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
9:03 pm
Supersize- Let me say this before you leave. Maybe my frustration shouldn’t be directed at Gregory. I will concede that and support him. I guess my real frustration comes at GT and a feeling that I have that we should expect more. Maybe this is the best choice of the candidates that would actually accept the position. That is what is wrong in my opinion however. This program should be a sought after job because of location, conference etc… and its not and something is wrong with that. Have a good night and GO Jackets!!!!!!
Old Tech & Mountaineer fan in NC
March 28th, 2011
9:05 pm
Mr Whatt, I liked your last positive post.
My knowledge of the new coach is limited to what has been posted and I’ll just wait and also hope he goes 90 and 0.
slobberbelly
March 28th, 2011
9:07 pm
Why Gregory and not Stevens, Mooney, Buzz, Shaka, Motta, Calipari, Izzo, or Williams? Because this is Georgia Tech. Eight years at Dayton including seven winning seasons with 6 winning Atlantic Ten Conference seasons. Not bad. And Gregory comes with an Izzo recomendation. Gregory can only be better than Hewitt, because he can’t be worse. And if the Tech players and commits don’t like the hire, they can go somewhere else. They didn’t do Hewitt any good and they probably wouldn’t do Gregory any good also. Here’s hoping Gregory can put the excitement back into the Program.
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
9:10 pm
Old Tech- After looking at the list of the candidates that they interviewed maybe this guy is the best of those five but I find it hard to believe that’s the entire list of candidates that would want to coach at GT, if so we have bigger problems.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
9:12 pm
Whattt, I waited to see if you would have a chance to respond. I think we’re more on the same page than either of us previously thought. I think the real culprits here are those who pushed through and signed off on that HORRIBLE contract Hewitt had. If we had been able to get rid of him 4 years ago while we were still among the respected programs in the country, we probably could get whomever we want whenever we are in need. Let’s just hope that regardless of whether we only got the best we COULD get, that Gregory turns out to be exactly what we need. You have a good night too !!!!
Whatttttttttttttttttttt
March 28th, 2011
9:17 pm
Supersize- Agreed, good night.
Old Tech & Mountaineer fan in NC
March 28th, 2011
9:21 pm
When I was in school, I attended only a few games at AMC just to see Roger Kiser…spent most of my time in labs and studying. Then after a few years overseas “on vacation”, I was working away from GA and working way too many hours to attend any games. I’ve only paid attention to Tech BB since I retired but other than a few good BC/PH years, Tech has not been a great power in round ball. Hopefully, the new guy will start a climb.
Tech Fan
March 28th, 2011
9:39 pm
All I have to say, is he did a damn good job recruiting his wife!!! Not bad at all.
Tech Fan
March 28th, 2011
9:45 pm
Goodness, Whattttttttt….how mavy words a minute do you type? 453,000,000? All of us Tech faithful want a good outcome here, and the other fanaticals are going to have there opinion.
Dawg 1
March 28th, 2011
10:06 pm
Looks like a solid pick. Congrats to their new coach (Big time upgrade from Akron to Atlanta) and to Tech Alumni and Fans.
MichiganStateFan
March 28th, 2011
10:22 pm
As someone who has seen firsthand what a great coach Brian Gregory is, I can promise you GT fans will not be disappointed. I look forward to seeing GT in the Final Four against Michigan State soon.
Jalen
March 28th, 2011
10:57 pm
What a TERRIBLE hire. 4-5 more years of mediocre GT basketball. Well mediocre if we are lucky. Terrible hire.
Got to be kidding
March 28th, 2011
11:06 pm
Dawg fans said the same s… about Fox when he was hired. Give the guy a break.. and see what happens..
Jalen
March 29th, 2011
12:20 am
GAR—BAGE HIRE
ACC has more talent than SEC.
GT is gonna get crushed in tournament play.
Dayton fan
March 29th, 2011
12:34 am
Sorry Tech fans, buy you guys got a real clunker with BG. Good defense, I will give him that, but one of the worst offenses I have EVER seen anywhere: high school, collge, or the pros. No inside game on offense at all. Rarely drive to the basket. All they do on offense is run the weave on the perimeter and jack up 3’s late in the shot clock. No fundamentals, terrible shot selection, crazy substituation patterns. BG is a pretty good recruiter though, I will give him that also. If BG hires an assisant, that he will listen to, to help him improve the offensive execution, this might work out, but BG is very stubborn. Or, maybe BG will come to his senses and make the necessary changes. Good luck, you will need it and lots of it. Very glad that he is gone!
Dayton fan
March 29th, 2011
12:49 am
Oh, and one more thing. He is a very nice guy, very likeable. If he doesn’t fix his offensive scheme though, he will not succeed. I hope BG succeeds, but I just don’t see it happening. I’ll be cheering for Georgia Tech now though. Good luck!
Dayton fan
March 29th, 2011
1:06 am
Old Puma’s earlier post is spot on. Read that post, and you’ll know everything there is to know about BG.
fromdaytonintheatl
March 29th, 2011
7:26 am
Let’s face it GT isn’t what it used to be…..if it ever was. This guy is going to give the program the boost it needs. I am a fan from Dayton living in Atlanta and I’m excited to see him come. He has taken a Dayton team that was in total shambles and turned them around somewhat. The reason he played a lot of small ball is because it is hard to get big guys to come to mid major schools. I think he will be able to get some big guys at GT and run a good offense. This guy beat NORTH CAROLINA, PITTSBURGH, and other very very big name teams. Oh wait and I do remember Dayton whoopin that bzzzzz ass a little while ago. So before we knock on Gregory, let’s let him coach and get established first. Dayton fans will regret he left very very soon….
juan carlos diego raul sanchez
March 29th, 2011
10:03 am
well not my first choice but maybe – just maybe he can bring in few guys that will stay more than a year – and maybe just maybe he will diversify the team a lil…it looks like a SCLC gathering with everyone with their hand in the plate…
Mike H
March 29th, 2011
10:06 am
As a former Daytonian living in Metro-Atlanta, I feel I can offer some unbiased criticism here. My father and family are big Flyer fans, but I have never been, instead opting to throw my full support behind OSU.I really think Tech missed here. Gregory’s biggest weaknesses were beating the rival (Xavier) and doing anything during the regular conference season. Keep in mind, he couldn’t do this in the Atlantic Ten. How is it likely to improve when he moves to a much tougher conference and plays against perennial powers such as Duke, UNC, Wake, etc.? Dayton was probably the most storied program in the A-10 and he couldn’t take them to the next level. Additionally, the school’s schedules during his time at Dayton were less than spectacular. Gregory is a nice guy with morals and I don’t think he will ever do anything to offend the Tech faithful. I just don’t think he will do a lot better than Hewitt. To ask many of the Flyer faithful I know, they’re all excited to move on and have visions of Shaka Smart dancing in their heads (They’re insane LOL.). I just really think that Tech could’ve done better if they waited until after the tournament. JMHO.
Dayton fan
March 29th, 2011
11:41 am
A couple more points:
1. BG is an extremely hard worker. BG will work extremely hard at recruiting. BG maintains good relationships with his past players. BG is a pretty good recruiter. He landed to 4 star playes at UD, I don’t think UD has ever landed even one, let alone two, four star players.
2. BG is not good at player development though. He really needs help in this area.
If BG can hire Mark Price or somebody and let that assistant help him with the offensive execution and player development, this could be a good hire. But, that is a BIG if. The ball is in BG’s court. If BG addresses his weaknesses in a sufficient manner, this could be a very good hire. Good luck.
Lee Reeves
March 29th, 2011
12:57 pm
Good coach, we’ll be 9-7 or 10-6 in the acc and win 20+ games a year, why is that bad?
Richard Dawson
March 29th, 2011
3:04 pm
Everybody is excited about the new coach, then in a few years, he will be fired and everyone can’t wait for the next coach. Absurd. Don’t see anything to even get excited about with this guy. He was slightly above average at Dayton. Wow.
Wayne
March 29th, 2011
4:51 pm
Well GT, here is the word on BG from someone who has had knowledge with both coach Hewitt and BG. My son went to the last Siena camp that Paul Hewitt ran and we watched the Saints (then Indians) play some real inspired ball. We know that he has had a tough time lately in the ACC and sometimes you just need to go. He certainly was a class recruiter, just too good ( had too many guys leaving after one year) but he was an excellent game day coach.
Now you have BG, I have watched him very closely the last seven years (season ticket holder the last three at UD) and all of that time he was the second best coach in Dayton Ohio. The best happens to be in Clemson now. BG is a good recruiter for the A10 but recruiting against the other ACC coaches for the best B-Ball players will be a completely different story. Every ACC scholarship player has aspirations of being in the NBA==BG has recruited two top 75 high school players==one got worse from his freshman year to his senior year and the other just left school (these new recruits will know that). He has no offense (it is so predictable that I could defend it in the stands) and his substitution patterns are unbelievable. He has also repeatedly stated that he does not consider match-ups and I can tell you point blank of failures to properly defend the ball at the end of the game that has cost UD victories. He took two very talented teams and underperformed dramatically in the last two years (picked first in 2010, finished fourth and picked fourth in 2011 and finished ninth). He has more excuses as to why they do not win when they need to and GT fans, do not be blinded by the victory total. Check out who he has beat in the last four years and although he does have some signature wins over Pittsburgh and Louisville (Brian Roberts), he has feasted on the “Little Sisters of the Poor” just about every year. One of the reasons he could not make the NCAA’s the last two years is his terrible non-conference schedule.
Oh well, if you are looking for the second coming of Bobby Cremins or the early Paul Hewitt, do not go out and order that sky box just yet==because if BG continues to coach the way he did in Dayton, you are in for a long time on the bottom of the ACC.
OTGT
April 3rd, 2011
10:12 am
GTPhenom, I am glad to see that you realize we can’t always get the best. I thought what you have said with all these comments is so true. Wake up GT fans we do have a budget and we do have a very good coach. I will laugh also as GTPhenom will. I think he will bring this program back. We don’t need players that are one and done. Coach Hewitt was great recruiting, but coaching he just never could get his players to understand it is a team game and he sure had talent. We now will have a coach that will make these guys work together.
OTGT
April 3rd, 2011
10:35 am
Please guys it is what we call money.. I am sure if you want to give more to our school. We sure can get more. It is simple “a budget” that has exceeded more than we really should give with paying Coach Hewitt. I think we did good considering what we have to PAY Coach Hewitt. Wayne I know you are a Dayton Flyer fan and we all look at the bad side in the last year or years. I will as another laugh as he builds the program. He will do his best as he has a GREAT JOB. He is one that will give 100%. It is his time to show what he can do and has the job many would love.