J.B. Hall was elevated to assistant coach, Georgia Tech interim coach Brent Key said Tuesday.
Hall, who was a special-teams analyst, fills the coaching slot vacated when Mike Daniels resigned as running backs coach Oct. 14. Tech (3-5, 2-3 ACC) will play at Virginia Tech (2-6, 1-4) on Saturday. Donald Hill-Eley earlier assumed the role of running backs coach.
Key said that adding Hall will free Jason Semore to better split his time as special-teams coordinator and linebackers coach. Semore was appointed as special-teams coordinator when Key was named interim coach following the dismissal of Geoff Collins on Sept. 26.
“(Hall) has a very, very good feel, and understanding of things, what we’re doing on special teams,” Key said. “And they’ve done a really good job in these last four games with probably the overhaul of special teams.”
Four Tech punts were blocked in the team’s first four games, which is part of the reason Collins was dismissed because he oversaw the punt unit. Tech’s special teams have shown marked improvement. The Yellow Jackets have had only one punt deflected, by Duke. Additionally, Tech recovered an onside kick in Saturday’s loss at Florida State. Tech also blocked two kicks – a punt and a field-goal attempt – in its loss to Virginia.
Another change made on special teams was using Gavin Stewart on field-goal attempts. He is 9-for-9. No Tech kicker in the past 40 seasons has started his career 10-for-10. Jude Kelley, who preceded Stewart, was 2-for-6.
Hall is in his first season at Tech. He previously was safeties coach and assistant special-teams coordinator for three seasons (2019-21) at Idaho State. Hall coached with Semore for three seasons at Montana State (2015-17) and Sacramento State (2018).
Virginia Tech has had one punt blocked this season. It hasn’t had a field-goal attempt blocked.
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