Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins added to his recruiting infrastructure with a hire of a general manager who will direct the team’s recruiting office and roster management. Patrick Suddes is a Marist School graduate who worked with Collins at Alabama and has spent the past three seasons at Auburn, first as director of player personnel and then assistant athletic director for football. The announcement was made Wednesday.
The title of general manager is an unusual one for the college level, but evidently captures the authority that Collins is entrusting to Suddes.
“I’ve known Patrick since my days at the University of Alabama with coach (Nick) Saban,” Collins said in a statement about Suddes. “He was integral in setting up the entire infrastructure of recruiting and operations at Alabama, which has lent itself well to a really nice 12-year run for coach Saban. I’m excited to bring the expertise that Patrick gathered from places like Alabama, Texas and Auburn here to the Flats, in his hometown of Atlanta.”
It could prove a hire of substantial importance for Tech’s recruiting efforts. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn referred to Suddes as “my right-hand guy” in December. In a 2017 story at AL.com, Collins was quoted as describing Suddes as “a relentless worker and very creative” and “a superstar.” Collins gave Suddes credit for helping bring in the Crimson Tide’s 2008 class (for which Collins was director of player personnel) that included five first-round picks (including Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones) and contributed to three national championships.
“Some say it was the No. 1 class in the history of college football, and Patrick was right there beside me, helping the staff and coach Saban and everybody put that great class together,” Collins told AL.com.
Suddes served under Saban from 2005-13 at three different stops – LSU, the Miami Dolphins and Alabama. With the Crimson Tide, his title was associate director of football operations. After, he worked at Texas as director of player personnel and then went to Arizona State to be assistant athletic director for recruiting.
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