Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory’s last visit to Dayton, Ohio was this past summer. A wedding of a family friend brought him and his family back to the city where they lived for eight years, when Gregory was coach at Dayton.
He saw good friends and played 36 holes of golf.
“Actually, I think I won a little money on that weekend, too, so it was even better,” Gregory said. “Very good trip.”
Gregory hopes his fortune will continue Tuesday night. Gregory will take the Yellow Jackets for a game with the Flyers, the second leg of their rugged closing stretch of their non-conference stretch. According to ESPN, Dayton had a No. 38 RPI rating as of Monday night, three spots ahead of the Jackets. That alone isn’t what makes the game a somewhat uncomfortable situation.
“It’s difficult,” Gregory said. “It was last year when we played ’em here. Maybe a little more difficult because you’re going back there and a little less because time has marched on.”
Gregory coached Dayton for eight seasons, his first head coaching job. He was 172-94 at Dayton, including 97-45 in his final four seasons, a stretch that included three NIT appearances and one NCAA berth.
“He did a wonderful job with our program,” said Peter Luongo, a Dayton trustee who took a mentoring role to Gregory through his leadership position on the school’s athletics board. “I think the world of Brian, both personally and professionally.”
While Gregory was about returning with his team, his feelings for the city and school were clear.
“It’s a special place,” he said. “It always will be for me and my family.”
Barring a tournament matchup, it will likely be the last meeting between a Gregory-coached Tech team and his former employer. When he coached at Dayton, he had a clause in the contract stipulating that, if he left to take another coaching job, he would have to guarantee Dayton a home-and-home. Last year, the Flyers took an 82-72 win out of McCamish Pavilion.
It will likely require a peak performance from the Jackets to get out of Ohio with a win. The Flyers have won their past 10 at home and are 45-12 at UD Arena under Archie Miller, Gregory’s replacement. Last year, Dayton averaged 12,316 in its 13,455-seat arena, No. 28 in the country.
“Our guys will see it,” Gregory said. “They love their basketball. They love their Flyers. The place will be packed, and it will be hopping.”
Tech will try to build on its second-half performance against Vanderbilt, when the Jackets outscored the Commodores 40-27 in a 65-60 win. In the half, Tech shot 51.6 percent from the field, held the Commodores to 39.1 percent and outrebounded them 21-13.
“It’s a 40-minute game and we need to play well,” Gregory said. “I think that’s what I’m focused on.”
He laughed when asked what sort of reception he might receive upon being introduced as the visiting coach.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Can’t worry about that stuff.”
Luongo had an idea. He remembered the leadership Gregory provided his team, the charitable work he and his wife Yvette did in the community, the two NCAA appearances and an NIT championship.
“I think the reception he’ll get (Tuesday) night will be very, very warm and they’ll be glad to see him,” Luongo said. “But once the game starts, you know what that means.”
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