Georgia Tech hires Brian Gregory of Dayton

[JasonEvans]

This hit the wires a couple hours ago but I did not see a new thread for it...

Brian Gregory of Dayton is taking the Ga Tech job.

Hmmm, not a terrible hire but I am not convinced this is a great one. He's done a nice job at a school that is a pretty significant program outside the BCS world, but it is not like Gregory took Dayton up to the Xavier, Temple, Memphis, Butler, Gonzaga class of non-BCS programs.

The big question has to be how he will recruit at this level. Tech does have some decent pieces in place right now in Shumpert and Rice. They will return virtually everyone (unless Shumpert turn pro) and be one of the more experienced teams in the conference next season. That could provide Gregory with a decent start to his Tech tenure (on the other hand, these guys could not win this year and there are no significant recruits arriving to help out). But the down side of having a lot of good upperclassmen is that you need to re-stock the roster with recruits. Gregory will be tested right away with that.

At least Tech got the hire done quickly and professionally. Though part of that is that they did not shoot too high with their choice so it was an easy deal to reach. I would imagine that Gregory will be one of the lower paid coaches in the ACC next season.

-Jason "other thoughts?" Evans

[brevity]

You hit on most of the major points, especially the likelihood that Georgia Tech isn't (and did not want to) break the bank with this hire.

I would add that Brian Gregory might be seeing the writing on the wall with Dayton's place in the Atlantic 10 hierarchy. Chris Mooney extended his deal at Richmond, which makes the Spiders the best bet to break the strangehold that Xavier and Temple seem to have in that conference. Feels like there's a ceiling on Dayton's success.

And I agree that the Yellow Jackets need to make a bigger splash in recruiting. Their mediocrity is one of the main reasons that the ACC is (perceived as) down.

[Bluedog]

Gregory has had 3 winning conference records in the A-10 in his 8 seasons. He's made the NCAA tournament twice, with one career win in the tournament. The most recent season, his team finished tied for 8th in the conference and Dayton fans were growing wary of his performance. Frankly, I don't see Gregory as a step up from Hewitt at all, but I'll at least give the guy a chance. (Hewitt only had one season with a winning record in the ACC, shockingly; 9-7 in the year they went to the National Championship game.) It saves GTech money at least. But I don't think recruits are going to be excited by Tech's new hire and the hire won't excite the Jacket fanbase at all. Overall, if I was a GTech fan I'd be a bit disappointed with the hire, but hoping for the best. I'm hoping NCSU gives out the benjamins to get somebody a bit more high profile.

[JasonEvans]

Worth noting that Dayton fans seem to be pretty pleased about Tech taking Gregory off their hands. This past season was a big disappointment for them and he had two players leave the program this past season, which is not a good sign.

Still, Tech probably got him cheap, which may have been their main requirement for the job right now.

-Jason "sigh..." Evans

[OldPhiKap]

Worth noting that Dayton fans seem to be pretty pleased about Tech taking Gregory off their hands. This past season was a big disappointment for them and he had two players leave the program this past season, which is not a good sign.

Still, Tech probably got him cheap, which may have been their main requirement for the job right now.

-Jason "sigh..." Evans

Part of the transfer issue seems like a LD/LD II issue, but not sure.

I think this is a good hire at the right price (presumably). While true that he did not get Dayton to where, say, Xavier was a few years ago, the coaches who did that at Xavier (Pete Gillen, Skip Prosser) didn't set the ACC on fire either. The last guy from Dayton IIRC (Oliver Purnell) did better than Pete.

But yeah, there does seem to be some baggage. I have to think that GT is a great opportunity for someone, and this HAS to be a step forward.

Plus, it'll be a few months before Mark Bradley starts calling for his head. . . .

[kexman]

Ga Tech did not want to break the bank on this hire? As a general principle I wish we did not spend so much on football and basketball coaches. I think it is kind of a joke that the best compensated employee of an EDUCATIONAL institution is the coach. HOWEVER, a successful basketball or football team is worth a fortune in attendance, donations, publicity. Maybe less if you already have one successful sport. Is it really worth saving a few hundred thousand or half a million to not employ the best coach possible? I'm sure an MBA can run an analysis of the worth of a top 10 basketball program.


I wish the same could be said for top level professors...but I digress What is a nobel worth to the school in prestige?

[OldPhiKap]

Ga Tech did not want to break the bank on this hire? As a general principle I wish we did not spend so much on football and basketball coaches. I think it is kind of a joke that the best compensated employee of an EDUCATIONAL institution is the coach. HOWEVER, a successful basketball or football team is worth a fortune in attendance, donations, publicity. Maybe less if you already have one successful sport. Is it really worth saving a few hundred thousand or half a million to not employ the best coach possible? I'm sure an MBA can run an analysis of the worth of a top 10 basketball program.


I wish the same could be said for top level professors...but I digress What is a nobel worth to the school in prestige?

I agree with your overall point re: costs spend on academia versus coaches. In GT's case, though, they are still paying for a failed football coach and now a $7.1 mil failed basketball coach. And it all needs to come from private donations, at a time that they are also trying to renovate/replace the Thriller Dome. Money is definitely an object, moreso than usual.

[Jderf]

I think this is a fantastic hire. I can already see Ol' Roy shaking in his suit as he looks down the sideline, only to meet eyes with the man who once defeated him in the championship game. ... the NIT championship game.

[SupaDave]

So I'm fresh off the court from playing pick-up with Lance Storrs and after our team loss I decided to do a quick impromptu interview for you guys.

Here are the highlights:

Storrs is done. He's out of eligibilty.
Shumpert is gone - he's declaring for the draft
Rice Jr. Is staying - he was considering transfer if Hewitt stayed
Recruit Julian Royal is staying - Hewitt had already informed him and he will see the ball a lot in the teams new system
The new coach got in this afternoon and had a meet and greet with team today

The general feeling around campus is that something had to happen and that the new coach is temporary. Not much excitement here.

[dukemsu]

I have a bit of insight on BG since he was Izzo's co-top assistant (the other being Crean) when I was at MSU.

BG is an outstanding recruiter, though he's clearly done most of his recruiting in the Midwest. He is highly organized, motivated, and a serious charmer. The one concern I'd have if I were a Tech fan is he's not shown the best acumen for in-game adjustments. BG's strengths are preparation, scouting, and recruiting.

It's common knowledge in East Lansing that had Izzo departed for the Cavs in June, BG would have been named the next coach at MSU within 48 hours. He's long been assumed as Izzo's eventual successor. I suppose that is no longer the case.

I'm a bit puzzled why Tech would want him since he has no ties to the area geographically. But BG's a seriously hard worker, even among coaches who routinely put in ridiculous hours as a job requirement. Things didn't go well for him the last two years at Dayton and he'll be motivated to make his mark.

dukemsu

[Aditya]

I'm a bit puzzled why Tech would want him since he has no ties to the area geographically. But BG's a seriously hard worker, even among coaches who routinely put in ridiculous hours as a job requirement. Things didn't go well for him the last two years at Dayton and he'll be motivated to make his mark.

dukemsu

Maybe GT assumed the school's name was enough to get top recruits as long as the team won. If so, I don't think that is a bad assumption. GT is a high profile school in a very fun city, and it is a renowned academic institution.

[hurleyfor3]

The general feeling around campus is that something had to happen and that the new coach is temporary. Not much excitement here.

I was gonna ask, is this like a Bob Wade hire, where they felt the need at the very least to get the organizational stink off their hands, and any actual coaching success is gravy?

[SupaDave]

Well he's just cleaning up. Tech's former AD (Dave Braine) is the one responsible for Hewitt's contract. He also gave Chan Gailey a 5 year extension.

One of the first things the current AD did was fire Chan Gailey and hire Paul Johnson. At the time of his hiring he couldn't fire Hewitt but in the last three years it became inevitable.

He's also high on Gregory...

Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich, speaking of Brian Gregory: “He’s real. We’ve got a football coach [Paul Johnson] who’s real, and we’ve got a basketball coach who’s real.”

Being real doesn't win games but Dan has proven that he likes results - so if this guy doesn't produce, he'll be gone.

Gregory will make $1 million a year at Tech, down from Paul Hewitt’s $1.3 million. Yes, money mattered in this search.

[MChambers]

Gregory will make $1 million a year at Tech, down from Paul Hewitt’s $1.3 million. Yes, money mattered in this search.

What's the buyout clause in this one?

[Indoor66]

What's the buyout clause in this one?

After the last experience, one month's salary + $0.59!

[OldPhiKap]

After the last experience, one month's salary + $0.59!

Plus a coupon for The Varsity for one "to go" order.



I don't think this is an interim hire. Dayton has shown some promise under the guy and, for various reasons, he is ready for a change. I think this is a good hire and could make Tech a contender down the road.