Georgia Tech and athletic director Mike Bobinski took a big swing and a miss yesterday when it was announced that top candidate Bryce Drew, the longtime head coach of the Valparaiso Crusaders, would be taking the job at Vanderbilt. According to varied reports, Drew's decision was a matter of preference -- Tech apparently just couldn't offer something that Vandy could. What exactly that is remains a mystery to me, but it is hardly encouraging to see the AD strike out on the biggest remaining name in the coaching search just under two weeks in. As of now, Jay Larranaga is the only "confirmed" name remaining on the list, but to believe that it's Jay or bust would be beyond naive at this point. There's still plenty to watch for as the search continues.
World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns' career as a defensive tackle at Georgia Tech may have ended many years ago, but that doesn't prohibit us from claiming him as the de facto king of wrestling on The Flats when he does something noteworthy. In this case, the former Yellow Jackets won the aforementioned Heavyweight belt by defeating Triple H (Humble Hamburger Helper? Hitch-Hiking Hillbilly?) via pinfall. Apparently Shaq also made an appearance of some sort, presumably to catch the dude who jumped off the top of the cage for whatever reason. Yeah, RASSLIN'! If I knew how to watch it, I'm sure it would be my favorite thing on all of Broadway.
Georgia Tech baseball will kick off a five-game week tonight when the team takes on in-state rival Mercer at Russ Chandler Stadium, the first matchup this season between the Bears and Jackets. Though a win tonight wouldn't do a ton to bolster the national perception of the No. 24 Jackets (20-7), it would almost certainly provide a morale boost for the team as we hit a critical stretch of games; losing very well could set an bitter tone for this next couple of weeks. Following tonight's game, the Jackets will have played all but one in-state rival (UGA, of course) at least once this season -- Tech is undefeated in each of the previous matchups. It's go time! No more losing winnable games from here on out.
This has been a rough couple of days for the coaching search. With the withdrawal of Jeff Capel and Drew's decision to head to Vanderbilt, the options have become increasingly limited. Are there any names that you would be comfortable with at this point or has Mike Bobinski reached the point of no return, where he needs to bring home a big name?
Have a great Tuesday!