Report: Ken Whisenhunt Removes Name from Georgia Tech, Will Remain Chargers OC
December 6, 2018
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt removed his name from consideration for the open Georgia Tech head football coach position Thursday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Whisenhunt had an opportunity to return to the school where he played tight end from 1981-1984.
However, he's doing quite well in his current gig with the Bolts, as the team is 9-3 and owns the sixth-best scoring offense in the league.
The Chargers offense also finished seventh in Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) in 2017 and is ranked third this year under Whisenhunt's command.
With Whisenhunt out of the picture, the team must look elsewhere to replace ex-Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson, who stepped down after leading the Yellow Jackets to an 83-59 record over 11 years.
Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provided an update on the coaching search Wednesday prior to Whisenhunt's decision being made public. One name in particular was mentioned as a possibility:
"Athletic director Todd Stansbury will interview five or six candidates, and the decision may not arrive for another week-and-a-half, according to the person, who also believed that Whisenhunt has not received an offer, as has been reported. Another candidate is Temple coach Geoff Collins, who previously served Tech as a graduate assistant, tight ends coach and player personnel director in two separate stops at the school."
The 47-year-old Collins has gone 15-10 in two seasons with Temple.
The ACC is in the midst of a down period, which could benefit Georgia Tech's new coach. Clemson and Syracuse were the only teams to finish in the AP Top 25 in 2018, with the former team being the conference's only contender for the College Football Playoff. Therefore, the Yellow Jackets have a shot to hang in the ACC's upper echelon if the transition is smooth.
Before then, however, Georgia Tech will finish its 2018 season in the Quick Lane Bowl against Minnesota on December 26. The 2019 campaign opens Thursday, August 29 at Clemson.