Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner has his first assistant coach in the fold – Georgia State assistant coach and Tech grad Darryl LaBarrie, who made the announcement from his Instagram account late Monday night.
“I want to thank Coach (Ron) Hunter for giving me an opportunity to be a part of his staff and allowing me to grow as a person and a coach,” LaBarrie wrote. “I have accepted a position to go back to my alma mater and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
LaBarrie played for coaches Bobby Cremins and Paul Hewitt and later served as an assistant to Hewitt in the final two seasons of his tenure. He has coached at Georgia State for the past five seasons. He joined Hunter’s staff after Tech coach Brian Gregory did not retain any of Hewitt’s coaches upon his hire in March 2011.
He fits two particular needs for Pastner – a coach who knows Atlanta recruiting circles well and also someone who is familiar with Tech's culture. Pastner had indicated that he needed an assistant who knew Atlanta well, and it was thought that hiring a staff member with Tech ties, ideally a former player, would also be a priority.
LaBarrie helped the Panthers win the 2015 Sun Belt regular-season and tournament championships and advance to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.
Among LaBarrie's first priorities will be meeting signees Josh Okogie and Romello White. Last week, Okogie's high-school coach said that Okogie was leaning towards staying, but wanted to wait until assistant coaches were hired first before deciding. At last check, White also was undecided.
Another objective will be pursuing the number of highly-rated rising senior prospects in the state of Georgia.
Pastner has two more spots to fill on the staff. He also has interviewed former Tulane coach Ed Conroy, Miller Grove High coach Sharman White and Alcorn State assistant coach Cabral Huff.
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