| | ATLANTA -- Bobby Cremins put a quick end to the growing
speculation about his future at Georgia Tech.
The white-haired coach who took Georgia Tech's basketball
program to national prominence before watching it fall into
mediocrity the last four years, announced Friday he will retire at
the end of the season. The Yellow Jackets are 11-13 this season,
and 3-8 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
|  | | Bobby Cremins has four ACC titles to his credit. |
"I feel the time has come for new leadership in our basketball
program," Cremins said. "I had hoped to have a better record at
this time and be in the hunt for an NCAA bid. Had this occurred, I
planned on coaching at Georgia Tech for a long time.
"This isn't just a one-year decision. This has been going on
for four years. It's just what's right for the program. It's
business. It's just the right thing at the right time."
A committee has been formed to find a new coach, but athletic
director Dave Braine said he would "have no other announcement
until a new coach has been hired."
Braine did indicate he had a "short list" of candidates and
that Tech "should be able to come up with a very good coach."
Braine was spared the potentially explosive decision whether to
fire the popular Cremins, 52, who has been at Tech since
1981.
"I don't know if I could have survived (the alumni). I don't
think I could have won that battle," Braine said.
"Bobby Cremins does not have an enemy. He has some dissenters
right now, but he has the people who really count and the people in
the athletic association. Nobody is going to say a bad word about
Bobby Cremins."
|
Cremins' coaching career
|
|
Season
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
Pct.
|
|
'75-76
|
Appalachian St.
|
13
|
14
|
.481
|
|
'76-77
|
Appalachian St.
|
17
|
12
|
.586
|
|
'77-78
|
Appalachian St.
|
15
|
13
|
.536
|
|
'78-79
|
Appalachian St.
|
23
|
6
|
.793
|
|
'79-80
|
Appalachian St.
|
12
|
16
|
.429
|
|
'80-81
|
Appalachian St.
|
20 |
9
|
.690
|
|
'81-82
|
Georgia Tech
|
10
|
16
|
.385
|
|
'82-83
|
Georgia Tech
|
13 |
15
|
.465
|
|
'83-84
|
Georgia Tech
|
18
|
11
|
.621
|
|
'84-85
|
Georgia Tech
|
27
|
8
|
.771
|
|
'85-86
|
Georgia Tech
|
27
|
7
|
.794
|
|
'86-87
|
Georgia Tech
|
16
|
13
|
.552
|
|
'87-88
|
Georgia Tech
|
22
|
10
|
.687
|
|
'88-89
|
Georgia Tech
|
20
|
12
|
.625
|
|
'89-90
|
Georgia Tech
|
28
|
7
|
.800
|
|
'90-91
|
Georgia Tech
|
17
|
13
|
.567
|
|
'91-92
|
Georgia Tech
|
23
|
12
|
.657
|
|
'92-93
|
Georgia Tech
|
19
|
11
|
.633
|
|
'93-94
|
Georgia Tech
|
16
|
13
|
.552
|
|
'94-95
|
Georgia Tech
|
18
|
12
|
.600
|
|
'95-96
|
Georgia Tech
|
24
|
12
|
.667
|
|
'96-97
|
Georgia Tech
|
9
|
18
|
.333
|
|
'97-98
|
Georgia Tech
|
19
|
14
|
.576
|
|
'98-99
|
Georgia Tech
|
15
|
16
|
.484
|
|
'99-00
|
Georgia Tech
|
11
|
13
|
.458
|
|
Totals
|
|
452
|
303
|
.599
|
His departure also saddened a couple of top ACC coaches.
"Bobby is a genuine star," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
"He is truly one of the great coaches in ACC history and certainly
one of the most-liked. He put Georgia Tech on the map ..."
"College basketball will not be the same without him," said
North Carolina coach Bill Guthridge.
"He did an unbelievable job building the Georgia Tech
basketball program from rock bottom to a national contender for
many years," said former North Carolina coach Dean Smith.
Cremins, who was owed $2.1 million for the three years remaining
on his contract, will receive a $1.5 million settlement over the
next four years, including $300,000 immediately.
Before the season began, Cremins told Braine he would resign if
the team, featuring a front line of 7-foot Jason Collier and 6-11
shot-blocker Alvin Jones, didn't make the NCAA tournament.
"I accept his decision," said Collier, Tech's leading scorer
and rebounder. "He says it's the best thing. Whether I believe it
or not, he has not disappointed me. I'm more disappointed in myself
and the team for putting him in this situation."
Under Cremins, Tech has had 10 NCAA appearances, three ACC
tournament titles, one ACC regular-season title and a share of
another. The 1990 team made it to the NCAA Final Four.
But Tech is only 18-41 in the ACC the last four seasons.
Cremins took over a Tech program that was 4-23 the previous
season and had lost 27 of 28 ACC games since joining the
conference.
By Cremins' fourth year, the Yellow Jackets were ACC champions
and headed to a run of nine straight NCAA Tournament bids.
He has a career record of 452-303 in 19 seasons at Georgia Tech
(352-233) and six at Appalachian State (100-70).
| |
ALSO SEE
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Cremins sought one more chance
Bobby Cremins' career highlights
Division I coaching changes
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Bobby Cremins believes it is time for him to leave.
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