Georgia Tech basketball coach Brian Gregory receives contract extension through 2017-2018

Oct 16, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Georiga Tech Yellow Jackets head basketball coach Brian Gregory speaks to the media during the ACC basketball media day at The Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

I guess a 2-0 start was all that the Georgia Tech brass needed to see.

Of course, the first sentence is in jest, but the Georgia Tech basketball program gave head basketball coach Brian Gregory a big-time endorsement on Tuesday with a contract extension through the 2017-2018 season. To be fair, this is only a 1-year addition to his original 6-year contract, but the program is certainly showing signs of rebounding under his direction.

Last season, the Jackets finished finished 16-15 overall (6-12 in the ACC) and while that is a far cry from the “glory days”, it is a significant improvement over Paul Hewitt’s disastrous final season that saw the team finish 11-20 overall. Recruiting has seemingly picked back up under Gregory, but much more importantly, the on-court product has visually improved, and the direction of the roster itself has been a pleasure to see.

Athletic director Mike Bobinski provided this quote (from the official press release):

"“With this extension we recognize Brian’s leadership and progress in re-building the Tech basketball program over the past two years. Under his direction, we have greatly improved the team’s academic standing and have seen positive growth on the court.”"

I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment of Bobinski, and with the keys in Gregory’s hands, it’s hard not to feel exponentially better about the program. Now, the focus will shift to this season (and the upcoming recruiting season) where things begin to heat up on Friday night against Georgia. Stay tuned.