Collins loses his GM and right-hand Patrick Suddes to a rival

One of the first calls Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins made when he was hired as the Jackets head coach was to his old friend Patrick Suddes in a new position as general manager of Georgia Tech football. Sources confirmed the departure to JOL on Thursday. Suddes is headed to North Carolina to work for his mentor Mack Brown in an associate or assistant AD role in the Tar Heels athletic program that is a little different than his role as GM at Georgia Tech.

Suddes came to the Flats from Auburn after helping run the Tigers recruiting and his role expanded into a larger position overseeing personnel matters and other aspects of the Tech program with a large focus on recruiting and the transfer portal.

The Jackets signed a top 25 class in the first full cycle with Suddes in the lead position guiding the recruiting on the Flats and Tech added some key targets via the portal in the 2021 and 2022 cycles as well.

With Suddes leaving for North Carolina and Errin Joe at UConn and Carina Hargreaves at Arkansas, the Jackets have three major openings on the recruiting staff.

The recruiting trio join six other on-the-field coaches that left or were replaced in the offseason by Tech. With spring ball just three weeks away, Collins will have to move fast to replace both Suddes and his defensive ends coach Marco Coleman who left for Michigan State just ahead of NSD 2.0.