CBS46 has confirmed that former University of Memphis head coach Josh Pastner will become the new men’s head basketball coach at Georgia Tech. He joined Calipari as the only Memphis coaches to win 18 or more games each of his first six seasons. The person spoke to The Associated Press Friday on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not been announced.
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More details are expected Friday afternoon.
Georgia Tech finished 21-15 (8-10 ACC) last season.
Pastner already has recruiting contacts in Atlanta. Some in Memphis even felt that Pastner might be on the hot seat after not taking his team to the postseason the past two years.
He would have been owed $10.6 million if fired by Memphis, and that helped to save his job.
Just a few weeks ago, U of M President M. David Rudd and Athletic Director Tom Bowen said they were keeping Pastner as head coach.
Georgia Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski fired Gregory on March 25.
Gregory was 76-86 overall and 27-61 in ACC play. The team made the postseason for the first time in Gregory’s five seasons, winning two games in the NIT before losing in the quarterfinals.
Gregory, 49, replaced Paul Hewitt in 2011 and did not take the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA tournament during his tenure.
The financial strain also was impacted by dwindling attendance at McCamish Pavilion. Pastner turned down the Southern Cal job in 2013 to stay at Memphis on a contract that paid him $2.65 million per year. The terms of his agreement with Georgia Tech were not immediately available. The UofM will make the necessary investments and changes in order that our program may compete at the highest level with Josh Pastner as our coach.
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He has led the Tigers to the NCAA tournament in four of his seven years as coach. Teams he has been involved with have won 12 conference tournament or regular-season championships, advanced to seven Sweet Sixteens, five Elite Eights, two Final Fours and two NCAA championship games.
