Tech's decision on Brian Gregory tougher than you might think
I'm going to type something that I understand probably will upset a majority of the Georgia Tech fan base: I wouldn't have a problem if Georgia Tech decided to bring Brian Gregory back for another season.
(For the record, I also would understand the "Fire Gregory" side of the debate. I don't relish being in the middle on this issue -- it's not ideal for a sports columnist -- but I've never been one to take a side just for the sake of click bait. I know -- that shocks you.)
So back to Gregory. This will be a difficult decision for athletic director Mike Bobinski, who, honestly, hasn't had to make a lot of difficult decisions since he took over for Dan Radakovich. Here's a few of factors he'll consider:
• Tech doesn't exactly have the funding to pay three men's basketball coaches next season -- the remaining time on the contracts of two fired coaches, Gregory and Paul Hewitt, as well as whatever new coach they bring in, possibly after hiring him with a Groupon. That doesn't mean an angry, deep-pocketed booster couldn't be located to write a check. It also shouldn't suggest money should be the determining factor in keeping a coach. But it is a factor.
• I'll probably get into this more in a column later in the week, but the truth is that many coaches don't consider Tech a great job anymore, even with the school being in the ACC and located in Atlanta. Gregory wasn't the Jackets' first choice after Hewitt was fired. Some of their early choices hung up the phone. To get a proven coach and one who could excite the fan base and recruits, Tech would have to pay big money -- and it doesn't have big money.
• I'm not sure four years is enough time to judge Gregory. Yes, I know he went 3-15 in the ACC this season. Yes, I know he went 0-11 in ACC games decided by five points or less or in overtime (which might be the most improbable statistic of all; usually a team will at least trip into a few close wins.) But to be fair, Gregory has done a really good job cleaning up the off-court mess he inherited, primarily in the area of academics and dealt with some recruiting limitations early given Hewitt-related probation. There's at least a foundation in place to have some success now.
• Does that foundation guarantee improvement? No. Gregory needs players. Injuries in the 2013-14 season destroyed what would have been a pretty good team. If that had happened, we wouldn't even be having this debate this year. This year's team never was going to be great, and it got worse when the best would-be returning player, Robert Carter Jr., surprisingly transferred to Maryland. But if this season's team had one impressive trait, it's this: The players played hard. That's a credit to them but also a credit to Gregory for holding them together. If the players didn't like Gregory, they wouldn't have given that effort down the stretch.
• The Jackets have most of this year's team back next season, including Marcus Georges-Hunt, Charles Mitchell, Chris Bolden and Quinton Stephens, four of their top five scorers. It doesn't seem outrageous to me to give Gregory another year, especially given the backdrop of finances and the potential job search.
I know. That doesn't play well with the torch-carrying masses on message boards or in social media.
In the end, coaching is a results-driven occupation. Gregory's four-year record is ugly: 55-71 overall, 19-51 in the ACC. So it wouldn't be surprising to see him fired.
But I feel comfortable typing this: It's a decision Bobinski has been trying to avoid.
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Meanwhile: What to think of Georgia going into the SEC and (likely) NCAA tournament? Click here.
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