Erik Pastrana has been named an assistant coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, head coach Mike White announced on Monday.
“Erik is exceptional with his inter-relational skills and his ability to connect young men,” White said. “Like Akeem (Miskdeen), he’s got a great work ethic with regards to recruiting and skill development.”
Pastrana spent last season as a member of White’s staff at Florida and also has successful Division I coaching stints at Oklahoma State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International and Stephen F. Austin.
“I am beyond excited to join Coach White at the University of Georgia,” Pastrana said. “I share the same vision as Coach White in seeing the limitless potential of Georgia Basketball. Now, it’s time to get to work and build something special that Georgia fans everywhere can be proud of. Go Dawgs!”
Pastrana helped the Gators post a 20-14 record and reach the second round of the 2022 NIT. He spent the two seasons prior to that as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State, where he helped the Cowboys sign the No. 4 recruiting class in 2020 that included Cade Cunningham, the 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year and a first-team All-American who went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
In 2021, the Cowboys advanced to the finals of the Big 12 Tournament, earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and ended the year ranked No. 11 by the Associated Press – all firsts since 2005. Oklahoma State’s first-round win in the NCAA Tournament was its first since 2009.
Prior to his stint in Stillwater, Pastrana coached at three schools in Florida, his home state. In 2018-19, he was an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic working under first-year head coach Dusty May, one of three former White assistants at Florida who are now Division-I head coaches. Pastrana was head coach at Daytona State College for the 2017-18 season, where he led the Falcons to a 19-12 record and had four players named to the Mid-Florida All-Conference Team. A Miami native and Cuban American who is a member of the Latino Association of Basketball Coaches, Pastrana spent the 2016-17 campaign in his hometown as an assistant coach at FIU.
Pastrana also was an assistant coach for three seasons at Stephen F. Austin. During his tenure, the Lumberjacks won three consecutive Southland Conference Championships, produced three straight Southland Players of the Year and earned NCAA Tournament victories over VCU in 2014 and West Virginia in 2016. The 89 wins that staff accrued tied for the most by any coaching staff in its first three campaigns in NCAA history.
Pastrana began his career as a graduate assistant under Frank Martin at Kansas State from 2007-09. While at K-State, the Wildcats won 21 games each season, earned a pair of postseason bids, notched their first NCAA Tournament win in a decade in 2008 and saw freshman Michael Beasley selected No. 2 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.
Following his experience with the Wildcats, Pastrana worked as an assistant coach at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas, and Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla. At NWFSC, Pastrana helped lead the Raiders to a 30-4 record and an appearance in the NJCAA National Championship. On top of his collegiate experience, Pastrana has also coached two highly respected AAU programs, the Florida Rams and KC Run GMC.
Pastrana earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Florida State in 2007 and a master’s degree in counseling and student development from Kansas State in 2009.
