Georgia Tech is aiming to finalize an agreement for the appointment of Troy coach Scott Cross as the upcoming head coach for its men’s basketball program, information relayed by ESPN sources.
Cross guided Troy to consecutive NCAA tournaments and back-to-back championship titles in the Sun Belt regular season. His proven record of consistency in establishing successful programs resonated with the leadership at Georgia Tech — he has amassed 350 victories in his Division I coaching career over 19 seasons at both UT Arlington and Troy.
Cross will succeed Damon Stoudamire, who was dismissed due to his inability to qualify for the NCAA tournament in each of his three tenures as head coach.
Cross boasts three NCAA tournament berths throughout his coaching journey, notably, the recent defeat of 13th-seeded Troy to Nebraska on Thursday. He compiled a record of 225 wins against 161 losses at UT Arlington from the 2006-07 season through 2017-18.
His termination at UT Arlington, even after three consecutive seasons with 20 or more victories, has emerged as a significant oversight in management within the contemporary annals of college basketball.
Since former Athletic Director Jim Baker parted ways with Cross in 2018, the Mavericks have employed a succession of three different coaches and achieved merely a single season with 20 wins.
At Georgia Tech, Cross assumes leadership of a program that has secured only a single NCAA tournament qualification since 2010. This accomplishment occurred during the tenure of Josh Pastner; however, the two subsequent coaches within that timeframe, Brian Gregory and Stoudamire, did not succeed.
The appointment of Cross represents among the initial significant additions for newly appointed athletic director Ryan Alpert, who transferred to Georgia Tech from Tennessee last July.
Tech concluded the ACC season in the final position this year with a deficit of two complete games, recording a 2-16 performance in conference matches and culminating in an 11-20 overall record. The team ended its campaign with a twelve-game losing streak.
Troy concluded their season with a 22-12 record, achieving a 12-6 standing in conference games. Troy secured victories against San Diego State and Furman during their non-conference schedule this season.
During the entire recruitment procedure, Tech officials emphasized to prospective candidates that they would provide competitive financial support for the program within the ACC conference.