Two coaching honors for Josh Pastner

Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner was awarded two more coach of the year honors this week. The Atlanta Tipoff Club named Pastner its men’s college coach of the year Friday and the National Association of Basketball Coaches named him its District 2 coach of the year on Thursday.

The tipoff club’s coaching award is named in honor of Whack Hyder, Tech’s longtime coach and a member of the school’s hall of fame. The NABC’s District 2 covers most of the ACC’s footprint. The last time a Tech men’s coach won the state coaching award was 2004 (Paul Hewitt).

Pastner was named ACC coach of the year at the end of the regular season, recognition for his helping the Yellow Jackets vastly exceed expectations. Tech was picked to finish 14th in the ACC and thought to be in danger of going winless in the ACC, but went 8-10 in the conference to finish 11th. The Jackets, now 20-15, have beaten four RPI top-25 teams this season.