Dell McGee mentioned as candidate for Georgia Tech coaching job
We’re less than a month into the season but three Power Five coaching jobs are already open including the closest Power Five school to Athens — Georgia Tech. On Monday, Georgia Tech announced leadership changes with the firing of head football coach Geoff Collins and athletics director Todd Stansbury. Collins, a native of Atlanta, posted a disappointing 10-28 record in his three-plus years as the head coach.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said on Monday that he hadn’t thought about the coaching change just down the road and was “worried about Missouri” instead. However, that’s not stopping others from mentioning names within his program as potential candidates for the job.
Dell McGee is one of the names that seems to have come up the most. McGee has been the running backs coach at Georgia for the entirety of Kirby Smart’s time in Athens and a vital part of the success that the Bulldogs have had. Using his ties in the Columbus area to help Georgia land guys like Mykel Williams on top of the work that he puts in at running back, McGee makes sense at Georgia Tech. Not only would be be a boost to the Yellow Jackets’ attractiveness across the state of Georgia with a coach that’s connected and been a part of successful teams at several ranks, but also his departure from Athens would put at least a dint in what Smart’s been building at UGA.
“Names are going to fly around. A guy that I really like and there’s some momentum within Georgia and within recruiting to go get this guy, it’s Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee,” Bryce Koon, who covers Georgia Tech, said on 11Alive Sports yesterday. “He’s a Georgia guy, from Columbus. He won a state championship down at Carver Columbus. This is a guy that is so well respected amongst the powers that are high school football and just football in the state of Georgia. He understands what it means to coach football here. He’s a developer … Georgia Tech’s got to find a guy that can build and develop, and to me, really understands the state of Georgia and building relationships with those high school coaches to recruit.”
This isn’t the first time that McGee has been mentioned for a head coaching job. In fact, his name was thrown in the pot last time the Tech job came open. Ahead of the season, On3’s Matt Zenitz included McGee’s name on a list of coaches that came up in a survey as ones deserving strong consideration as a head coach before too long. McGee spoke on that idea later that day.
“Like I’ve said previously, I really don’t control that part of the process. I’m just very, very happy with being the running backs coach at Georgia,” McGee said. “Coach Smart has been a blessing to me. I really want to thank him for affording me the opportunity to be the running backs coach here. Also the opportunities that he allows me to be in front of our football team, and in front of our offensive staff as well … But my main job is being the best running backs coach I can here. I feel like I am a head coach every single day, because I am in charge of the running backs and the special teams areas I’m in charge of, and I take all my jobs seriously, just like a head coach.”
Pete Thamel also included Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon, as well as former Georgia running back and current Los Angeles Rams running backs coach Thomas Brown, on his initial list of names to watch.
