Radakovich: No question Gregory will succeed
Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich said there’s “no question” that new men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory will succeed.
“Brian Gregory is not only an outstanding basketball coach, but he is a tireless worker and recruiter who cares deeply about his players,”
Radakovich said in a statement. “There is no question that he will succeed as basketball coach at Georgia Tech, and he will win by doing things the right way.”
Tech released a statement at 3:42 p.m. to confirm the hiring, which has dominated the Atlanta news throughout the day. A press conference is scheduled at 5 p.m.
Gregory said leaving Dayton for The Flats was a tough decision.
“It’s the toughest decision I’ve ever made in my life,” he told the Dayton Daily News. “It’s been eight great years. I love this place. People have been great to us. I can’t express how much I appreciate all the support and all the great times we had.
“We’ve built up a lot of relationships. As my wife (Yvette) said, it’s not a job or an occupation. It’s our life. It’s been our basketball life for eight years, and it’s tough to say good-bye to that.”
Gregory’s contract terms haven’t been announced. His pay package was at Dayton was near $1 million annually. Paul Hewitt, Tech’s former coach, made approximately $1.3 million annually. He’s also due $7.2 million per the buyout terms of the contract. That total will be paid out monthly over the next five years.
Gregory, 44 and a native of Mount Prospect, Ill., had coached the Flyers since 2003, amassing a record of 172-94 overall and 70-58 in the Atlantic 10 conference. He led the Flyers to the NCAA tournament twice, once during his inaugural season in 2003-04 and again in 2008-09. Dayton won the NIT championship in 2010.
The Flyers have had three winning conference records, including marks of 12-4 (2004) and 11-5 (2009). They went 22-14, 7-9 this year, losing in the first round of the NIT. They have won at least 20 games each of the last four seasons. Before taking over in Dayton, Gregory served as an assistant coach to Tom Izzo at Michigan State from 1999-2003.
“I know what this guy can do,” Izzo told Wes Durham on 790AM this morning. “He can have discipline yet still be a player’s coach. The hours he is going to work, that’s the only area I can say for sure that he’s No. 1. No one can outwork him. At the end of the day that’s the most important thing. Do you work your way through the good times, the bad times, the in-between times? ”
Tech has been looking for a coach since Radakovich let go of Hewitt more than two weeks ago. Hewitt led the Jackets to a 190-162 record in 11 seasons. Tech did reach the 2004 national championship game as part of five NCAA tournament appearances. However, Tech didn’t win the ACC’s regular-season or tournament titles under Hewitt.
Eventually, attendance at Alexander Memorial Coliseum began to decline. Paid attendance dropped to a few more than 6,000 this season, its lowest figure in more than a decade. However, that many rarely attended games. Tech will likely play its home games at Philips Arena and Gwinnett Arena next season while the $45 million McCamish Pavilion is constructed. It will replace AMC.
Multiple websites reported on Friday that Tech had offered the job to Gregory. However, the school issued a statement later in the day saying that the search was still ongoing.
Tech was supposed to talk to Richmond’s Chris Mooney on Sunday, but he signed a 10-year contract extension to stay with the Spiders.
Gregory was one of five candidates interviewed. The others were Tulsa’s Doug Wojcik, Missouri State’s Cuonzo Martin (who accepted the job at Tennessee on Sunday) and former alums Mark Price and Craig Neal, who is an assistant at New Mexico.
Gregory doesn’t have any previous ties to the ACC or the South. His coaching experience has been exclusively in the Midwest, starting as an assistant at Michigan State in 1990. He then moved to Toledo in 1996, Northwestern in 1997, and Michigan State again in 1999.
He played at Navy before transferring to Oakland.
In 15 years, he has coached 20 players who have made it to the NBA. He has a reputation for winning big games, going 12-5 against teams from the big-six basketball conferences in the last four years. They were also 7-11 against ranked teams during Gregory’s time as coach, including a win against Georgia Tech in 2009.
The team has done well in the classroom as well. Its Academic Progress Rate, a measurement used by the NCAA to ensure that students are moving toward graduation at an acceptable pace, has never fallen below 974 since the 2004-05 season. The NCAA considers 925 to be the minimum score before penalties are considered. He’s a perfect 23-for-23 on seniors graduating.
“The academic part of the school really fits the type of school I want to be associated with,” he said. “That’s really important. At Georgia Tech, you can recruit the highest quality player without compromising the important character components necessary for success. They have great tradition there. I’m excited about re-establishing that tradition and re-energizing the program — and getting the former players back, like we did here, and becoming engaged in the community, like we did here.”
– Doug Roberson, AJC
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576 comments Add your comment
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:11 pm
Super-size that order, mutt – AGAIN……… Your team was 6 and 7. Let me explain this to you. That’s a LOSING record. That means your team lost more games than they won. A loss is defined by your team scoring LESS points than your opponent. The GT football team scored less points than their opponents 7 times. You can call it bad defense, you can call it poor offense, you can call it whatever you want but the fact is that MORE coaches figured out how to beat Tech than didn’t. You are happy with that evidently!!!!!! I like your positive attitude.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
5:12 pm
Whether or not he’s the one you, or I, had at the top of our list, the fact is HE IS NOW OUR COACH, and until he proves otherwise, HE DESERVES OUR UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT !!!! Any person CLAIMING to be a Tech fan who says otherwise is not a true Tech fan, and is not worthy to wear the White and Gold.
Flyer Fan
March 28th, 2011
5:13 pm
Just for another voice, nobody but the Dayton Kool Aid drinkers were upset with Gregory leaving. He is a tremendous guy. Great family man. Hard worker. But…he does not develop talent. He does not coach the game well. Recruits well, but loses talent to transfer. He does not beat conference teams that should be automatic wins. Cannot, and I repeat, cannot coach offense, period. He’ll make up for it with great defense (per personnel) but his offense is a disaster. And don’t get a big lead, because coach Gregory starts taking the air out of the ball waaaaay too early, and pays for it.
All this said, I hope he does well, ’cause he is a good guy. But Dayton fans touting him are in the minority, IMO. I watched A10 coaches out-coach him over and over, so just think what the ACC guys will do to him.
FlyerMark
March 28th, 2011
5:15 pm
I’m sure the owner of “http://firebriangregory.com/” would be happy to sell some GT fan the domain.
Have fun with BG… some day down the road perhaps we can commiserate together on our respective AD’s poor decision-making
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
5:15 pm
Whattt, I assume you are a stupid mutt. YOUR team had a losing season too. Does that mean that other teams figured out how to beat you or that your team just sucked? I admit that Tech sucked last year, but it wasn’t because anybody FIGURED out how to beat us.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:18 pm
William Satterwhite- you are definitely a Tech fan. “Occasionally compete for an ACC title” you would be happy with 7th place in a 14 team conference. Are you kidding me????????????? mediocre expectations, this is a perfect hire for you. I’m sure you are one of the 5k + Tech fans that go streaming out of the coliseum before the game is over so you don’t have to sit in traffic. Way to support your program.
ROGERITER
March 28th, 2011
5:18 pm
Congratulations Tech on a good hire–from a longtime DAWG!
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:24 pm
Supersize- I have been a Tech fan for 41 years, since the day I was born. I graduated in 1988, My father and uncle both played football at Tech in the early 60’s my grandfather was a catcher on the baseball team and a point guard on the hoops team many, many years ago. I am a season football, basketball and baseball ticket holder. You can think I’m a dog fan all you want and this is one of the problems with Tech fans, if anyone speaks out and is not happy with the program then they must be the enemy because we (Tech) always do what is right and we always make the right hire, we’re perfect. Its garbage….
sk
March 28th, 2011
5:25 pm
I am not thrilled by the hire. Paul Johnson was an easy hire to get behind because Navy became a relevant program due to him. The gimmicky offense that is mentioned has never had trouble – not even in the ACC. The problem has been a poor defense and sloppy special teams. The offense became easier to defend once the all-ACC caliber QB running it suffered a season ending injury – who knew?
What is interesting is the mysterious expectations of much of so-called Tech fanbase on a forum like this. So a Dayton blog was happy to see him go – shows that delusional fanbases can exist in the midwest too. I am sure there are people in Richmond who lament that VCU outperformed Mooney’s team in the tournament.
If he just got to a position where the program was being run properly, and we were winning enough to not have to win four games each ACC tournament – I’d be happy. You know how long it’s been since GT been “solid”? It’s pretty amazing when you scan the records – the program has been marked by serious volatility results-wise, where a few lovely tourney runs reside among a ton of dubious results.
Can Gregory help clean up Tech’s ability to win all the games it’s supposed to win? Absolutely – bizarre losses were a hallmark of the Hewitt and late-Cremins eras. Can Gregory get the team to not look like they just met each other offensively? I mean those two things alone would be a huge improvement to the program – and the tournament bids would come with it.
The problem with Tech basketball is not that they’re not championship timber – it’s that they have flat out not contended enough …
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:26 pm
Supersize- How did “No one figure out to beat you” you lost 7 games. What kind of a statement is that??????????????????????
nope12
March 28th, 2011
5:31 pm
@USMC dawg: He made the NCAA tournament twice in his 8 seasons at Dayton and never made it past the second round. His team went to the NIT three times in those eight years. He failed to make the post-season period in three of his eight years at Dayton. His tenure was not good. They were not ranked in the TOP 20 constantly like you said. They were ranked in only one of his eight seasons. I do not think this guy will do any better than Paul Hewitt. I do hope he succeeds though. I just doubt he will.
gomabman2
March 28th, 2011
5:32 pm
Unless I missed something nothing is mentioned about the comment made by Gregory, “I’m excited about re-establishing that tradition and re-energizing the program — and getting the former players back, like we did here, and becoming engaged in the community, like we did here.” Is one or more of the former players joining the staff as a condition of the hire? Sort of an insurance policy for would be disgruntled fans.
nope12
March 28th, 2011
5:32 pm
By the way, I am Dayton fan. Thanks for taking him off our hands.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:33 pm
sk- We lost 7 football games……………….. I don’t care if it was the offense, the defense, special teams, the water boys, the trainer, the cheerleaders, the guy that drives the wreck. I don’t care what the cause was, WHO IS IN CHARGE?????????? Paul Johnson is the answer and the fact that you are defending the season is crazy to me. I want Tech to win as much as anyone on this blog and I hope Gregory goes 90 and 0 in his first three seasons and I promise I will be the first guy back on this blog to eat crow if he does and I will be happy to do it but it aint going to happen.
nope12
March 28th, 2011
5:37 pm
Look at how happy your AD has made Dayton fans: http://twitpic.com/4edssr
Old Fashioned
March 28th, 2011
5:37 pm
There sure are a bunch of self-annointed experts on this blog. They profess to knowing so much that I’m amazed that they aren’t themselves big-time coaches. They comment continuously about the terrible decisions made by coaches/ADs and apparently they expect that we mortals will accept that they know best. Opinions are free,and worth every penny!
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:37 pm
nope12 – Thank you. why would you hire a guy that has less success than the guy you are firing and done it at less of a program. The hire just doesn’t make sense.
nope12
March 28th, 2011
5:39 pm
@Old Fashioned: No need to get all angry, Brian Gregory’s record at Dayton speaks for itself. We are not acting like experts and are just stating the facts. Calm down.
Tech Forever
March 28th, 2011
5:39 pm
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
So you’re 41 years old and you graduated from Georgia Tech in 1988…..at age 18…..dude, you’re a prodigy.
Tech Forever
March 28th, 2011
5:41 pm
Old Fashioned
I’ll admit I don’t know a whole lot. But I do know you never hire a guy who’s own fanbase at a mid-major program is shoving him out the door.
William Satterwhite
March 28th, 2011
5:42 pm
Whatttttttttttttttttttt, would I be happy with 7th place in a 14 team conference? Probably not. But at the same time I understand the realities of the world of modern college basketball enough to understand that sometimes you’re better off being satisfied with being consistently average (or “mediocre” if you prefer) compared to the possible alternatives. Ask NC St fans who actually have some sense how it feels to run off a coach who just didn’t win enough for their tastes. Ask Iowa fans how it feels. In a few years, you might be able to ask Dayton fans.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:42 pm
Old Fashion- Why are you on a blog if you don’t want to hear opinions?????????? Please answer this question. Would you hire a guy that had a worse track record than the guy you just fired and done it at less of an institution? I don’t have to be an expert to figure that one out…
nope12
March 28th, 2011
5:44 pm
Anyway, I am going to stop commenting. I hope this turns out like the Chizik situation and that he does a really good job. That would be great for the AD.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:45 pm
Tech Forever- Sorry 88 was High School 92 was GT.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
5:51 pm
GO JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
5:53 pm
Whatttt, sorry for the delay in responding; I was on the phone. I have been a Tech fan for MUCH LONGER than you have. The only reason I suggested that you might be a mutt is because you keep saying “YOUR team” when talking to me. Why is it not “MY team.” It is definitely MY team, win or lose; it should be yours too if you are a Tech fan. It would take too long now for me to respond to everything you posted while I was on the phone, so I will simply say that I have no problems with CPJ’s offense at all. He obviously needs to address the special teams, the defense, and the ability to pass; I TRUST him to take care of all those. If he does not, then he won’t last at Tech, but I think he will. I think to write off Gregory based solely on the things you have said is being way too premature. As I said before you logged in, it is not up to Gregory to prove that he was worthy of being chosen. The job is his, and its up to him to prove that he is not worthy. Until he proves unworthy, he is MY coach, and I support him without qualification.
gomabman2
March 28th, 2011
5:57 pm
Doug, any idea if this new deal includes the hiring of any former players? I’m just wondering after reading Gregory’s comments.
GT87
March 28th, 2011
5:59 pm
Get a grip people and give the man a chance. Supersize said it all. He is now MY team’s coach and WE should at least let him coach OUR team before WE condemn him. For all you dog fans, go worry about who your next coach, basketball or football, is going to be.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
6:01 pm
GT87, thanks. You are obviously a TRUE Tech fan.
GR82BAG8R
March 28th, 2011
6:03 pm
Amazing. Simply amazing. You Tech fans need to lighten up. Give the man a chance to prove you wrong. Support your team early and often. Make it easy for him to recruit the athletes.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:03 pm
Super-size- Congratulations you are older than me and that must make you a better fan. GT is very much my team and as I said I hope Gregory goes 90 and 0 in his first three seasons but is the point of a blog to come on and kiss everyone at GT’s butt and say this is awesome. I HATE the hire at this point in the programs downward spiral and a blog is a forum for all opinions. I hope you are right and he proves worthy but I have huge doubts.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:06 pm
GT87 – Super size- According to your logic you are only a true Tech fan if you agree with everything they do and play violins and all hold hands. If you have such problems hearing negative opinions then why are you on a blog?????????????
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:08 pm
And why do you people continue to think that anyone that gives a negative opinion is a Dog fan??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
GR82BAG8R
March 28th, 2011
6:08 pm
When he beats Georgia in Athens, will the naysayers come on here and apologize?
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
6:10 pm
Whattt, the fact that I am older has no bearing on who is the better Tech fan. You mentioned your “credentials.” All I wanted to get across was that I have been on board with Tech for much longer and have suffered through as well as enjoyed more than even you have. Considering the truly legitimate choices, I don’t see Gregory as a bad choice. Questionable, perhaps, but bad, no. You have seemed to totally write him off in what you have said. I am not kissing anybody’s butt by “approving” the choice, but some of what you have said does nothing more than to play right into the hands of the mutts and other Tech haters. All I am saying is give the man a chance before you publicly belittle him. He deserves at least that much consideration and respect.
billcanoe
March 28th, 2011
6:13 pm
What a bunch of yoyo comments. Give the guy a chance before you get all over him. Are negative people the only kind who inhabit these blogs?
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
6:14 pm
Whattt, agreeing with everything they do or say at Tech is not a necessary ingredient of being a Tech fan, but I would hope that giving a man a fair chance is, and, whether you see it that way or not, your comments seem to have shown that you are not willing to do that. Why do we assume (according to you) that all negative comments come from mutt fans? Because the ajc does not filter posters so that we have to read the crap that most of them post. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then the obvious conclusion would be that it is a duck. Just be careful how what you post here can be interpreted.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:21 pm
Supersize- Why is it me “belittling” him, I’m just stating his record. AGAIN- why are you on a blog if you don’t want to her opinions? I’m giving mine. You are “approving” a choice that is “questionable” that’s just not the way I would hope that my athletic department would operate.
Old Fashioned
March 28th, 2011
6:25 pm
It’s one thing to say (or imply) ,”My opinion is——,” but something else to flat-out say,” Coach/AD is stupid,a liar,doesn’t know anything about sports,—–.” I’m just saying that some of you “experts ” should pause-and-think a minute about your own imperfections before acting as if you’re infallible. And,yes,I do enjoy hearing other opinions when they have some logic behind them and when coming from folks having some humility. But not from know-it-alls.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:34 pm
Kumbaya, Kumbaya, roses, violins, puppy dogs and kittens……Sorry I will never have a negative opinion about our sacred GT again. I have seen the light!!!!! Gregory will take us to the NCAA final four within 2 years, I can’t wait. Lets all smile and be positive even if we aren’t.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:36 pm
Old Fashioned- Please stop blogging, you are boring.
Wreckmaniac
March 28th, 2011
6:37 pm
I had the same reaction when Cremins was hired from Applachian State to coach Tech. I thought
“who’s this guy ?”. So I don’t intend to form an opinion now.
Wreckmaniac
March 28th, 2011
6:39 pm
I guess it could be worse. I guess we could be like UGA fans expecting Richt to pick a perfect assistant.
Gt
March 28th, 2011
6:40 pm
Was an assistant under Tom izzo….nuff said
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:44 pm
Gt- Bill Lewis was an assistant under somebody at some point.
Lil' Barry Bailout
March 28th, 2011
6:48 pm
To the folks criticizing the hire before the man even moves into his office…
You’re all idiots, and some of you are racists as well.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
6:48 pm
Whatt, so given your choice, who would you have liked Tech to hire?
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
6:53 pm
Supersize- John Wooden or coach K.
GR82BAG8R
March 28th, 2011
6:59 pm
Whattttt – Tech called Krzyzewski, and he turned them down. Wooden passed away 4 June 2010. So Tech hired Gregory.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
7:00 pm
I hope that was a poser and not the real Whattt. I may disagree with you, but I would expect an intelligent response to a fair question.