Technical Tidbits 10/15: Bye-week update

There’s no football game this weekend for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of football-related news. Of course, the big story is the hiring of Tech’s new athletic director. So, without further ado, let’s get into today’s Tidbits.

It was made official yesterday afternoon: J Batt will be the new Athletic Director at Georgia Tech. Batt previously served as the Executive Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer/Chief Revenue Officer at the University of Alabama, as the article mentions. It also mentions how Batt has quite the track record as a fundraiser. I think that and the fact that he’s coming from a top-notch program like Alabama’s is indicative of just how serious Georgia Tech is about righting the ship.

Of course, it’s too early to say, but this hire does seem like a positive move in the right direction by Tech president Ángel Cabrera and his staff. The first big test for Batt will be the decision of who will be the next head coach of the Yellow Jackets football team. With the AD job now settled, at least we can start speculating on the direction he will go. Personally, I was leaning towards Brent Key, but now with the naming of Batt, I’m curious to see what some of the names will be that surface. Any predictions or insights?

I mentioned there would be football news, despite the bye-week, and here’s another article with just that. Running back coach Mike Daniels announced his resignation from the team. As the article mentions, Donald Hill-Eley will assume that role going forward. I’m not sure if the announcement has anything to do with the hiring of the AD or if it’s just a coincidence. The article states that Daniels had quite an energy for recruiting. Hopefully, whoever takes over will be able to fill those shoes. In the past, Tech has had some pretty good running backs on its roster.

Finally, in some non-football-related news, the softball team will be traveling to Alabama to take on the Crimson Tide. Their game begins today at 1:30 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Of course, this is just an exhibition game, but regardless, good luck to the Yellow Jackets softball team.

What are your thoughts on the hiring of J Batt as Georgia Tech’s new athletic director?