Big news on The Flats. Georgia Tech's offensive coordinator Patrick Nix is headed to the Miami Hurricanes to take the same position at Da U (Source: ESPN).Nix and Giff Smith are GT's two best recruiters. Losing Nix is a big blow to what was becoming a solid staff...at least from a recruiting front.
It doesn't appear to be much of a blow to Tech from an Xs and Os standpoint.
His greatest QB protege is Reggie Ball. His most infamous play calling moment was sending in the "spike" call on third down vs. Georgia in 2004. He is also notorious for not finding ways to get Calvin OMG Johnson the ball in huge games (see: Clemson '06, UGA '06, the second half of the ND Game in '06, etc.).
Nix calls for the spike. Click to enlarge (Image: Anti-Orange Page)
As for the Canes, one has to ask..."Huh?" It's one thing to appreciate Nix as a recruiter. It's an entirely different thing to appreciate him as a play caller, QB coach or a guy that can count to four. Nix is a big step down from Dirk Koetter, former ASU head coach, who was initially announced as the offensive coordinator in Miami before taking a job with the Jacksonville Jags.
While FSU dramatically upgrades its coaching staff, Miami hires a guy who managed the #91 ranked passing offense and #54 ranked scoring offense in the nation and only created six points vs. Wake Forest in the ACC Title game. But I digress.
It is a win professionally for Nix. Randy Shannon, Miami's head coach, will likely give him a longer play calling leash than Chan Gailey gave him. Also, with Gailey's new found professional wandering eye, he may end up with greater professional stability in Coral Gables.
Either way, it doesn't make Georgia Tech look like much of a destination employer. Just sort of a stop over on the path to something "better."
pwd
Update:
Nix Confirms Things with the AJC
4 comments:
If GTU is a stopover on the way to something "better", then I expect Brian Van Gorder to show up on staff for the 2008 season.
Agree on Nix being a huge step down from Koetter. My response was simply, "Huh? Serious?"
And that that sequence on the spike call is hilaarious to look at Chan's face. In the last frame he looks ready to rear back and slap Nix.
Never overlook the following salient facts: Chan was a Gator. Gators can at least count to 4, which probably explains the look of shock/horror/fury on Chan's face in the last frame, as the awful enormity of the realization that his assistant in charge of the 2 minute offense learned how to count while matriculating at, ummmmm, AUBURN.
Sic transit Nix. Sic transit gloria.
Personally, I see this as no big loss for GTU. Surely they'll come up with an OC who can count to 4 under pressure, and it's not like Chan is going to be reborn as Hal Mumme, Jr. this offseason. Find a guy who can count and who wont chafe at the gameplan of pounding the ball between the tackles 40 time a game.
Even if they hired the greatest offensive mind of the last 100 years (Emory Bellard? Norm Chow? Ralph Friedgen?), they're still Tech. They'll still suck.
AJC reports Gailey is definitely staying at Tech.
Bust open the bubbly, Dawg fans.
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