Georgia Tech Football Head Coaching Candidate Profile: Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders is the popular choice to be the next Georgia Tech Football Coach

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Sep 27, 2022 11:30 AM EDT

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Georgia Tech is undergoing big changes in the athletic department, with head football coach Geoff Collins and athletic director Todd Stansbury being let go earlier this week.

This is going to lead to lots of speculation about who the next head coach is going to be. After Collins's unsuccessful tenure as the head coach in Atlanta, this hire is critical for the program to make.

So who could be the next head coach at Georgia Tech? You are going to hear a ton of names throughout this process and to get you familiar with every candidate that is likely or unlikely, AllYellowJackets is going to preview a lengthy list of potential candidates for the job.

First up: Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders is going to be the most talked about candidate for this coaching job. Whether it is among fans or the media, there are sharp opinions on both sides about whether Sanders would work out at Tech or if he would even want the job if asked.

First things first, Sanders is universally loved in the city of Atlanta from his time as a hall of fame cornerback with the Atlanta Falcons and his time with the Atlanta Braves. He would be welcomed with open arms by the fanbase and would bring a buzz and energy to this program that has never been seen before. He is known as an excellent recruiter, evidenced by getting last year's number one overall recruit, Travis Hunter (From nearby Collins Hill High School), to commit to Jackson State after previously being committed to Florida State. He has also gotten a number of top recruits and transfers to come to Jackson State as well.

What Sanders has done for Jackson State and HBCUs as a whole has been incredible to see and is one reason that many have a belief in Sanders being able to run a power five program like Georgia Tech. He has an 18-5 record at Jackson State, which does include an 11-2 record last year and a SWAC championship. The Tigers are undefeated this season as well. He has brought more attention to the school and done a tremendous job at Jackson State coaching and mentoring the players. The amount of talent that he has brought in with the limited resources that Jackson State does have and he does hold some responsibility for more top transfers and recruits considering and committing to HBCUs.

So what are the potential downsides to bringing in Sanders? Most are going to point to his lack of experience at the power five level of college football and that should be noted. Jackson State was Sanders's first job and while he has crushed it at Jackson State, being the head coach at Georgia Tech is going to be a lot different.

But his lack of experience is not his biggest drawback in my opinion. I think the potential lack of adequate resources and the academic restrictions at Georgia Tech could hinder him from being able to build the kind of program that he is going to want. Sanders is going to want anything that he asks for to get the program where he wants and I am not sure that Georgia Tech is going to be able to meet his demands in that area.

If he is hired, he is going to be more of a CEO type of head coach who is going to run recruiting and be the face of the program. To do that effectively though, he is going to need to have a great staff that is paid well and I don't know that Georgia Tech can provide that. Maybe the school finds a way to make that happen, but until they do, I will remain skeptical.

Another question that should be asked: Would Deion Sanders even want the Georgia Tech job? Aside from his connection with the city of Atlanta, he does not have any personal connection to Georgia Tech and his name is being floated around for other jobs that are already open (Arizona State) or jobs that are almost certainly going to be open (Auburn). Auburn is a better job than Georgia Tech and if he was seriously pursued by the Tigers, I would have to think that he would take the job in the SEC.

While I think recruiting would be better under Sanders, how high he can get Georgia Tech in the recruiting rankings I am not very sure. It is going to be tough to compete against schools like Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, and others in the vicinity of Atlanta for big-time four and five-star recruits with the academic restrictions at Georgia Tech. Schools also recruit nationally more than ever now and other big-time programs come into Atlanta and get talent.

I think that Sanders would be a big swing-for-the-fences type of hire that could potentially raise the ceiling of this Georgia Tech program and if they have the opportunity to hire him, they might want to jump at the opportunity. There is a downside and he would not be my first choice for the next Georgia Tech head coach, but the ceiling and potential of what Sanders could do at Georgia Tech make him the most intriguing head coaching candidate and one that you will hear about a ton over the next few months.

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