The Day After

[orientalnc]

Josh Pastner was not my choice. So, I do not have to defend him based on past comments. But, I am a fan of GT basketball and have been for all of my life. That is not changing. He is our new coach and I propose we give him a chance to succeed. Let's withhold our negative feelings about whether he was the best choice or our preferred choice or a failed last choice. He is the guy. Let's be positive and support GT basketball. Be critical when it's appropriate, but the general negative comments do not move us forward.

I watched the presser this afternoon and he said most of the right things. Recruit to GT values, reach out to former players, respect the former coaches, and win as much as possible with an eye on championships. Now let's see what happens. He is STILL a young coach, but he has had a ton of success. Yeah, there were mistakes made at Memphis. We have lived through them at GT as well. Focus on the future and give the guy a chance.

Next season may be a tough. No question, it may test our resolve. Focus on the future. That is the only path to success.

 

[Andewa]

Mind=Rite

 

[dtm1997]

Nobody opposed a Josh Pastner hiring on this board than myself and with plenty of good reasons.

I watched and was impressed by the presser.

He's going to recruit his *** off and is looking forward to the challenge of rebuilding this program and making it his own while respecting our culture & history.

He's our coach & I'm on board.

Go Jackets!

 

[AE 87]

I applaud the optimism.

I talked myself into it with CBG, but finding it more difficult this time. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[kg01]

I applaud the optimism.

I talked myself into it with CBG, but finding it more difficult this time. Hope I'm wrong.

I'm almoat there. Here, hold my hand AE.

We'll make it, together.

 

[lv20gt]

I applaud the optimism.

I talked myself into it with CBG, but finding it more difficult this time. Hope I'm wrong.

As someone who couldn't talk himself into optimism with gregory when he was hired, I think it should be easier this time. With gregroy, we had a guy who was seen as a below average gameday coach and maybe a slightly above average recruiter, but who had no ties to the SE. I didn't see any path to success for him because I didn't think he was a good enough gameday coach to coach them up in order to 'win to recruit' and I didn't think there was much of a chance he was a good enough recruiter to 'recruit to win'. With Pastner I do believe he is a good enough recruiter to 'recruit to win', and so there is at least a path to success for him.

 

[mstranahan]

UVA - Tech games will be interesting. Austin Nichols facing Pastner.

Hope he brings in a strong game coach as an assistant. Pastner is known as a hard worker on the recruiting scene but generally mocked when it comes to game coaching / x and o. (Similar to Gottfried bringing Bobby Lutz with him to NCSU)

 

[YlJacket]

I am pissed. I don't like this hire. I think the AD absoulutely sucked in his responsibilities - from extending CBG to this fiasco.
Having said that once we get close to the start of next year I will be on board and do my best to find the half full view.

 

[MidtownJacket]

Yeah I have reserved posting anything until I felt like I had some time to digest the hire. I'm not crazy about the way it all happened, but hope to see the effects in recruiting.

I said for a while the solution to our program was getting CBG a better bench coach to help with the X's and O's so I'm frustrated to think it'll be the same old same old there.

Having said that, I'm a lifelong GT fan, and already took the shaft for 4 years, so there's no going back now.

Welcome to the flats CJP - wishing you the best of fortune.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Peacone36]

In 2011, I reaaaaallly wanted Cuonzo Martin. When it was apparent he wasn't coming I wanted Chris Mooney. I HATED the BG hire from the day it was rumored and always will. It was a cop-out, a lazy move. That said he was a great dude and a hard worker. Ultimately if I had gotten my way with either of the first two I doubt we would have had much more success.

Moral of the story: in the end what **** do I know right?

Along with dtm, Pastner was #1 on my "hell no" list. Most of the reasoning behind that was obviously his in game ability, but also the salary and buyout that he would command if he were to come here.

It appears that our AD was able to get us a favorable deal, though I have yet to see the buyout specifics. While I was never a believer that BG could be saved by hiring an X's and O's assistant for the simple reason that his recruiting chops were also terrible, I am willing to concede that if Pastner puts the right staff together with strong in game knowledge he can be successful because in the end he is (or at least up until 2 years ago was) one of the top 5 recruiters in the entire CBB world.

I said before that the next 14 or so months of recruiting will be more interesting than the basketball. Right now this program is an aircraft carrier not a canoe, gonna take some time to turn this franchise around and I say that to myself as much as anyone as I am not the most patient (no no no, it's ok, I'm aware) I think he did well with the presser, bringing in Huff and White (or young)would win him some battles in the city (esp young as you would win 2 ways) and bringing in Moore and possibly Simmons right off the back along with keeping your 3 other commits would get the boards/fans on your side with an immediate talent infusion. If he gets those 3 wins (already won the PC IMHO) he will be off to a very good start.

I'm dipping my toe in the water trying to get a feel for the temperature, I do like this hire more than the BG hire because as I believe Mike said our ceiling is higher.

Little bit more long winded than usual but there it is.

I'm in, let's get it.

I'd love to look back in 5 years and be wrong about the coaches I wanted again, but this time I'd also enjoy being wrong about the coach we got.

 

[MWBATL]

I don't hate Pastner and wish him and the basketball program the greatest success possible.

Don't ask me how I feel about the leadership above Pastner.

I do hope I'm wrong.

 

[BigDaddyBuzz]

We only officially interviewed 2 coaches in Houston, Drew and Pastner. One was hungry, wanted the job bad, and fought for it. He recognized all the things us fans know what GT basketball can be. The other ran scared and took what he thinks is an easier path. One wanted $2.5 mil the other willing to walk away from over $7 mil of guaranteed $ and lower salary helping GT AA even more. One we thought would be a good recruiter, one we know is a top 5 recruiter.
After letting it all sink in and seeing more and more details, I think we ended up way better off. MBob came thru in the end. Give me the fighter, the energy guy, the one who will lock down ATL and we can get this program back.

 

[ATL1]

I wasn't a fan of CBG at all. There was nothing to like.

CPJ is different for me. The main reason is that he has had a string of success (4 straight years in the tourney) & he's had success as a recruiter (3 Top 10 recruiting finishes). That's key for me.

Bringing in Moore & hiring some top quality assistants would make me even happier.

I slightly like Martin better and Drew would have been optimal but when you look objectively CPJ has the same record as the other candidates.

Show him support and love and help him bring in the recruits.

 

[AE 87]

Fwiw, I disagree with the consensus on CPast's Xs and Os. I think losing the locker room is a more likely explanation for in game struggles.

Whatever you think of Calipari, he's an expert at turning HS superstars into team players. That happens by building trust and and respect. Based on comments from Shaq, the Memphis locker room lacked that.

 

[RamblinCharger]

Fwiw, I disagree with the consensus on CPast's Xs and Os. I think losing the locker room is a more likely explanation for in game struggles.

Whatever you think of Calipari, he's an expert at turning HS superstars into team players. That happens by building trust and and respect. Based on comments from Shaq, the Memphis locker room lacked that.

Agreed. I think he might be too uptight and clean cut for some of the players. He needs to loosen up and have some fun with them. Look at Dabo, great guy, doesn't drink, smoke, or cuss, but the players love him. You have to find a balance and understand that these are college kids and they aren't perfect. Hopefully he figures that out and makes good hires for assistants. If he does that, I think we may have a winner.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

It isn't only what people say, it mostly what they do. I'll try to reserve judgement on Pastner for at least three years since the program is in such bad shape. I really hope he succeeds. I have no knowledge of basketball Xs or Os or the culture of recruiting so I can only judge on results. Pastner has been underwhelming the last few years against top 100 teams. While he should be able to recruit better being in the ACC / ATL; the level of play and coaching in the ACC is far more challenging than the AAC. Bottom line is I do want him to bring credit to GT.

As for Bobinski, I've seen too much. Giving CBG an additional guarantee was strike one. This firing and hiring carnival is strike two; it was Bobinski's job to manage the process and bring credit to GT. He didn't.

I just don't want strike three. If Bobinski is a basketball guy hired for his ability to hire basketball coaches, I think we need a new AD before we have to go out and get a new football coach. Hopefully we have a few years for that process as I think/hope CPJ will retire from GT.

(The baseball coaching job should take care of itself as I would hope Danny Hall would be able to provide input on the coaches interested. We should get elite coaching talent for our baseball program coming to see us when the time comes. Hall is here for a few more years with his son as a Fr on the team.)

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Agreed. I think he might be too uptight and clean cut for some of the players. He needs to loosen up and have some fun with them. Look at Dabo, great guy, doesn't drink, smoke, or cuss, but the players love him. You have to find a balance and understand that these are college kids and they aren't perfect. Hopefully he figures that out and makes good hires for assistants. If he does that, I think we may have a winner.

That may be more of a problem at schools which have less academic discipline than. I would think that the type student-athlete we get at GT would be better suited to Pastner's personality than at other schools. Good point about Dabo, I think he appeals since he is salt of the earth and has lots of integrity and energy. He also recognizes his limitations and has great assistants that he lets do their job.

 

[mqpayne]

We only officially interviewed 2 coaches in Houston, Drew and Pastner. One was hungry, wanted the job bad, and fought for it. He recognized all the things us fans know what GT basketball can be. The other ran scared and took what he thinks is an easier path. One wanted $2.5 mil the other willing to walk away from over $7 mil of guaranteed $ and lower salary helping GT AA even more. One we thought would be a good recruiter, one we know is a top 5 recruiter.
After letting it all sink in and seeing more and more details, I think we ended up way better off. MBob came thru in the end. Give me the fighter, the energy guy, the one who will lock down ATL and we can get this program back.

Outstanding comments. I said that Matt McCall will be a great coach one day and he will. Pastner is perfect for GT now. Great gutsy job MBob. Great recruiter who understands our academics is unique. I am in. Smart Jimmy and Joes are hard to find.

 

[slugboy]

That may be more of a problem at schools which have less academic discipline than. I would think that the type student-athlete we get at GT would be better suited to Pastner's personality than at other schools. Good point about Dabo, I think he appeals since he is salt of the earth and has lots of integrity and energy. He also recognizes his limitations and has great assistants that he lets do their job.

I've seen people compare Pastner to Dabo. I don't know if it's a good comparison, but the first couple of Dabo years were rough while he got talented coordinators and got out of their way. Hopefully we get that guy or those guys and this works out. I'd love to see an assistant or two who can manage the things he's weak at--maybe MBob already has that figured out.
I remember feeling smug at the Dabo hire. He looks OK now.
If Pastner makes the games fun again and makes me think there's a chance to beat Duke, then I'm happy.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

CPJ is different for me. The main reason is that he has had a string of success (4 straight years in the tourney) & he's had success as a recruiter (3 Top 10 recruiting finishes). That's key for me.

What was the quote from MBob? "He has been in the postseason 17 out of 18 years, starting as a player. You don't forget how to win." Or something to that effect.