Georgia Tech has hired Damon Stoudamire as its next men's basketball coach, the school announced on Monday. Stoudamire, 49, has spent the past two years as an assistant with the Boston Celtics. Prior to that, he was the coach at Pacific, where he went 71-77 in five seasons. Stoudamire has long-coveted a high-major job.
The one-time star/national champion at Arizona was an assistant at his alma mater for two years, from 2013-15, before getting the top job at Pacific.
"I am humbled and honored to be the head coach at Georgia Tech," Stoudamire said in a statement. "It is an incredible honor to be entrusted with leading such a tradition-rich program. I am excited to get to work with the goal of consistently having our team compete at the championship level that we all know we can and should compete at. I'm proud to represent Georgia Tech and can't wait to walk out of the tunnel and onto the floor at the Thrillerdome in front of our fans. Go Jackets!"
Georgia Tech fired Josh Pastner on Friday after his seven-year run in Atlanta. From a name perspective, the school landing Stoudamire is about as splashy as it could ask for. Georgia Tech's rigorous academic standards make it one of the toughest jobs in the ACC. But because of its location, high-end talent abounds around the area, so there is an opportunity for Georgia Tech to crack through even in the current NIL/transfer portal environment.
"We are thrilled that Damon Stoudamire will be the head coach of our storied men's basketball program," Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt said. "Coach Stoudamire's success and credibility as a player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels make him a great fit to lead our program. He will serve as an outstanding mentor on and off the court and will attract talented student-athletes to The Flats. We could not be happier to welcome Coach Stoudamire to the Georgia Tech family."
Georgia Tech has made one NCAA Tournament since 2010.
