When Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski announced last Friday that men’s basketball head coach Brian Gregory had coached his last game with the team, just two days after the Jackets were thumped 72-56 by San Diego State in the NIT quarterfinals, it marked the rather inevitable end of an era.
That era was defined by middling teams, fluctuating offense, and, most crucially, not a single NCAA Tournament berth. As incumbent Paul Hewitt declined, Gregory was fresh blood, a change of pace. His success at mid-major Dayton offered optimism of a return to ACC contention. His 27-61 conference record defied that hope.