In a small, unadorned locker room underneath the Joel Coliseum stands, Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner is trying to set the stage for a second-half comeback against Wake Forest on Feb. 4. In different moments, he is excoriating players for careless offense in the first half, praising them for defensive successes and then imploring them to sharpen their focus on the details.

Pastner’s team is assembled in rows of four. Team members look intently back at him. Hired to revitalize the Yellow Jackets, Pastner is being put to the test on this Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C.

For Tech’s road game at Wake Forest, Pastner allowed the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to accompany the team with access to practice, video sessions, meals and the locker room. This is what it looked like.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said Sunday that he has narrowed his list of potential offensive coordinators down to 36 names. (Mike Stewart/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez