Fire Chan Gailey

We, the undersigned, are petitioning you concerning the current state of the Georgia Tech football program, and specifically its Head Coach, Chan Gailey. Over the past four seasons we have seen the football team squander its potential and stagnate, locked in perpetual 7-5 seasons finished in lackluster bowls. We are therefore petitioning you for the removal of Chan Gailey as the Head Coach of the football team.

The following are several reasons we feel merit his removal:

His consecutive 7-5 seasons, while winning, show no improvement.

He has gone 0-4 against our bitter rival, the University of Georgia.

He manages to turn the talented players on our offense into one of the worst offenses in the country, ranking 81st in the 2005 season. This happens despite having former ACC Freshman of the Year Reggie Ball, the former ACC rushing leader in P.J. Daniels, and former ACC Freshman of the Year and current All-American Calvin Johnson. Our offense scored the fewest touchdowns in the regular season of any bowl team.

Conversely, it is apparent that with good coaching our athletes can perform extremely well, as our defense, without the presence of the nationally-touted athletes we have on offense, was ranked 10th in the country in 2005, thanks to John Tenuta.

Our players abilities are showcased every so often in big wins over teams like Miami and Auburn, so it is apparent that we have the talent to be a top-notch program. Unfortunately, those big wins come in the same season as baffling losses to teams like NC State, UNC, Duke, and most dramatically our embarrassing loss at the hands of Utah.

Any team can get pumped up and ready to play a big-name team like Auburn or Miami. The mark of a good coach is the ability to get his players ready to play a lower-ranked team. It is evident in our myriad of losses to such schools that Chan Gailey is unable to do that.

His players constantly complain about his coaching style and ability. A team that doesnt respect its coach is a team that is doomed to failure.

He has shown a consistent inability to turn good recruits into good players. Since he has been here four years, he has had the chance to bring in big-name recruits and coach them into better athletes, but he has failed to do so. The talents of players like Reggie Ball and Calvin Johnson continue to be squandered in a system that does not fit their abilities.

We understand that Georgia Tech is not an easy school to coach at, having to balance athletics with the academic rigors of a research institute. We are, however, baffled at AD Dave Braines reference to Notre Dame in that respect. Notre Dame has long been known for their ability to field great teams, and it has a long tradition of winning. In fact, Tyrone Willingham went 21-15 in three seasons with Notre Dame (an average of 7-5 each season), and was fired for under-performing.
Dave Braine is quoted as saying, Georgia Tech can win nine or 10 games. They will never do that consistently. That's my feeling ... because of the type of program this is. This shows an acceptance of mediocrity that we find disconcerting. We should strive for more than mediocrity, not only as a research institute, but also as a leader in athletics.

Despite the academic rigors of Georgia Tech, coaches in other sports find ways to consistently produce top-notch teams. The mens basketball team has had much success recently, making it to the championship game two seasons ago. The baseball team is always one of the best in the country, and always makes a good showing in the postseason. The womens volleyball team took home the conference championship last season, and has consistently been a force in both the ACC and the nation. Our mens golf team is consistently at the top of the nation. With so many of our teams having success despite the academic rigors of the school, it is hard to blame our football teams mediocrity on the inability of the players to maintain good grades while playing a sport.

A schools athletic programs are always one of its main attractions. Having good athletics makes students want to attend the school, and helps bring in revenue from TV coverage, bowl games, stadium receipts, and alumni giving. The fact that our stadium always has thousands of empty seats, except for teams that travel well, is a testament to the lack of excitement our football program generates within the football community.

As was showcased in an ESPN article last year, many students would rather study in the library than go to a football game. For last years Thursday night game against Virginia Tech, which was a big game for our team, the library was full, while the stadium was not. When even the student population does not get excited about a football game, it is hard to convince anyone else to.

Chan Gailey was rated as the worst coach in college football earlier in the season by a major sports publication, and was recently derided by the newscasters on a major sports network. This lack of respect in the national spotlight makes it that much more difficult to perform well in recruiting.

This petition is not meant to in any way attack the personal character or integrity of Chan Gailey. We have no doubt that he is a good and kind human being, and we wish no ill will for him. Our argument is simply that he is not the best coach for our team, and as such should not have his contract extended.