Who: Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech
Title: Offensive coordinator/tight ends coach
Previous stop: Georgia quality control coach (2020-22)
Why he's important: Before we go any further, let's get one thing straight: Faulkner's move from Georgia to neighbor and rival Georgia Tech wasn't some heel turn. It was a continuation of the mission.
Faulker grew up in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn and quarterbacked Parkview to a high school state championship in 1997. From there, he was one of Division II's best quarterbacks at Valdosta State before finishing his career at Texas A&M-Commerce. Faulkner's coaching career began at Valdosta and has taken him to four different states since, but a prominent job in his home state was always the destination.
"From here, born and raised here. My whole family's here. My wife's family is here. Love the state. Love the high school coaches in this state. I think it's the best state for high school football in America," Faulkner said this week when asked if the Georgia Tech offensive coordinator appointment matters to him on a personal level. "Yeah, it matters. It matters to me and to the other guys as well. I've made that very clear."
Faulkner will find company on his new staff. Tech's staff is headed by former Yellow Jacket, who memorably and passionately claimed he had more to offer recruits at Georgia Tech than Alabama when he joined as offensive line coach in 2019.
Faulker is one of six hires Key made upon taking over for head coach Geoff Collins. The offensive staff is almost entirely new: O-line coach Geep Wade, receivers coach Josh Crawford and running backs coach Norval McKenzie are all brand new like Faulkner, making co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke, in his second year at Tech, the dean of the offensive staff room.
Like Faulker, McKenzie did not play at Tech but grew up in the Atlanta area. Crawford spent the 2010s as one of Georgia's most successful high school assistant coaches. Weinke don't have specific ties to Tech or Atlanta, but have plenty of experience recruiting the region.
"To me, we're in the best location in America to play football. We're in the Southeast, right here in Atlanta," Faulkner said.
Of course, the previous staff arrived with plenty of conviction about recruiting Atlanta and the surrounding areas, too. We know how that turned out: Collins was let go after winning 10 of 38 games.
Collins and company's task was not easy, of course. After 11 seasons running the triple option, they had to modernize the Tech offense -- and, with it, the Tech brand -- at a selective academic school in the most competitive recruiting market in the country.
For his part, Faulkner is unfazed by pressure and unburned by dogma.
"I want to win. That's more important to me than anything else," Faulkner said.
After making the most obvious statement in coaching, he expanded on what that means for Georgia Tech in 2023.
"I think when you take that approach, you're not worried about statistics, per se. (The run-pass ratio) could go as high as 60-40 or 40-60, whatever it is, because you're doing what's best for the football team," he said. "And we're going to do what's best for the football team."
Collins, clearly, could not have taken the field in 2019 with a triple option -- even if, in the pre-Portal era, that was clearly what the roster he inherited was recruited to do. Faulkner made it clear Tech will run any formation, play any player, if it makes the team better.
"If anything, you've got to adjust to the players. It's about finding the right pieces and getting the right guys on the field that give us a chance to move the ball and score touchdowns," he said.
Despite previous coordinating stints at Valdosta State, Murray State, Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and a significant hand in Georgia's offensive design, Faulkner said the offense Georgia Tech puts on the field will not be Buster Faulkner's Offense.
"One thing about our staff We're always learning from each other, that's something we take great pride in," he said. "We've got great communication and we're building our own offense. That's what people need to realize, this will be Georgia Tech's offense."
Quarterback will be a 3-man battle between Texas A&M transfer Haynes King, Akron transfer Zach Gibson and redshirt freshman Zach Pyron will battle for as long as necessary.
"Probably as fortunate as any team in the country when it comes to the depth we have at that position. Every day is an evaluation in everything they do: how they lead the team in team periods, how they get on and off the field, how they transition from one play to the other," Key said, adding that he'd be comfortable not declaring a starter until the Sept. 1 opener against Louisville.
"irst of all, he's got to be the toughest guy in the building. This day and age you've got a lot to handle; you've got to be tough. A great leader. Coach Weinke and I, we see it the same way. Didn't know each other seven months ago and the first time we talked about quarterbacks, it was spot on," echoed Faulkner.
The QB derby is indicitave of the offense as a whole: very much a work in progress, shifting as necessary. The Tech offensive staff will determine the best 11, then craft the offense around what they do best.
Whatever form the Georgia Tech offense happens to take, Faulkner is happy to be involved.
"I feel like I'm the luckiest man alive because I'm right where I want to be."