WEBVTT - Pt. 3: Ga. Tech HC Josh Pastner on Recruiting Violations, Bouncing Back, 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:06.200 Hey, welcome in. UM gotta let me on. This is 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:09.680 all ball, all hoops, all the time. Sometimes leap that 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:13.000 first into other stuff with great guests. Um, all right, 0:00:13.039 --> 0:00:16.840 this is part three of our talk with Josh Pastor 0:00:17.079 --> 0:00:19.480 and UM, let me let me do this. There is 0:00:19.520 --> 0:00:22.560 another pod or which we dropped a couple of days ago, 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:25.640 where me and fran Fichella we talked about got a 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:30.560 little bit more topical stuff in regards to all the 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:34.159 things going on in basketball. What happened at the end 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:37.760 of the son's game Game one. I'll give you one 0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:42.400 real quick thought though on these reviews. Okay, this is 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:45.040 my thought. Look, you're not gonna do away with the reviews. 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:46.960 You do need to put a clock on them, but 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:49.720 you go to like a neutral corner. That's what you 0:00:49.800 --> 0:00:53.279 gotta do, is what you can bring out chairs if 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:54.840 you wanted to sit down. I don't think you needed 0:00:54.920 --> 0:00:57.040 to sit down. But those five guys that are on 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:59.320 the floor have to remain on the floor in an 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:02.600 area on the opposite end of the court, on the 0:01:02.600 --> 0:01:05.000 opposite side of the court from their benches. That's the 0:01:05.080 --> 0:01:07.120 only way to do it, because otherwise you grant these 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:09.759 teams but time out that they didn't earn, that they 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:12.960 didn't deserve. Simple put a clock on it, put him 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:16.400 in a neutral corner from their bench. And if they 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:18.520 want to talk about a play, that's fine, but you 0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:21.160 can't allow for a time out to come to be 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:25.280 that wasn't called, that wasn't earned. All right, let's get 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:27.360 to Part three. We've heard from Josh Pastor if you 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:30.520 missed the last two, about growing up in Houston, being 0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:33.720 part of that Arizona National Championship team early on in 0:01:33.840 --> 0:01:37.280 his his coaching days, and and and getting the job 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.760 at Memphis and what all that entailed. In Part three, 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:46.720 we talked about the accusations by a former friend that 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:48.840 got him in hot water with the n c a 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:52.600 A and caused an investigation. That's where we begin Part 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:57.240 three of our discussion with Josh Pastor. Take a listen, yea, 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:01.320 what is it like to go through what you went 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:07.400 through where somebody who you befriended and wanted to help 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:11.200 turns on you. And you're somebody who and I mean, look, 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:13.320 maybe I have the wool over my eyes, maybe I 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:17.480 don't know, but I've always You've always struck me as 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:19.560 somebody who just you just want to help people, just 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:23.519 enjoy people, interaction with people. But it goes through something 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:27.359 where wait, I was trying to help you, and now 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:29.799 you're trying to make me look like I'm a bad guy. 0:02:29.960 --> 0:02:34.040 Like what forget about the job stuff, forget about any 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:38.520 of the other stuff at home with your wife, you personally, emotionally, 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:42.440 what is that experience like for you? Yeah, you know, Doug, Look, 0:02:42.440 --> 0:02:45.200 I'm a just in general, I'm I'm a guy that 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:48.440 that loves people. I'm a glass that's over I don't 0:02:48.480 --> 0:02:51.040 look at the glasses half full. I look at us overflowing. 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:55.600 I believe in positivity. Um, you know, I live by 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:58.200 the thing when I say about how precious life is, 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:01.320 like I tell people all the time, I'm about you know, 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.560 like every literally every day is a gift. Every breath 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:07.080 the gift, every heart beats a gift. Like I don't 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:11.200 just say that and then and then and then go around, 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:15.080 not like I really believe that. Like I love life, Um, 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:17.359 I know how precious things is, Like I like that, 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:20.280 I know how precious Being a head coach is, Like 0:03:20.360 --> 0:03:22.240 I I don't take it for granted. There's not a 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:24.840 day that goes by that I complain about one thing 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:27.800 about my because I I love being a head coach 0:03:27.800 --> 0:03:29.440 and I know how precious. So I say all that 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:33.040 to tell you that that look I mean and and 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:35.240 I want to do good to people. I mean, I 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:37.560 love people. You're you know, and and and so when 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:41.120 when when when when somebody who you felt what you 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:44.880 were trying to do good tries to turn on you 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:48.960 for for for for um, for reasons of of just 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:52.600 you know, greed and just not for for bad things. 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:56.240 You're you're you have a sense of like you know, 0:03:56.720 --> 0:04:00.320 of hurt anger just like how did you know? You're 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:02.240 you just want to do the right thing? How do 0:04:02.240 --> 0:04:04.320 you how do you how do you process that? Hey? 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:07.600 Did you go like to go to therapy books? Like 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:10.400 you just kind of keep piling through like that. That's 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.040 a hard thing. It's a very hard thing. It's a 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.000 very hard thing, you know, and your and your positivity 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:19.839 gets tested. Um. And it's easier said than done, because 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:23.560 it's easy to say, hey, just stay positive, um um. 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:25.920 And that's easier said than done. But you you've gotta 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:29.159 you know, I was, you know, you try to keep 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:31.600 things in the best you can in perspective. And it's 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:33.760 again I say that easier said than done. I was 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:36.960 very thankful that I've had great you know, I've had 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:39.600 I've obviously my family has been unbelievable, but I've had 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:43.520 great bosses who have been extremely supportive during some really 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:47.120 tough times. And um but but I also, you know, 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:51.400 I still and maybe it's just my character, of of 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:55.359 my of just my DNA. I'm such an ultra positive 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:58.400 guy that I that even in the worst of times, 0:04:58.400 --> 0:05:01.400 I've tried to find some positive out of things and 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:04.640 and it's just kind of how my mind works. Um. 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:07.240 But but I will say, you know, you're more aware 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:09.839 of things. Unfortunately, you get a little more aware when 0:05:09.839 --> 0:05:12.560 I say unfortunately, maybe you're you're a little more guy. 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:14.560 You're a little more cautious before you're ready just to 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:17.359 jump and answer that email or answer that text, or 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:20.800 answer that phone too when somebody's needing some help. You know, 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.200 you're a little more Okay, let me check this out first. 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.400 And so you know, beforehand, I was just whatever I 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:30.280 can do to to to to help to to to 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:33.240 to make someone feel better as a human being, if 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:35.839 I can do that through basketball because of being a 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:39.120 head coach, um, and and give them a ray of 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:42.560 sunshine and a ray of hope and positivity and excitement 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:45.640 and enthusiasm when they're going through some tough times. I 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.880 look at like that. I that's a that's a great 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:50.839 thing to be able to do. But because of that, 0:05:50.880 --> 0:05:53.000 I'm looking at of what I went through. I'm more 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:56.240 cautious now. I'm not so as quickly to just to 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:59.320 say yes to someone who's saying they need help. I 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:02.680 might need a little more checking, a little more careful 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:05.560 on some things. And you learn, you live and learn. 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:07.800 I mean, you're just again, if I knew what I 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:11.040 knew now, Doug, I would when I look back, you think, okay, 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.599 you know, But but it happens to people, millions of 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:20.279 people all the time where where people get hit by people, 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:24.760 you know, of all kinds of different ways, and they 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:26.240 look back and they said, I should have seen that 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:28.000 at the time, but they just didn't see it, because 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:32.640 usually you're looking to see the goodness and things. Okay, uh, 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:34.359 I don't want to I don't want to lament on 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.960 all this stuff, but I do want to ask one question. 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:40.400 You give me the clearest answer you can. Okay, this 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:43.479 is all that matters to me. If somebody to say 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:51.120 pastors that cheer, right, cheer. What would you response to, Well, 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:53.719 I mean, look, I mean I can't worry what people think, 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:56.600 but I really, you know, it's very important to me 0:06:56.720 --> 0:06:58.680 that we do things the right way. You know that 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:02.520 we follow the rules and and um and you do 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:05.320 the very very best you can. I've really tried to 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:11.640 create an incredible atmosphere of compliance um um, following the 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:14.400 guidelines by the n c t A, the mission of 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:16.840 the n c TA, the mission of our athletic departments, 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:20.840 um and um and and part of that is is 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:24.280 you know you're you're That's that's important to me. That's 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:27.120 important to me to to be a rules guy, to 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:29.720 to to to to follow. That's when when when this 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:33.040 stuff went down. The people I know who know you're like, dude, 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:35.800 of all the guys, and I don't think the guys 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:40.200 that do it the right way, like Josh, you be 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:43.560 the guy that writes and and we're friends, but I 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:46.040 can't tell you. I know intrigiately well about how you 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:49.000 do what you do. But the way I the way 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.480 I try and approach things is I just ask people 0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:55.360 that know and they're like, no way with Josh, right, 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:57.280 Like I just don't. I don't. I don't see it. 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.640 And to me, here's here's the deal where I you 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:05.320 cannot like the rules, okay, but there's a difference between 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:09.560 breaking the rules and intentionally and then saying, well, you know, 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:11.280 I don't like the rules, right. To me, it's go 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:14.760 after the rules right and and try and generate the 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.960 momentum which they're now obviously evolving and changing. Do you 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:20.680 change somebody's grades or do like that? To me? Is 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:23.680 it isn't no go right? Uh? Do you do? You 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:25.720 just give a guy a bag of cash like that's 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:31.600 a that's a nogo? Like these are cheating things, bumps shoes, 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:35.600 don't freaking care right like those are? Like are we 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:38.240 some of the the workout stuff like you were talking 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:40.720 about where they used to limit workout times, Like oh 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:45.400 my god, are you kidding? Right? Um, so if if 0:08:45.440 --> 0:08:48.360 when you say, like, hey, look it's important we do 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:51.400 it the right way, it's those basic things right that 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:55.280 we're we're discussing, Like I don't we don't buy kids 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:57.120 again to come to school, We don't change their grades 0:08:57.160 --> 0:08:58.840 to get it right? Like those are the things that 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:01.160 you are I mean, we we do the very best 0:09:01.200 --> 0:09:03.240 we can and even on the littlest thing stug, I mean, 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:04.880 even on the little things. You know, I have a 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:07.520 great relationship with our compliance department. Even when I was 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:10.839 at Memphis as the head coach and and here a George, 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:14.440 I've been, you know, being heavily involved with the with 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:18.920 our compliance department. You know, we're very transparent. Um. I mean, look, 0:09:19.000 --> 0:09:23.000 things can happen just inadvertently, you know, their mistakes can happen. 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:27.000 But but we do the best we can to to 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:29.480 making sure that even the littlest of rules or fallow, 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:31.679 I'm not. I mean, look, we we've all I mean, 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:35.200 it's just normal. You're gonna have um, you know, you're 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:39.560 gonna you're gonna have minor um violations throughout. That's just 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:41.520 part of it. And that's and actually that's a healthy 0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:43.720 thing because if you catch it, you turn it in 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:45.720 your report. That's part of running a program. You're gonna 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:47.680 have little things. But what I would tell you is 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:50.800 when the when when you know they went. When I 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:54.319 got we got fully investigated and fully through, I wasn't 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:56.800 even named and I wasn't named in anything in the 0:09:56.920 --> 0:09:59.679 in the n C two A report. When everything came out, 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:03.720 there was no, I wasn't you know named. Uh, there 0:10:03.800 --> 0:10:07.760 was no head coach control, there was no violation. Um, 0:10:07.760 --> 0:10:12.079 there was just you know, just you know, unfortunately, um, um, 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:16.920 you know, uh, some things happened and and and we 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:20.359 were fortunate that that that we had a good compliance 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:23.080 uh and and and and we had a really good 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:27.000 atmosphere of compliance. Unfortunately, just some you know things happened 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:28.959 here and there, and that's just part of the world 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:31.600 we live in. We're able to move forward from it, 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:34.880 and and and and continued onward and upward with it 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:37.320 with our program. Okay, so you get the job. Was 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:41.319 Josh already going there? Did you get Josh josh a 0:10:41.400 --> 0:10:45.720 Kogi was already signed? He was, so he didn't come 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:50.079 to Georgia Tech yet. But Brian Gregory and his staff 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:53.679 did a really nice job of finding him. I say 0:10:53.720 --> 0:10:58.760 it was a three pronged part. Um. Uh, josh A 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.360 Kogi or Brian Gray during his staff did a great 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:03.920 job of evaluating because he was not a highly leveled 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.560 great to recruit. He wasn't a top hunter player, wasn't 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:09.280 a top ten player in the state of Georgia. Um, 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:13.120 but he was. But he was a good player. So 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:14.800 Brian Greag and his staff did a good job on 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:17.959 the evaluation. Our staff did a really good job on 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:21.880 developing him. He let don't don't skip. Okay, So you 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.840 get the job? Yeah, okay, because I don't think people 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:28.320 understand how this ship works, right and honestly I don't 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:31.600 totally know how it works. Okay, So you're at Memphis, 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:36.000 b G gets fired, you get the job, okay, Like 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:38.400 while you're in route, are you like who do they 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:40.480 have signed? Like when do you when do you get 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:42.520 to the All? Right? What are what are we working 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:45.959 with here? Because, as as I've learned, and as you've 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:49.520 kind of pointed out, when you're coaching a team, you're 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:51.480 not you don't know about what's going on the A 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:53.720 C C. You don't care. You're worried about your team, 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:56.719 your kids, your program, and maybe your lead. That's it. 0:11:57.320 --> 0:11:59.600 And Georgia Tech, as much as it's a great job 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:02.679 at age school in a great city, like their stuff 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.079 isn't in your kind of purview, Like that's you're you're 0:12:05.120 --> 0:12:08.240 in a tonnel, Okay, So you like are you on 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.640 a private plane to go to the press conference and 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:13.160 you're figuring out staff and roster, like how does it 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:16.240 had it actually work? Yeah, So when I got the 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:19.560 job in Memphis, I I went When I got the 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:21.360 job at George Tich, I was in Memphis and then 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:25.359 and then we fluted to Atlanta to do the press conference. 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:29.959 And UM, yes, you're you know, you're you're just trying 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:35.160 to get your you know, you're grasping everything that's that's 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:38.079 you know, your head around everything of when you take over. 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:39.839 And there's a lot of going on. I mean, you 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:43.200 got tons of phone calls. Obviously people wanted the job. 0:12:43.559 --> 0:12:46.480 You get the current staff there that just got you know, 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:48.640 relieved of their duties, they obviously would like to stay on. 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:53.760 You've got the current players, you got recruiting, um, the signees. 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:55.400 There's just a lot of people you got to meet. 0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:58.800 So there's just a lot of stuff to do, you know. 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:01.360 And and I felt like a good job. You know, 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:06.160 I didn't rush in anyone I hired. I took my time. Um, 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:10.360 I was really running the program by myself for almost 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:12.240 a month in a sense before I hired it, and 0:13:12.280 --> 0:13:15.240 when I really was slow moving on on on my 0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:19.199 hiring um and um, but but I ended up you 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:20.880 know again, just like I did at Memphis had a 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:23.319 lot of really good coaches. I did the same thing 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:25.720 at Georgia Tech hired a lot of really good coaches 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:30.760 and um and so uh but I say all that 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:34.440 to say that, UM, like, you gotta re you gotta 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:40.280 re recruit these kids right now. The correct want them 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.600 correct And you're like, well, he signed, so technically I 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:45.679 take him, but I gotta go, like, O, you could come, 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:49.080 but you might not play, Like for Josh specifically, how 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:53.600 did you decide, like one, did you want him too? 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:55.760 Did you have to fight to keep him right? Like? 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:58.679 What was that? Like? Yeah? I mean, look, I had 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:00.559 some I had some opportunity of these, you know, with 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:02.280 the guys when I met with them, and a couple 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:04.920 of guys didn't stay the current guys. A couple of 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:08.480 had ended up moved on, but thankfully majority and you know, 0:14:08.559 --> 0:14:11.160 stayed a lot of them state and and and they 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.360 were seniors, they were going to be seniors. So we 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:16.560 had some guys upper classroom guys. And then we had 0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:18.840 you know, the signings of the of the recruiting class 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:21.680 and um and Josh a Kogi was one of them. 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:23.280 And so I had to go to his home and 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:25.200 try to you know, and I didn't know. Job. I've 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:28.280 never seen Josh play before me getting to the job. 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:32.040 I mean, he wasn't like some highly level raids. Again, 0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:34.680 he paid the picture. What's it like? What's would tell me? 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:38.560 Josh a koke home visit? You just get the job? Go? Well? Yeah, 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:40.880 And and it took and it was about you know, 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:42.680 it wasn't the first day or second day. It was 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:44.600 a couple It was about a week later when I 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:46.480 went to his home because there's just so much going on. 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:50.440 I went to his home and um and we you know, 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:55.120 he has a beautiful family and um and they were 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:57.560 really big about him going to Georgia Tech. His mom 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:02.080 and dad based on based on academics. They did not 0:15:02.160 --> 0:15:05.680 have any they were not they didn't have a basketball field. 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:08.680 They you know, they were all about academics. They didn't 0:15:08.680 --> 0:15:10.000 even know if the kid would ever play or if 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:11.640 he was even any good. They had no clue. It 0:15:11.720 --> 0:15:16.680 was academics, academics, academics and um. Um, you know, his 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:20.520 high school coach, UM was in the meeting and he understood, 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:22.400 you know, Josh has a chance to be a good player. 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.320 And his brother, Josh's brother there who was who was 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:27.960 a dentist. But again he he he thought, well maybe, 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.800 but but again, academic academics was the number one thing 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:33.960 for that family, and there wasn't even a talk about basketball, 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:35.800 and of course, so we were talking about Georgia Tech. 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:38.200 But then I explained about my style and what I 0:15:38.240 --> 0:15:41.800 think I'd be good for Josh and um, you know, look, 0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:46.160 my style is not for everybody. And I tell everyone this. 0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:50.640 You know, I don't curse, um, I don't use any 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:54.800 foul language. I'm very positive, I'm very demanding, and I 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:58.920 high have high standards. But but and um, but but 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:01.080 if so, I tell them you, look, if you if 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:03.360 you need a coach that's gonna be in your grill 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:06.400 and cursing at you to get you motivated. I'm not 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:08.880 a good guy for that. Like I I'm I'm a 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:11.920 motor guy. I believe in motor and and and positive 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:14.760 and like I'm gonna demand excellence from you. I'm gonna 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.040 hold you. I'm gonna tell you the truth. But I'm 0:16:17.080 --> 0:16:20.280 not gonna play mind games. I'm not you know, I'm 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:23.600 very direct. What you see is what you get. I 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:25.920 believe in like having a pep in your step, like 0:16:25.960 --> 0:16:29.800 being excited about life being excited about opportunities, but if 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:31.840 you need someone to kind of curse that you and 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:34.800 get underneath your skin by like you know, I said, 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:37.160 I'm I'm I'm the wrong coach because I don't and 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:39.440 I said, I'm gonna and and and so when I 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:41.640 recruit guys, I tell them that, like I'm, I might 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:43.720 not be the guy for you. If that's if that's 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.080 what you you know, and and and and if that's 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:50.560 not what you want, um, that's okay and um and 0:16:50.640 --> 0:16:53.680 so if you don't have that internal drive, that self motivation, 0:16:53.720 --> 0:16:56.120 maybe I'm not the right this. I'm not gonna I'm 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:59.200 gonna drive you to be excellent, but I'm gonna drive 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:01.800 you to be excellent through a lot of positivity, through 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:05.240 a lot of like you know, motor and and and 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:08.560 and holding to a high standard, but doing in a 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:13.159 way of of with with with the ultimate level of respect. Um. 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:16.480 And I think the family and appreciated that. So they 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:20.000 signed off, as did Josh to play to say hey, 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:22.679 let's let's continue to add. But he wasn't a highly right. 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:24.679 It wasn't like a bunch of schools were trying to 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:30.240 get him. So how long after you had him where 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:34.159 you're like I thought, after the first, after the after, 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:36.480 after the summer, I told our staff, I think he 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:38.520 by his junior year, he could be all a C 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:42.320 C by his junior year. And that's what ended up 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.320 hurting what what what? What? Actually, you know, we won 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:47.520 the a CEC this past season. But what hurt us 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:51.960 um and he getting there even quicker was I did 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:55.840 not plan and for josh leaving after a sophomore He 0:17:55.880 --> 0:17:59.040 was tremendous for us for two years. I thought he'd 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:02.960 he a third year, and I thought after his third 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:05.760 year he'd probably good enough to go after I after 0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:07.680 especially after his freshman year. But I said he'd be 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:09.320 I told our stelf after his junior even all a 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:12.560 C C. Well, look is after a sophomore year, he was. 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:15.520 He was. He was a twentieth pick in the draft. 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:18.160 And we probably that in my third year in the program, 0:18:18.160 --> 0:18:21.520 we took a little step backwards because of the fact 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:26.400 that I didn't prepare accordingly for Joshua Koge leaving after 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.840 a sophomore year. And if you look, because we had 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:32.000 a great my first year. We had a great first year. 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:34.359 You know, we got we you know we we we 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:36.280 did some things that not been done in Georgia Tech. 0:18:36.359 --> 0:18:38.199 The second year we were up and down. But I knew, 0:18:38.480 --> 0:18:40.560 because we had lost a lot of seniors, I knew 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.320 second year was gonna and I said this earlier, you know, 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:45.119 in our in our in our first episode, that it 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:48.120 was gonna be that that that second year is usually 0:18:48.160 --> 0:18:50.359 the hardest year because you're new. So I knew. I 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:52.679 thought the third year we were gonna be we were 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:55.199 gonna be really good. I thought, I thought the third year, 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:57.800 we're gonna start making the move. But because Josh left, 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:00.840 that ended up hurting us in took us a step back. 0:19:00.880 --> 0:19:02.960 And then when he told us he was not coming back, 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:05.159 it was too late in the recruit to sign and 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:07.840 I I couldn't get anyone. And then now, so we 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:09.479 had some ups and downs at third year. But then 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:11.280 I will tell you our fourth year and fifth year. 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:13.919 In the last two years here we have done some 0:19:13.960 --> 0:19:16.560 things that Georgia Tech that has not been done one 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:18.399 in the history of Georgia Tech, hadn't been done in 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:21.720 over thirty years, hadn't been done things in fifteen years, 0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:23.480 and over a day. I mean I could just round, 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:25.680 I could just start running off a bunch of stats. 0:19:26.320 --> 0:19:28.520 The point is is it took us probably the fourth 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:30.520 and fifth year to do that. It would have probably 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:34.000 happened a year earlier year if Josh had not left us, 0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:36.520 and I would have been more prepared for Josh leaping 0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:39.360 after junior than the sophomore year. Fox Sports Radio has 0:19:39.400 --> 0:19:42.320 the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:45.720 of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and 0:19:45.760 --> 0:19:48.320 within the I Heart Radio app search f s R 0:19:48.440 --> 0:19:53.000 to listen live. UM Jose Albruno. First time you saw 0:19:53.080 --> 0:19:57.280 him was when I saw him um in in um 0:19:57.320 --> 0:20:01.720 in the summer or uh AU basketball after I got 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:05.080 the job, and you know, and my assistant and you 0:20:05.119 --> 0:20:08.560 know again I've had great, great assistant coaches. UM and 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:10.320 to VARs Hard he was now the head coach at 0:20:10.359 --> 0:20:13.879 Loyal of Maryland. UM brought me to see him and 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:16.000 he had he was at Georgetown prior to me hiring 0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:19.880 him here at Georgia Tech. But he UM, he told 0:20:19.920 --> 0:20:22.159 me about Jose Alvarado and he says, coach of tennis kid. 0:20:22.520 --> 0:20:24.920 And you know, of course when you watch Jose, he's small, 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:28.520 you know, and there's a lot of things. He wasn't 0:20:28.560 --> 0:20:31.920 overly quick. Um. I had a lot of people tell 0:20:31.960 --> 0:20:33.560 me from New York like, coach, are you sure you know? 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:36.240