ATLANTA (AP) -- Bobby Cremins wanted one more chance.
The silver-haired, mop-top coach was sure this would be the year
Georgia Tech returned to the NCAA tournament. He was convinced
this would be the year the Yellow Jackets reestablished a kinship
with their glory days, symbolized by the banners hanging from the
rafters at Alexander Memorial Coliseum that pay homage to players
like Price, Salley and Hammond.
Instead, it became a sad farewell for the man who built a program
from scratch 19 years ago but lost his winning touch.
``It seems like 50 years ago,'' Cremins said nostalgically, glancing
toward the roof of the arena where even more banners recount the
10 NCAA appearances, four Atlantic Coast Conference titles and a
1990 trip to the Final Four. ``But it's not right to live off your
past. What's right is Georgia Tech having as competitive a program
as possible in the present.''
So, what went wrong?
The Yellow Jackets haven't played in the NCAA tournament since
1996 -- when Stephon Marbury made his one-year stopover in Atlanta
-- and they won't this year without a miraculous victory in the
conference tournament next month.
Heading into this weekend, Tech was a dismal 18-41 in the ACC
since Marbury left, the past three seasons coming on the watch
of athletic director Dave Braine.
Clearly unhappy with the direction of the program, Braine met
with Cremins after the Jackets went 15-16 last season, losing
in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament.
The coach asked for one more chance.
``He told us at the beginning of the year that if we didn't get
to the NCAAs, he would call it quits,'' Braine said.
Cremins didn't wait that long. On Friday, he announced his
retirement from Georgia Tech, accepting a $1.5 million settlement
to buy out the final three years of his contract.
``I have learned success is not forever,'' he said, ``and failure
is not fatal.''
Cremins had a close relationship with previous AD Homer Rice, who
hired Cremins in 1981 when he was a 33-year-old unknown from
Appalachian State. At the time, Tech's program was in shambles,
coming off a 4-23 season and losing 27 of 28 ACC games since
joining the conference.
By Cremins' fourth year, the Yellow Jackets were ACC champions and
beginning a run of nine straight invitations to the NCAA tournament.
National TV appearances, sellout crowds and a knack for landing a
top recruit every year became Tech trademarks.
Mark Price and John Salley were the foundation, followed by Duane
Ferrell, Tom Hammonds, Brian Oliver, Dennis Scott, Kenny Anderson,
Jon Barry, Travis Best, James Forrest, Drew Barry, Matt Harpring,
Marbury and Dion Glover.
``I feel for Bobby,'' Price said. ``In some ways, he's a victim of
his own success. There were no expectations for this program before
Bobby Cremins, but he set a high standard. Now that we've had a
couple of years below that, everyone is unhappy. It's ironic.''
Cremins nearly left Georgia Tech in 1993, accepting an offer from
South Carolina, his alma mater. But, after 48 agonizing hours, he
returned to Atlanta, admitting he made a mistake and wanted to
finish his career with the Yellow Jackets.
Things would never be the same.
Tech's NCAA streak ended in 1994, and the Yellow Jackets were
overlooked again the following year. Marbury's presence carried
Tech to the round of 16 in 1996, but he left for the NBA after
only one season and the Yellow Jackets slumped to 9-18.
After Braine arrived, the Yellow Jackets struggled to consecutive
6-10 seasons in the ACC, leading to a make-or-break year for Cremins.
Even though Glover followed Marbury's lead, jumping to the NBA
after playing one season at Tech, Cremins felt there was still
enough talent to turn things around.
The Jackets seemed imposing up front with 7-foot Jason Collier
and 6-11 shot-blocker Alvin Jones. Point guard Tony Akins was
shaky as a freshman, but figured to improve with a year of
experience. Transfer Shaun Fein provided a much-needed outside
shooting threat. Senior Jason Floyd was a three-year letterman.
``I thought we had some good players coming back,'' Cremins said.
He also found a link to the past, convincing Price to join the
staff as an assistant following his retirement from the NBA.
But the season seemed to fall apart in December after the Yellow
Jackets lost to Michigan, Georgia and Stanford by a combined total
of eight points.
In the past week, Georgia Tech demonstrated just how far it has
fallen in relation to the top programs, losing to No. 3 Duke and
No. 22 Maryland by a combined 41 points. Two new starters haven't
changed the fact that Tech is a terrible shooting team (hitting
barely more than 40 percent) and extremely sloppy with the ball
(21 turnovers against Duke led to 38 points).
Unlike Rice, Braine wasn't bound to Cremins by friendship, loyalty
or pleasant memories, only their mutual desire to turn the program
around.
That's the way it should be, Cremins said.
``He has nothing to do with the team playing so poorly,'' the coach
said. ``He wants to see the team playing well, and we're not.''
Cremins lost his magical recruiting touch, yet he was resistant to
change. He continued to focus on one or two top prospects a year,
leaving the Yellow Jackets without the necessary depth to compete
in this era of one-year-and-gone-to-the-NBA players.
``He won't recruit two kids for one position,'' Price said.
``Whether you agree with that or not, that's the way he does
things. He doesn't want unhappy kids. Some coaches don't care,
but that bothers Bobby.''
While Cremins tried to maintain his smiling, upbeat facade in
the waning days of his regime, those closest to him knew he was
hurting. While the fans are generally kind and the big-money
boosters were still in his corner, Cremins didn't have to look
hard to find thousands of empty seats for most games in Atlanta.
``I know there have been come critics,'' he said. ``But the
positives far outweigh the negatives.''
Cremins is only 52. Basketball is the only thing he knows. Georgia
Tech is the only place he wanted to coach.
But it's time to move on.
``I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my life,'' he said.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.twbbs.org)
◆ From: ms11.hinet.net