Sometimes turnarounds come too late. Sometimes the coach who lost so much in his first four seasons and was hired by somebody else can’t possibly accomplish enough to save his job in Year 5.
Nothing.
When Tech started this season 3-9 in the ACC, his fate was sealed. It didn’t matter how many games the Yellow Jackets won in the NIT.
There’s your ringing endorsement.
He better have a plan.
Tech’s athletic department coffers aren’t stuffed like Big Foot’s over in Athens. The school still owes former coach Paul Hewitt $2.7 million over the next three years and Gregory $1.3 million over the next two.
• He believes boosters will have him covered.
• He is going to hire a coach at discount. But if that’s the case, how difficult will it be to raise the stature of the program, improve recruiting and achieve a higher level of success? Unless the athletic director just happens to pick the the right young and inexpensive coach.
“You may have a chance to bring a highly skilled player back to Atlanta, but that is not something you can do every year,” he said.
When I spoke to Gregory at length a week ago , his team was coming off an NIT win over Houston, win No. 20. It was a significant moment for a program that had achieved that only once in the previous eight seasons. Several of the coach's family members and friends joined Gregory in a postgame press conference to celebrate the moment.
“You have to fight those (negative) thoughts,” he said. “But I never want to fight it for personal reasons. I want to fight it for these guys. … I’d say I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed that my story of uncertainty would overshadow the players.”
Recent ramblings from the Digital Jukebox
- (Early blog) Nothing Gregory did this season was going to save his job
- Kirby Smart is wrong ... but then so is everybody else on transfers
- Ranking Atlanta's top coaches, from Budenholzer to... um...
- Sticky ball? NBA looks like bigger goofball than Dwight Howard
- Where sports and politics collide, Georgia loses
- Georgia legislators step in it, could lose Super Bowl, other events
- Brian Gregory fighting 'disappointment' of uncertain future
- Keith Marshall had fast combine time but is he NFL running back?
- Taking a Digi-Blog stroll through Georgia's spring practice
- Kirby Smart's fingerprints are all over changes at Georgia
- Goodell may be stripped of player discipline power (it's about time)
- Dan Quinn staying loyal to Shanahan, staff amid heat
- Poll: To keep or fire Brian Gregory? It's not an easy decision (again)
- $32 million for Sanu? Falcons overpaid to replace Roddy White (updated)
- Spring training: Braves putting a lot on Julio Teheran's shoulders
- Alex Mack was safest and best choice Falcons could make in free agency
- Spring training: Amid Braves' makeover, Freeman says he never considering asking out
- Spring training: Braves' camp in Disney causes extra wear, move would be welcomed
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- Spring training: Fredi Gonzalez is looking to lead, no matter the circumstances
- Spring training: As Braves acquire prospects, Lucas Sims still trying to prove his worth
- Spring training: Francoeur's bumpy journey brings him back to Braves for one last shot
- Spring training: Braves are discounted on field but not at Disney box office (wait, $49?)
- Roddy White still has something left, Falcons may regret this move
- Falcons' defense needs help but Mario Williams would be huge risk
- Matt Ryan doesn't have long to prove worth to Falcons
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