Memphis is happy about Pastner’s success
Of all the ways in which the college basketball world was exposed to Josh Pastner over the last week – the inspirational voicemail greeting when you call his cell phone, the corny catchphrases, the goofy face shield that’s suddenly become his signature look – there was one detail that felt the most telling.
After Georgia Tech won the ACC Tournament against Florida State on Saturday night, perhaps the biggest achievement of his coaching career, Pastner said he received 1,400 congratulatory text messages. He asked for patience responding to all of them. It didn’t seem like an exaggeration.
His success really might have prompted that many people to reach out, and he really will try to respond to all of them. Just ask longtime Memphis basketball supporter Kay Veazey.
“I’m one of the 1,400. We’ve texted before and after every game this year,” she said Tuesday. “I’ve told him 100 times he doesn’t need to answer. But he always answers.”
Pastner is the main character in a story at Georgia Tech made for March Madness, and maybe the best part of all is that Memphis seems happy for him.
Head over to the popular Memphis Tigers basketball Facebook page. The one where fans find a way to argue about anything. The one that still has this in the URL: Support Memphis Coach Josh Pastner.
Memphis superfan Brandon Bumgarner wrote a post this week that read, in part, “Memphis didn’t end up being a perfect fit for him but he cared about this program. I hope Georgia Tech makes a deep tournament run.”
What followed were hundreds of “likes” and tens of anecdotes in appreciation of Pastner. How he unexpectedly called to say thank you. How he made time to speak to a community organization. Or how he was just “a good guy.”
History and hindsight have been kind to Pastner’s seven-year tenure here, especially now that the Tigers have gone seven years without an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“A couple of years ago, it was he deserved to be run out of town. After he won the ACC, it’s been so positive,” Veazey said. “It seems the tide has turned on Josh. People are happy for him.”
There were obvious shortcomings, like his struggles against ranked opponents and an inability to reach the Sweet 16 and the roster turnover at the end.
But those four-straight NCAA Tournament teams look a lot better now than they did in the moment.
This isn’t meant to re-litigate Pastn
er’s exit back in 2016. It was still the best move for both sides. Memphis and Pastner each needed a fresh start.
The university power brokers involved in the search for Pastner’s replacement simply chose a replacement (Tubby Smith) who didn’t fit at Memphis. It’s a mistake the Tigers are still trying to emerge from.
Pastner’s transition at Georgia Tech didn’t go so smoothly, either. After an encouraging first season there, Georgia Tech ran into trouble off the court. It was hit with NCAA sanctions caused by major recruiting violations, including a postseason ban last season, related to Ron Bell, a former friend of Pastner’s who had been a presence at Memphis as well.
The whole affair was sordid, and the most salacious of Bell’s allegations were proven to be unfounded and unnecessarily tarnished Pastner’s reputation. Last month, the NCAA vacated multiple sanctions levied against Georgia Tech as part of an appeal ruling.
Right in time for the end to one of the more remarkable Georgia Tech basketball seasons in recent memory.
The Yellow Jackets started out 0-2, with losses to Mercer and Georgia State, and Pastner’s future looked tenuous at best. Since that horrible start, though, he’s beaten coaching greats John Calipari, Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Leonard Hamilton and Jim Boeheim, among others this season.
Then came last week, when Pastner and his team created indelible March Madness images in capturing Georgia Tech’s first ACC Tournament title since 1993. There was senior Jose Alvarado’s emotional celebration as the confetti fell in Greensboro, North Carolina, and there was Pastner, refusing to remove that face shield even during his postgame Zoom press conference.
Georgia Tech (17-8) will begin the NCAA Tournament Friday as a No. 9 seed against No. 8 seed Loyola-chicago on an eight-game win streak.
This notion that Pastner, 43, couldn’t coach was always short-sighted, even if he didn’t always get the most out of his talent. Just like it is when that blanket statement is thrown around about Tigers coach Penny Hardaway today.
Look at the nucleus with which Georgia Tech is winning. There’s only one top-100 recruit in the bunch.
“It’s been extremely satisfying and gratifying,” Pastner said last week. “The same thing the guys at Memphis did, they did here. Their backs were against the wall and they were on the ropes and instead of laying down and just laying on the canvass, we punched back, punched back, punched back and got ourselves off the ropes. It’s the character of the guys that I’ve coached, that they’ve never laid down. Even when the sky looks like it’s falling, they fought back.”
It’s also a reflection of their coach, though it’s sometimes hard to recognize his determination underneath that goofy face shield. So yes, Pastner did eventually respond to Veazey’s text message on Sunday at 9:26 p.m. Of course he did.
“So behind on my text!!” he wrote. “Incredible season!!! Let’s win this Friday.”
You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto