Thacker and Tillman reassigned roles on Tech staff

The silly season is in full effect right now with the coaching carousel. Georgia Tech was the target of the rumor mill on Thursday as FootballScoop reported that defensive assistants Andrew Thacker and Travares Tillman would not be retained. Tech released a statement on Thursday night clarifying that both have been moved to off-the-field roles. Both coaches have contracts set to expire at the end of January.

Georgia Tech football defensive backs coach Travares Tillman and safeties coach Andrew Thacker have been reassigned to off-field duties.

“I’m very appreciative for all that Travares and Andrew did for our players, our staff and our program in their coaching roles,” head coach Brent Key said in a statement.

Both coaches have been out on the road recruiting and were expected to coach in the bowl game.

Key has reiterated since the end of the Georgia game his desire to evaluate his program at the end of the season which concludes in two weeks in Tampa when the Jackets play UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl, the first bowl game for Tech since 2018.

Both coaches were on the road recruiting on Wednesday and multiple sources denied knowledge of the change in staff to JOL prior to the press release.

Key was asked specifically about potential staff changes on Sunday and said the nature of coaching is an evolving staff year-to-year.

"I've been coaching for 25 years and I don't think I've been on one staff where there wasn't so you always have to prepare for those things," Key said during a presser.

Thacker was demoted from defensive coordinator after four-plus seasons in the position on the Flats by Key mid-season with linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer taking over the primary coordinator duties and Thacker demoted to assistant defensive backs coach.

Tillman a former star player on the Flats has been at Tech for two seasons joining in the final year of Geoff Collins' tenure and surviving the offseason purge Key did following being named the head coach officially in December of 2022 after taking over for Collins midseason last year.

With Thacker and Tillman reassigned off the field, that leaves quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Chris Weinke as the lone holdover from on-the-field coaches from the 2022 season. Marco Coleman rejoined the staff this past offseason after a year at Michigan State.