Tech’s Brian Gregory: Not a hot guy, but he’ll bring the heat
There's work to be done. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
We’re human. We all do it. We watch the NCAA tournament and we’re smitten by the Hot Young Coach of Cinderella U. And — let’s be honest — it would have been more fun if the man behind the microphone Monday had been Shaka Smart, tapped to bring his VCU brand of giant-felling “havoc” to downtrodden Georgia Tech.
But the glow of March eventually fades, and even the hottest hottie has to go back to work. And sometimes hotness isn’t transferable. In 2007 Todd Lickliter left Butler after two Sweet 16 runs for the lure of Iowa’s bigger money and wider stage. He lasted three seasons. In 1999 Dan Monson exited Gonzaga after an appearance in the Elite Eight. He resigned from Minnesota in 2007, having never lifted the Gophers to the Big Dance.
Brian Gregory is neither hot nor all that young. (He’s 44.) He arrives at Tech having done good work at Dayton. Had he done great work there, he’d have been at a bigger job and therefore beyond the Jackets’ reach. Bear that in mind. Having to pay its former coach $7 million to leave, Tech couldn’t throw bags of money at his successor. It wasn’t shopping along Rodeo Drive. That said …
Tech didn’t need a hot coach. It needed a competent one. It found him.
Gregory wore the requisite pinstriped suit and gold tie at his introductory briefing, but at heart he’s no fashion plate. He’s a Chicago guy — “I eat Chicago hot dogs and Chicago pizza,” he said — who apprenticed in the toughest-minded program there is. At Michigan State he worked first for Jud Heathcote, who won an NCAA title with an oversize point guard from Lansing bearing the nickname Magic, and then for Tom Izzo, who took his championship with a bunch of guys from Flint.
Who’s hot? Who’s not? These aren’t questions the new Tech man ponders. He gets up and goes to work. He’ll hold individual instruction sessions Tuesday with players whose names he doesn’t yet know. “And they really will be individual instruction,” he said. “It’ll be me and whoever’s in the gym with me.”
For reasons unknown and perhaps unknowable, Tech basketball had lost its way. In this smallish man from Chicago, it has a guide. In his interview Thursday, Gregory sounded every note this search committee wanted to hear. Said Dan Radakovich, the athletic director: “He hit on all those things, and it wasn’t pre-scripted — the [need to embrace] former players, the academics, the responsibilities of our current players.”
Someone asked Gregory if Georgia Tech can make the Final Four. “They already have,” he said, not batting an eye. “That’s the first thing you have to ask: ‘Has it been done before? ‘ ”
Gregory sees Tech basketball not as some niche sport in the busy big city but in holistic terms — it’s a program with a past and a future, and it’s a vital part of the Institute and Atlanta. Even his critics in Dayton concede he was a pillar of both university and community, and that’s something this program had lost. People here stopped talking about Tech hoops, and not only because Tech stopped winning.
About winning: Is it fair to think Gregory will fare better in the ACC than he did in the Atlantic 10, where he didn’t win as big as Dayton fans thought he should? Certainly he’ll have access to better players here — even in its weakened state, Tech doesn’t carry the tag of “mid-major” — and if he fails it won’t be for lack of effort. “Nobody’s going to work harder than I will,” he said.
Work: It’s not a concept that connotes hotness. Heck, it sounds downright old-fashioned. But a program of such inherent resources doesn’t require a savior as much as a steward.
What’s the stock in trade of an Izzo team? The Princeton offense? Full-court pressure? No and no. Year upon year, the best thing Michigan State does is rebound, and rebounding is nine-tenths effort. Sometimes Izzo would break out shoulder pads and helmets to teach them ferocity. “Those days are long gone,” said Gregory, meaning the need for football gear. “But we emphasize rebounding. We get after it good.”
There are Tech fans who are disappointed by this hire. They shouldn’t be. After they watch this coach and his team play a couple of times, they won’t be. Gregory’s guys are going to get after it good.
By Mark Bradley
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181 comments Add your comment
Buck Commander
March 28th, 2011
7:18 pm
Not AGAIN!!
Buck Commander
March 28th, 2011
7:21 pm
I may play the lottery tonight. If I win I will share with Mark!!
Buck Commander
March 28th, 2011
7:24 pm
Man,
Buck Commander
March 28th, 2011
7:26 pm
Man, I need to get a life. Sorry above the second comment but I have been drinking all day and hit the wrong button.
O'Brien
March 28th, 2011
7:28 pm
Mark,
Any idea on his coaching staff?
GTfanForerver
March 28th, 2011
7:28 pm
I’m looking forward to next year. Just the coach that we needed.
Buck Commander
March 28th, 2011
7:28 pm
Since I’m the only person on here I guess nobody will notice anyway.
William Satterwhite
March 28th, 2011
7:29 pm
Great column Mark, here’s to renewed success under Coach Gregory!
Sonny Clusters
March 28th, 2011
7:29 pm
We was in the same shape when we read about MARTA bringing back the Braves shuttle but it won’t be going by the stadium this year.
jumbeauxtiger
March 28th, 2011
7:30 pm
Maybe he’s not flashy but Tech fans have to be exciting after the lackluster results under Hewitt.
GTboro
March 28th, 2011
7:31 pm
Good luck, Coach!
Hewitt Fan
March 28th, 2011
7:33 pm
@Mark bradley What a terrible hire! No way you can spice it up..You ran Hewitt out, and I told everyone, no hot coach would want the GT job..the Dayton fan boards are happy that we took their problem off their hands..I hope this guy can at least recruit, because i watched Dayton this year and their offense looked horrible!..I wish him the best of luck, but i think you are going to have to run another coach out of town in 3 years..everyone noticed how you disrespected Hewitt, and GT student athletes..posting replacements for him before the season ended made me shake my head..i hope you feel good, but you and i know this was a horrible hire!.please don’t do Coach Gregory like you did Hewitt…good luck coach Gregory!
Huh?
March 28th, 2011
7:33 pm
This is what we were waiting for?
Hewitt Fan
March 28th, 2011
7:35 pm
@Mark Bradley
you and i know both this was a horrible hire
Hewitt Fan
March 28th, 2011
7:37 pm
The Dayton fan boards are happy, we took their problem off their hands, i told everyone, no hot coach was ever going to come to GT..
fallen program
March 28th, 2011
7:46 pm
Wow. Dayton fans and alumni weren’t happy with this guy and now he’s the coach at GT. What does that say about the state of GT basketball program? GT basketball was fun to watch back in the days of mark price and then with those great kenny anderson and dennis scott teams.
The dave braine contract decision was a major a factor in this lackluster hire. It was all about money and hewitt’s contract is going to affect Tech basketball for years to come. Too bad because Georgia is producing some of the best basketball talent in the nation and tech won’t be able to take advantage of it.
AlabamaRamblinwreck
March 28th, 2011
7:46 pm
Blah……
Buzz 2010
March 28th, 2011
7:46 pm
Hey Hewitt Fan, why don’t you go visit with your Dayton friends.
The Flyers could use a good sensible fan like you while they search for a hot coach!!
Enjoy, make it a long visit……………………..
icallbs
March 28th, 2011
7:47 pm
I think TECH may have a gem. Congrats. TECH B’ball will be back. Hewitt Fan, you make our idiots (UGA, and yes, every fan base has them) look like rocket surgeons.
AlabamaRamblinwreck
March 28th, 2011
7:48 pm
HewittFan: I don’t agree with you on anything, but you were right about this one. BUT, you have the reason wrong…it’s not that a hot coach “would never come” to GT. A hot coach would have come, but not for the $$ we wanted to pay. SAD
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
7:48 pm
Here we go, multiple IDs already…and so obvious.
GT Alum
March 28th, 2011
7:49 pm
So, you’re saying Radakovich lied when he said Hewitt’s buyout wouldn’t limit what we could spend on a coach?
blazer
March 28th, 2011
7:51 pm
WELCOME TO TECH!! BRING SOME OF THOSE DAYTON RECRUITS FROM OHIO
AND INDIANA WHO CAN SHOOT,DRIBBLE AND REBOUND!
Kenny Anderson
March 28th, 2011
7:52 pm
yeah Gregory was at Michigan State as an assistant in 1990 along with Izzo who both worked for Heathcote. Bet he remembers Kenny Anderson quite well. The guy that made the last 2nd shot that put the game in OT and culminated into a win and final four appearance for GT.
mcg dawg
March 28th, 2011
7:52 pm
Congrats to Tech on a VERY SOLID HIRE…If Coach Gregory retains any of Jud Heathcote’s fire along with Tom Izzo’s game day X’s & O’s…things will get back on a good track for Tech…sooner rather than later!
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
7:54 pm
GT Alum – I’m trying to figure out who it could have been spent on. Who (other than Pearl) in the Million Dollar Club is looking for a job?
Jacketbacker
March 28th, 2011
7:54 pm
I like this guy. I really do. I will attend basketball games next year. Something I haven’t done in years. He deserves our support!
Go Jackets!!
GT Alum
March 28th, 2011
7:58 pm
Apparently, Gregory is in the Million Dollar Club. Doug Roberson is tweeting that the contract is $6M/6 years, with incentives.
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
8:05 pm
GT Alum – The best info on salaries I could find was USA Today’s list of coaches who made the NCAA last year. There were not what I would call obvious candidates among the coaches that were already making $1 million+. Boeheim? Calhoun? Roy Williams? I would exclude guys making over $2 million, like Rick Barnes (right at that point, as I recall). I’ve closed the link to the site; I’d have to Google for the info again, but I’m not really interested at this point.
Jacket Fan
March 28th, 2011
8:06 pm
After reporting from the Dayton blogosphere, Hewitt Fan has pretty much said it all. You had a good run, girl! Thanks for all of your thought-provoking drivel. Now, please crawl back into your doghouse. You’ve got a lot of licking to catch up on.
Welcome Coach Gregory, and go Jackets!
Matthew Romer
March 28th, 2011
8:11 pm
I have been a Dayton Flyer fan and watched every season under Gregory. He can recruit, i’ll give it to him, but he can not coach a lick. His teams underacheive every year and he has no idea what to do on the offensive side of the ball. GT is going nowhere. Thank you Gregory for liberating us Dayton Flyer fans from another sub-NCAA tourney season.
Matt from MN
March 28th, 2011
8:13 pm
“Dan Monson”…those words send shivers through this Minnesota alumnus!
BankerDawg
March 28th, 2011
8:13 pm
I can’t believe that most of my Tech buddies are really serious when they talk about what a bad hire Gregory is…I’m not sure who they were expecting to land, but I think ultimately this guy will be the answer.
On staff at Michigan State, eight years HEAD coach at a mid major that takes their baskeball pretty seriously, and is young enough to still connect with the kids. It sounds pretty textbook to me, and I can see why DRad pulled the trigger on the hire.
You Tech guys need to get your heads out of your collective hind parts and support your program and this coach, or you really WILL be irrelevant.
Huh?
March 28th, 2011
8:13 pm
I guess dRad figured we had to bite the bullet to break out of the Hewitt vicious circle. Problem was, it was horrible year to look for a coach. So plan B is hire the B coach and limp by 5 years until Hewitt $$s are done..then there’ll be more money in the bank to get an A coach… Pleeze someone tell me this is the master plan! My head hurts.
Herschel Talker
March 28th, 2011
8:14 pm
Mark Fox > Brian Gregory
The Elephant Man > Paul Hewitt
Mark Bradley > Terence Moore
Mark Bradley’s curly hair afro and moustache picture > Mark Bradley’s current picture
weak Buzz
March 28th, 2011
8:18 pm
Tech has lost it way. sorry this won’t help
Hewitt Fan
March 28th, 2011
8:20 pm
This was not about $…this was all about Gt being a horrible job..usually when a school loses their coach to a bigger job, the fans are sad..Dayton fans are jumping for joy..they were spoiled by Purnell, and Gregory could not keep the enjine moving..I told everyone that no hot coach was coming, once again i post nothing but facts! good luck Coach Gregory
The Norcross Hive
March 28th, 2011
8:21 pm
Close, but no cigar, Jacket Fan. Hewitt Fan’s got to get back to nurse her pups.
Poopdawg
March 28th, 2011
8:22 pm
Bradley, do you want to explain who you think the Hot Guy would be?
JacketFan
March 28th, 2011
8:25 pm
Sad thing for you negative Tech fans is that a Dawg fan makes more sense than you guys. Thanks for the slap in the face they needed BANKERDAWG.
I agree 100%.
Good luck Coach Gregory!!!!! Can’t wait to see you get after it!
NoDawgsAllowed
March 28th, 2011
8:26 pm
We’ve replaced a guy who couldn’t coach a lick & was awful in conference play with … a guy who hasn’t shown the ability to coach players up & consistently underachieved in conference play. Where’s the improvement in this? Other than in Dayton, where they’re celebrating being spared a costly buyout I mean.
Mark Bradley
March 28th, 2011
8:26 pm
Gregory wasn’t on the staff in 1989-90, the season of the Kenny Anderson shot. He joined the next year.
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
8:28 pm
I wonder who will take the Dayton job.
Paul N Destin
March 28th, 2011
8:29 pm
I think Tech now understands the status of their program. It’s no way near the status you believed…correct?
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
8:30 pm
Bryan Gregory is undefeated so far. Give him some slack.
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
8:30 pm
Brian, not Bryan.
JacketFan
March 28th, 2011
8:33 pm
By the way, excellent article Mark!
I really enjoyed the read. You’ve really been on your game lately. Good stuff. Keep it up! One of my favorite bloggers to read on sports.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
8:36 pm
Who knows if the Dayton fans who have trashed Gregory are right or not; not all of them feel that way. But Steve Alford was virtually run out of town at Iowa, and he had considerable success there. You can’t always judge a coach by the reaction of some of the fans. A friend of mine in Des Moines told me today that if Alford hadn’t left, he would have been fired. And yet he posted successful records there. Go figure.
Hewitt Fan
March 28th, 2011
8:36 pm
Even though GT fans let Mark Bradley run Hewitt out of here, quit supporting their student athletes, scared to stand up to Duke, bashed their Student athletes, and maybe will never get another kid from the great Atlanta Celtics, i still wanted GT to at least make a decent hire.this is going to be a long 3 years.Have you guys seen Gregory’s offense?..It is terrible to see..Hewitt offense only looked bad when we were young, Dayton had a veteran team!.Wow, Gt has let Mark Bradley push them even farther down in the Coach k conference..GT fans please never listen to Bradley again..you see what it gets you!
Mark Bradley
March 28th, 2011
8:37 pm
Thanks, JacketFan. I’m obliged to you.
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
8:40 pm
Hewitt Fan, I hate to break it to you, but Mark Bradley didn’t run Hewitt out of here. Fans like me, who refused to renew season ticket subscriptions ran Hewitt off, and good riddance.
And Mark, I enjoyed the article too. Gregory was not even on my list, but I like him more with every word I read or hear. I really enjoyed the interview I heard on the Zone earlier. Although he DOES need to work on that accent. Not as bad as Cremins, but still……..LOL
The Norcross Hive
March 28th, 2011
8:41 pm
I’m with BankerDawg. My guess is that DRad may have had a little more to go on than the rest of us. What’s wrong with a little optimism?
O'Brien
March 28th, 2011
8:43 pm
So Tech said money was not an issue. And then they sign Gregory for 6 years, $6 million. I wonder how his annual salary stacks up to other coaches in the ACC.
Just like the Hawks said money was no factor, and then they signed LD to a 2 years, $2.5 mil total (3rd year $2 mil option).
mark louis
March 28th, 2011
8:44 pm
You get points for doing your best to sell a mediocre hire. 2 trips to the tournament at Dayton. That’s the best GT can do?
5150 UOAD
March 28th, 2011
8:44 pm
I Want To Hear From HEWITT FAN
HEWITT FAN where are you? We know you have something to say on the subject.
Coach Gregory
NO CELTICS FOR YOU
Hewitt Fan aka “The Atl CELTICS Nazi” (like Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi) will never NEVER send another Celtic to TECH we did not follow HIS RULES when ordering a recruit.
McBubba
March 28th, 2011
8:46 pm
I was hoping for some noodles, and they gave some ramen..oh well, good luck, coach!!
Supersize that order, mutt
March 28th, 2011
8:48 pm
UOAD, back up a page and read all his latest drivel.
5150 UOAD
March 28th, 2011
8:49 pm
The Man is well dressed. I liked his suit. He will have to keep up his game to match Paul Hewitt though. Paul was a Great Dresser. Bobby’s suits looked like him. Going in a hundred different directions all at once. HAHAHA
michael
March 28th, 2011
8:51 pm
if this hire dosen’t work then THE GOOD WORD needs to walk.
blackprix
March 28th, 2011
8:53 pm
I’m not sure how good this coach will be, but like other coaches before him, I’m willing to wait, watch and see.
The Norcross Hive
March 28th, 2011
8:55 pm
“I wonder how his annual salary stacks up to other coaches in the ACC.”
So he has an incentive to do well.
5150 UOAD
March 28th, 2011
8:56 pm
Supersize
I reposted that from earlier today before HEWITT FAN was on. I just wanted him to read it tonight. Have been on Doug’s blog too. I may copy and paste a few post too.
This type of player is what I don’t want to see at TECH anymore.
You come to TECH to play for 4 years, work to get a Degree, and learn/improve your game.
These Atl Celtics AAU gods that just use TECH for a quick shot at the NBA are not WANTED ANYMORE.
Iman thanks for your Great Play and for choosing TECH. I enjoyed watching you play. If you go, then Good Luck and Blessings. If you stay, then please work hard and keep improving.
PASS the GOOD WORD
1 and Dones are not welcome. Please add to that list TWO and Thru are not welcome either.
HEWITT FAN take your SPOILED BRATS and go the HELL AWAY.
No Atl CELTICS needed unles they want to STUDY, WORK HARD, and GRADUATE.
Tony Shumpert
March 28th, 2011
You people should support all the players AND coaches that dedicate their life to the Tech program.
IMO players that don’t complete their eligibility and/or degree didn’t DEDICATE their life to Tech. Now if in 20 years he comes back and finishes his Degree I will eat my words. He could be like Marco Coleman who is killing himself to get a degree with Georgia Institute of Technology scrolled across the top of it. Now Marco Coleman is a Life DEDICATING TECH MAN. Iman please do the same.
Yes it is me. I do want IMAN to do what is best for him. I said I wish no ill will and only the best because he was so fun to watch. What I did say is we don’t want the future to be full of players that don’t plan from the start to play 4 years and try to graduate. From NOW, this day forward, Tech is not your fast E-Ticket ride to the NBA. You better plan to STUDY, LEARN, and do your DEAD LEVEL BEST to get a DEGREE. If that is not a player’s mindset from the start PLEASE go to UGA.
SORRY Tony that is where I am at today in THIS moment. The KIDS are not going to P.MP their time at TECH for the NBA. The Atl CELTIC players and their mindset is not needed. I am tired of feeling USED by the players. We give money, time, heart, and they leave early. I just hate it & I am tired of it. If the football players stayed just think what the football season might have been. Back-to-Back in the ACC Championship game and the recruiting gets easier.
michael
March 28th, 2011
9:01 pm
dude you are long winded. go to the beach and get a girlfriend.
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
9:02 pm
Roy Williams’ contract contract as of last year was just over $1.5 million/yr total compensation, with a relatively small tournament max bonus of $85 thousand. Info is from USA Today, and I’m depending on my recall from reading it earlier today. I need to go back and look for the source link that I posted then. Not sure whose blog, though.
swatguy
March 28th, 2011
9:02 pm
I really think the Georgia State hire was better. Tech should have waited for Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens. Unless he hires a “Sharman White” to recruit this most fertile area, he is swimming upstream already.
RomeDawg
March 28th, 2011
9:03 pm
The only heat Gregory will bring to Tech will be on DRad’s job for such an incompetent hire.
michael
March 28th, 2011
9:04 pm
going with what DUKE has been doing all along are we? can we say STANFORD football also???
Not even a BB fan
March 28th, 2011
9:05 pm
Enter your comments here
5150 UOAD
March 28th, 2011
9:06 pm
Michael
That was cut and pasted 4 post from DOUG’S blog, but HEWITT FAN was not getting on the TECH BLOG.
I think my wife wouldn’t like me getting a girlfriend.
Hewitt Fan
March 28th, 2011
9:08 pm
5150 UAOD
I gurantee Gregory will be meeting with coach Mccray in the next week or so..He better or Mark Bradley will start posting replacements in 2 years..I actually watch college basketball, Gregory is not a good x and o man..i am warning you all right now, his offense looks stupid, he does like to press, but on the road in the ACC, their is a no pressing rule..and please cut the BS, if his graduation rate is 100%, but GT is losing, you will want him out of here!
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
9:09 pm
Found it:
“Delbert D.
March 27th, 2011
11:00 pm
For example:
Brian Gregory made $541,891 in 2009.
Roy Williams just over $1.5 Million + $83k tournament bonus.
Source is coaches who made the 2009 NCAA tournament (best I could do in a hurry.)
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2010-coaches-salary-database.htm
“
Hewitt Fan
March 28th, 2011
9:11 pm
Oh yeah Bj and Ish graduated from GT..bith were Celtics..Chris Singleton will be graduating also..i post facts..you don’t
5150 UOAD
March 28th, 2011
9:11 pm
Delbert D
You know ROY made most of his money years ago. When he CAME HOME he paid his Assistants very well, because he knew he would be at UNC until he wanted to leave. He can probably stay for another 15 years or $30 Million more at minimum. HAHAH.
QB/DB
March 28th, 2011
9:11 pm
Why do some GT fans think that the job had GREAT COACHES banging on the door! Mooney turned GT down and made money off their interest. D Rad couldn’t go through Coach after Coach turning him down and making this a bidding war. I wish GT people will stop beating down C oach Hewitt a great man, whom they owe more then they think. Okay it wasn’t sexy but that doesn’t win games, only a few recruits. Some didn’t think Mark Fox was a sexy hire, where did he come from=Nevada, Clemson hired Bromell and he turned out alright. And what about Gene Chizic at Auburn, wasn’t there signs at the Airport calling him a loser? If GT fans and Alumni had any sense they would be talking this up instead of talking things down. Breath life into the program instead of suffocating it. GT you are not all that hot right now in B Ball or F Ball, you need to get behind and support you AD and Coaches!
Tech Guy
March 28th, 2011
9:15 pm
It is amazing how Mark Bradley spins things. He helped get rid of Hewitt and proposed several other coaches as good replacements. Now he writes that Gregory is a good hire. I hope he is but recognize Bradley for his self serving spin.
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
9:15 pm
33 coaches from that survey earned $1 million and above in total annual income (not including NCAA tournament bonuses.)
Not even a BB fan
March 28th, 2011
9:15 pm
Mark,
Just reviewed your predictions for final four:
1) Belmont over Wisconsin
2) Wofford over Jimmer and BYU
3) Ohio State takes it all
4) Barkley will be out of his element as commentator
One out of four ain’t bad but Let’s don’t place to much weight on your prediction of Gregory success.
ACC HOOPS #1
March 28th, 2011
9:15 pm
Its not a glamorous hire, but it was never about the hire. It was about rebuilding the most important thing that Hewitt squandered: Goodwill.
Brian Gregory is no spring chicken, but he knows the landscape of basketball and he has been around the block enough to know the task ahead. I’ll take an Izzo man anyday over a Princeton man.
Welcome Coach Gregory. The Thrillerdome 2.0 opens in 2012, lets bring it back to glory!
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
9:17 pm
12 coaches earned $1.947 and above (the Bruce Pearl line).
michael
March 28th, 2011
9:18 pm
it’s not about coaching with the coaches as much as they think they are businessmen. it’s like a doctor turning lawyer. the game is the same but the coaches and players are just different. WE THE FANS ARE LEFT HOLDING THE BAG. it’s just not that much fun anymore.
GT FAN
March 28th, 2011
9:28 pm
Nice article. Hope he goes after Mark Price as an assistant.
Dollar Bill
March 28th, 2011
9:30 pm
I think this will work out for Tech. I think the Gregory family will be very involved at Tech and in the community. He is genuine and will work hard AND take pride in the product that takes the court. We are in a much better position than our friends at NCSU right now – which if you believe the rumors is 0 for 4 right now.
George Stein
March 28th, 2011
9:30 pm
I’m pretty sure Auburn fans were pretty disappointed a few years ago when Chizic got hired. But a funny thing happened when they started playing the games.
I have no idea if Gregory will be great, good, mediocre, bad, or horrible. But I’m willing to give him a fair shake. I think all we expect is to be competitive and competent. It’s why we love Paul Johnson and I hope it’s why we’ll love Brian Gregory.
drew
March 28th, 2011
9:33 pm
Well if Hewitt Fan doesn’t like it, it must be a good move, being as he’s the biggest dumbazz on this blog! And BTW, Hewitt Fan, what happen to Duke…did the refs not get the memo about Coach K?
No Celtics for you! BWAHHHHHH!
I don’t know much about Gregory, but I know he ain’t Hewitt, and right now, that’s enough for me.
Welcome Coach, we’ve been waiting for a while.
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
9:37 pm
Using the USA Today data (2 years old) the NCAA Tournament coaches in the range of $1 million to $1.4 million annual pay include the following (top to bottom):
Matt Painter – Purdue – $1,398,120
* Oliver Purnell – Clemson
Lorenzo Romar – Washington
Mark Turgeon – Tex A&M
Rick Stansbury – Miss. St.
Herb Sendeck – Arizona St.
Jim Boeheim – Syracuse
Jamie Dixon – Pitt – $1,091,688
*Left job
Dixon had the highest Max Tournament Bonus at $346,000
Private schools Tournament bonuses not available
By the way, Tubby Smith’s contract had the highest tournament bonus at $975,000, Sean Miller (Arizona) 2nd highest at $675,000.
Paul Hewitt
March 28th, 2011
9:39 pm
Don’t cyberbully him like you did to me. Sound good Mark?
NoShamSam
March 28th, 2011
9:39 pm
Wouldn’t it be great if Dayton hired Paul Hewitt?
HelluvaEngineer
March 28th, 2011
9:41 pm
Great column, Mark. I could not agree with you more, and I applaud DRad and the search committee for delivering a solid hire who prides himself on hard work, discipline, and takes the “student’ component somewhat seriously. I am ecstatic that we did not go for the flavor of the week, and am happy to see the renewal of Tech hoops. Welcome to Tech, Coach BG.
Having said that, Mark, you need to do your part in finding out everything you can about this search process. Why did DRad say money was not a problem and obviously go for a “value” hire? What exactly happened with Mooney? Who turned us down? Who all was on the list?
sports
March 28th, 2011
9:44 pm
$7.2 million,,,unbelievable!
goldwreck
March 28th, 2011
9:47 pm
Mike Krzyewski was 73-59 at West Point before coming to Duke.That was not a “sexy” hire and I’d say that worked out okay.Give Coach G a chance.GO JACKETS!
Arob
March 28th, 2011
10:03 pm
Anything’s better than Hewitt. Never seen this guy coach but glad we’ve got him. May take him a while to get rolling since talent is pretty thin….so we need to be patient.
Dave
March 28th, 2011
10:07 pm
For what it’s worth, Hewitt was a popular pick after he did a few good things at Sienna. This guy coached under Izzo and I think I read he played at Navy. Hopefully, he has somewhat of a military mindset and work ethic. He put Dayton on the map in a couple of NCAA tourneys a few years ago. He said some good things in the press conference. All we need is a team that works hard instead of a group of one and dones who have played together for 6 months. The ACC has been shredding Tech for years. This guy is in the fire, he’ll have his chance to back up the talk. I can’t say I expected a big name. I’m excited for the change!!
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
10:07 pm
Sexy, or Not Sexy: Coaches in that NCAA tournament annual pay making at least $500,000 but less than $1 million are the following:
Mark Few (highest)
Jim Boylen
Josh Pastner
Dino Guadio
Fran Dunfey
Brian Gregory (lowest)
just the truth
March 28th, 2011
10:11 pm
How many people on here played Div.1 (including myself) basketball. Just what I thought. Shut the —- up. Tell your opinion to your kids who think your great and used to own Pistol Pete.
Skeezix
March 28th, 2011
10:12 pm
I hope he does emphasize academics and education which is, afterall, the main thing that fans often lose sight of today. It would be a big improvement if he gets the guys to play hard every time out………….. and, of course, avoid embarrasing losses to teams like Kennesaw State.
All Tech fans need to quit carping about who they wish GT had hired and get behind him.
Jack G.
March 28th, 2011
10:12 pm
Hewitt Fan
If as you say Mark Bradley ran CPJ out of town, he deserves a medal.
X
March 28th, 2011
10:12 pm
@hewitt fan
We have hired a coach and us TRUE GT Fans are going to support OUR new coach so please stay off the GT blog and go write to paul hewitt and tell him how great a coach you think he is and you can’t wait to cheer for him! As a matter of fact why don’t you call Dayton and recommend your boy!
Just the facts
March 28th, 2011
10:18 pm
Good hire! Best of luck, Coach Gregory.
Diablo69
March 28th, 2011
10:19 pm
It’s amazing how any schmuck can post a negative view on this anonymous blog and people immediately assume that they speak for the majority of Tech alumni and fans. Here’s the real deal:
1) Based on his resume (Izzo, 20+ wins per season, NIT Champs last year, A10 tournament runner up this year) Coach Gregory deserves the benefit of the doubt. Win 20 games in the A10 and you might get an invite to the NIT. Win 20 games in the ACC and you will get an invite to the NCAAs. So if he simply maintains his career averages you are looking plenty of tournament appearances.
2) Is it me or do these Dayton fans seem to have unreasonable expectations. I realize 1 NCAA win in 8 seasons isn’t getting it done, but come on you are Dayton of the A10, not Duke of the ACC. When you land a big recruit he is a top 10 prospect in Ohio. When GT lands a big recruit he is a top 10 prospect in the country. Mr. Gregory will be swimming in a different talent pool.
3) On the flip side I am concerned with comments that he “doesn’t develop talent” and his teams “don’t have an offensive identity”. This all hits a little too close to home. Time will tell, but for now any real fan is willing to watch a little round ball before casting any stones.
Artie
March 28th, 2011
10:21 pm
He’s only finished higher than seventh ONCE in the past 6 years in the vaunted A-10 conference?!?!?! LMAO
NCJacket
March 28th, 2011
10:22 pm
I remember last year when we lost to DAYTON and we had 2 top NBA Draft choices. He seems to know what he is doing. He also has winning records in his conference which is something we rarely see.
Veteran Fan
March 28th, 2011
10:28 pm
Good coach, good program, good hire! Hewitt Fan is not a graduate like I am and all my friends. Yes, all we want is a team that rebounds, works hard, and is competitive every night! That is why Coach Hewitt was let go, because they never played a full game on the road and you never knew which team would show up at home! Dayton fans admit that Coach Gregory’s teams play hard and get after you every night! We and all our friends are buying season tickets and will be there next season every game and we call on all Tech basketball fans to be there with us! It will be exciting watch Coach Gregory win with the same players Coach Hewitt kept making excuses about! Don’t forget Dayton beat us last year with Favors and Lawal!
Artie
March 28th, 2011
10:28 pm
I wouldn’t consider Gani Lawal a “top” draft choice…he was 46th!!!
kral
March 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
do not know the ins and outs of aau…BUT 5150..I KNOW THIS MEANS LITTLE…DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE SITUATION..BUT YOUR 8:56 blog..IS IMPRESSIVE, THAT WAS GREAT…no sarcasm…THANK YOU…not shouting but close
GT65
March 28th, 2011
10:33 pm
Coach Gregory’s pay is posted by Mark on another blog.i believe its a great hire and look forward to supporting BG in future.
Hewitt fan is just that.. Not a GT fan.
kral
March 28th, 2011
10:37 pm
thanks 5150 for the 8:56 blog
taxistan
March 28th, 2011
10:41 pm
Paul Hewitt was a sexy hire! I like meat and potatos myself!
GT Alum
March 28th, 2011
10:43 pm
I plan to support Coach Gregory and our team next year, if for no other reason than that Radakovich gave us fans what we were all asking for when she fired Hewitt.
However, I have a problem with all the sanctimonious creeps who are on here telling those of us that have reservations about this hire that we aren’t entitled to have these reservations or express them. Unless some of you have some great knowledge of college basketball, your opinions are no better informed or more valid than those of us who question this hire.
kral
March 28th, 2011
10:50 pm
hello
kral
March 28th, 2011
10:59 pm
funny how DO doesn’t block my blogs…sounds like a new era has begun..wonder what the test case for blocking freedom of speech on a blog would be like…I mean who knows could you prove it…would you do it …could you make it worth it…???? AJC will be receiving a personal phone call….then a certified letter…challenging the housewives of the AJC..markie@ shultzie..big deal…who knows…woman won a lotta money spilling MC- Donalds coffee on herself
kral
March 28th, 2011
11:09 pm
comments go to never-never land
St. Clarkston
March 28th, 2011
11:30 pm
Sometimes guys like Mark Fox and Brian Gregory are just what a program needs.
Hewitt Can't Coach
March 28th, 2011
11:31 pm
You guys already trashing Gregory need to give him more than ONE DAY to prove himself. Yeah, I said “WHO?” too….But he does have cred and it’s EARNED cred.
He’s got the smarts….He’s got the drive…..He’s got ATL and the ACC. Now it’s up to him to put those pieces together and make it work.
See what he says on his Sports Radio talks and then see what he does in recruiting. If we win 2+ ACC road games next year, it will have been a successful hire based on the Hewitt Standard…
Of course Hewitt was a 100 Petroleum Car Train Wreck….And he/it will still be burning on North Ave for the next 5 years.
GT65
March 28th, 2011
11:34 pm
GT Alum..she fired Hewitt? Who is she?
I support Coach Gregory and GT 100%…and your right to bitch but I don’t like the bitching
Coach BG sure has a beautiful wife..hope she’s at home games..
GT Dude
March 28th, 2011
11:35 pm
the fans a UD must be a little spoiled… their complaining about a 22-14 year,
give me a break we have just lived through the Hewitt era
I want to be spoiled, I can’t wait to complain that the TECH only won 22 games
kral
March 28th, 2011
11:39 pm
I have no clue why I can not post on your blog…get Dave O’Brien’s in a heartbeat..wondering..or you denying something…just putting it out there for the record..you know
GT
March 28th, 2011
11:42 pm
Mark Bradley knows the difference between sandlot ball and the people in the big dance. Tech somehow got into this social basketball the last few years, when their stage was so much more.
Delbert D.
March 28th, 2011
11:46 pm
I’m looking forward to next season. It will be a challenging year, assuming Shumpert leaves. The current roster would then be 9 Guards, 2 Centers and 1 Forward. 11 underclassmen returning.
Tokyo jacket
March 29th, 2011
12:17 am
I don’t know why anybody would be disappointed. This is a great hire. Other folks have come calling w/ big checkbooks. He chose us.
Amazing to see that in his OPENING PRESS CONFERENCE, the man was already talking about making players better – not scheme, not execution, but individual instruction. I’m sure CPH did that, but the fact that it’s such an emphasis is great. For the same reasons the CPJ hire was perfect, the CBG hire is equally good.
When does DRAD get his pay raise? He’s earned it.
Midnight Gambler
March 29th, 2011
12:29 am
@Hewitt Fan,
Take your bitterness somewhere else. I think many of us are just tired of hearing your whining. Hewitt’s gone so deal with it and grow a pair. If that doesn’t work then I hear they are looking for more fans in Athens for their basketball program. You should jump on that wagon while it still has wheels. Either way, good riddance for Hewitt and Hewitt Fan!
5150 UOAD
March 29th, 2011
12:33 am
Tokyo
Good Morning. Have that cup o coffee and head off to work I guess. have a good day
mike
March 29th, 2011
12:38 am
I think he will do well but Shaka Smart would of been the smarter choice and u could get him for 1.7 million or less a year right now in 2 years he will be a 2 million plus coach maybe a elite job.. I think he will stay at VCU because theres not a great school left maybe NC State but idk..
GTstingers
March 29th, 2011
12:49 am
look real tech fans…lighten up. this guy is who we NEED… see this for what his Dayton players think of him……http://youtu.be/gk8yNQDcZ7U
5150 UOAD
March 29th, 2011
12:59 am
MIKE
1.7 mil for SHAKA? HAHHAHA
You could get SHAKA for 800k
the guy is base 400k now. 1.7 mil you must be in love with OBAMA’s Spending then too.
In 2 years (that would be Shaka’s 4th yr as a HC) you can get him for 1 mil. Less if he isn’t making it to the NCAA or NIT.
ACCJacket
March 29th, 2011
1:14 am
Gregory is a great hire. Can’t wait to see them play next November.
ACCJacket
March 29th, 2011
1:20 am
Shaka is arabic for “redundancy-induced vomit.” He has had TWO good WEEKS. The IDIOTS, and I do not use the word lightly, the IDIOTS who keep insisting he is the second coming, or even a superior hire to Gregory or most of the other prospects, are absolutely delusional. They know nothing about basketball and even less about leadership and personnel. Shaka Smart MAY be the best coach there ever was (he certainly has K’s rat-nose) but nobody is going to know that for years to come. Mark just catalogued what happened to several of the more recent “hot” properties. Gambling on Shaka Smart, like playing the lottery, is for desperate fools with too much money, and IDIOTS. Thank goodness, DRAD is neither.
FullMetalJacket
March 29th, 2011
1:23 am
It might not take years to determine Shaka Smart’s true coaching ability, but it will take more than 3 weeks of inspired play after a very uninspired season. No evidence he can even run a program yet, after only two years with Grant’s players.
FullMetalJacket
March 29th, 2011
1:24 am
At first I thought Gregory was a good hire. After reading more about him and hearing him speak, I’d say he’s a great hire. Looking forward to seeing how the team plays next year.
Not A Hewitt Fan
March 29th, 2011
2:09 am
Hewitt Fan…japna need some cleanup crew around these smoe stack things…u in?…heard the money os good.
Not A Hewitt Fan
March 29th, 2011
2:10 am
shaka…obama….flash in the pan….discuss.
Buzz me
March 29th, 2011
4:39 am
Does the father of Julian Royal approve enough to let him stay at Tech?
bob
March 29th, 2011
5:45 am
Rad has had a couple of years to do this search, hopefully he got it right.
Greg
March 29th, 2011
6:08 am
Gregory seems to be walking into a situation where expectations about what he’s going to accomplish are low. This is rather unusual right after a new hire. But I suspect he’s personally probably very pleased about it.
Larry
March 29th, 2011
6:11 am
Mr. Bradley,
When you wake up this morning hit your knees, thank the Good Lord, and be grateful you are not married (I hope) to any of these whiners, doubters, and prejudger’s! Good grief! Yuck!
Like the hire of Mike Smith of the Falcons (out of nowhere but turned out pretty darn good) or now Freddi Gonzalez of the Braves, no one knows how this will turn out. Take a few deep breaths and breath in “peace” through your nostrils…hold it….hold it…..hold it……and the exhale “hate” out of your mouths. Now, go about your day and let’s all at least give this man and his family a chance to do his job. It’s college basketball, folks…not the removal of a large, cancerous tumor from the brain!
Sports are unpredictable year after year. Who had Mooney and or Smart on their radar LAST season? Who’s to say that Gregory’s Dayton team wouldn’t have been the Richmond or Smart team team making a run this upcoming season? For goodness sakes, who on earth had the North Carolina Tar Heels going just 5-11 in the ACC just last season, missing the NCAA Tournament, and then losing in the NIT Championship game to…….the Dayton Flyers, coached by one Brian Gregory?
Nice article Mark, and good luck to the new coach of the Ga Tech Yellow Jackets, Brian Gregory! We welcome you and your family to the city of Atlanta and the great, great State of Georgia!
Larry…a Dawg fan
Georgia is Florida's Bitch
March 29th, 2011
6:43 am
after Hewitt, I would have been happy with the Goat Man
Corny Hull
March 29th, 2011
6:58 am
Frankly, Royal can go where he wants. I’d take his team mate Nolte, who is a Junior at Milton High in a New York second over Royal.
Jacket Man
March 29th, 2011
7:00 am
Mark; Great article. I’m surprised that you forgot to mention that Brian’s teams have been graduating 100% of his players over the past several years as well, meaning he is extremely cognizant of the need to recruit players who aren’t looking at just playing collegiate basketball for one year, or aren’t considering themselves “student” athletes. He truly wants to make sure his kids succeed in the classroom as well as the basketball court. Because Brian has continuity with his team, team chemistry and team concept will be highlighted like Jacket fans haven’t seen in years.
I believe the fans, players, and recruits will be very happy make up of Brian’s coaching staff as well. While it won’t be completed until after the Final Four, preliminary discussions with individuals indicate he what it will take to recruit in the area as well as help coach the team. These are two attributes of a successful head coach.
Larry
March 29th, 2011
7:20 am
Jacket Man,
If Gregory graduates Tech players and turns boys into real, responsible me–and is competitive in the ACC to boot–he is a championship caliber coach/man with or without a NCAA basketball title. Would you rather have someone like this to send your impressionable teenager or a Jim Harrick, Bruce Pearl or Lane Kiffin?
Go Dawgs!
IndyGT
March 29th, 2011
7:57 am
This is definitely a “safe” choice. I’m not saying anything, because I don’t want to end up like that idiot Auburn fan caught on video yelling at the Auburn AD about hiring Chizik. I’m willing to give him a chance.. As for Coach Shaka Smart – how many other coaches can claim to beat two top 10 teams by double digits this year, beat one of the best defensive teams in the country, and win 3 games in less than a week? You can pretty much say the same about Coach Stevens at Butler. You don’t win games in the tournament by luck. Coach Smart ends up somewhere else real soon, CBS stays at Butler.
Dave from GT
March 29th, 2011
7:59 am
That looks like Hewitt’s old suit……. give him a chance, after all way back when, we had Whack Hyder!
Always a Jacket
March 29th, 2011
8:05 am
Welcome Coach Gregory. I have already ordered season tickets.
Snake Doc
March 29th, 2011
8:16 am
Remember Techhies – This coming from the man who proclaims the CEO is the New Genius who would finally stick it to FL and the evil genius. Bradley is a moon bat who has no business writing any article proclaiming any coach a genius or great or capable of lighting any fires!
Shug
March 29th, 2011
8:22 am
Mr. Bradley, it seems you’ve softened your tone on this new guy since yesterday. What changed?
Also, isn’t it a bit of a stretch to tie this guy to Magic Johnson and Michigan State’s 2000 title team just because at one time he worked for the head coaches of those teams. He was nowhere near MSU’s program in 2000 and was barely a teenager when Magic played.
Hewitt Fan
March 29th, 2011
8:23 am
@Veteran Fan You are correct, but my WIFE has a degree from GT, as well as my niece FALLON STOKES, remember her?.It’s GT stuff all over my house…Regardless, hiring Gregory was a bad hire..All of you have to be very dissapointed..Mark Bradley played you all like a dummy..none of the possible replacements he had on his list would even look at the GT job..His offense is terrible..I hated how Hewitt,Gani, and Derrick were treated, but i still wanted Gt to hire a decent coach, Gregory was a bad hire, i said No coach with any resume will come to GT..i was right..Hopefully he can win over the kids in our program staring with Kevin Ware, and try to get some Celtics or some kids from the Dream, if not Gregory will be gone in 3 years, because X and O’s is not his strong point, he will need one and done type players….
UGA=YAWN
March 29th, 2011
8:23 am
Everything he says is top notch. He seems to be determined to work hard to bring our school back up to the position in the ACC it deserves. How anyone on here can say anything negative is beyond me. Like you really have a clue. Is your life that awful that you have to spew negativity on here. Grow up! I have been waiting for change in the GT bball program for 4 years! I say ‘Hell Yeah’! Welcome and we are 100% behind you.
Dave from GT is a Moron
March 29th, 2011
8:24 am
Whack Hyder was a good coach and a Georgia Tech legend.
Mark Bradley
March 29th, 2011
8:26 am
Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State in 2000.
george p burdell
March 29th, 2011
8:27 am
Bminus hire from a B minus conference. Does not compare to Mark Price. Look for season tickets to really take a tumble
mowreck
March 29th, 2011
8:30 am
I love the hire. I’m just waiting to see what assistants he hires.
reddawg
March 29th, 2011
8:33 am
Well at least Tech didn;t get tennessee’s coach.But i can tell you he’s not Mark Fox.
Yellow Britches
March 29th, 2011
8:36 am
Mark, I heard something the other day and I would appreciate your take on it. Attendence at college basketball is down and has been trending down for several years. The explanation was that the NCAA tournament has actually gotten too big. It dwarfs the regular season. No one much cares who wins the regular season conference anymore. The conference tournaments matter because in many small or mid major conferences, a tournament championship is the only way to get to the big dance. We play an expander regular season just to see who doesn’t get an invite. College basketball has become similar to the NBA. Play 80 games to see which five teams don’t make the playoffs. I thought the insights were solid. You”?
GT
March 29th, 2011
8:57 am
I wonder if Dan Radakovich reached back to his LSU connections in this hire. LSU turned the football program around going after a MSU coach in that sport and the basketball up there is far more prominent. Also I wonder how much Cremins is in the background. Eddie Fogler was the guy South Carolina hired after Bobby did his famous u-turn. I am sure they are friend and probably who Cremins suggested as his replacement to South Carolina. I think they played against each other in ACC days or may have Frank McGuire in common. Cremins has just beaten Gregory in the NIT this year where Gregory was gracious enough to play on Cremins home court though he was the higher seed, and his court was being used by the NCAA.
Bulldog Joe
March 29th, 2011
9:00 am
Gregory may not light Tech’s fire, but he may be the second coming of Dwayne Morrison.
NYJacket
March 29th, 2011
9:01 am
As Mark said, we have ourselves a competent coach. Enough said.
Welcome aboard Coach Gregory.
Techster
March 29th, 2011
9:04 am
I’m not sure this hire is going to bring much enthusiasm to our Tickle Piles like I had hoped!!!
Hewitt Fan
March 29th, 2011
9:10 am
GT fans are of full of it, If Gregory graduates 100%, and fails to win, Mark Bradley will start posting replacements..And we all know GT fans worship Bradley…my wife is an GT alum, I am from Atlanta and you guys rather listen to a guy from Kentucky,who has no ties to the program at all..Bradley knows this was a horrible hire..Dayton fans are jumping for joy..
PawleysIslandJacket
March 29th, 2011
9:14 am
He has the “soft” skills. Be involved in the community, graduate some players, won’t cheat, represent the school well, and work hard. That said, Tech BB will remain mediocre and non competitive in the ACC. Dayton is glad to get rid of him as he cannot coach a lick and has a record that is sliding down. Just hope he has a short contract.
heartofdarkness
March 29th, 2011
9:19 am
This suggests to me that the Jackets will be looking to recruit in the Ohio-Michigan area in the future. Most college programs have an area outside their immediate vicinity, where they can consistently draw talented prospects. There are many attractions Tech can offer to high school athletes from this part of the midwest, and engineering and technical curricula may be seen as a positive.
Who care's?
March 29th, 2011
9:24 am
Why anyone would pay money or waste their time watching stupid basketball is beyond me.
Ping pong is more entertaining to watch.
collegeballfan
March 29th, 2011
9:29 am
A note on the value of rebounding. Pat Head put up a sign in the Tennessee locker room many years ago: “Scoring wins fans, defense wins games, rebounding wins championships.”
If this guy can get Tech to rebound they will win a few more games than in the past few years.
ATLER (ramblin wreck)
March 29th, 2011
9:35 am
VOTE MARK BRADLEY LOSER OF THE DECADE!!!!!!!!!
T3
March 29th, 2011
9:38 am
As someone who followed GT B-Ball since 1981, I’ll offer a few observations:
FIRST
I have 100% confidence that D-Rad will make good decisions in EVERY capacity.
So, to all the GT fans bemoaning the Gregory hire, MAN-UP already.
There is a reason D-Rad wears the BIG BOY pants, and gets paid the BIG BUCKS:
To make BETTER decisions than any hysterical fans could.
D-Rad KNOWS what he’s doing. Cant say that about his predecessor.
SECOND
It seems most of the criticism is coming from the YOUNGER fans,
who have NO IDEA what they’re talking about or how far the GT B-Ball program has come.
THIRD
Some have complained about giving a 6 year contract. WTH ??
GT is going to play essentially On-The-Road for the next 2 YEARS.
Gregory wont be on a HOME COURT for 2 solid years.
A 6 year contract is appropriate.
FOURTH
GT needs to lay a FOUNDATION for B-Ball success. BG is a step in that direction.
Programs like Duke, UNC, Indiana, Kentucky, Syracuse all have laid a FOUNDATION for B-Ball success.
GT can be that and more. This is where it begins.
FIFTH
One of my favorites scenes from The Untouchables is the raid on the Candaian border.
The stiff Canadian Mounty tells Elliottt Ness, “Mr. Ness, I do not APPROVE of your methods.”
Ness’s response is: “Oh yeh, well, you’re not from Chicago.”
MAN-UP loyal GT fans, cause for the next 6 years,
we’re going to do it…..”The Chicago Way.”
As a relative “veteran” of GT sports, I’m fired up.
JB
March 29th, 2011
9:40 am
Tech fans sound like us and our Bulldog football program. We think that every coach in the country would want the Georgia job. Not True. As Tech is not the most sought after Basketball job. Your history,likes ours, has lot’s of ups and downs. It’s the ACC and it’s tough, like SEC football is tough.
Hoop scoop: Gregory, Shumpert, Royal, Neal and Kennesaw | Mark Bradley
March 29th, 2011
10:13 am
[...] As regards the Hotness Factor: Had Gregory’s Dayton team beaten Richmond in the Atlantic 10 final, Gregory would have made [...]
UGA=YAWN
March 29th, 2011
10:33 am
Who is Mark Fox?
GT...let's wait and see
March 29th, 2011
10:51 am
I really can’t believe all these GT Fans are trashing this guy and he has yet to coach a game. Let’s Wait and See! Cmon give him a chance. So he’s not the hot young guy…but who’s to say (As the article does if you READ it) that the hot young guy would be any better! So chill…and back your new coach!
Welcome Coach BG!
UGA=YAWN
March 29th, 2011
10:55 am
Dude – and dudes! 44 is young.
deltaz
March 29th, 2011
11:17 am
COLD HARD FACT #1 Final regular season game,senior night March 2011,vaunted local recruit Chris Wright’s last game @UD Arena(seats 13,500) Dayton loses by 18 points to St. Louis,paper says team quit,fans boo as team leaves court @ halftime. Coach says team will learn from mistakes ,move on .
Veteran Fan
March 29th, 2011
11:17 am
Bulldog Joe, don’t forget Dwayne Morrison used to beat Georgia pretty often, back when they had all the local talent! And Hewitt Fan, No one treated Hewitt, Gani or Derrick badly as it is Tech tradition that even if the team is stinking up the place, you NEVER boo the team. Which made it more difficult to sit there and watch that particular team with top ten talent underachieve and only make the tournament with a gutty performance in the ACC tourney! Even that team with one of the best front lines in college basketball was outrebounded in key games! That is effort and that is on the coach! I know about the Celtics and the Dream and if those coaches did a better job of teaching defense and rebounding fundamentals and less recruiting from other AAU squads, they would produce great players instead of good players and Coach Hewitt would still have his position!
deltaz
March 29th, 2011
11:26 am
Cold Hard Fact #2:Chris Wright(Top Dayton recruit past 4 years) regressed in his senior year,Gregory failed miserably in the kids’s development, Chris has NBA dreams ,we’ll see but we fear he will be relegated to Europe or worse.
deltaz
March 29th, 2011
11:29 am
Cold Hard Fact #1: Senior night 2011,last home game for top recruit Chris Wright sold out arena(13,500) Dayton loses to St. Louis by 18 points. Fans boo team off floor @ halftime.
deltaz
March 29th, 2011
11:34 am
Cold Hard fact #3: Beware if Billy Schmidt is brought in as assistant coach(Gregory’s big man coach)Dayton centers avg. 4 points 3 rebounds per game last 5 years
Gregory Fan
March 29th, 2011
12:20 pm
What a great hire! He’ll perform far and away better that Phewitt ever did. If he doesn’t, then I can blame Mark Bradley, the GT fans, the GT alum, Duke, the Refs, the lighting, no home court, the AD, and the idiot known as Hewitt Fan! I love it.
Tech Hoops
March 29th, 2011
12:20 pm
No pressing in the ACC? Apparently the “basketball” fan doesn’t watch as much as he lets on. Or at least he doesn’t watch ACC ball. This guy will be good. I want to see crashing the boards and tough rebounding. I jut remember him having teams chucking it from the cheap seats. And we are loaded to do just that. He will impress next year, as he will get success sooner than expected I think
TC UD '81
March 29th, 2011
12:27 pm
Gregory is a good coach and he has passion. It was probably a good time to move on for him. The guy gets his teams to January with great records and then it’s hang on for dear life through the conference. The A-10 ain’t the ACC so it’s a much tougher job of course. He will be able to recruit better talent up and down the roster. I always thought that the defense was a bit slack but his Dayton teams had the capability to score better than most UD teams that I recall since 77-78. The trick always was to hold the lead.
Good luck to him and Tech. He will work hard so don’t worry about that.
john
March 29th, 2011
4:44 pm
Hewitt Fan, have you thought about getting restarted on your antipsychotic meds?! The only person that ran CPH out of Atlanta was him. Horrendous road record in a weakened ACC, continuous lack of toughness, poor fundamentals, never accepting responsibility for the numerous failures. The list goes on and on. You only have to look at one thing moron: even the students had lost faith in the program and stopped coming to games because of the dreadful performances. Doesnt mean CPH is a bad man. Just means he did a lousy job and everybody but you know it. Dont blame Mark. Place the blame where it lies–CPH
Ron
March 29th, 2011
7:55 pm
Mr. Bradley this was a good hire. i think he is a good coach. But Mr. Bradley like i told you before and i will say it again first of alll the great bobby cremins only won one acc regular season championship, paul hewitt went to the ncaa championship game had soild sucess. But these guys did not dominate in the acc or win alot of championships plus did not win on a regular basis. Coach gregory i believe will have sucess but will not win on a regular basis nor the championships. Mr. bradley i know and you know that coach gregory won’t win on a regular basis it’s a shame you wn’t admit because you know this as well as i do. Once again mr. bradley coach gregory will not get any calls on the road and at home he sure as heck won’t get none against duke they only way you beat duke is if you kick their tail you ain’t winning no close games against them nor get any calls against them, plus you got unc. Again mr. bradley this is a duke and unc league they get all the calls it ain’t happening and you know this man.
Ron
March 29th, 2011
7:59 pm
Like i said before mr. bradley coach hewitt and coach cremins got no calls and coach gregory aint getting none either. this is 1.duke and 2unc. that who win all the titles in the acc mr. bradley and they don’t have the best players every year so mr. bradley you know it’s about the calls they get.
UD fanz
March 29th, 2011
8:58 pm
UD’s AD is out in CA looking at St Mary’s coach…
Mo of the same
April 1st, 2011
9:18 pm
gregory will have trouble recruiting African-americans to tech. Ga Tech should have hired an African-american coach since most of the city and surrounding areas is African-american. He’ll last about 3 years then tech will have to pay millions more in buyout cash.
Unimpressed by Gregory, Tech fans? You could be Mizzou | Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2011
3:04 pm
[...] Gregory wasn’t an eye-popping hire, but he’s solid. I’m not sure you could even call Frank Haith solid. His final two ACC games, both in the [...]