J Batt Leaves Behind A Good Foundation at Georgia Tech For the Next AD, But The Right Hire Must Be Made

According to multiple reports, Batt is going to be one of the highest paid athletic directors in the country, while Michigan State will also owe Georgia Tech a pretty hefty buyout:

This is a loss for Georgia Tech considering what Batt had done in his short time with the Yellow Jackets, helping them to get fundraising on the right track, as well as seeing quick success with the football program following the Geoff Collins era and the hiring of Brent Key. It is not a huge surprise that Batt eventually left, even considering the fact that he signed a contract extension in December. His name had been floated for jobs such as South Carolina and Maryland and there was a feeling of when, not if, Batt leaving Georgia Tech for a job in either the SEC or the Big Ten.

In just 25 months under Batt’s leadership, Tech athletics’ impressive achievements include:

• The highly regarded hires of Georgia Tech alumnus Key as the 21st head coach in Tech football history and former All-American

• A record-breaking $78.2 million in contributions to the Alexander-Tharpe Fund (Georgia Tech athletics’ fundraising arm) during Batt’s first full fiscal year at the helm (FY 2024), shattering the previous single-year record by 43%;

• The launch of Full Steam Ahead, a $500 million fundraising initiative – of which nearly $300 million has already been pledged – to enhance infrastructure across multiple athletics facilities (including a renovation of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field), deliver a best-in-class gameday experience for Yellow Jackets fans and provide the resources needed to navigate the ever-changing landscape of top-level college sports;

• A monumental multi-decade partnership with Hyundai, which provides transformative revenue for Tech athletics;

• Historic academic success, with a record 94% NCAA Graduation Success Rate and the highest mean grade point average in Tech athletics history (3.25 – spring 2024).

• Georgia Tech has also taken a big step towards re-establishing itself as one of college athletics’ premier programs under Batt, most notably with back-to-back football bowl berths for the first time since 2013-14. Other achievements also include consecutive NCAA semifinals appearances for golf, volleyball aiming for its second-straight NCAA Sweet 16 berth on Friday night at Wisconsin, and notable men’s basketball victories over nationally ranked opponents Duke, North Carolina and Mississippi State.

Prior to his arrival on The Flats in 2022, Batt served for five years as executive deputy director of athletics, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer at Alabama (2017-22). His administrative experience also includes stints at East Carolina, Maryland, James Madison, William & Mary and his alma mater, North Carolina, where he was also a member of the Tar Heels’ 2001 NCAA champion men’s soccer team and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications and a master’s degree in sport administration.

As you can see from the list of accomplishments above, Batt came into Georgia Tech and did good work, leaving a big hole behind, but this job is much more attractive now because of the work he did and the ability to build off of it. Most athletic directors are not irreplaceable if you make the right hire, but that is the tricky part for Georgia Tech president Angel Cabrera.

In the aftermath of firing Collins and former athletic director Todd Stansbury, Cabrera knocked it out of the park by hiring Batt to lead and it was evident how much they valued him and what he did for the program given the fact he was given a lengthy extension in December. Now, Cabrera must replace him and while all athletic director or head coaching hires are important, this one is very important given the uncertain future clouding college athletics and the future of the ACC. Batt had a mission to move Georgia Tech to get into a good position for the future of college athletics and the next hire is going to have to continue to do the same.

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