Georgia Tech names ex-Troy coach Scott Cross as head coach

Georgia Tech has named former Troy coach Scott Cross as the school’s next men’s basketball head coach, it was announced Friday.

The deal is for five years, a source told ESPN.

Cross led Troy to back-to-back NCAA men’s basketball tournaments and back-to-back Sun Belt regular-season championships. His track record of building programs appealed to the Georgia Tech brass — he has won 350 career Division I games over 19 seasons as a head coach at UT Arlington and Troy.

Cross will replace Damon Stoudamire, who was fired after failing to reach the NCAA tournament in all three of his seasons as head coach.

Cross has three career NCAA tournament appearances, including No. 13 Troy’s loss to Nebraska on Thursday. He went 225-161 at UT Arlington from 2006-07 through 2017-18.

His dismissal at UT Arlington after three straight 20-win seasons has proved to be one of the biggest administrative blunders in recent college basketball history.

Since former AD Jim Baker fired Cross in 2018, the Mavericks have churned through three coaches and had just one 20-win season.

At Georgia Tech, Cross takes over a program that has reached just one NCAA men’s basketball tournament since 2010. That came under Josh Pastner; the two other coaches in that span, Brian Gregory and Stoudamire, failed.

Cross’ hire marks one of the first marquee additions for first-year athletic director Ryan Alpert, who came to Georgia Tech from Tennessee in July.

Tech finished last in the ACC this season by two full games, going 2-16 in league play and 11-20 overall. Tech finished the year on a 12-game losing streak.

Troy finished the season 22-12 and 12-6 in league play. Troy beat San Diego State and Furman in nonconference play this season.

Throughout the hiring process, Tech officials made clear to candidates that they would fund the program competitively in the ACC.