976. Hobbs helped Rutgers snap a 30-year NCAA Tournament drought when the Scarlet Knights earned a berth in the 2021 the NCAA Tournament, their first appearance since 1991.

“Coach Hobbs is a very important addition to our program,” said Stoudamire. “He’s a really good guy and very trustworthy. He’s been around the block with a lot of experience. He has coached for really good people, and, of course, has been a head coach in his own right. He’s had a lot of success and built a strong reputation in the Northeast. He brings a savvy and a nurturing, calming personality that will help shape the rest of the staff. He’s got a good eye for talent, and obviously has sat in this seat before and understands everything that comes with it.”

In addition to playing an instrumental role in recruiting, game-planning and opponent scouting, Hobbs was key in the development of the Scarlet Knights’ backcourt and perimeter players. Rutgers welcomed four-star signees from New Jersey in consecutive classes, with Ron Harper, Jr. (2018) and Paul Mulcahy (2019) both electing to stay home. After arriving on campus without a national prospect ranking, guard Geo Baker became a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2019-20. Guard Caleb McConnell was named the Big Ten’s co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors along with Mulcahy and Cam Spencer.

Despite playing the among the toughest conference schedules in the Big Ten, according to Ken Pom analysis the past four seasons, Rutgers made significant strides with Hobbs on staff. RU won 53 games over the past three years, including a 32-28 mark in the Big Ten.

TERRY PARKER, JR. | Assistant Coach

Parker helped lead UAB to 78 victories and trips to the NCAA Tournament and NIT during the last three seasons.

The Decatur, Ga., native brings 13 years of Division I coaching experience to the Yellow Jackets’ program after stops at UAB, Indiana State, Utah Valley University and Nicholls State.

Parker was a part of Blazer teams that won 29 games and reached the NIT finals in 2022-23, which followed a 27-8 season and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021-22. UAB went 22-7 his first season in 2020-21. Five Blazers earned all-Conference USA honors during his time in Birmingham, including 2002 C-USA Player of the Year Jordan “Jelly” Walker.

“Terry has had to cut his teeth and work his way up,” said Stoudamire. “He’s unassuming in his ways, but he’s well respected in coaching circles. In talking with people, everything I’ve heard is positive. He exudes everything I look for in a coach, on and off the court. Relationships are powerful in this business, and he has them. I really look forward to being around him and watching him ascend in this profession.”

Prior to his term at UAB, Parker spent the previous six seasons as an assistant coach at Indiana State (2014-20). While at ISU, Parker coached 14 All-Missouri Valley Conference players a total of 17 times, including 2015 MVC Freshman of the Year Brenton Scott and 2020 MVC all-newcomer Jake LaRavia, who went on to be selected 19th in the 2022 NBA Draft.

He spent one season at Utah Valley, where he helped guide the Wolverines to a 20-12 overall record, 13-3 in the Western Athletic Conference in 2013-14. UVU was the WAC regular season champions in their first year in the league and recorded their first NIT appearance in school history.

Prior to Utah Valley, Parker served as an assistant coach at Nicholls State for four seasons (2010-14).

PERSHIN WILLIAMS | Assistant Coach

A former graduate assistant with the Georgia Tech men’s basketball program, Williams brings 12 years of full-time college coaching experience after helping head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim build Kennesaw State’s program into a championship team in the Atlantic Sun Conference and an NCAA Tournament team in 2023. KSU went 26-9 last season, 15-3 in the A-Sun, and three Owls earned all-conference recognition after being picked to finish eighth in the pre-season conference poll.

“Pershin is an up-and-coming talent in this business, and this is a great opportunity for him,” said Stoudamire. “He’s relatable, he has an infectious personality, and he can handle any role. He’s got a good eye for talent, and he was an integral piece in Kennesaw State’s elevation over the course of four years. He pours himself into relationships, which is a big part of who he is. He knows the Southeast area, and when you’ve had to cut your teeth the way he has, that’s something I value, because the relationships are real, and he’s had to develop them. I really respect him and how he’s grown in this business.”

Prior to his time at Kennesaw State, the Columbus, Ga., native served a three-year stint as the assistant coach at Columbus State University, his alma mater. In his first season with the Cougars, Columbus State captured a share of the Peach Belt Conference West Division title, reached the PBC Tournament final and appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season.

Prior to joining the CSU staff, Williams spent two years as the head boys’ basketball coach at Hardaway High School in Columbus, following one season at Nyack College and four years on the Georgia Southern coaching staff (2009-13). During his time at Georgia Southern, Williams helped coached five All-Southern Conference players.

Williams started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech for two seasons (2005-07) before spending one season at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (2007-08) and Lafayette (2008-09).

Georgia

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Tech Schedule and Results | Championship Website

Pinehurst, N.C. – After finishing as runner-up in five tournaments this year, Georgia Tech finally came away winners Monday when the Yellow Jackets downed Wake Forest, 3-2, in the championship match of the 69th Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Golf Championship at the Country Club of North Carolina.

Senior anchor Ross Steelman secured the title for the Yellow Jackets by sinking a bending, downhill 27-foot birdie putt on No. 16 for a match-clinching 3&2 win over the Demon Deacons' Andrew McLauchlan.

The win, which came 24 hours after Georgia Tech ran away with the stroke play competition by 16 shots, gave the Yellow Jackets 11 ACC men’s golf titles over the past 17 seasons and 19 overall – tying Wake Forest for the most in league history. The Yellow Jackets also turned the tables after falling to the Demon Deacons in last year’s title match in Panama City, Fla. Tech became the first team to win the 54 holes of medal play and go on to win the match play championship under the current championship format.

Christo Lamprecht earned the first point of the day for Georgia Tech with an impressive 6&5 victory over ACC medalist Michael Brennan, and Bartley Forrester edged Mark Power by a 2&1 score.

But Wake Forest countered with wins by Boyd Owens over Connor Howe (2&1) and Scotty Kennon over Hiroshi Tai (3&2) to tie things up at 2-2, setting up Steelman’s clutch putt and the exciting finish.

The Yellow Jackets earned automatic qualification into the NCAA Tournament with the championship, and now await their destination at one of six regional sites to be announced on May 3.

ACC MATCH PLAY FINALS

Georgia Tech 3, Wake Forest 2

• Match 1: Boyd Owens, Wake Forest def. Connor Howe, Georgia Tech, 2&1
• Match 2: Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech def. Michael Brennan, Wake Forest, 6&5
• Match 3: Bartley Forrester, Georgia Tech def. Mark Power, Wake Forest, 2&1
• Match 4: Scotty Kennon, Wake Forest def. Hiroshi Tai, Georgia Tech, 3&2
• Match 5: Ross Steelman, Georgia Tech def, Andrew McLauchlan, Wake Forest, 3&2

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The ACC Championship was contested in the state of North Carolina for the first time since 2019, when Georgia Tech won its most recent title at the Old North State Club in New London, N.C., which has hosted the championship 22 times. This is the eighth time that Pinehurst has played host to the ACC Men's Golf Championship and the second time at the Country Club of North Carolina, which first hosted in 1966. Last year’s event was held at Shark’s Tooth Golf Course at Watersound Club in Panama City, Fla., preceded by the 2021 championship at the Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course in Milton, Ga. Next year’s championship will be held at the Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club.

The ACC Championship was conducted for the third time under a combination stroke play/match play. The championship used the traditional 54-hole, stroke-play format from 1980 to 2019 (the championship was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19). All 12 competing teams (Miami, Pittsburgh and Syracuse do not sponsor men’s golf) played 54 holes of stroke play, 36 holes Friday and 18 holes Saturday, with the standard low four individual rounds counting toward the team’s daily score each round. The top four teams after 54 holes were seeded in a match play bracket, with the semifinal matches Sunday, and the championship match Monday. The format is similar to the way the NCAA Championship has been conducted every year since 2009.

Have y’all seen these AI songs? Some of them are better than the actual artist 😂

from the Rivals Camp

Looking for 4 tickets to the season opener against Louisville. Anyone have any for sale? Hoping to find better deals than what’s on ticket master etc.

fire away, this is a Rivals Camp weekend so the Mailbag will post during the day on Monday just FYI.

LIMITED NUMBER of tickets remain for this SUITE opportunity!

Tech Way Suite at Braves vs. Red Sox on Tuesday, May 9th - Truist Park - First Pitch 7:20pm


A generous donor has offered his Truist Park suite to The Tech Way to support NIL opportunities for Georgia Tech Student-Athletes. Join Coach Brent Key, QB Zach Pyron, Defensive Backs Miles Brooks and Clayton Powell-Lee at the Braves vs. Red Sox game.


Food and drinks, plus parking, are included.

Fans can purchase suite tickets for $2,000 each.

100% of proceeds from this event will be donated to The Tech Way.

The Tech Way is a proud partner of Georgia Tech Athletics and is currently engaged with more than 100 Yellow Jackets student-athletes.


Please email Arryana@studentathletenil.com if you’re interested.

Greetings from the Lone Star State where I got to see the most intense lightning I’ve seen in a hot minute last night.


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Has an OV set with GT. Friends with Haynes King and his family.

Kelly, do you agree that Leslie West is an underrated guitarist?

Those of us who are approching 70 years old got to witness some super guitarists in the late 60s and early 70s. I know most of the subs on here are more tuned into the lightning speed and super effects by the 80s guitarists, but for pure tone and touch, I think this example of Mountain displays West showing what pure crunch, string bending, and touch can do on a Les Paul Jr with Sunn amps.

Back when I was at Tech (71-75), we had super Homecoming concerts at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The successor band to Mountain and Cream was West, Bruce and Laing. Saw them at the sitting on the floor at TIT in '72. I bet there may be a few others on here that were there.

Both solos at the end of this great song written by Jack Bruce show the intensity West played with.

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He was such a glue guy for the 04 team. Did a lot of the dirty work, one of the best defenders

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Brent Key will be speaking at the Lake Oconee Georgia Group on May 24th at noon. The event will be at the Lake Oconee Bistro. I was asked to spread the word.

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Did I miss something?

welp, I almost made it to 11 PM last night. I apologize for that, being a dad of three, a softball coach, and working two full-time jobs can be exhausting.

Wanted to make sure I open this thread up for discussion or any follow up questions based on last nights, Q&A….

Look for the answer on the squeeze play in the mail back thread in a bit

- RJ

THE FLATS — Georgia Tech athletics will be prominently featured in this weekend’s commencement ceremonies at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In addition to the 79 student-athletes that will graduate from Georgia Tech this summer and fall, Tech alumnus, football letterwinner and two-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker will be the speaker at Saturday morning’s undergraduate commencement.



Tech student-athletes will receive their degrees across three different commencement ceremonies this weekend – Friday afternoon’s master’s ceremony and bachelor’s ceremonies on Saturday morning and afternoon.



The 79 student-athletes that will graduate from Tech this spring and summer include:



Baseball

Drew Compton (business administration)

Jackson Finley (business administration)

John Giesler (business administration)

Jadyn Jackson (business administration)

Ben King (biology)

Joseph Mannelly (master’s – real estate development)

Brandon Prince (business administration)

Jack Rubenstein (master’s – real estate development)

Josiah Siegel (business administration)

Dalton Smith (business administration)



Men’s Basketball

Coleman Boyd (business administration)



Women’s Basketball

Nerea Hermosa (applied languages and international studies)



Football

Henry Freer (chemical and biomolecular engineering)

Jalen Huff (business administration)

Kenan Johnson (business administration)

Cade Kootsouradis (business administration)

Will Milam (business administration)

Chris Miller (business administration)

Luke Moseley (business administration)

Kalani Norris (business administration)

Jeremiah Smith (literature, media and communication)

Ryan Spiers (business administration)

Gavin Stewart (business administration)

Golf

Bartley Forrester (business administration)

Connor Howe (business administration)

Andy Mao (industrial engineering)

Ross Steelman (history, technology and society)



Softball

Meghan Cassidy (business administration)

Emma Kauf (biology)



Spirit

Joseph Ashley (biomedical engineering)

Ryan Baker (mechanical engineering)

Alexia Cainion (neuroscience)

Elizabeth Cooper (computer science)

Logan Hudson (literature, media and communication)

Kolbie Johnson (computer science)

Caitlin Kaiser (earth and atmospheric science)

Jocelyn Kavanagh (music technology)

Rebecca Lieber (public policy)

Calyn Siver (psychology)

Julia Stager (biology)

Emily Thom (industrial engineering)

Jarret Torres (chemical and biomolecular engineering)

Isabelle Williams (architecture and building construction)



Men’s Swimming & Diving

Atticus Cohen (mechanical engineering)

Jonathan Shaheen (mechanical engineering)



Women’s Swimming & Diving

McKenzie Campbell (industrial engineering)

Abby Cohen (neuroscience)

Kyrsten Davis (computer science)

Imane El Barodi (mechanical engineering)

Morgan Johnson (mechanical engineering)

Duda Seifer (business administration)

Brooke Switzer (biomedical engineering)

Nicole Williams (computer science)

Carmen Woodruff (chemistry)



Men’s Tennis

Brandon McKinney (business administration)



Women’s Tennis

Rosie Garcia Gross (business administration)

Ava Hrastar (business administration)



Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country

James Cragin (business administration)

Brian Hauch (civil engineering)

Dylan Jean-Baptiste (electrical engineering)

Lee Keil (business administration)

Cole Miller (master’s – mechanical engineering)

Jameson Miller (mechanical engineering)

Harrison Morris (aerospace engineering)

Ronan Sullivan (mechanical engineering)

McKinley Thompson (environmental engineering)

Joshua Williams (materials science and engineering)



Women’s Track & Field/ Cross Country

Onyinye Chukka (biology)

Reese Crawford (psychology)

Liz Galarza (master’s – mechanical engineering)

Taylor Grimes (mechanical engineering)

Mary Kathryn Knott (psychology)

Attallah Smith (environmental engineering)

Ilene Soleyn (business administration)

Mikayla Williams (business administration)



Volleyball

Julia Bergmann (applied languages and international studies)

Nicole Drewnick (business administration)

Breland Morrissette (analytics)

Erin Moss (chemical and biomolecular engineering)



Prior to their commencement ceremonies, the graduating student-athletes were honored during Georgia Tech athletics’ semi-annual graduation brunch on Friday morning. Speakers included graduates Reese Crawford (women’s track and field/cross country), Attallah Smith (women’s track and field/cross country) and Ben King (baseball). During the event, the graduates received their white stoles to identify them as student-athletes during their commencement ceremonies.



Butker returns to The Flats as a commencement speaker after kicking the game-winning field goal with eight seconds to go in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in February. It was Butker’s second world championship in six seasons as a pro, as he also helped lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl LIV title in 2019. He remains Georgia Tech’s all-time leading scorer after amassing 337 points in four seasons as a Yellow Jacket from 2013-16, and is a 2017 Tech grad (industrial engineering).



Off the field, the Harrison Butker Family Foundation was created to support the community and combat human trafficking. Butker is the current honorary chairman for the Dream Factory of Greater Kansas City, an organization dedicated to making dreams come true for critically and chronically ill children. The Decatur, Georgia, native is on the board of Regina Caeli Academy, a home school hybrid academy with locations across the country. His entrepreneurial endeavors include co-founding MDKeller, a multifaceted holding company, and Madison Manufacturing.



Georgia Tech athletics boasts a 91% graduation success rate in the latest data provided by the NCAA. The 91% NCAA GSR is an all-time high for Tech, which had never achieved a GSR above 85% prior to 2016. Nine of the Yellow Jackets’ 13 teams – men’s cross country/track & field, women’s cross country/track & field, football, golf, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis and volleyball – have individual team GSRs equal to or higher than the national average in their respective sports.

Yikes.

Greensboro, Ga. (April 18, 2023) – Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key will represent the Yellow Jackets in the 16th annual Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament held April 30 – May 2 at Reynolds Lake Oconee outside of Atlanta. A field of 20 current and former college football coaches will compete for a share of a $300,000 charity purse.



The nation’s premier collegiate coach golf event will be played in two-man scramble format in an 18-hole tournament. The Stableford scoring system will be used to help balance handicaps and encourage aggressive play.



The current field of competitors for this year’s Peach Bowl Challenge is projected to include:





Proceeds from the competition benefit charitable foundations selected by the coaches. Since its creation in 2007, the event has contributed a total of $9 million in scholarship and charity, helping make the Peach Bowl college football’s most charitable bowl organization.


“We’re looking forward to welcoming both new and familiar faces to this year’s event as some of college football’s biggest names compete off the gridiron for a great cause,” Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan said. “While bragging rights are certainly on the line for the coaches, it’s the charities they’re playing for who will be the real winners.”



This year’s field includes an impressive roster of college football greats that features three former Dodd Trophy winners, and a collective group of coaches who have won eight national championships (including four of the last seven titles), 38 FBS conference championships and boast 1,999 career wins.


The 2023 field features 17 coaches who have previously competed in the Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge, while Mizzou Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz, Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell and Georgia Tech Head Coach Brent Key will all make their first-ever appearance in the event.



Pairings for the 2023 Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge will be announced prior to the event.

Good morning.

The coaches at Georgia Tech were back on the road Monday, and as we have been doing here we will continue to monitor and break those trips down each morning.

This thread will be locked for convenience of updates.

Whose going to be the 3rd assistant coach? Nate Babcock?

KQ- I honestly don't know yet. I've been digging but haven't really got a clear answer on it. I believe the next hire will be the #2 chair spot. Karl Hobb should be the #1 and Pershin Williams #3.

Have you heard anything about CDS having a deadline for Kelly to comeback so he doesn’t get into a situation like Pastner?

KQ- You have to have the leverage to do that. It is a very different situation because that was before the portal and NIL was fully up and running. That was right as some of that started to brew. You have plenty of open ships and plenty of guard options so the team would miss him, but it would be very difficult to replace him with a comparable high-major SG right now IMO. Once Stoudamire has some success under his belt and a roster then you can play hardball.

With the NFL draft this weekend, looking at the 2023 GT roster, who is:
1) most likely to be drafted in '24

KQ- Right now I'd say LaMiles Brooks is the one I think if he stays healthy is a sure draft pick. There are other seniors or covid juniors where health/development could turn them into draftable guys including the two LB transfers, Jordan Williams, Jaylon King, Myles Sims, or Sylvain Yondjouen who have the talent or could be productive enough to play their way into draft boards. There are also wild card guys as well who will be playing major snaps for the first time or the light might come on.

2) potential biggest impact draft pick for GT's brand/stock

KQ- I think LaMiles would be one who would help because he is someone they signed and developed and even changed his projected college position. He overcame a lot of injuries early that kept him off the field as well. It is a good story to sell. He gambled on GT and if it pays off then that is sellable.

What is the threshold for getting quality players in the NCAA portal for hoops?

KQ- Are you asking a money question like NIL dollars? I assume you are and it varies wildly on the player, who is interested, and what that player is looking for. There are positions like center where you have to have decent money ready to roll or if you want a guy who is going plug and play guy in the ACC. Folks need to remember, the ACC is hard as hell so you have to be a damn good player to be average in the league despite what the outside media might tell you. The last two NCAATs have been great at squashing that bullshit narrative about the ACC being down. I go to the games, teams are still really talented, they just there is just more parity in the league mainly due to how NIL and the portal has been handled by programs or not handled.

As a lifelong (mostly suffering) Cubs fan (and what an effin mix - GT and Cubs - jeez!), I have always marveled at the ability of certain franchises to consistently sell tickets despite a relatively poor or mediocre on-field product. Cubs have done it for decades, and Boston too had some super lean periods during the Yankees decade+ long run. So why not GT? Big city - check; old stadium with some charm - check; skyline views - check; tons of potential corporate partners - check.

KQ- So I'm a lifelong Red Sox fan and I followed the Cubs and the Braves in the NL mainly due to TV growing up. The Cubs are very different than the Red Sox. They've been in the playoffs 17 times since 1986. They had a couple of lean years here and there, but they've been way better than the Cubs. They Cubs have 8 during that same span. Wrigley Field is an institution just like Fenway and there is a love for ballparks that is just different than most football stadiums. Like I was in awe walking into Wrigley for the first time or anytime I go to Fenway.

I've covered games in like 50 CFB stadiums now and none of them felt like that or even something like Cameron Indoor Stadium is so different as well. There just isn't an analog in CFB even something like ND isn't the same for whatever reason. FB stadiums also evolve so much. I think maybe it was the old Grant Field set up with the grandstands and the seats that are under the stadium that might have something, but then it would just be uncomfortable. FB just is way different than baseball. Baseball is about soaking in the environment and the leisurely pace of play and all the things that go with that. Football is mostly about the game and the tailgating to me for fans and the stadium is a stadium. BDS is awesome especially compared to pretty much every other stadium, but it doesn't move me the way covering a game at Duke did for the first time or Rupp Arena or going in Wrigleyville and then going up to Wrigley Field.

So this is more of a suggestion rather than a question: Now that J Batt has filled some senior staff positions within the GTAA, it would be great if either J Batt or the senior-most person on his team responsible for Game Day Fan Experience would answer some questions from you on plans to better monetize home game opportunities. Are there exclusive seating areas in our future plans - i.e,. Budweiser deck, green monster, etc.? Could there be a partnership (50/50) from the NIL and the GTAA to develop premium seating where the Tech Way gets all or a big chunk of the seating revenues, which enables the players to profit by putting more butts in seats? Any out of the box thinking on how better to create a whole GT ecosystem around game day that drives engagement and "stickiness" for new fans that show up to watch a game.

KQ- I can ask about that the next time I'm down at the Edge. I know Batt is exploring every possible revenue source and how to improve the game experience at all of the facilities not just football. I've seen both Batt and his staff walk concourses, observe how people enter and exit, all kinds of detailed things that impressed me and showed the level of detail he is trying to refine to improve the experience along with investing in the on-the-field product.

KQ, do you plan to do an interview anytime soon with J. Batt? I know he's been busy - finding the pot, firing and hiring coaches - but, it'd be great to get some high-level insight into the program and it's direction.

KQ- Yeah my hope is to set something up once the dust settles on Rivals Camp season and I get my vacation in at the end of this month. I've been so slammed I haven't had time to ask and Batt I know was busier than I am so I'm hoping when things settle down I can set something up over the summer.

Given the Akelo Stone news and all of the other questionable recruiting stuff that has continued into the world of NIL, do you have a sense that NCAA Recruiting is less dirty, more dirty or reverting back to the mean from the pre NIL years?

KQ- I think the focus has shifted a little to be more about working the portal and NIL out of HS for the extremely high-end kids. I think HS recruiting may be a little cleaner because money is being spent differently than in the past.

It seems like contacting players to induce them to leave is going to be impossible to enforce. So I wonder how they would ever clean up the big guys with money making money talks moves? Maybe now the payment is legal but they just have moved up the chain to talking to the player illegally which is the cause of the issue anyway.

KQ- It is almost impossible to enforce because everything is basically handled through backchannels just like hoops has been for years. The backchannel person floats the offer and the kid is either interested or not. The biggest issue is with kids who have poor support systems or people looking to cash in on them around them. That can lead to bad decisions and a lot of regrets. There have been several kids who left here and have wanted to come back but are stuck or they burned the bridge going into the portal.

Second Parter, given the inability of the NCAA to ever enforce anything in a way even directionally approaching reasonably, is this just going to be the way things are?

KQ- I think there will be more parameters placed around NIL and the portal eventually. No one is happy with the situation and you have literally thousands of kids not getting college degrees because they were stupid and entered the portal without an exit strategy. Something has to give and it will get exposed more and more.

When you answer the Mailbag questions on Monday, the Spring Transfer Portal will be closed. How many scholarship players are left on the roster? Were you surprised there were not more players to enter the transfer portal (processed out) after player interviews with CBK? Are there any players, to your knowledge, that are no longer on the team; but chose not to enter the transfer portal, but rather chose the option to remain in school?

KQ- Actually kids could still appear for two more business days after the portal closes (schools can process the paperwork for 24-48 business hours as I understand it) so it will be more like Wednesday when we know for sure who has left for the portal. The other thing is there are a few players who are taking the remaining in school on scholarship but can't play football at GT anymore pathway that is available during the first 18 months of a coaching change. That is the second part of your question. There are probably 5-6 players I know in that limbo thing of either appearing in the portal this coming week or they are staying in school and will eventually go in the portal (Jalen Huff style) or are hanging up their cleats.

Any word on Dominick Blaylock? We still interested?

KQ- GT would like him and another WR very badly. He has to finish school at UGA before he can come to GT or go anywhere else. That is the holdup.

A generous donor has offered his Truist Park suite to The Tech Way to support NIL opportunities for Georgia Tech student-athletes.

Join Coach Brent Key, Defensive Backs Miles Brooks and Clayton Powell-Lee along with other football players and coaches to watch the Braves and Red Sox.Food and drinks, plus parking, are included.

Fans can purchase the entire suite (12 seats) for $20,000 or buy tickets for $2,000 each. 100% of proceeds will be donated to The Tech Way.

The Tech Way is a proud partner of Georgia Tech Athletics and is currently engaged with more than 100 Yellow Jackets student-athletes.

Please email Arryana@studentathletenil.com if you’re interested.

Lots going on in sports this weekend, so I doubt there will be too much college baseball discussion barring a bad loss to GW. Use this thread if you want. I will update with news/notes around the league as we go through.

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Sorry for the delay, blame the drive thru workers at the place I was getting lemonade from 😂

I’ll go until 11:10.

Send those questions!

Coach Collier has signed four international players (6-0 setter, 5-10 setter, 6-3 outside hitter, 6-3 opposite) plus two transfer middle hitters and an All-American high school libero. With this class, GT aims to stay competitive nationally.
GT volleyball recruiting class