clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Kind Words

By T.H.

Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich really likes his football coach:

"I want to sincerely thank Chan for his six years of service to Georgia Tech. Chan is one of the most honorable men that I have worked with in intercollegiate athletics. He and (wife) Laurie have given countless hours to this program and have touched the lives of hundreds of student-athletes, fellow coaches and colleagues in only the most positive way."

"At the end of the day, my decision was based on whether the football program is moving forward and our fan base, as a whole, is sufficiently excited and energized by its direction."

Chan Gailey had a record of 44-32 (28-20 in the ACC) over six seasons, with as many bowl appearances. The coach he replaced had a record over the same period of 45-25 (32-16). He too, was fi- no wait, he was hired away by that always-willing-to-settle institution, Notre Dame. It's good to know the line between success and failure is four games in conference.

Also thrilled with his coach? Joe Alleva:

"Coach Roof embodies everything that Duke represents and his commitment to this University and his job was unwavering. He is an outstanding family man, a man of great integrity, and among the classiest individuals with whom I have worked. I truly appreciate his service to Duke and how he represented himself, his family and this school. That is why this decision was so difficult."

"However, after our annual evaluation of the program, I believe that we need to make a change based on the results we were seeing on the field each week. Over the past several years, we have made the commitment to upgrading our football program and we will continue to do so. Our ultimate goal for football, as with all of our programs, is to pursue and achieve excellence. We are taking the proper steps to see that will happen. We must win in football at Duke, while maintaining our deepest commitment to the educational values of the institution."

And times like this, it's nice to hear from a former coach, who knows how to fire someone gently:

"I have evaluated the program diligently over the past several weeks, and I feel compelled to take action at this time. Our five-game losing streak was certainly a factor, but even more important was the number of games where we were not competitive. At Nebraska, we always expect to compete at a very high level, and those expectations have not changed."

Callahan (27-22) replaced also fired Frank Solich (58-19) in 2004. Early signs point to Nebraska hiring one of two Solich assistants who interviewed for the head job four years ago:

"Why didn't Coach Gill or Coach Pelini get a chance? (Pederson) gave them an interview just to make things look right, just to make it look like he gave them a chance. How far along the line were they? Were they going to be a last resort?"

More From Tar Heel Blog