ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech has signed basketball coaches Josh Pastner and Nell Fortner to contract extensions.
Pastner received a three-year extension through the 2025-26 season after leading the Yellow Jacket to their first Atlantic Coast Conference men's championship since 1993.
Fortner received an additional two years on her contract to coach the Yellow Jackets women's team through the 2026-27 season.
In Pastner's fifth season, the Yellow Jackets won the ACC tournament and earned their first NCAA Tournament bid in 11 years.
Still, hopes are high that Georgia Tech can get back to the tournament with three returning starters, including ACC Tournament MVP Michael Devoe.
“Coach Pastner has done a masterful job of building our men’s basketball program into an ACC champion,” athletic director Todd Stansbury said.
The 43-year-old Pastner has a record of 82-76 at Georgia Tech. He previously coached at Memphis, where he compiled a mark of 167-73 that included four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Fortner has a 37-20 mark in two seasons as the Georgia Tech women's coach. Last season, the Yellow Jackets finished 17-9, earned their first NCAA Tournament berth in seven years and advanced to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history.
“Coach Fortner has led our women’s basketball program to unprecedented heights," Stansbury said. “I’m looking forward to her and her team continuing to compete at the highest levels of women’s basketball for years to come.”
The 62-year-old Fortner previously coached at Auburn and Purdue, as well as serving as coach and general manager of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever for three seasons. She also led the U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Fortner's team returns all five starters this season.
“Our expectations are to be a premier women’s basketball institution with goals of being an annual Top 25 team vying for an ACC title and competing for a national championship," she said. “This staff hit the ground sprinting in April of 2019 and we haven’t slowed up and don’t intend to.”
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MMore AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.
