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As we approach the 2020-21 basketball season, Pastner's fifth at Tech, I thought it might serve us to think about the expectations our basketball past supports, or does not.
All time, Ga Tech has a 52.7% winning record over 101 seasons. A lot of those years in the early 20th century basketball was an afterthought in the South. Until Alexander Memorial Coliseum was built in the1950's, Tech played in an 1800 seat gym that would be an insult to a lot of high schools today. In case you are wondering, it sat just about where the eastern end of North Stands are located. Whack Hyder was the coach when Tech moved into the modern era, so let's begin there.
Hyder was the head coach at Tech for 22 years. He was famous as the coach of the tech team that ended Kentucky's 129 game winning streak. He had a couple of great players, Roger Kaiser and Rich Yunkus. While both were outstanding players, I wonder if either would start for this year's team. Hyder had eleven winning seasons at Tech.
When Hyder retired, Tech hired Dwayne Morrison. Morrison had been the interim coach at South Carolina until the Gamecocks hired Frank McGuire. He was 91-122 at Tech and left when Tech realized they needed a real coach if the Tech's life in ACC was not going to be a total embarrassment.
That real coach was Booby Cremins. Cremins first two seasons at Tech did not look very different than the Morrison years. But, he lured Mark Price and John Salley to Tech and began, in his fourth year, 14 consecutive winning seasons. While Tech had experienced short periods of basketball success, this was the first time any Tech team was a factor for more than a couple of years before returning to mediocrity. But, Cremins career at Tech ended in disappointment. His first three seasons and his last two were losing years.
Paul Hewitt's time at Tech is the subject of much debate, but we played for the National Championship under Hewiit and he is the only coach in what I call the modern era, other than Cremins, with more winning seasons than losing seasons at Tech.
I am going to skip Brian Gregory. I think all would agree, at least in part, that he was hired because the Hewitt contract left us with few alternatives. He was in over his head from the beginning.
So, here we at Pastner's fifth season and not much has changed. Except that we are no longer a factor in anyone's discussions about top teams in the ACC or nationally. Looking ahead to this season, the prospects for Tech basketball are brighter than at any time since Hewitt left. I am optimistic about the near future, but cannot forget that basketball success at Tech is the exception, not the rule.
All time, Ga Tech has a 52.7% winning record over 101 seasons. A lot of those years in the early 20th century basketball was an afterthought in the South. Until Alexander Memorial Coliseum was built in the1950's, Tech played in an 1800 seat gym that would be an insult to a lot of high schools today. In case you are wondering, it sat just about where the eastern end of North Stands are located. Whack Hyder was the coach when Tech moved into the modern era, so let's begin there.
Hyder was the head coach at Tech for 22 years. He was famous as the coach of the tech team that ended Kentucky's 129 game winning streak. He had a couple of great players, Roger Kaiser and Rich Yunkus. While both were outstanding players, I wonder if either would start for this year's team. Hyder had eleven winning seasons at Tech.
When Hyder retired, Tech hired Dwayne Morrison. Morrison had been the interim coach at South Carolina until the Gamecocks hired Frank McGuire. He was 91-122 at Tech and left when Tech realized they needed a real coach if the Tech's life in ACC was not going to be a total embarrassment.
That real coach was Booby Cremins. Cremins first two seasons at Tech did not look very different than the Morrison years. But, he lured Mark Price and John Salley to Tech and began, in his fourth year, 14 consecutive winning seasons. While Tech had experienced short periods of basketball success, this was the first time any Tech team was a factor for more than a couple of years before returning to mediocrity. But, Cremins career at Tech ended in disappointment. His first three seasons and his last two were losing years.
Paul Hewitt's time at Tech is the subject of much debate, but we played for the National Championship under Hewiit and he is the only coach in what I call the modern era, other than Cremins, with more winning seasons than losing seasons at Tech.
I am going to skip Brian Gregory. I think all would agree, at least in part, that he was hired because the Hewitt contract left us with few alternatives. He was in over his head from the beginning.
So, here we at Pastner's fifth season and not much has changed. Except that we are no longer a factor in anyone's discussions about top teams in the ACC or nationally. Looking ahead to this season, the prospects for Tech basketball are brighter than at any time since Hewitt left. I am optimistic about the near future, but cannot forget that basketball success at Tech is the exception, not the rule.
