Georgia Tech has parted ways with men's basketball coach Damon Stoudamire, ending his three-year tenure that concluded with a devastating 12-game losing streak and last-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Athletic director Ryan Alpert announced Stoudamire's dismissal on Sunday, just one day after the Yellow Jackets' season ended with a 79-76 loss at Clemson. The defeat capped a disastrous campaign that saw Georgia Tech post an 11-20 overall record and 2-16 mark in ACC play.
"On behalf of Georgia Tech, I want to thank Damon for his commitment to the Institute, our men's basketball program and, most importantly, our student-athletes," Alpert said in a statement released by the school. "He is highly respected and admired throughout the Georgia Tech community and has been a strong representative of the Institute. We wish him the very best."
Stoudamire's inability to reverse the late-season collapse ultimately sealed his fate. The Yellow Jackets failed to qualify for the ACC tournament after finishing dead last in the conference standings.
Over his three seasons in Atlanta, the former NBA point guard compiled a 42-55 overall record, including a lackluster 19-39 mark in conference play. The program showed little improvement under his leadership, struggling to compete against ACC competition.
"Georgia Tech men's basketball has a proud history and is an important part of our athletics department and community," Alpert continued. "We are committed to identifying an excellent basketball coach that will build a championship-level program, and fulfill our missions of academic excellence and preparing our student-athletes for life beyond basketball. Georgia Tech's commitment to men's basketball is unwavering, and we will invest the resources necessary to compete for championships at the highest levels."
The dismissal marks another coaching change for a program desperately trying to recapture past glory. Georgia Tech once enjoyed sustained success under Bobby Cremins, reaching nine consecutive NCAA tournaments from 1985-93, and advanced to the national championship game under Paul Hewitt in 2004.
However, recent years have been far less kind to the Yellow Jackets. Their last NCAA tournament appearance came during the 2020-21 season under Josh Pastner, when they lost in the first round. The program hasn't won a tournament game since 2010.
Stoudamire arrived at Georgia Tech on March 14, 2023, just three days after Pastner was fired. The timing suggested urgency to find a replacement, though the hire ultimately failed to produce desired results.
The 5-foot-10 Stoudamire, nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" during his playing days, brought limited head coaching experience to the role. His only previous stint as a head coach came at Pacific, where he posted a 71-77 record over five seasons in the West Coast Conference. Despite never reaching the postseason, he was named the league's coach of the year in 2020.
Before joining Georgia Tech, Stoudamire had been working as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics since 2021. His 13-year NBA playing career began with Rookie of the Year honors in 1995-96 with Toronto, and included stops with Portland, Memphis, and San Antonio.
Now Alpert faces the challenge of finding a coach capable of revitalizing a program that has struggled to maintain relevance in one of college basketball's premier conferences. The search will focus on identifying someone who can restore Georgia Tech's competitive standing while maintaining the academic standards expected at the prestigious institution.