I need to clarify myself a little, just so that everyone understands what I'm saying. . .
I don't have an opinion one way or the otehr regarding Bryce Drew's ability to take GT back to the level we were at.
I am cautiously optimistic that Bobinski knows what he's doing and will bring in someone that will return us to the upper eschelon of CBB.
I'm not down on GT or GTAA or our Administration. (again, I'm cautiously optimistic)
My comment was one of confusion and incredulity.
We are a storied athletic school. We have been successful at the highest level of CBB in the not distant past. We are in a protected pocket within an urban environment, in a fertile region for HS and AAU basketball. We play in the most competitive league against the highest level of competition and coaching in the country. We can be competitive salary-wise.
Why is our #1 targets an assistant coach who potetially has baggage and a successful mid-level mid-major coach with 4 years coaching experience and only 10 years experience in CBB (all at the same mid-level mid-major school). There is no knock against either candidate. But neither of them meet the criteria Bobinski set forth in his press conference.
My comment about Mack and Miller wasn't that we didn't contact them, but that neither of them jumped at the opportunity, even before being approached by us.
Anyway, I hope we end up with someone who will continue the academic and social successes gained by CBG and improve the recruiting and on-court success. I don't care who that is, or where he comes from. If he's honest and successful, I'm happy.
I LOVE tech basketball and we have had some big success in the past. That said, I think you are way over-estimating Georgia Tech's current basketball status. We have made the tourney, what, twice in the last 10 years? Maybe four elite eights in the history of the program? We are currently a mid level power 5 program with potential to be a good power 5 program.
This is not 1965 anymore. There is a ton of money in college basketball. The top mid major programs are having more sustained success than ever and their coaches are being paid more than ever. There is also more turnover than ever, with top jobs coming open on a regular basis. In short, there is simply more motivation than ever for top mid-major coaches to keep the good thing going they got until an elite job comes calling. Realistically, we were never going to get Mack, Miller, or Marshall, and that is not as much a reflection on Tech as it is a reflection on the current state of basketball.
We are probably the top job open this year, but we are still not an "elite" job. Drew and Capel seem to be the top candidates that would consider a non-elite job. It sounds like we may have landed one, and that is a good thing. Last time around, we were rejected by Chris Mooney for fk sake.
I would be much happier with Drew than some power 5 retread. To even reference Pitt grabbing stallings quickly as a good thing is laughable to me. I am exciting about Drew if that is the case.
