Head Coach Scott Cross Focused On Staffing & Bringing In The Right Players To Change The Program

Georgia Tech is in a new era as head coach Scott Cross was formally introduced. Now, the work begins for him and the team. One of the key components is getting the right staff in place and the players, which will make a difference in how quickly the Yellow Jackets can change the tide. Everything is a process, so it won’t happen overnight. However, it feels like Coach Cross has the right mindset and mentality when it comes to building this new era of Georgia Tech.

“You know, I think the biggest lesson I learned is don't make any rash decisions. Get the staff piece right, and you get the staff piece right; everything else will fall into line. And then the second part of it, same thing with the player personnel, making sure you just really, really do your research and your homework and make sure you sign the right kind of guys and don't get a guy that might not be an OKG. So just taking our time and being patient with it,” said Cross. I know the transfer portal window is short. It's, you know, fast and furious. And we've got to do a lot of homework in a short amount of time. But that'll be the challenge to our staff to make sure that we do the right homework.”

Another key piece of what he said that stood out is not only their development in basketball, but also as young men in the world. Coach Cross has already said he wants his players to graduate with a degree from Georgia Tech. A degree from Georgia Tech goes a long way in their future and what they will be able to accomplish in life and for themselves moving forward.

“I mean, I believe 100% the players that you have are the very, very most important thing. It takes precedence over everything, over recruiting. I want our guys to be developed, and I tell my staff that every single day. Like, your number one priority is to get these guys better and to make sure that they graduate with a degree from Georgia Tech. We can't, you know, we can't predict the future. I know that we will throw the majority of our resources on player retainment because that's the most important thing,” said Cross.

“If you can retain players, they already know what you're about. They know how you play defense, how you run offense, and they'll be more connected the longer you have them together. It's a challenge, but I do believe that one of the key stars of success is these guys see how invested we are in their success and helping them become the best version of themselves.”

It feels like the approach and the mindset of how to attack it is in the right place for Cross to get the Yellow Jackets back as a competitive team. Putting an emphasis on the coaching staff, the right players, and developing them at a high level. That should go a long way not only on the hardwood but also in life.