Latest news with #YellowJackets
5 days ago
- Sport
Alex Hernandez drives in 6 with 2 home runs and Georgia Tech tops Western Kentucky 9-2
OXFORD, Miss. -- Alex Hernandez blasted two three-run home runs in and Georgia Tech cruised past Western Kentucky 9-2 on Friday in a first-round game of the Oxford Regional. Hernandez's first home run staked starting pitcher Tate McKee to a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Hernandez went deep again in the eighth. He had four hits and six RBIs. McKee (8-3) allowed one run in seven innings. He gave up seven hits and struck out six. Carson Ballard pitched the last two innings, allowing one run. The Yellow Jackets added runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Drew Rogers and the sixth inning on Carson Kerce's bunt single to lead 5-0. Kerce was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. The Hilltoppers scored on a single by Reid Howard in the seventh and a sacrifice fly by Kyle Hayes in the eighth. Drew Whalen (9-3) allowed five runs in five innings. On Saturday, Georgia Tech (41-17) will play the winner of Friday's later game between Mississippi and Murray State. Western Kentucky (46-13) will play the loser between the Rebels and Racers in an elimination game. The ACC regular-season champion Yellow Jackets are making their 36th NCAA Tournament appearance and 25th under coach Danny Hall.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Social media roasts Georgia Tech for creating rings to celebrate 7-6 season
Social media roasts Georgia Tech for creating rings to celebrate 7-6 season The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets celebrated their 7-6 season with rings. We would say championship rings, but we aren't exactly sure what the Yellow Jackets won. In 2024, Georgia Tech went 7-6 including 5-3 in ACC play (tied for fourth in the conference). The Yellow Jackets lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores in the Birmingham Bowl and did not really have a major accomplishment outside of upsetting the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes, which is acknowledged on the ring. The ring also celebrates Georgia Tech's 24-21 season-opening win over the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles, which sounds impressive until you realize that Florida State went 2-10 and had just one win over a Power Four opponent all season. Perhaps Georgia Tech's biggest accomplishment in 2024 came in the form of a loss. The Yellow Jackets took the Georgia Bulldogs, who went on to win the SEC championship and make the College Football Playoff (something Georgia Tech has never done), to eight overtimes before losing 44-42 in heartbreaking fashion. The Bulldogs have now won seven straight games over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets' rings celebrate going 5-0 at home. Georgia Tech's home schedule included only three Power Four opponents, which was among the lowest among major programs. Yes, Georgia Tech's 2024 season appeared to be another step in the right direction for head coach Brent Key and company, but a 7-6 season for a program that has won three national championships does not deserve rings. Georgia Tech's rings One fan asks the obvious question "What did y'all do to earn a ring???" asked one fan on social media. This is a legitimate question that we don't have an answer to. Fans are stunned Another fan can't believe it One Georgia Tech fan wants the post deleted "Why is this post still up?" asked a Georgia Tech fan on social media. "Pretty sure Brent Key has absolutely nothing to do with this mess knowing him." Hilarious FSU fan reaction The ring also highlights the Birmingham Bowl appearance "I have never seen a team make rings for a bowl game that they lost," said one fan via social media. Teams make rings for just about any accomplishment these days, but come on. If you have rings for a 7-6 season, then definitely don't post them on social media.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tai 'honored' to be first Singaporean to play in the Masters
Tai 'honored' to be first Singaporean to play in the Masters Amateur Hiroshi Tai will be the first Singaporean to tee it up in the Masters at Augusta National (Andrew Redington) Hiroshi Tai will make history as the first Singaporean golfer to play in the Masters this week, but the 23-year-old can count on a strong Georgia connection to buoy his bid for low amateur honors at Augusta National. Advertisement Tai secured his place in the field for the year's first major almost a year ago, when he won the NCAA collegiate championship representing Georgia Tech. It's the alma mater of US golf great and Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones -- and creates a link to this day between the club and Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets teams. But Tai said Monday that the drive down Magnolia Lane felt "a little different" when he was arriving to prepare for his first Masters. "Obviously being at Georgia Tech and there's a lot of history involved with the Masters with Bobby Jones being a founder and obviously he played at Georgia Tech, graduated from there," Tai said. Advertisement "So there's a lot of history at Georgia Tech and connected with the Masters. It has been a really cool experience. "And driving down Magnolia Lane, not even today, just any other day, would be amazing," he said. "Definitely enjoying it a lot." But Tai, who got his first taste of major championship golf when he played the US Open at Pinehurst last year, is also boosted by strong support back home, and he's proud to be the first from his country to play the Masters. "I think it means a lot to me because I'm obviously proud of where I'm from and have a lot of friends and family that live there," he said. Advertisement "My parents still live there. It has been a really cool experience so far, and I've really enjoyed everything about it. I'm really honored to be here, as well." Born in Hong Kong to a Singaporean father and a Japanese mother, Tai was introduced to golf in Singapore when he was four and honed his game at Windermere Prep school in Florida. His golfing aspirations had to wait while he completed his Singapore military service, but he said his Georgia Tech experience has accelerated his progress. "I think playing college golf, especially at the Division I level, you're playing with some of the best amateurs in the world," he said. Advertisement "A lot of them have had success on PGA Tour events as amateurs and as college players, so I think you're really playing against some of the best players you can find at that level, and it has really helped me grow as a person and as a player in the last couple of years." bb/js
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
After surprise retirement, here's who could succeed this ACC basketball coach
Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Two months after signing a contract extension that would have kept her in midtown Atlanta through 2030, Georgia Tech head coach Nell Fortner announced her retirement on Monday after six seasons leading the Yellow Jackets. Advertisement Fortner, 66, was hired at Georgia Tech in 2019 to clean up the program after former coach MaChelle Joseph was fired amid a scandal. Fortner guided the Yellow Jackets to three NCAA Tournament appearances — including one this season — and an overall win-loss record of 110-75. In 2021, she was named ACC Coach of the Year after taking the Yellow Jackets to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history. At her retirement press conference on Tuesday, Fortner called it 'bittersweet' and she knows 'she won't be a college basketball coach' going forward 'but I got a lot of energy left.' She added she had been contemplating stepping away from the game for a while, despite signing that extension. 'Y'all realize how much change has happened in the last six years when I took this job in 2019? It was pretty much normal college athletics… Then came the transfer portal and NIL… But we navigated it,' Fortner said. 'I don't feel like I'm old. I feel like I've got a lot left in the tank, but the atmosphere today in college athletics, it's not for me.' Indeed, in addition to enduring an NCAA investigation from Joseph's time overseeing the program, Fortner had to grapple with what all coaches did over the last six years: the pandemic, then the portal, and then the introduction of NIL. In 2021, the NCAA ruled that Joseph had 'committed practice and coaching limit violations' and 'violated head coach responsibility rules,' which led to a penalty of a $5,000 fine plus 1 percent of the budget for the women's basketball program. Advertisement But Fortner dealt with it all and had four seasons of a .500 or better record in ACC play. She coached two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year Lorela Cubaj and then ACC Sixth Player of the Year Dani Carnegie this season. This past year started off well for the Yellow Jackets with a 15-game winning streak, a stretch of games that was their best start in program history and included Georgia Tech's first win in Chapel Hill's Carmichael Arena since 2012. But the season ended with a thud as the Yellow Jackets lost six of their last seven games, capped off by an NCAA Tournament defeat to Richmond. A source familiar with the situation at Georgia Tech told SB Nation that its players were being 'tampered with' by other teams as early as February. Before Fortner announced her retirement, five Yellow Jackets — including Carnegie — had already entered the transfer portal. Following Fortner's announcement, three-year starters in Kara Dunn and Tonie Morgan followed. 'No players makes it a tough rebuild,' one ACC assistant coach said of the Georgia Tech opening. Advertisement Fortner shook her head no on Tuesday when asked if she would have any input on who would be the next coach at Georgia Tech. She did say that she encouraged the current Yellow Jackets in the portal to wait and see who the next coach would be before making a decision. 'It's a new era. It's time for a new voice,' Fortner said. 'It just feels like the right time… To be able to walk away on my terms feels pretty good.' Fortner retires with an overall record of 272-192. She won an SEC title at Auburn in 2009 and a Big Ten title at Purdue in 1997. She also coached the U.S. National Team to an Olympic gold medal in 2000. Before becoming a head coach, she worked under Hall of Famers Gary Blair and Leon Barmore. She is one of the few people to win Coach of the Year honors in three different major conferences. In her seven years between Auburn and Georgia Tech, Fortner worked as a television analyst. In almost any sport, Georgia Tech is viewed as one of the hardest jobs in the ACC. Aside from not being as flush with resources — read: money for NIL — it also has high academic standards and difficult admission requirements. It's why former football coach Paul Johnson ran the triple-option for years in the Flats, allowing him to do more with less. It was a scheme that leveled the playing field against the likes of Clemson and Georgia. In basketball however, there is no triple-option. Advertisement Still, Georgia Tech is seen by some as an attractive job at the Power 4 level in a conference that supports and cares about women's basketball. At her retirement press conference, Fortner applauded the support she received from President Angel Cabrera and athletic director J. Batt. For a while, it was assumed that Fortner's longtime assistant coach Blanche Alverson would be her successor. However, after six seasons alongside Fortner — and just six days before her retirement — Alverson was hired as the head coach at San Diego. So, who might get the job? Barring a Manny Diaz-esque situation where Georgia Tech lures Alverson back to the Flats, here are some options that make sense for the Yellow Jackets. Erin Dickerson-Davis Dickerson-Davis is the current coach at William & Mary, played at Northwestern and is a former assistant coach at Wake Forest and Georgetown, so she's familiar with the ACC and how to navigate recruiting hurdles at a high-academic institution. Dickerson-Davis is an attractive coaching candidate right now because of the success she had at William & Mary this season, where she led the Tribe to their first NCAA Tournament berth and first March Madness victory, topping High Point in the First Four. Dickerson-Davis just won — in just her third season — in a place where no coach had before. At Wake, she recruited and coached three All-ACC selections. Aaron Rousell Could the coach that handed Fortner the final loss of her career succeed her? Perhaps. Currently the head coach at Richmond, Rousell is a hot coaching candidate in this cycle after leading the Spiders to an at-large berth and victory in the NCAA Tournament. He is 78-24 in his last three seasons leading the A-10 program and has had success recruiting in the ACC's traditional footprint up and down the east coast. He is a graduate of Iowa and previously coached at Division II Minnesota State and Division III Chicago before making the jump to Division I at Bucknell in 2012. As a Division I head coach, Rousell is 273-136. Itoro Coleman A native of Georgia and an All-ACC star at Clemson, Coleman has coached all over the country over the past 25 years, from Butler to Penn State to Marquette to North Carolina to now at Virginia Tech, where she's the associate head coach under Megan Duffy. Coleman's previous tenure as a head coach was a rough one — where she went 25-63 in three seasons leading her alma mater — but she's a good recruiter, knows the ACC landscape, and has a knack for working with guards. Last offseason, she was a finalist for the opening at Stony Brook, but the gig ultimately went to Joy McCorvey. In the last five seasons, Coleman has been on coaching staffs that have gone to four NCAA Tournaments. This year, the Hokies were left on the wrong side of the bubble as the first team out. Vanessa Blair-Lewis Blair-Lewis has won everywhere she's been, and at places where winning isn't all that easy. This season, she took George Mason to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever and won a program record 27 games. Prior to taking the reins at George Mason, she won five consecutive MEAC titles at Bethune Cookman. Before that, she won a pair of NEC regular season titles at Mount St. Mary's. She's eight victories away from 400 career wins.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Georgia Tech women's basketball coach Nell Fortner announces her retirement
Nell Fortner announced Monday she is retiring following 15 seasons as a college basketball head coach, including the last six at Georgia Tech. Fortner also was the first coach and general manager for the WNBA's Indiana Fever from 1999-2003 and coached the United States women's national team to gold medals at the 1998 world championships and the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Fortner won 272 games at the college level and earned coach of the year honors in three conferences. She was named Big Ten coach of the year in 1997 following her one season at Purdue and then coached eight seasons at Auburn, from 2004-12, where she was named Southeastern Conference coach of the year in 2009. Fortner then moved to Georgia Tech, where she led the Yellow Jackets to this year's NCAA Tournament and was named Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year in 2021. The Yellow Jackets finished 22-11 with a 74-49 loss to Richmond in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Georgia Tech announced assistant LaSondra Barrett will serve as interim coach. Advertisement 'After a lot of deep thought and contemplation following the conclusion of our season, I have decided to retire from coaching,' Fortner said in a statement released by Georgia Tech. 'This was not an easy decision, nor one that I made lightly, especially after returning to the NCAA Tournament this season and having so many special players and coaches coming back next season.' Fortner referred to Georgia Tech as 'a gold mine, as an institution and athletics department.' She said the program was in good position to compete for ACC and national championships. 'That makes it very hard to step away. But for me, after spending much of the last 30-plus years on the sideline, I just feel that it's time,' she said. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement The decision came less than two months after Fortner was awarded a three-year extension, through the 2029-30 season. At the time, Georgia Tech was 18-4 and No. 17 in the AP Top 25. Fortner led Georgia Tech to a 110-75 record in six seasons with NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022 before this season. Overall, Fortner's college record is 272-192. 'Nell Fortner will be greatly missed by the entire Georgia Tech community,' Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt said. 'She's not only been an incredible leader of our women's basketball program, but she's been a great sounding board for me.' Advertisement Batt said Georgia Tech will conduct a national search for a full-time replacement. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
