Damon Stoudamire

GTNavyNuke

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
10,063
Location
Williamsburg Virginia
Virtually all athletes, both revenue and non revenue, are exceptions to the standard admission process. Unless the athlete has a 1500 SAT with 11 AP courses then they are are exception because that's what our students look like. Your typical UGA student has a 1400 SAT and 9 AP classes. Admission standards have risen significantly, almost exponentially across most state universities.

I won't douche up this thread anymore but I think GT fans exaggerate and sometime fabricate academic roadblocks for student athletes. People on this thread have pointed out how hard it is to get transfers admitted. Our previous football coach took 12 - 15 transfers per year for 3+ years. Pastner lived off of transfers.

I don't like it but I think it's moving in the other direction, people recognize that they are primarily revenue generating athletes and the academics are secondary. It's a screwed up system but it is what it is.

I think we stopped being relevant in basketball because we hired 2 mediocre to bad coaches and kept them around for 12 years. I do think at some point significant payments to high level basketball players became more common and shoe companies were involved, both of which hurt us. I base this on the FBI/Adidas wiretaps.

We've done well in baseball too with transfers. Busse and Vaughn (relief pitchers) this year and Chandler Simpson (best player on team IMHO) and Rubenstein (catcher) last year.
 

dtm1997

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
15,708

bob4gt

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
156
Wow, I did not look at any of the Tech programs - 30 hours sure helps. Do they have 10 courses like Ceramics 208 to take?
At the schools I was at (except Tech and Naval Postgraduate School) there were hundreds of easy courses to take.

Bob
 

dtm1997

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
15,708
Wow, I did not look at any of the Tech programs - 30 hours sure helps. Do they have 10 courses like Ceramics 208 to take?
At the schools I was at (except Tech and Naval Postgraduate School) there were hundreds of easy courses to take.

Bob
No, but that wasn't the point you were making. You were making a point about less required coursework for a socialogy degree.

The main academic change is progress toward a degree. At Tech, there is much less flexibility in the courses one can take to graduate than there is at most other schools. A sociology degree has many fewer required courses.

Bob
 

GTJason

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,579
There was a lot I didn't like about Paster, but his press conferences were entertaining. I hope CDS loosens up a little.
So I agree with you to a point but give the guy a break. His other options are: over promise, tell us how hard the job is/is going to be, or just flat out say the wrong things. Dude was pretty much in tears when he was announced, and he's got a ton of work to do on the recruiting and team eval front that all needs to be one within the next month. Saying he's excited + cliches is probably best case scenario. If he's like that with the team or recruits we have a problem. With the media, it's a minor annoyance. If he loses a lot then we can get after him for his media presence
 

AUFC

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,846
Location
Atlanta
The thing about that press conference is you heard him speak pretty passionately about the Celtics any time they were mentioned. I think he’s just still a bit out of the loop and overwhelmed with trying to talk about his new role but that will come soon. If you interviewed him now after a week, I bet his answers would be more confident. It’s a good thing he spoke in vagueities - I don’t want him designing an offense around a team he hasn’t assembled yet.
 

kg01

Get-Bak! Coach
Featured Member
Messages
15,167
Location
Atlanta
Interviewed on NBARadio last Friday (I think). A couple notes:

Was asked how it all came together considering he was assoc. HC (people in that position usually have eyes on NBA HC, not college)..

- Basically said he had thoughts about going back to college, this job kinda fell in his lap.
- Was honest in saying his eyes were looking more at which NBA jobs may open up.

When asked about BOS, didn't really have much to say that related to GT. Mentioned BOS's staff was really good, challenged each other - I guess that'll be a theme for our staff (my words).

Mentioned he was the oldest guy on that staff - probably part of why he was willing to leave? Probably kinda weird working for a guy younger than him?

Asked about coaching younger players, since he was coached differently (much harder).
- Said he'll meet them halfway as long as they show discipline.
- Big theme for him: Until you show you care, they don't respond.
- Mentioned you have to be flexible, not stuck in your ways.
- Says with NIL, kids will get more criticism whereas a lot of it was insulated since most folks used to see them as only student athletes - that's where coaches can earn trust by protecting players. Expects the pendulum to swing back in that regard - seems to be suggesting kids may not want that smoke, so to speak.

Interviewers were Rick Kamla (former ATL radio guy) and Antonio Daniel's (former teammate in POR), so it was a warm reception. Kamla basically said GT and the city are desperate for a winner at Tech so they're rooting for him/us.
 

kg01

Get-Bak! Coach
Featured Member
Messages
15,167
Location
Atlanta
Interviewed on ACC radio. A couple notes ...

- Mentioned he didn't skip any steps as a player or coach. - hard-worker
- Caught himself saying University, didn't want GT folks to get on him. "This is an Institute!"

Asked if the move from college to NBA to college was by design.
- Says it was his plan for 3 reasons: 1. to make himself more marketable, to establish a reputation as a guy who builds relationships. 2. To show he knows the game at multiple levels. 3. To learn and show he's willing to learn/adapt.

How did you get on Batt's radar?
- Gotta ask J. Says the process came out of left field, but he was humbled to get the opportunity. He was impressed by J considering he'd only been here like 6 months. Was very comfortable with his vision, trust they'll do what they can to help him build and win.

Why GT?
- GT is a great place. Quoted the 1-in-6 millionaire thing.
- Went through the history, players. Remembers that, when GT wins, they're the cities' team (bigger than the hawks).

Spatola chided him for naming some of the greats before Salley.
- Said he was at dinner with donors, Pres., and the mayor (name drop). Realized he hadn't called Salley (called Salley his "brother") yet. Said he has to make that right.

Asked about NIL.
- Basically said pro sports has entered college. Repeated salary cap comment. Believes students deserve to be "valued". Just adds a dimension to recruiting.

Have you spoken to team, what's the message?
- Message is we'll be disciplined, detail oriented. "I'm not expecting mediocrity". Simple message.
- Repeated comment about signing a contract with yourself. Gonna get better on court, off court, and in classroom.

Do you still play?
- One word answer. "No." (Lol's all around)
- Trained other folks to do the demonstrating but will do some set shooting every once in a while.
 

Techster

Helluva Engineer
Messages
18,235
How did you get on Batt's radar?
- Gotta ask J. Says the process came out of left field, but he was humbled to get the opportunity. He was impressed by J considering he'd only been here like 6 months. Was very comfortable with his vision, trust they'll do what they can to help him build and win.

This is really interesting. When they introduced Stoudamire, Batt made it a point to say they wouldn't get into how Stoudamire was ID'd...and by all signs (i.e. getting hired so quickly after Pastner was fired), Batt ID'd him pretty early on. I would venture to say Stoudamire was ID'd even before Pastner was fired.

Since everyone is dancing around how Stoudamire was even on Batt's radar (most reports were pegging Richey or Kelsey), does make you wonder why they're being hushed about it.
 

kg01

Get-Bak! Coach
Featured Member
Messages
15,167
Location
Atlanta
This is really interesting. When they introduced Stoudamire, Batt made it a point to say they wouldn't get into how Stoudamire was ID'd...and by all signs (i.e. getting hired so quickly after Pastner was fired), Batt ID'd him pretty early on. I would venture to say Stoudamire was ID'd even before Pastner was fired.

Since everyone is dancing around how Stoudamire was even on Batt's radar (most reports were pegging Richey or Kelsey), does make you wonder why they're being hushed about it.

I'll preface this by saying that I don't have a problem with it, but it seems clear there had to have been contact before the job was open. Just my assumption. Plus its been mentioned he apparently was at our BC game. I guess that was a coincidence (rolls eyes).

I don't have a problem with it because (a) it seemed obvious the job was going to be open and (b) this is how it's done in literally every job - let's be honest, it's rare that a high level position-holder is let go without knowing fairly well who the most likely replacement(s) are.

I'm a bit cringey on it because he and Pastner have a prior relationship but, again, iiwii.

Long story long, I think that's why they're being vague on how it all came together.
 

deeznats

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
466
I'll preface this by saying that I don't have a problem with it, but it seems clear there had to have been contact before the job was open. Just my assumption. Plus its been mentioned he apparently was at our BC game. I guess that was a coincidence (rolls eyes).

I don't have a problem with it because (a) it seemed obvious the job was going to be open and (b) this is how it's done in literally every job - let's be honest, it's rare that a high level position-holder is let go without knowing fairly well who the most likely replacement(s) are.

I'm a bit cringey on it because he and Pastner have a prior relationship but, again, iiwii.

Long story long, I think that's why they're being vague on how it all came together.
If you notice all the different folks that were at the introductory press conference, you could probably make a couple of pretty decent guesses at how it all came together. I have no inside knowledge of what actually happened though.
 

RamblinRed

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
5,862
From the AJC

"On Friday evening, Damon Stoudamire was an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics who had just arrived in Atlanta for a Saturday night game against the Hawks. That’s when he received a call from a search firm. It was not out of the ordinary."

"Stoudamire was aware that Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner, a friend and colleague, had been dismissed earlier in the day after seven seasons. When he heard about it, he said the possibility of him being a candidate to coach the Yellow Jackets didn’t register with him. And he still didn’t even know what the call was for – or the purpose of a dinner that the search firm had arranged for that night – until he got in the car, Stoudamire said."

“He was like, ‘Oh, by the way, J Batt – he’s the AD at Georgia Tech,’” Stoudamire said. “‘He’s going to meet us.’”

Friday’s dinner, Stoudamire said, was “conversation and dialogue, and did that for a couple hours or so.” The two met again Saturday before the Hawks-Celtics game.

It was Sunday, Stoudamire said, “when it got serious, I guess. I don’t know; I’m just going on my end. I got a call. Things started moving along, so I guess in my mind, I was just like, ‘OK, I must be their guy.’”


Just my opinion, but I think Stoudamire was likely at or very near the top of Batt's list.
Batt obviously liked what he heard and closed things very quickly.
 
Top