NCAA Basketball: 5 coaches on the hot seat entering conference play

By Brian Rauf | Dec 29, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on during his team's game against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 22, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

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CHAPEL HILL, NC – JANUARY 20: Head coach Josh Pastner of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets reacts against the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Dean Smith Center on January 20, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

5) Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech

Pastner might end up being a victim of his own success at Georgia Tech.

The administration told him when he took the job prior to the 2016-17 season that the program was in such bad shape that he should expect to struggle for a few years. Instead, Pastner went 21-16 that year and led the Yellow Jackets to the NIT finals.

However, Georgia Tech took a step back last year with a record of just 13-19 and, as of now, it doesn’t seem as though they’ve improved. They are 7-5 on the young season with double-digit losses to KenPom sub-100 teams in Georgia and Gardner-Webb.

The Yellow Jackets were hurt by the departure of Josh Okogie to the NBA last year and Pastner has not recruited well enough to raise the talent level of the overall roster. Freshman point guard Michael Devoe is the only player he has signed that ranks above No. 170 in the 247sports Composite rankings, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

Georgia Tech seems to know that their program was facing an uphill battle to return to relevancy in the ACC, yet they’re going more backward than forward. Pastner may be gone because of that if the Yellow Jackets don’t show any signs of life in ACC play.

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