ATLANTA — Georgia Tech announced on Friday that Troy’s Scott Cross will replace Damon Stoudamire, who was fired on March 8, as its men’s basketball coach.
Georgia Tech athletic director Ryan Alpert moved quickly to hire Cross, who won seven conference championships and 350 games in 19 seasons at UT-Arlington and Troy. Cross, a Dallas-area native who played at North Garland and UT-Arlington, closed out his seventh season at Troy with the school’s second straight Sun Belt championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
Troy suffered a 76-47 loss to Nebraska on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Trojans finished 22-12 for their fifth consecutive 20-win season under Cross, whose career record is 350-260.
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“We’re thrilled to name Scott Cross the 16th head coach in Georgia Tech men’s basketball history,” Alpert said in a statement released by Georgia Tech.
“Coach Cross is a proven winner with 350 career victories and seven conference championships on his resume. His combination of experience, success and development of student-athletes, both on and off the court, makes him the perfect person to carry on the proud tradition of Georgia Tech men’s basketball. He is a great fit for our program, the Institute and the Georgia Tech and Atlanta communities.”
Stoudamire was fired one day after the Yellow Jackets’ season ended with a 12-game losing streak. Georgia Tech finished 11-20 overall and 2-16 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Cross comes to Georgia Tech after rebuilding Troy’s program. Before Cross took over the program, Troy had one winning season in the previous nine years.
“We will build a culture defined by discipline, toughness and accountability,” Cross said in a statement released by Georgia Tech. “Our players will represent Georgia Tech with pride, compete relentlessly and embrace the responsibility that comes with wearing the jersey. This is a program with a proud tradition, a world-class institution and a passionate fan base. I’m excited to get to work.”
Georgia Tech has scheduled a news conference to formally introduce Cross on Monday.
The SportsDay staff contributed to this post.
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