2017 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL INFORMATION GUIDE COACHES AND STAFF
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His professional experience also includes a summer internship with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. Smith is a NATABOC certified athletic trainer and a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association, the Georgia Athletic Trainers’ Association and he is licensed by the state of Georgia as an athletic trainer. A native of Rochester, N.Y., Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic training from The College at Brockport, a State University of New York in 2010. He is married to the former Ashley Reid. The couple has a son, Brady.
TOM CONNER EQUIPMENT MANAGER
ALABAMA, 1980 26TH SEASON AT GEORGIA TECH
A familiar face in the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, Tom Conner is in his 26th season as Tech’s equipment manager. A certified athletic equipment manager, Conner is responsible for procuring and maintaining all equipment and uniforms for Georgia Tech football and also assists in ordering equipment and gear for the Yellow Jackets’ other sports programs. Conner came to Tech in 1992 after four years as the equipment manager at the U.S. Naval Academy (1988-91). He also has experience at the professional level, having served four years as the head equipment manager for the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (1982-86). Additionally, his resume includes one year as assistant equipment manager at Duke (1987) before moving to Navy in 1988. He began his career with two years as assistant equipment manager at Missouri (1980-81). Conner earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1980 from the University of Alabama, where he worked four years as a student manager for the Crimson Tide’s football program. Conner, who completed a two-year seat as a member of the Schutt Manufacturers Advisory Board, was honored as the 1997-98 Athletic Equipment Managers Association District III Equipment Manager of the Year. A native of Signal Mountain, Tenn., Conner is married to the former Pamela Bushman. The couple has a son, Jacob, who is a senior at Alabama.
PUNT WINDHAM
ASSISTANT EQUIPMENT MANAGER GEORGIA TECH, 1994 15TH SEASON AT GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Tech alumnus Punt Windham is in his 15th season as assistant equipment manager at his alma mater. Windham, a certified equipment manager, handles the day-to-day operations of the football equipment room, including handling and ordering equipment and uniforms, maintenance of equipment and travel logistics. Since coming back to his alma mater in 2003, Windham has been a part of 13 bowl trips in 14 seasons. Prior to his return to The Flats, Windham spent eight years at Texas (1995-2002), where he served as the Longhorns’ head baseball equipment manager and assistant football equipment manger. He was a part of two College World Series appearances at Texas (2000 and 2002) with the Longhorns winning the national championship in Omaha in ‘02. A Lilburn, Ga. native, Windham graduated from Georgia Tech in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. He was a student manager for the Yellow Jackets’ football team during his time as an undergrad, which included Tech’s fourth national championship in 1990. Windham and wife, Kim, were married in 2010.
TODD McCARTHY
ASSISTANT A.D./VIDEO OPERATIONS VCU, 1992 20TH SEASON AT GEORGIA TECH @GTJACKET442
Todd McCarthy is in his 20th season at Georgia Tech. He was promoted to assistant athletics director for video operations in 2017. McCarthy, who joined the Tech staff in 1998, handles all practice, game and opponents’ video for the football coaching staff while also overseeing the Yellow Jackets’ video operations. McCarthy is a five-time winner of the ACC Video Director of the Year Award (2001, 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010) and, in 2005, Georgia Tech’s video department received the SAVVY Award from the Collegiate Sports Video Association for the nation’s top highlight video. Prior to coming to The Flats, McCarthy spent two years as director of sports video at Pittsburgh (1996-98) and three years (1993-96) in the same capacity at Richmond. He also worked two years as a videographer and editor in the sports department at WRIC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Richmond, Va. McCarthy earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992. A Richmond, Va. native, McCarthy is married to the former Elizabeth Knupp and they have three children — son Nicholas, born in 2012, and twins, son Micheal and daughter Madison, born in 2016.
CHRIS BREEN
ASSISTANT A.D./ACADEMIC SERVICES FORDHAM, 2002 SEVENTH SEASON AT GEORGIA TECH
Chris Breen is in his seventh year at Georgia Tech and his fourth year overseeing academic services for the Yellow Jackets’ football program. Breen came to The Flats in 2011 as assistant director of academic services, was promoted to director of academic services in 2014 and earned the title of assistant athletics director in 2016. Under Breen’s direction, Georgia Tech football’s most recent multi-year NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) is a lofty 978, 12 points above the national average and the third-highest APR in program history, behind only the 983 scores it achieved the previous two years. In 2016, Tech football earned an NCAA Public Recognition Award for having an APR that ranked in the top 10 nationally among all FBS programs. Breen came to Tech after five years as associate director of academic support for student-athletes at Seton Hall, working specifically with the Pirates’ men’s basketball program. Breen received Seton Hall’s President’s Award for Student Service in May 2010. Breen earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2002 from Fordham, where he played linebacker and was captain of the Rams’ football team as a senior in 2001. Following his graduation, he coached linebackers for two seasons at Fordham and helped his alma mater win the 2002 Patriot League. He earned a master’s degree in student counseling and personnel services from Manhattan College in 2006. Breen and his wife, Lauren, have a son, Caden.
MIKE FLYNN
ASSISTANT A.D./ COMMUNICATIONS & P.R. MIAMI (OHIO), 2001 SECOND SEASON AT GEORGIA TECH @MFLYNNGT
Mike Flynn is in his second year as Georgia Tech’s assistant athletics director for communications and public relations. In his role, Flynn oversees the day-to-day operation of Georgia Tech athletics’ communications and public relations office, which publicizes the Yellow Jackets’ 17 sports. He serves as the primary communications contact for Georgia Tech football and the athletics
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