TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics
Greetings from Georgia Tech. Another year in Yellow Jacket athletics is in the books and what a year it has been! By all accounts, the 2009-10 sports year will go down as the most successful in recent memory and perhaps the best from a win-loss standpoint ever.
I have mentioned several times in this space over the last couple of months that we were beginning to compile some statistics on win-loss records of our various sports across the board. This discussion was ignited this spring when we began to build up a huge number of victories in softball and baseball along with the success of men’s and women’s tennis. This came on the heels of both of our basketball teams winning 23 games, a 21-win volleyball season and a football team that finished 11-3.
All told — in team sports with countable win-loss records — Georgia Tech teams won 213 games and lost only 80. This represents a winning percentage of .727. These figures exclude golf, swimming and track.
Just how good is that historically, we asked?
So, we went back 30 years to make a comparison. And what we found was that this athletic year is the best overall by a considerable margin. Only once in that span had our teams managed to win 70 percent of their contests (exactly .700 in 2004-05). Only once before in that span had our teams topped the 200-win mark (201 in 2003-04). Also, only one other time during that span had Georgia Tech captured four ACC Championships matching this year’s effort.
I have attached the Georgia Tech “Level of Success chart” (click here) which you might find interesting reading.
Now, as the late Paul Harvey would say…How about “The rest of the story.” The Academic Progress Report released last week by the NCAA reveals that the majority of Georgia Tech’s athletic teams are excelling in the classroom as well as on the fields and courts.
The APR numbers released last week are based on a multi-year rate that averages scores from the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years.
To see our overall scores improve for a third straight year is very encouraging. It’s a tribute to our student-athletes, coaches and staff. At the same time, we will continue to strive to raise our numbers each and every year.
Check out some of the good news for Georgia Tech included in the APR:
— Twelve of Tech’s 17 teams improved or had no change to their APR score compared to last year’s data.
— Five Georgia Tech teams – baseball, golf, volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country — were recognized last month for ranking in the top 10 percent nationally within their respective sport for their APR scores.
— Four Yellow Jacket teams – golf, volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country – recorded perfect scores of 1,000. The golf team has earned a score of 1,000 three consecutive years. Volleyball recorded its second straight score of 1,000.
— The baseball team earned APR Public Recognition for the second straight year after posting an identical 989 score.
— The football team improved its APR score for the third straight year – from 951 in 2008, to 957 last year, to 967 this year.
— Men’s tennis, softball, men’s indoor track and men’s outdoor track improved their APR scores for the third consecutive year.
Rest assured, none of this would have been possible without the tremendous support we receive from the Georgia Tech community. Our alumni, friends and fans are the driving force behind our ability to get the very best from these student-athletes. It is your support in the way of gifts, ticket purchases and other means that allows us to provide the goods and services to sustain a program that should make each and every one of us extremely proud.
I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your efforts on our behalf. As I sign off for a short break in my Good Word column, I hope you all have a pleasant summer. Remember to continue to push football season tickets every chance you get. Encourage friends and colleagues to get on board with Paul Johnson and the Jackets.
The Good Word will return on Thursday, August 5th. In the meantime, make sure your calendars are marked for two important August dates. Our Great Jacket Encounter Fan Photo Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 7th from 3-6 p.m. And our second annual Kickoff Luncheon will be held at the Cobb Galleria on Friday, August 27th. Click here to buy your tickets for the Luncheon now!
Even though my column takes a break for a few weeks, please understand our staff is in full service mode throughout the summer. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us if we can be of service.
