Why Rick Stansbury Should Be Georgia Tech's Next Head Basketball Coach

Georgia Tech is in search of its new head coach after letting go of Damon Stoudamire after a tough season on the Flats that saw the Yellow Jackets win just two games in conference play. The next selection for head coach will have to be a good one for the Yellow Jackets to get back to the level they have been known for in the past. There is one name a lot of people aren’t talking about that is flying under the radar and could be a realistic option for the Yellow Jackets.

The name is Rick Stansbury, who has been out of coaching for at least a year. His last stop was as an assistant with the Memphis Tigers. He would be an ideal fit because he wouldn’t be an overexpensive option, has experience, and develops at a high level. Let’s take a deeper look at why he is a great option.

He is a winner

latest — Memphis basketball assistant coach Rick Stansbury watches the players during practice at the University of Memphis on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

It is pretty clear-cut when it comes to Stansbury. He wins at a high level. Stansbury is the 11th all-time in wins in the SEC with 293 wins at Mississippi State. Shrewsbury is also Mississippi State’s all-time winningest coach and has won eight SEC Championships. He made it to the NCAA tournament six times and was invited to the NIT five times. He averaged 21 wins with the Bulldogs during his 14-year tenure as their head coach and had ten 20-win seasons.

Stansbury is also third all-time in wins at Western Kentucky, compiling 139 wins and a .610 winning percentage in his seven seasons with the Hilltoppers. In his tenure with Western Kentucky, he had four 20-win seasons, three Conference USA Championships, a C-USA East Division Title, and multiple trips to the NIT. He also guided the Hilltoppers to 11 wins over Power Four programs, with three coming against ranked opponents.

He just wins.

Has Plenty Of Experience

Stansbury has coached at Mississippi State (1998-2012) and Western Kentucky (2016-2023), and has made the postseason 13 of the 21 seasons as a head coach. He was named Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year back in 2004, leading Mississippi State to a 26-4 record, No.1 in the SEC, and a top 10 finish in the final AP Poll.

Stansbury also has been an assistant at Austin Peay (1985-1990), Mississippi State (1990-1998), Texas A&M (2014-2015), and Memphis (2023-2025). He has a pedigree across college basketball, where he has seen and done it all. Nothing will be new or foreign to him, even the NIL era he was most recently in with the Tigers.

Elite Recruiter

In his short time at Texas A&M, he was responsible for putting together a top-five class in 2015 for the Aggies and one of the best in their history. Stansbury helped then-head coach Bill Kennedy bring in elite names like DJ Hogg, Tyler Davis, Elijah Thomas, Admon Gilder, and Kobie Eubanks. Serving as an associate head coach with the Aggies during the 2015-2016 campaign, Texas A&M set a school record with 28 wins and a third-place SEC finish. Stansbury led the Aggies to a 2016 SEC regular season championship and the Sweet 16.

Over the course of his career, he brought in five top 20 recruiting classes in Starkville. He is not just a high school recruiter either. He is also adept at acquiring talent through the transfer portal. Stansbury brought in the No.2 recruiting portal class in 2023-2024 that consisted of David Jones, Jordan Brown, Jaykwon Walton, Jahvon Quinerly, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin. He followed that up with the No.9 portal class in 2024-2025, bringing in marquee players like PJ Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter, Colby Rogers, Tyreek Smith and more.

He is no stranger at bringing in marquee talent and having it produce at a high level. Recruiting wouldn’t be an issue with him as the head coach.

He Develops

Plenty of guys under his tutelage have gone on to do big things in college basketball and even in the NBA. He has developed high-profile recruits like Robert Williams, who was a Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017. Mario Austin, a McDonald’s All-American, was a two-time SEC selection, and Derrick Zimmerman was the 2002-2003 SEC assists leader.

It’s not just high-end recruits but also the gems that people sleep on. Think of guys like Tim Bowers, who became a two-time all-SEC selection and a Wooden National Player of the Year finalist, and Dee Bost, who was underrecruited and became the all-time leader in assists for Mississippi State and was a two-time SEC selection under Stanbury’s guidance.

Lastly, he has also been superb with transfers. Think of guys like Lawrence Roberts, who became SEC Player of the Year, first-team All-American, and was selected in the 2005 NBA draft. Arnette Moultrie is another who became an all-sec selection and led the conference in rebounding in 2011-2012 and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2012 NBA draft.

To put it simply, it doesn’t matter if you are a high-end recruit, underrated, high-end portal guy, Stansbury will have you playing at a high level under him.

Would Pack Out McCamish Pavilion

One thing the Yellow Jackets have struggled with is attendance over the last few years. However, they won’t have that issue with Stansbury, who is responsible for 10 of the largest crowds recorded at Humphrey Coliseum at Mississippi State. His largest crowd was against rival Kentucky in 2010 when they were ranked No.2 in the country. More than 10,788 spectators attended and watched the game. Mississippi State fell short 81-75 in overtime, but it was one of the best atmospheres you could find in college basketball.

With the 9,556-seat capacity at McCamish Pavilion, you can bet that he will have that place packed out and a destination to be when the Yellow Jackets are playing.

The resume is extensive for Stansbury, and a coach who is likely itching to get back into the coaching ranks after being out for a full season in 2025-2026. This would be an elite hire for the Yellow Jackets and one that would turn around the program quickly.