Georgia Tech needs to focus on Jeff Monken or Scott Satterfield as their future head coach.

With the surprise retirement of Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech is now looking for a new head coach. I’ve read several lists with possible coaching candidates, and as Georgia Tech fan myself, the two guys AD Todd Stansbury needs to focus on are Jeff Monken of Army or Scott Satterfield of Appalachian State.

Here’s the case for Jeff Monken

Think what you want about option football, but it’s largely been good to Georgia Tech. Jeff Monken is a Paul Johnson disciple so there it would be a near seamless transition to Monken. He took a similar path to Johnson, winning big at Georgia Southern and then turning a service academy in Army around. I think a coach should understand the academic rigors of Georgia Tech, and know how to recruit the type player that can succeed academically at Georgia Tech.

Coaches from the service academies know that better than any coaches in the country.

Monken has won 8, 10, and 9 games at Army the last 3 years, and this season isn’t even finished. He’s won 2 bowl games, and has wins over Wake Forest, Duke, and nearly knocked off Oklahoma this season. He was an assistant at Georgia Tech in 2008-2009, so he knows the school as well.

Here’s the case for Scott Satterfield

Scott Satterfield is one of the hottest young coaches in College Football. Should Georgia Tech move away from option football, they need a young energetic coach. That’s Satterfield. He has a 50-24 record in Boone, and here’s another think I like – he’ll be reunited with his former DC Nate Woody. I would expect Woody would remain on the staff and that should hold together much of the recruiting class. He came within an eyelash of beating Penn State and Tennessee.

Georgia Tech isn’t going to ever out recruit the college football heavy weights, but it’s obvious he’s capable of getting his teams to play up. He’s also 3-0 in bowl games.

He’s born and bred in North Carolina, so he’s familiar with the ACC region and looks ready for a move up to big-time college football.

Other candidates I’ve seen are Tony Elliott of Clemson. Elliot is not a bad choice. He’s a good recruiter and knows the ACC. He’s never been a head coach, and while that worked out at Clemson with Dabo Swinney, it’s a big leap. Swinney is the exception not the rule.

Ken Wishenhunt’s name has also been tossed around. I like that’s he’s a former Georgia Tech player, but he’s an NFL coaching lifer with a spotty record. This has a little too much of a Chan Gailey feel. For me to get on board with Wishenhunt, he’d have to hire some noted college football recruiters.

Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at @AllSportsDACC and please like our Facebook Page