UPDATE (February 21, 2018) - After essentially sleepwalking through another loss that slammed the brakes on any momentum built by the wins over Florida and Tennessee, it appears more likely than ever that the Mark Fox era is nearing an end in Athens. On February 10th I posted my Top 10 Wish List for Georgia's next coach. Below you'll find four new suggestions submitted by readers, followed by the original post, including updates on what those coaches have done since then.
READER SUGGESTIONS
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| Kermit Davis |
Kermit Davis (via @Str8StatsMLB) - This is another one that brings huge marketing potential. "Kermit The Dog" t-shirts would surely sell well assuming UGA would be willing to pay to use the likeness of a certain amphibian. You can't argue with his recent success at Middle Tennessee State (the coach, not the frog): Four conference championships in the last six years (and first in the standings so far this season) and back-to-back trips to the second round of the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons. He's perhaps most famous for MTSU upsetting second-ranked Michigan State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016. But he's also been in Murfreesboro since 2002 and may not be looking to start over at age 58 (he'll turn 59 next season). That's certainly not old by coaching standards, but there is also a checkered past at Texas A&M and two very short stints at Idaho that could raise longevity questions. The thought here is that he's done more than enough during his time at MTSU to merit UGA at least kicking the tires.
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| Chris Beard |
Chris Beard (via @Str8StatsMLB) - I'll save some time by suggesting you click on his name to track his journey from graduating college to becoming head coach at Texas Tech. Long story short: In his first year as a Division One head coach he took Little Rock to a Sun Belt Conference championship and the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016. Now in his second season in Lubbock he had the Red Raiders ranked No. 6 in the nation before back-to-back losses this past week. A Saturday showdown with No. 8 Kansas will be interesting to watch for any UGA fan with Beard on their wish list. He clearly has the Texas Tech program in better standing than Georgia currently finds itself, but no one in their right mind would rather live/work in Lubbock than Athens.
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| Ron Hunter |
Ron Hunter (via @Str8StatsMLB) - This is a longshot at best. Hunter is nearing diety status at Georgia State and could soon be coaching in a shiny new palace in what used to be the Blue Lot at Turner Field. Why leave a place that adores you for a bigger brand name program and/or more money? (I'm looking at you, Tubby). Anyway, if you've watched college basketball at all the last few years you're familiar with
Hunter falling off of his scooter when his son hit a game-winning three-pointer to lift No. 14-seed Georgia State to an upset of No. 3-seed Baylor in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. It made "One Shining Moment" that year and he's been something of a college basketball celebrity ever since. The Panthers also haven't been back to the tournament since, but currently stand second in the Sun Belt. This is an interesting suggestion, but I see better fits on this list.
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| Matt McCall |
Matt McCall (via @UGA_Fan11) - You can make the argument that the downward spiral for this current Georgia team began on Saturday, December 16th, 2017 when a 7-1 Bulldog team essentially failed to show up for a loss in Amherst. Most Georgia "fans" didn't notice because that was the first day of bowl season for college football. But it was ugly and ruined most, if not all, goodwill generated by winning seven of the first eight games of the year. McCall is a Florida alum and legacy. Part of me would never want that in Athens. Then again if we'd said that about Auburn in 1964 we would have never hired Vince Dooley. McCall is in just his first year at UMass so he may hesitate to leave so quickly. Before that he was at Chattanooga for two years. In year one he led the Mocs to a Southern Conference championship and the NCAA Tournament. He's also very young, just 36. Keep an eye on him.
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The following was written on February 10th, 2018. Updates on each coach are listed at the end of each entry...
This is not something I ever wanted to write. Nine years into Mark Fox's tenure at The University of Georgia I wanted to be writing about Final Fours and possible national championships.
But here we are.
Let me start by saying I absolutely adore Mark Fox and appreciate everything he has done for our program. He has always represented the university with class and honor. In a sport constantly riddled with scandal, he has famously done everything the right way.
But here we are.
The fact that this is about Georgia basketball means many Bulldog "fans" won't read it, and that's part of the problem. For whatever reason, a large percentage of the people you see driving around town with a big "G" on their truck can't identify more than one player on
Georgia's current basketball roster, or tell you who the
baseball coach is, or that one of the
most decorated gymnasts in UGA's storied history is now running the program.
Me? I'm one of the few for whom a Final Four would mean as much as last season's run to the Rose Bowl. Now, I'm not going to say that I follow equestrian as much as football, but I did take pride in the
men's tennis team beating Georgia Tech for the 31st time in its last 32 meetings.
The point is I'm a year-round Georgia fan, and I'm not talking about "football-signing day-spring game" year-round. As such, I've never been more frustrated with Georgia basketball than I am right now...and that's saying something. I've lived through
John Wallace,
Ron Jirsa (who was actually quite nice to me at my first job in TV but just didn't win enough games), the
Jim Harrick scandal and
Dennis Freaking Felton.
Mark Fox has done good things for Georgia, but this was supposed to be his year. Once Yante Maten decided to return for his senior season this was supposed to be THE year. At worst, an NCAA Tournament berth was expected. Quietly many of us felt this team had Sweet Sixteen potential or better. Instead, this season has unraveled into a nightmare to the point where anything more than (yet another) NIT appearance seems unlikely.
So here we are.
It's time for a change. As I type this I'm watching an unranked Alabama team (that Georgia dominated in January) destroy a Top-15 Tennessee team. It's the same thing UGA should have done earlier in the day against No. 8 Auburn, which was playing without its leading scorer. I spent the second half of the Georgia game researching possible replacements for Mark Fox that can hopefully, at long last, end our suffering.
There are three ways an Athletics Director can go in a coaching search: Established coach with good resume who is currently unemployed, successful smaller college coach looking for a bigger stage and top assistant at elite program. I believe my following Top 10 list includes a decent mix of the three:
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| Dan Majerle |
10)
Dan Majerle - Yes, THAT Dan Majerle. Who knew he was coaching at Grand Canyon University? That's the one you see advertised on late night TV. "Thunder Dan" is something of an NBA legend from his 14 years in the league, mostly with the Phoenix Suns. As a head coach, he's 98-53 in five seasons and would bring NBA cred to Athens. A bit of a wild card, but at this point what do we have to lose?
UPDATE: Two straight losses, including a bad one to a previously 11-14 Cal-Bakersfield team. I think you can effectively cross "Thunder Dan" off the list.
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| Tommy Amaker |
9)
Tommy Amaker - Seems to be the favorite of UGA basketball fans on Twitter due to leading Harvard to five consecutive Ivy League championships and four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. I could never figure out how his Seton Hall resume earned him the job in Ann Arbor to begin with, but I appreciate what he did at Michigan amidst
self-imposed sanctions. That said, all of that was a long time ago and we could do a LOT worse than Amaker.
UPDATE: Two more wins, tied atop the Ivy League with Pennsylvania. The two play each other on Saturday, February 24th.
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| Jon Scheyer |
8)
Jon Scheyer - The first of two Duke assistant coaches on this list, he recently topped a CBS Sports list of assistants ready to lead their own program. He has spent the last five seasons studying under Mike Krzyzewski. He's very young, just 30 years old. But if you're looking for someone who can relate to the players and be in for the long haul, he might be worth the risk.
UPDATE: Two big wins for Duke, including a big road victory over then-No.11 Clemson. Blue Devils seem to be hitting their stride, which only enhances Scheyer's value. I will say this: If you're going to go the assistant route I'd prefer to just hand the keys to
Jonas Hayes.
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| Rick Stansbury |
7)
Rick Stansbury - Any college basketball fan is familiar with this name. He is the winningest coach in Mississippi State history having spent 14 years in Starkville during which he took the Maroons to the NCAA Tournament six times. The knock against him is that he was never able to get them past the second round. He's been the head coach at Western Kentucky since 2016 and, as of this writing, the Hilltoppers are unbeaten in Conference USA play.
UPDATE: Two more wins. Currently trail Kermit Davis's (see above) Middle Tennessee State team by two games for first place in Conference USA. The Hilltoppers and Blue Raiders face each other a week from today (March 1st).
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| Jeff Capel III |
6)
Jeff Capel - The second Duke assistant on the list. His first go-around as a head coach was a roller coaster ride. A single NCAA appearance at VCU earned him the job at Oklahoma, where he took the Sooners to the Elite Eight in his third season. He won just 27 more games over his final two years in Norman, and 13 of those were later vacated due to an ineligible player. He's been Krzyzewski's right-hand man for the last seven seasons and the feeling is he is the heir apparent in Durham...unless someone lures him away first.
UPDATE: Remember what I wrote about Jon Scheyer above? Same.
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| Tubby Smith |
5)
Tubby Smith - Hear me out. Yes, he currently has a job but things aren't going well in Memphis and the fan base is not happy. In my lifetime the greatest two years of Georgia basketball were the Tubby Smith era. Sweet 16 his first year, a number three seed in the NCAA Tournament his second before he left for Kentucky which he called "the only job he would leave Athens for". I was a student when he was at Georgia. He was a god. I firmly believe if he'd never left he would have a statue outside Stegeman Coliseum right now and there would be a couple of Final Four, and perhaps NCAA Championship, banners hanging from the rafters. I also believe that somewhere deep in his soul he wishes he'd never left Athens. He won a national championship at Kentucky but most Wildcat fans attributed it to players left behind by former coach Rick Pitino. If he and Memphis part ways at the end of this season I'd be willing to let the story come full circle and see if the final act of his career is getting UGA back to the level he left it. Maybe he's lost it. Or maybe he can still earn that statue.
UPDATE: Two wins in three games. Stuck in the middle of the pack of the American Athletic Conference.
Fans and alumni still grumbling. Should have stayed in Athens the first time. Wait, have I said that before?
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| Dan Hurley |
4)
Dan Hurley - In his sixth year at Rhode Island, Hurley has become a regular on the short list of athletics directors at larger schools looking for a new coach. He has a famous name (younger brother of former Duke star Bobby Hurley), last year took the Rams to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999 and, as of this writing, is 19-3 and unbeaten in Atlantic 10 Conference play this season. Two years ago he turned down Rutgers. Maybe this time he's ready.
UPDATE: Two wins in three games, though the Rams had their 21-game conference winning streak snapped. Can you imagine Georgia winning 21 straight SEC games? Rhode Island remains on top and in control of the Atlantic 10. This would be a home run hire.
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| Tom Crean |
3)
Tom Crean - Want to make an Indiana fan twitch? Mention this name. Crean was shown the door in Bloomington at the end of the 2016-17 season that saw the Hoosiers lose in the first round of the NIT. But before that he took Indiana to the Sweet 16 three times in eight seasons, winning two Big Ten titles. That gets you fired at Indiana. It gets you a parade down Broad Street at Georgia. Throw in a Final Four appearance with Marquette in 2003 and his current status as one of ESPN's main analysts and this is your big name, big resume hire if Greg McGarity wants to open up the wallet.
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| Earl Grant |
2)
Earl Grant - Grant is the current "next big thing" du jour. When I asked a UGA basketball season ticket holder friend of mine who he thought should get the job he responded with a link to Grant's Wikipedia page almost before I finished the question. Now in his fifth season at College of Charleston, Grant's teams have improved each season reaching the NIT last year and currently sit at 19-6 (10-3 in Colonial Athletic Association play). Before that he was an assistant at Clemson where he earned a reputation as a top-notch recruiter. He also has history in the state of Georgia having played at what is now Georgia College and State University. He is a native of Charleston, so prying him away from his home town may be tough.
UPDATE: Two more wins. Currently tied for second-longest win streak in Division One with 10. On top of the Colonial Athletic Association and a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament. I'd be shocked if Greg McGarity hasn't already sent out a few feelers. Actually, no I wouldn't.
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| Joe Dooley |
1)
Joe Dooley - I mean, come on. The marketing writes itself with this hire. Can you imagine the "Dooley's Dawgs" t-shirt sales? But he's more than a moniker. In four years at Florida Gulf Coast University (Dunk City) his teams have finished first, second, second and first in the Atlantic Sun including NCAA Tournament berths each of the last two seasons. You know how frustrated we've all become with Mark Fox's offense? Dooley's Eagles have scored more points than all but eight other teams in Division One. His predecessor at FGCU, Andy Enfeld, is on the verge of taking Southern Cal to the Big Dance for the third straight season. I believe Dooley can do even better in Athens.
UPDATE: Two bad, weird losses, allowing 90-plus points to Kennesaw State and Lipscomb. The Eagles are Atlantic Sun Conference regular season champions, but the defense will have to regroup if they are to go dancing. At this point I'd say Hurley, Grant and Beard top my list...in that order.
This is the time for Greg McGarity to figure out if he's serious about basketball. There is no reason we can't do what Florida, Tennessee and now Auburn have done. While I understand the difference in donation levels and revenue generated between the two sports, this hire should be just as important to McGarity as Kirby Smart was. Georgia basketball, with its shiny new/old arena, should be a national point of pride for the University.
Mark Fox has been a model of how to run a clean program. That must continue. But this also has to be a home run hire and I believe any of the men on this list will be.
