Duke, UNC, Louisville, Virginia, and Notre Dame are top 15 teams. Pittsburgh, Syracuse, NC State, and Miami – under Jim Larranaga are quality programs. Clemson continues to be decent under Brad Brownwell. Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have shown good signs under new coaches Buzz Williams and Danny Manning. Boston College has a new coach. Florida State has seen better days, but is never awful under Leonard Hamilton.
Every ACC basketball school is coached by a Hall of Famer, has a new coach, or has a coach with some consistent post-season success. Every school that is except Georgia Tech under Brian Gregory.
Gregory now in his 4th year at Georgia Tech following Paul Hewitt is in trouble. The Yellow Jackets under Gregory are 17-45 (27%) in the ACC, and 53-63 overall. Are the 8 ACC losses by single digits a sign Gregory is close to having a winning in Atlanta or is it just masking a bigger deeper problem with the program?
The season is not over, but given the three previous years it is hard not believe the Yellow Jacket program isn’t trending downward.
Should Georgia Tech begin looking elsewhere who should be their top candidates?
Here is the list I’d put together. Of course everyone would like a Shaka Smart type, but I’m going to stay with realistic candidates.
Mark Price – Assistant Coach Charlotte Bobcats
What Price lacks in head coaching experience he brings a NBA background as a player and coach. The former Georgia Tech sharpshooter would be the splash hire that would excite the fanbase.
Craig Neal – Head Coach New Mexico
Neal is another Georgia Tech product that is current head coach at New Mexico, where he won 27 games last year. Neal has coached in the NBA, and his head coaching experience might give him a leg up on Price.
Archie Miller – Head Coach Dayton
Georgia Tech may hesitate going after another head coach from Dayton, ala Gregory, but Miller is young and he’s won 66% of his games at Dayton. Georgia Tech could do a lot worse.
Ben Jacobson – Head Coach Northern Iowa
Ben Jacobson has quietly put together one of the best mid-major programs in the country. He’s averaged better than 20 wins a year, and has a Sweet 16 to his credit. It may be time for Jacobson to move to the high major level.
Tommy Amaker – Head Coach Harvard
The former Duke star could be ready for a return to the ACC. He has the most head coaching experience of anyone on this list. His tenure at Michigan was uneven, but he’s found his coaching niche at Harvard. Amaker has made 3 straight NCAA tournaments and Harvard has becomes the Ivy League’s best basketball school.
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