New Georgia Tech AD Batt In No Hurry To Hire Football Coach

ATLANTA (AFP) - New athletic director Jay Peet knows that most Georgia Tech fans want to know who will be the next football coach for the Yellow Jackets.

However, fans will have to wait and see how Pat handles his business and how Brent Key deals as interim manager after the 2-0 start. Bath plans to meet Key on Monday afternoon.

"I would say that all of our games matter," Bath said during the opening press conference. "Success is very important. Of course the football program is important. Once I get here, I will definitely dig and hang out."

Georgia Tech chief Angel Cabrera wasted no time in appointing Bates to replace Todd Stansbury, who was fired along with head football coach Jeff Collins on Sept. 26 after the team lost their fourth consecutive opening game. Collins went 10-28 with the yellow jackets, the worst win percentage (263) of any soccer coach in the school's history.

Pat, 40, was appointed Friday after Cabrera and his board moved to Alabama, where Pat served as associate athletics executive, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer. His first day at Georgia Tech is next Monday.

“Finding ways to develop a long-term plan for working with our different jurisdictions, building assets, growing, raising funds, on-campus partnerships, and finding opportunities to earn something with our employees,” Pat said. "It will be important and we will definitely reach the football decision in due course."

Besides hiring a soccer coach, Bette's top priority will be increasing revenue for a school struggling with a tight budget, fundraising and attendance issues. The men's basketball program has suffered, too, having appeared only once in the NCAA Championship since 2010.

"His leadership of one of the most competitive sports programs in the country and his exceptional record of fundraising and revenue generation will bring significant value to Georgia Tech," Cabrera said. “He also knows what it means to be a student-athlete at a great institution. Through our discussions, I am convinced that his values ​​fit right in with our culture of excellence and integrity.”

Pat joined Alabama in 2017 as associate athletic director and was promoted to chief operating officer and chief athletic director in 2021. This year he received another promotion to executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer. Bath led the development and launch of Crimson Standard, a 10-year, $600 million company in Alabama.

Bath served as chief athletic director for East Carolina from 2013 to 2017 and associate director to athletics for Maryland from 2011 to 2013. Prior to that, he stopped by James Madison, William and Mary, and his university in North Carolina. Bath was a member of the 2001 NCAA Champion Tar Heels football team.

"I've been to many different places, and success is different in all of these organizations," Pat said. "Of course, I'm going to come here, and spend the time watching, listening, watching, and understanding exactly what that success looks like when I go to work."

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