Former NBA star takes over as Yellow Jackets coach
Damon Stoudamire, a former NBA star and Boston Celtics assistant coach, has been hired as the new head coach of the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team. He replaces Josh Pastner, who was fired after seven seasons with the Yellow Jackets.
Stoudamire was introduced as the 15th head coach in Georgia Tech history on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at a press conference in Atlanta. He expressed his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to lead a program that has a rich tradition and history.
“This has been a long journey for me,” Stoudamire said, choking back tears. “I’m excited beyond belief to be here.”
Stoudamire signed a five-year contract with Georgia Tech, according to sources. He brings a blend of college and NBA coaching experience along with a strong playing pedigree, a mix Tech officials are hopeful can resuscitate the relevance of a program that has faded in recent years.
Stoudamire’s coaching and playing resume
Stoudamire, 49, has been a Boston Celtics assistant since 2021, working with a team that reached last year’s NBA Finals and is among the top championship contenders this season. He couldn’t pass up the chance to coach at Georgia Tech, even though the Yellow Jackets haven’t been much of a factor on the national scene for nearly two decades.
Stoudamire’s only previous head coaching experience came at Pacific, a West Coast Conference school where he posted a 71-77 record over a five-year tenure. He never reached the postseason but was selected as the league’s coach of the year in 2020.
Before that, he was an assistant coach at Memphis, Arizona and Rice, working under some of the best coaches in the college game, such as John Calipari, Sean Miller and Mike Rhoades.
As a player, Stoudamire was a standout at Arizona, where he led the Wildcats to the Final Four in 1994 and was a consensus All-American in 1995. He was drafted by the Toronto Raptors as the seventh overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft and won the Rookie of the Year award. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, averaging 13.4 points and 6.1 assists per game. He also played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs.
Stoudamire’s vision and challenges for Georgia Tech
Stoudamire said he wants to bring back the winning culture and excitement that Georgia Tech once had under legendary coach Bobby Cremins, who led the Yellow Jackets to three ACC titles and a Final Four appearance in 1990.
“This is a tradition-rich program, and one that aspires to get back to winning championships,” he said. “We’re going to galvanize the community, the student body, and just get this thing going in the right direction.”
Stoudamire said he plans to play an up-tempo, aggressive style of basketball that will attract top talent and fans. He said he will recruit nationally and internationally, but also focus on the talent-rich state of Georgia, where many of the nation’s top prospects come from.
He also said he will emphasize academics and character development for his players, as well as fostering a family atmosphere within the program.
Stoudamire faces a tough challenge in turning around a program that has struggled for consistency and relevance in the ACC, one of the most competitive conferences in college basketball. Georgia Tech has made only three NCAA tournament appearances and one victory in the Big Dance in the past 18 seasons. The Yellow Jackets have had only two winning records in the ACC over that span, both posted by Pastner.
Pastner, who was hired in 2016, had a 96-102 overall record and a 40-68 ACC record at Georgia Tech. He led the Yellow Jackets to their first ACC title since 1993 and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2010 last season, but they lost in the first round to Loyola Chicago. This season, they finished 12-18 overall and 6-12 in the ACC, missing the postseason.
Stoudamire said he is confident that he can restore Georgia Tech’s basketball glory and compete with the likes of Duke, North Carolina and Virginia in the ACC.
“I’m not here to make any promises, but I’m here to work hard and do everything I can to make this program successful,” he said. “I believe in myself, I believe in this team, and I believe in Georgia Tech.”
