UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2008 > March > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMultifaceted decision on Felton’s fate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the first time since Georgia’s basketball season went into this prolonged swoon, coach Dennis Felton this past Saturday defended the job he has done with the Bulldogs and, consequently, acknowledged that his job is indeed on the line.
In case you missed it, in summary, Felton said he thought it was “bizarre” that anyone would question the work he has done at UGA; he compared the Bulldogs’ situation to the similar ones at Baylor, St. Johns and St. Bonaventure and said Georgia has done better overall than all three while playing in a much tougher league and against tougher competition overall; he said they’re recruiting great at the moment and close to being where he wants to competitively; and he said while this season was “definitely a step back,” he added that virtually no coach could have overcome the personnel losses the Dogs incurred.
It was a pretty passionate defense Felton delivered to me and three or four other scribes after the Bulldogs’ loss to Ole Miss in the regular-season home finale Saturday and I spoke to Felton briefly one-on-one after that. He clearly feels he and his staff should be allowed to stay on at least another year and beyond.
I’ve asked you guys to weigh in on the situation here before and, as always, you’re welcomed to share your opinions on that again now. But let’s talk about some of the other factors involved.
One, you must consider who you might be able to bring in. Remember, Georgia is going to be a little behind in this regard because South Carolina and LSU in the SEC and Indiana and Oregon State and some others outside of it already have been actively searching for coaches. By my estimation at least eight major conference jobs could be open by season’s end and that number will likely grow considerably after that. I am compiling a list of candidates but you tell me who you think might be out there and available for Georgia.
Two, recruiting is always a consideration and, by all indications, Felton and his staff have done pretty well the last season or so. As it is, the five freshmen from this year’s team would return next year, then you’d have PF Howard Thompkins (No. 6 in nation per Rivals), PG Dustin Ware and SF Drazen Zlovaric coming in along with two other as-yet unsigned prospects. Fire Felton and there are no guarantees how many of those guys would stay around to play under a new coach.
Three, for what’s it’s worth I’ve been told by some folks close to the situation that money won’t be a factor in the decision. That’s a good thing because it’s likely to be a costly one. UGA will owe Felton $760,000 per year for the next three years and then the market will likely produce a coach commanding $1 million or more in salary, depending on the candidate.
As for Damon Evans, I don’t have a strong feel for how he might handle this. If it were still Vince Dooley calling the shots, I’d bet you the farm that he’d give Felton another year to coach himself out of it. Dooley, being a former coach himself, always erred on the side of the coach (see Ray Goff, Hugh Durham and Jim Donnan). Evans, by contrast, has a mostly business background.
And finally, all of that might mean nothing. We’ve seen in recent years how UGA president Michael Adams doesn’t mind exercising his influence in athletics matters. He overruled Dooley on Donnan and showed a quick trigger on Ron Jirsa. He may just pipe up and say “do it” or “extend him” and that will be that.
I’m rambling on but these are all legitimate factors going into the postseason. Let me hear what y’all think about them.
Permalink | Comments (92) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
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Comments
By scooter11
March 10, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this
I don’t envy Evans’ position on Felton, but he ought to look at Landers, as well. Great record (usually) but falls short when it counts (usually). Effort this last weekend against KY was terrible by a supposedly talented team. Felton’s teams get the most out of what he’s got (usually); Landers’ teams don’t.
By Jim Earl
March 10, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this
I never liked Felton as a hire in the first place. He wasn’t a hot prospect and has coached like it. That said, I think he deserves one more season. No tournament in ‘09 and he needs to be goooooone!
By honest_abe
March 10, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
felton is very good coach. he inherited an absolute mess and has encountered numerous unfortunate events. throughout all that has happened coach felton still gets his undermanned squad to play hard and better yet they compete. if you compare the job that felton has done with the personnel that he has compared to what coach hewitt over at tech has done i don’t think its even an argument as to who has done better. give coach felton two more years and he’ll have this program on the rise. i’m a huge felton supporter and it would be a mistake for damon evans to let him go.
By Alan
March 10, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this
I think that Felton came in under tough circumstances. However, he has had ample time to improve and this year was/is a huge disappointment. I believe it is time for the program to go a different direction. His coaching decisions baffle me at times (not using timeouts esp.) along with the fact that noone on offense moves or sets screens they just wait for Gaines to do his thing. So, how can you say we will be better next year when we lose our best player. Felton has been an NCAA Division 1 coach for 10 years now and has as many tourney wins as I do (0). The guys that he is kicking off/dismissing are all players that he brought into school. Since he took over the following scholarship players have left the program (not including injury). Marcus Sikes, Channing Toney, Younes Idrissi, Kendrick Johnson, Mike Mercer, Takais Brown, Rashaad Singleton and Robert Dozier decided to go elsewhere after signing the previous year. I believe with a new coach and new blood and energy brought in we could make the dance next year.
By kenny from athens
March 10, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
Felton has one of two problems. Either he cannot recruit players he can work with or he cannot work with players that he recruits. Neither trait befits a head coach. If Georgia wants to be successful as a basketball program then it is time to move on. Both in facilities and in coaching personell. If the status quo works then keep Felton and be done with it. Either way, .500 ball is about all Felton is capable of.
By Caul Dawg
March 10, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this
He’s got to go, bring in a Duke or North Carolina assitant that wants a shot at building a program.
By AltamahaDawg
March 10, 2008 3:53 PM | Link to this
My bet is that D.E. will conclude that he really doesnt have that much to lose in another year. Next year the team will be some better, no real risk of irreversable damage. If its better, thats great. Even if it is better BUT not looking like going forward, he can honestly say then…its a basketball issue.
As it stands now, the worse thing I can imagine is that you suffer a horrible season because of academic standards, charcater issue, call it what you will, (failed drug test,M.S. of SI) then give away ANY benifit from the perception of a tough stance, by firing the guy that got crippled by it. Coaches, sport writers and fans will question that. I would be surprised if Evans didn’t extend his job, spell out certain expectations with that, and try to spin the virtues of a serious University/basketball program. I just don’t think this administrastion is going to run the slightest risk of appearing hypocritical, for the hope of maybe winning a few games sooner.
If he does extend coach, he’d better make a strong statement of support, because crippling reruiting NOW, he may as well fire him.
By honest_abe
March 10, 2008 3:58 PM | Link to this
i should also add i admire a coach who doesn’t cut corners. after the harrick fiasco uga needed someone who wasn’t going to bend when it came to discipline. it would’ve made coach felton’s life a lot easier if he had found a way for mercer and brown to stay on the team this year. in fact they would have almost surely made the tournament. but, they couldn’t comply with team rules so he booted them off the team. coach felton is a man of high character and a damn good basketball coach. all these naysayers who point to how the dawgs play these days and proclaim felton as a bad coach just don’t know basketball. he has barely enough scholarship players to put out on the floor. his current ugly method of basketball is uga’s only chance of winning.
By Michael
March 10, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this
Felton has had his chances, time to move on! What I’m hearing now is excuses! He’s not the right fit & hasn’t gotten the job done! Baylor is in way better shape than us at the moment so I have no clue how he can say he’s done a better job! It seems like he over reacts to off the court issues & is inflexible with kids. Why can’t we keep major contributors on the team? If those kids were the wrong fit then why did he recruit them in the first place! Why do we not see offensive innovation where he uses the talent he has instead of trying to make a traditional system work. If you have the players to play your “system” then great, if not then change things up to best utilize your current talent. An example of this how coach Martinez changed up the D last year going into the Florida game or how coaches Bobo & Searls designed the blocking schemes to best fit our young OL . We haven’t seen that kind of coaching from Felton! A couple years ago he had the perfect team to run a 4 guard look when in the same season Villanova did that & went on a good run. Then there’s other coaches like Calipari at Memphis being open minded enough to adopt a new offensive strategy. Other than going to an occasional zone rather than man he’s not doing much strategic maneuvering. So why should he get another chance?!? LET’S MOVE ON!
By atlantasportsfan
March 10, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this
I’m a huge Felton supporter myself, and think that you can blame the first few years on Harrick. And this year, he lost Mercer, Brown, Singleton, etc. While he didn’t force these guys to commit whatever acts they committed to get them kicked off the time (and while he should be commended for taking swift actions to punish them) shouldn’t he be held accountable for recruiting those guys in the first place?
Bottom line: I hope Evans gives him another year. Maybe Mercer, Brown, et al were recruiting mistakes, and we should give Felton a little more time to work with the guys that he’s brought in, and show what he can do with them. If we take another step back next year, THEN you get rid of him.
By AfroDawg
March 10, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this
I can just imagine the mess Felton has to deal with that we don’t hear about. All the average fan wants is a winning team, but for some reason I think this guy looks at the whole kid. Maybe when some guys come in and get with the program, which seems to be, play hard, go to class, and keep out of trouble then we’ll have a team to be proud of.
By Dawgs2008
March 10, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Felton’s downfall started last season when he benched Stukes before the Kentucky game. At that point he lost the respect of the players and a lot of fans. We had a solid chance to make a run last year and he wanted to play the Big Man and discipline.
I hope they fire his a$$ on Thursday right after another blowout!!
By shane #1
March 10, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
chip pointed out the fact that big coaching changes are in the works this year,it would be good to hang on to felton as long as he knows that a much better performance is expected next year.we have some good young players coming into the program next year and some good freshmen coming back.in the meantime ad evans can shop for a replacement,if necessary.i think you would have a hard time getting a GOOD assistant from coach k,his wife has been pressing him to retire.
By Steve
March 10, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
Felton needs another year. The hole Harrick dug was deep, and Felton has done exactly what has been asked of him. The recruits are coming in. The winning will follow. I’m just glad we once again have a program whose integrity it is hard to question.
By AltamahaDawg
March 10, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this
Folks can debate the shoulda coulda wouldas of knowing how a 5-star recruit is going to act his Junior year all they want, but the bottom line is reality, today. I just dont see a move right now. Timing is poor and the options aren’t certain.
By Trevor
March 10, 2008 5:45 PM | Link to this
Cause and Consequences I don’t see the issues. Cause - You don’t go to class. Consequence - You don’t play. Cause - You don’t go to study hall. Consequence - You get disciplined. Cause - You get arrested. Consequence - You get disciplined. These are the Athletic Department rules, he is just inforcing them. What I am reading is Joe Public want C.D.F. to turn his back just to have a winning season. THAT’S JUST WRONG!! These kids need to know that there are consequences to the decisions they make (GOOD AND BAD). I would hate to think that UGA would fire a coach for enfrocing its own rules. I would gladly have C.D.F. coach a child of minds….
By Gary T.
March 10, 2008 6:11 PM | Link to this
One more item. Is it Felton’s fault that the Dawgs get screwed over and over again by the SEC officials? Ray Charles would be better than some of these guys. The FB Dawgs had enough talent to overcome most of this, but basketball does not.
Also blame Felton for the injuries,including Mercer’s last year. Had he not been hurt then, things may well have been better even for Mercer.
Felton came to UGA when no really top player would come here. Thank you King Michael and horrick. He could not recruit great players with great attitudes because no one would come here. Would someone out there look at the Dean Dome, Rupp Arena, the attitude in -yes I will say it- Gainesville, Fl, and tell me why Johnny Bigshot would have come to UGA when Felton first came here, or even now for that matter?
If Felton is fired, who would Michael and Damon get?
Too many schools are too quick to pull the trigger.From the outside there appears to be far too much politics at UGA now. That means his majesty Adams.Academics have slipped in some ratings. Fire him.
The powers that be are not all bad. Jirsa should not have been hired for sure.
One blog griped about Coach Landers. Unbelievable. 20plus wins with what he had this year is a miricle. He is one of the best coaches and best persons ever at UGA. The people who put him in the Hall of Fame are stupid, and you know more?To the critic who wrote this- are you perfect? How many national championships in your business, with thousands looking on, have you won?
By Charles Shepard
March 10, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
I haven’t read all of the comments, so this may have been covered, but I keep thinking about all the things that have happened to this team that have been out of Felton’s control.
The biggest one to me is Mike Mercer’s injury last season. I mean, the Dogs were rolling going into South Carolina, and beat them up, but totally fell flat after Mercer was out. If Mercer stays healthy, they go to the NCAA tournament, and we’re not having this discussion at all.
And how much responsibility must we ascribe to Felton for guys who can’t go to study hall and class — things that are not unreasonable or surprise expectations. When are Mike Mercer and Takais Brown going to take some flack for this season?
By Charles Shepard
March 10, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
I haven’t read all of the comments, so this may have been covered, but I keep thinking about all the things that have happened to this team that have been out of Felton’s control.
The biggest one to me is Mike Mercer’s injury last season. I mean, the Dogs were rolling going into South Carolina, and beat them up, but totally fell flat after Mercer was out. If Mercer stays healthy, they go to the NCAA tournament, and we’re not having this discussion at all.
And how much responsibility must we ascribe to Felton for guys who can’t go to study hall and class — things that are not unreasonable or surprise expectations. When are Mike Mercer and Takais Brown going to take some flack for this season?
By Charles Shepard
March 10, 2008 6:19 PM | Link to this
I haven’t read all of the comments, so this may have been covered, but I keep thinking about all the things that have happened to this team that have been out of Felton’s control.
The biggest one to me is Mike Mercer’s injury last season. I mean, the Dogs were rolling going into South Carolina, and beat them up, but totally fell flat after Mercer was out. If Mercer stays healthy, they go to the NCAA tournament, and we’re not having this discussion at all.
And how much responsibility must we ascribe to Felton for guys who can’t go to study hall and class — things that are not unreasonable or surprise expectations. When are Mike Mercer and Takais Brown going to take some flack for this season?
By Martin
March 10, 2008 6:20 PM | Link to this
I believe we will be in error to fire Coach Felton this year. Our recruiting class next year sounds outstanding and we do not need to risk losing that. I also do not blame him for enforcing common sence rules involving player behavior. Felton is getting alot out of his team despite the personel and talent we were looking to have at the start of the season. Leave him be, he’s a fine coach.
By Pat B
March 10, 2008 6:32 PM | Link to this
Give him another year.
By AltamahaDawg
March 10, 2008 6:35 PM | Link to this
King Michael and horrick..now thats funny I dont care who you are.
The thing I would be most concerned about if I were coach Felton is that Evans hasnt already given his support for next year. Maybe he has better timing in mind. I know he said he would review the season as a whole, but come on, it is what it is. To me, the results midnight Saturday night with all of a few hundred UGA fan really that interested, shouldnt even factor in.
By AltamahaDawg
March 10, 2008 6:54 PM | Link to this
Thats a great point fellows about Mercer’s injury. Did seem to be the beginning of the end for him. I remember Chip commenting this summer that he was non responsive to questions and not on campus. I got the feeling there was even some question about his return at all.
What surprises me is how little folks are talking in here about the prospects of the boys playing right now, getting thier lumps, flashes of really good games here and there. I really think there are at least 4-5 youngsters that are going to be good players for somebody, and already experienced ahead of schedule (although painful to watch thier growth at times).
By TheItalianDawg
March 10, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
yeah, I do agree with many folks here, Felton must go. enough mediocrity. and Lander should held accountable for the poor showing of the lady dawgs
By Student
March 10, 2008 7:21 PM | Link to this
With all the talent in the Atlanta area, one would think Felton could recruit maybe one of them. For all of you promoting an additional year, look at his career record. Do we want a progam to look like it is cool with losing? LSU doesn’t put up with this crap as seen earlier this year
Fire this joke!
By Blackdawg
March 10, 2008 7:25 PM | Link to this
Feltons problem is he can’t get the team to spoon like the Coach Richt does, once he does, we’ll be fine
By hoopjones
March 10, 2008 7:46 PM | Link to this
It amazes me how little you Georgia fans know about basketball. You might as well keep the guy because you don’t even care about the game as is seen by you empty Coliseum!
Now if I were a Dawg (which I am not) I would be wanting a change! C’mon five years in and a losing record. Sure you lost Mercer, a throw in when you thought you had Williams. Not a program maker and was not event the third best kid in the Metro! Brown…a JC kid who never on anybody elses radar! Singleton was a waste at 7’0…who did you out recruit to get him. This years frosh have some talent, but who did they beat to get them? He can not recruit!
He can’t coach…why do you lose down the stretch in every game? Up 7 with under 10 to play and lost by 14 to a team that had 0 road wins in Ole Miss…c’mon!
I’ll bet the rest of league would hate to see him go and Georgia get serious about basketball. Dooley never gave a damn because if they wer good then that would something that would compete with him for the media time.
With all of the talent in this state, the practice facility and an admin that cares, it might be easier to win at UGA than UF. Pull the trigger and go get one of the following
Sean Miller - Good luck he’s going Big 10 or Big East
Anthony Grant…would be a Gator if Billy did not back out on Magic
Travis Ford… Would be a great fit in the SEC and will play Pitino style…fans like that. Will take his second different school to the NCAA tournament this year
Get one of those three and see you in the tourney in 2 years!
By Gary T.
March 10, 2008 8:36 PM | Link to this
reply to hoopjones
sir/m’am
Mike K , Dean Smith, and Chuck Knoll are among those who would have been fired while losing if they had been starting out now with the win now at all cost attitude that is screwing things, teams, and lives up. if you think I am wrong, check their records for the first 3 years or so. And yes, they had a lot more pressure but also a lot more support.
By Jesse Jackson
March 10, 2008 9:17 PM | Link to this
Leave my brothers Felton, Hewitt and Woodson alone! If it weren’t for you white folks bringing them down they’d be fine!
Don’t judge them by their won/loss record, judge them by the content of their character!
By BoogDog
March 10, 2008 9:17 PM | Link to this
Fire him now. He sucks. We deserve better. Quit making excuses Coach and win a game for crying out loud.
By FL DAWG
March 10, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
Felton is a good coach. His downfall has been players not staying in school for various reasons. The biggest question to me is his recruiting. Has he spelled out his expectations to the recruits and how has his recruit evaluations been. He has brought in talent, only to lose them later for missing class, poor grades or some unspecified violation of team rules.
I say give hin one more year with a clear outline of expectations and if he makes it great, if not, look for another coach as soon as it is clear he will not meet the outline expectations.
Who would we bring in at this point anyway?
By T-bone
March 10, 2008 10:03 PM | Link to this
losing record, poor discipline/team control, takes the fun out of the game, atheist. 4 reasons he needs to go. Bring Harrick back. He could coach Donnovan and Gillespie under the scorers table.
By tom
March 10, 2008 10:37 PM | Link to this
There’s not enough marijuana in Athens for another set of Felton recruits.
By CourtsideUGA
March 10, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this
how does a coach felton allow UGA officals to search the dorm rooms of players? mercer and humphrey’s rooms were both searched and they found no drugs. in the case of humphrey, they searched his room for drugs (probably instigated by felton) and found a pocket knife. now, humphrey is suspended for a knife. with all the powers that coaches have, you mean to tell me that felton was not aware of this dorm raid?
there is no way in hell i would come to UGA if the coaches/university allowed random raids. humphrey had no prior offenses before this.
i don’t know about the rest of the bulldog nation, but an NIT appearance every five years is UNACCEPTABLE! send felton back to japan to coach.
By BeachGaBulldog
March 10, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this
Felton obviously did some research on Baylor, etc., so he would have a good set of answers all prepared for the media the loss on Saturday, so he could try and justify his coaching. That idiot has no defense. He has done a lousy job, and I have never liked the guy from the start. Obviously, he can’t hold students hands, but I feel he should be held for some accountability with Mercer, etc., troubles. I don’t see any improvement, and when I have watched us on TV, the guy doesn’t show any passion. He talks to the players, but I don’t see anything else, unlike Donovan and Pearl who show a lot of fire. The bottom line is that Felton needs to be fired. PLEASE DAMON, get us somebody worth a damn!
By Al Sharpton
March 11, 2008 4:06 AM | Link to this
Right on, Jesse Jackson:
All these white alumni trying to hold Felton accountable, talking about wanting to win games when he’s trying to teach young boys to become young men.
There aren’t enough black coaches in college athletics, and here you guys go wanting to fire one of the few in the name of accountability. Pathetic.
Just think, if Richt had just lost 2-3 more games last year, you’d be calling for Damon Evans’ head.
By Seriously
March 11, 2008 4:14 AM | Link to this
5 years later and we finished DEAD LAST in the SEC. Do you people understand what that really means? The SEC is one of the worst overall major conferences in Div-I college basketball this year, and Georgia finished DEAD LAST in the that conference.
I always appreciated Georgia’s Top 25 football teams, not the Top 10 teams, but the other ones, realizing how bad it COULD be. I would be happy if we just fielded a competitive team. What we have now is horrific and you have to chop off the monster’s head. Stop giving this guy a free ride. Let’s face it, just about anybody could finish better than DEAD LAST in the SEC. This is ridiculous for the University of Georgia, maybe for Mississippi State, but not for Georgia.
SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP, MY FELLOW ALUMNI HAVE LOST THEIR FVCKING MINDS.
By Ted Langford
March 11, 2008 6:00 AM | Link to this
It’s unbelievable we’re even having this discussion about Felton. Let’s see, he has been at UGA five years and look at his resume. National Championships, zero; SEC Tournament Championships, zero; SEC regular season championships, zero; SEC East division titles, zero; Top 25 ranking at season end, zero; NCAA tournament as one of the top 65 teams in the country, zero; How can you care about your team and let this be acceptable for five straight years with the same coach. No more excuses. He has got to go!
By Vic Johnson
March 11, 2008 7:14 AM | Link to this
First, if Felton is retained, then closing down the borders in GA is top priority. We need an assistant who would be a “recruting coach” who can keep at least 5 of the top 10 high school players from GA each year. This state has the talent, we just need to keep it.
Why is it that NOT 1 high school game is held at the UGA Coliseum??? No recruit ever gets to feel the college atmosphere at UGA.
If Felton is let go, I would like to see a go at KENO DAVIS @ Drake. Good coach and solid basketball blood lines—(dr. Tom Davis)
By Paula
March 11, 2008 7:27 AM | Link to this
Maybe Adams will fire Felton and hire Jim Harrick! Seriously, Felton is a good coach and inherited Adams’ self-made mess. He is a a long-term coach! Chip, write about something else.
By Fred Garvin, Bettendorf MP
March 11, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this
I’m not a DAWG fan, but I would keep Coach Felton. He is cleaning house, and setting the tone that he wants clean hard-working players and recruits. If you can’t handle the rules…get off the team.
Give him another 2 years. It would be too easy to boot him especially with the success that the Football program is having.
Let’s see what type of Leadership skills that Damon Evans exhibits. Will he take the EASY road and fire Felton OR will he give Felton a couple more years to keep re-tooling?
By SouthGARules
March 11, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
Compared to Baylor? Which UGA player shot & killed another one? Did UGA have to play an abbreviated schedule like Baylor? Baylor’s situation made UGA like UNC or Duke. Didn’t Felton have several holdovers from the Lizard of Westwood’s final team in his first year? (Wright, one of the Hayes brothers, Wilkins, etc.) Also, you forgot Wayne Arnold & Steve Thomas who were dismissed as well. Quit making excuses. Florida lost their top 6 players & only had 9 scholarship players this year & still won 20+ games & spanked UGA twice.
By JD
March 11, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
When do the former players get blamed for some of this? It seems that Coach Felton is going to take the full brunt of everone’s frustrations, and it’s clear that everyone’s frustrated. Mike Mercer was the team’s leading scorer, the glue that kept them going. When he went down, that was, to coin a phrase used in an earlier post, the beginning of the end; oh, and he was on pace to graduate on time, if that means anything to any of you. He was dismissed from the team for being a ‘distraction’. He wasn’t dismissed for anything academic; it appears that there was some disciplinary problems with him and Takais Brown previously before any dismissals took place. If someone is causing problems on your team (and we all know how much chemistry plays a part in basketball - if you don’t, see the current state of the third basketball team, the Atlanta Hawks), do you keep him around in the hopes that you’ll be able to work thru it?
Credit Coach Felton for doing the right thing and disciplining these young men and kicking them off the team, even when the possibility that he would not have a successful season was at hand. Too many times we see athletes in society with an aire of entitlement, where they think they can get away with anything and not suffer the repercussions of their actions. And the first thing that many of you would say if Coach Felton did nothing is that he’s looking the other way in favor of winning. So if UGA won with Mercer and Brown, knowing what you know about them now, would you keep Coach Felton or would you fire him?
And yes, he is to blame for recruiting these players without being thorough, but in this ‘win-now-or-else’ era, there’s a lot of pressure to bring a program like Georgia back from the depths of hell, as it were, to where it is right now. It’s a two-sided argument. If we were discussing Coach K, do you think the powers that be at Duke would fire him because he’s not winning enough? That’s how Coach K began his career at Duke and the AD there stood by him through the process. It would be very short-sighted for Evans or Adams to fire Coach Felton at this critical juncture in the program’s return to prominence.
True, his 5 year record at UGA isn’t as impressive as his record at Western Kentucky. But even starting out he struggled before turning that program around. I say keep the man at his post. First of all, you’re not going to get a top notch coach to come in here right now and right this ship. Current coaches that are winning right now are locked in; no way their AD’s let them go. Coaching in a watered down conference (see Calipari in Conference USA) as opposed to coaching in a tough conference like the SEC would give the best coaching prospect a few gray hairs. Secondly, he is holding his players to the academic guidelines set by the university. He could have EASILY let Mercer and Brown play, but to do that would go against his principles and the university’s standards. I’ve seen one too many student athlete get USED (yes, used, as in play their four years, use up their eligibility and scholarship, then have to struggle later to complete their degree requirements). To hold his players to a standard of achievement is the stance he should have taken, and did. Toward the end of his run at Indiana, Coack Knight was not winning as much; he lost his job due to frequent run ins with the administration, not because of his record on the basketball court. True, he would get to the tournament, but more than once he got bounced in the early rounds of the tournament.
Patience, people. It takes time to turn things around, and Coach Felton will do that. And for some of you to say that it should have happened by now, it should have, no question. But to have the kinds of setbacks that this program has had to endure in recent years would make even the best coaching prodigy wonder.
By reasonablefan
March 11, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this
Didn’t like Felton at first but he has grown on me. Probably by beating Tech 3 of the 5 years he is hear and you know they had the better talent. So the guy can coach. At first he did not try to endear himself to Georgia fans. I’m a season ticket holder and I have seen a change. We seem to be well coached most of the time. Here is the problem. Felton does not recognize talent and brings the wrong kind of folks into the program. He needs to check their character. All those he has run off, he recruited. He needs to get himself a good recruiter. Bottom line, he deserves another year.
Now Andy Landers, no way. He is the worlds worst coach. He can tear down a teams confidence and morale better than anyone I have ever seen.
By DN
March 11, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
It would be a monumental mistake for Damon to fire Felton now. The program has been on a general ascent under Felton until this year, which I view as an anomaly. If we fire him now, we’ll lose all of our recruits (including Trey)— that’s exactly what happened when Harrikc got the boot — and the best we could hope for would be another “up and comer.” So we’ll start over yet again, and it’ll be another 3 -5 years before we know whether that coach will work out. For once, let’s be patient. I think Felton can coach, and I think most folks agree with that sentiment. Give him time, like Duke gave Coach K. Not saying that we’ll have the same results, but I do believe he’ll make our program very competitive and will do it the right way.
By ck
March 11, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
Booby knight…er I mean Bobby Knight Could turn this program into the next dynasty… He could finish what Tubby started….I wonder if he would be interested in coaching in the SEC…. It would be more of a challenge for him than analyzing at ESPN… Lets give the man a call.
By uga95
March 11, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
Coach Felton is a disciplinarian. He demands that his players conduct themselves in a certain manner. That has cost him many games over the past couple of years. But he stuck to his guns and in the long run, it will pay off. The worst thing you can do to a coach like him is to pull the rug out from under him!! What message does that send to future teams?
By Elmo
March 11, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
Are we talking about Mark Gottfried ? Funny - you could swap out Felton’s name with Gottfried and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
By JW
March 11, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
Bring in Bob Knight
By Mike
March 11, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
I like Dennis Felton and everyone knows he inherited a complete mess. In addition, he has had a lot of bad luck along the way. On the other hand, I am tired of losing UGA basketball teams. If schools you have never heard of can put top 10 teams on the floor, why can’t a D-1 athletic powerhouse like UGA do the same? Other SEC teams have (see Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida). Felton has had five years to make some improvement and after this time, another losing season. It isn’t right. I’m sorry, Coach, your time has come. Any improvement would have saved your job, but this season, after five years is not enough. We need a change.
By RAMBLE ON!
March 11, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this
Felton kicks the thugs off the team, Richt suspends them one game against Clayton Community College.
If Tony Cole was a football player, he would have missed one game, two, or maybe three (Odell).
He’s a better coach than Hewitt though. Felton can only get the thugs that GT won’t recruit.
By AltamahaDawg
March 11, 2008 12:33 PM | Link to this
RAMBLE don’t you get tired of hearing yourself use the term “thug”? twice. Seriously, is it your vocabulary or your mind that is so small? You can’t even participate in a discussion, without constantly using the same misapplied word, time and time again, no matter the situation.
By innocent bystander
March 11, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this
I’ve never really cared for Coach Felton. He has never admitted that anything has surprised him— gives the impression that he has anticipated everything, can account for everything. I’m quite sure that is not the case.There is also the possibility that his own ego and an excessive compulsion to control his players to an unreasonable degree led to the dismissals beginning with the (shockng) dismissal of Steve Thomas his first year right on up to the Mercer and Brown dismissals this year. All that said what he inherited could not have been his fault. Kevin Brophy’s death was not his fault.Mike Mercer’s injury was not his fault.And maybe just maybe the Mercer/Brown debacle was not his fault. I have to believe Damon will fire him or we would have heard differently by now. I hope not. He deserves one last year to show improvement.It’s unlikely he’s degenerated as a coach since those years he was beating Tubby regularly at Western Kentucky.
By scooter11
March 11, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
Ramble: I agree with you - Hewitt does get the thugs he recruits and Felton has no chance at them.
By Seriously
March 11, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this
Let’s give hime more time (what 10, 15, years, will that make you happy?)…
He inherited a complete mess (okay, already, we’re almost in the next decade)…
It’s the players’ fault (let’s not blame the leader, no it’s NEVER the leader’s fault)…
Te program has been on an ascent (what?!, you need to get out your Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, we finished LAST in the SEC this year!)…
If we fire him now we’ll lose all our recruits (if we keep him, we’ll lose more, and if we get a better coach, we may get better recruits)…
We’re not going to get a top notch coach (that’s the worst excuse EVER, there are PLENTY of great assistants who would take this job)…
The SEC is a tough conference (what?!, you must be smokin’ crack, not this year, my friend)…
I’m bored with this crap. You people are pathetic bleeding heart liberals. If it were up to you, Felton would be retained and be given a RAISE! WTF?!
It takes time to turn things around (what?! 10, 15 years??!!)…
He is cleaning house (yeah, of all our good players and recruits!)…
By Meg Nichols
March 11, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this
I question the fact that we are better than Baylor. Big XII is a pretty tough conference, perhaps tougher than ours and Baylor stayed even with a very tough schedule, much tougher than ours. So, infact if Baylor could achieve what it did with limited resources, we should have done so as well this year. May be we need Baylor’s coach.
By Steve
March 11, 2008 2:16 PM | Link to this
Felton is in an emotional situation, but he’s compeltely clueless to relate his situation to Baylor’s. Baylor is two seasons removed from playing 0 conference games due to NCAA sanctions. Further, the SEC is not better than the Big 12 in basketball…not this year, at least. The SEC has 3 teams in the RPI top 40…The Big 12 South (Baylor’s division) has 3 by itself. Felton is just plain wrong in his self-assessment.
By Bye Bye Dennis
March 11, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this
Why can’t he keep players? Where’s Rashaud Singleton? Where’s Channing Toney? Where’s Younes Idrissi? These players weren’t kicked off the team - they left voluntarily. I’m glad Felton runs a clean program. But if you can’t recruit and retain at some level, you can’t call yourself a class program. Coach Felton’s ability to effectively recruit is damaged - and his program is on life support. Dr Kevorkian - where are you???
By Steve
March 11, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this
Edit - Previous post should say “0 non-conference games”.
By I-DOG
March 11, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
This discussion has changed my mind.
I think Felton deserves one more year and then if he makes the NCAA Tourney reward him, if not, buy out the last two years of his contract.
By I-DOG
March 11, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this
Ramble on:
Richt’s thugs? When was the last time a UGA football player got arrested for something serious? Guns, drugs, or violence.
I will admit that I take Donnovan’s DUI seriously as that can hurt other people, but other than that (and he will probably be suspended for a 1/4 of the season!) there have been j walking, moped, and underage drinking shenanigans.
Not like at Tech where Houston was trafficking narcotics (and tech still played him the minute they were allowed to) and isn’t tech the team that just got off probation for using academically ineligible players in football?
By Corliss
March 11, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
I say give him one more year. This situation is very similiar to Tom Coughlin’s in NY. Being a disciplinarian is fine but you have to make a few compromises. “Cleaning up” the program can sometimes lead to alienating players and what few people in the fan base are still left. Hopefully, that’s what Evans & Adams will bring to Coach Felton’s attention.
By honest_abe
March 11, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this
bye bye dennis: i don’t know about toney or singleton but i think both were cases of players who thought they were better than they actually are. they thought they could get more pt someplace else. good riddance.
as for idrissi, that cat spent more time downtown than he ever spent on the court. i know because i saw him out there all the time!
By DAWG
March 11, 2008 5:45 PM | Link to this
Chip, would this even be a topic if it was our beloved football team? 5 years is more than enough time to win.The players don’t even like Felton.
By Marty
March 11, 2008 6:51 PM | Link to this
One man=Anthony Grant
By T-bone
March 11, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this
Guys….puhleaze…don’t kid yourselves, this is not Damon Evans’ call. This decision is way over his head. Oh sure, he might be the figure head to “hand over” the pink slip, but this decision will be made by M.Adams and the “athletics board”. Damon is a very nice guy, but he’s “big hat, no cattle”. Barring a VERY unlikely deep run in the tourney, Felton is gone….whether he deserves it or not. G-O-N-E.
By Teddy Jack Eddy
March 11, 2008 8:35 PM | Link to this
If we knew we could get Anthony Grant or Travis Ford I’d say do it.With so many positions open for these guys to pick through I think some sort of study on who we could get to replace Felton is key.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
March 12, 2008 6:05 AM | Link to this
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Georgia Southern BEAT Appalachian State, who BEAT Michigan. And, Michigan ended up No. 18 in the Final AP Poll 2007-2008. Chris Hatcher is a fine football coach. This is a great football game in-state. Note please that Georgia Tech won’t play Georgia Southern.
Central Michigan, who played in the Motor City Bowl against Purdue, is not a good opponent for UGA ? But, they have been GOOD OPPONENTS for Purdue, Boston College, Michigan, Kentucky, Penn State, and Indiana in just the last 2 years. Yeah, right. Brian Kelly is in his 4th season playing such schedules every year and features 1 of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Dan LeFevor who averaged 341 yards of total offense per game, despite this grueling schedule Central Michigan posts every year. LeFevor has 53 passing and 26 rushing TDs and is a Junior now this coming season. That’s a cupcake ? He also has a receiving TD for 80 TDs scored in his 1st two seasons. Yeah, right – that’s not a good game. It’s a great game.
Dennis Erikson at Arizona State, has two previous National Championships at Miami of Florida, and has 1 of the top teams in the nation ending up ranked No. 16 in the Final AP Poll 2007-2008. Arizona State played Texas in their bowl game. Arizona State vs. UGA is the Number 4 non-conference game in the country next season according to Scout.com’s Top 40 non-conference games. The SEC is ranked the No. 1 Conference in the nation this morning again, and features 8 of the Top 11 non-conference games. Then there are the conference games.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
March 12, 2008 6:07 AM | Link to this
This is Spring Practice. See to it that you address yourself to it.
We are No. 2 in the nation.
Georgia Tech BEAT Clemson by Double-Digits and Clemson ended up No. 21 in the Final AP Poll 2007-2008. Georgia Tech has played in 11 consecutive bowl games. Georgia Tech vs. UGA is ranked the Number 7 non-conference game in America this up-coming season according to Scout.com last week of the Top 40 non-conference games of the up-coming season. Paul Johnson brings his running offense to Tech who hasn’t exactly passed the ball well, but has proved it can run the football before Paul Johnson got here now.
South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier has a National Championship when he was at Florida, and he beat UGA last season for the 1st time in his South Carolina history. They also beat Kentucky and Mississippi State last season and were far better than more than half the teams that did get to play in a bowl game last season.
Alabama’s Nick Saban has a NC at LSU and just had the No. 1 Recruiting Class of all programs. Alabama won their bowl game against the Big XII, and also beat Tennessee. Their bowl win gave The SEC The Most Bowl Wins by any Conference again, as The SEC did the season before as well.
Tennessee ended up No. 12 in the Final AP Poll, after destroying UGA in the regular season in Knoxville, playing for the SEC Championship against National Champ LSU and knocked Wisconsin down to No. 24 in the Final AP Poll after beating them in the Outback Bowl. Phil Fulmer didn’t recruit well again this season, but he certainly had a good season.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
March 12, 2008 6:10 AM | Link to this
” GOODYEAR can’t build a tire worth a CRAP” and AJ-C’s Chip Towers can’t write a blog “worth a CRAP. “
Bobby Johnson at Vanderbilt beat Steve Spurrier of South Carolina last season to knock Spurrier out of being able to play in a Bowl Game despite not having a losing record. Now, in his 6th year at Vanderbilt, Bobby Johnson beat UGA the year before last, beat Florida and Tennessee the year before that and is generally regarded as a coach who could coach at a more solid-footed program and win there too, obviously.
LSU is the national champion, again. Going to Baton Rouge to face Les Miles, is not worthy of a comment – I presume ?
Florida is the national champion before LSU. We play that game in Jacksonville, from where they get all their players. Florida ended up No. 13 in the Final AP Poll after beating Tennessee 59-20 when Les Miles utterly ripped Phil Fulmer.
Kentucky BEAT Florida State in their Music City bowl game with one of the top payouts of $1.5 million dollars. Kentucky also beat National Champion LSU, in case you forget and therefore ended up No. 28 in the Final AP Poll with 57 votes ahead of Wake Forest, Boise State, Arkansas, and Mississippi State (and Appalachian State.)
Auburn ended up No. 15 in the Final AP Poll and while like Coach Richt Tommy Tuberville doesn’t have a NC either, they both most assuredly sit atop the list of such coaches without a NC. Tuberville beat Urban Meyer, like Coach Richt did. He also beat Nick Saban for the 6th consecutive win of Tubs over Alabama.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
March 12, 2008 6:16 AM | Link to this
I can well imagine why a poster might post a post anonymously in an UGA blog pointing out that everyone in America considers No. 2 in the Final AP Poll Coach Richt’s Bulldogs’ schedule the toughest in the nation.
Is this possibly because he doesn’t want to compare his team’s schedule, with this one ?
Duh.
Ed Clark, owner of NASCAR race track in Hampton, Georgia said it too. So did Jeff Gordon. Dale Earnhardt Junior said the tires were “crap” as well. Spring Football for the No. 2 team in the nation is underway, as well, and we come in here and the AJ-C has some spin to discuss - NOT ON ANY OF THESE SUBJECTS.
Wake up Chipper Towers.
Your blogs are “crap.”
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By ............................................BuLLdawg
March 12, 2008 6:21 AM | Link to this
.
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Georgia Tech had a worse season, and while Dennis Felton has a winning record against Tech, Paul Hewitt has a LOSING RECORD against UGA.
In addition, there are more teams from The SEC that will be in the NCAA Tournament than the ACC gets as well.
Did I mention Georgia BEAT Georgia Tech in this sport too ?
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By dawgman
March 12, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
I think Felton and Landers need to go. Both have underachieved with the talent available and the teams aren’t getting any better. Bring in some big time coaches who know how to win in tough conferences—-hire Anthony Grant at VCU to replace Felton—-do it now, because every other school will be after him soon.
By Scott
March 12, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Give Felton another year. He did reasonably well, considering all the adversity.
By Henry Reardon
March 12, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
I’d be willing to grant Felton a lot more leeway if he had a) ever acted like he actually wanted to be here, or was proud of that fact, or b) if he had ever actually taken accountability for even one of his program’s failings. He has done nothing but b*** and moan since he’s been here. Everything bad that happens to his program, it’s either a victim of circumstance, administrative policy the “mess” he inherited, or worse- the players themselves.
It seems Dennis Felton expects everybody to be held accountable except…Dennis Felton.
By Stingin Jacket
March 12, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
I’m a Jacket fan, but even I can see that UGA would be fools to get rid of Felton. He inherited the biggest embarrassment to hit UGA in their entire legacy of sports. Felton is quality and class through and through. If UGA is dumb enough to let him go some other school will snap him up in a second.
By ......................BuLLdawg
March 12, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
I have a very tiny pecker.
By For The Record
March 12, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this
Hey Bulldawg,
It’s me again.
Yes Felton has a winning record against Tech, but that is only because the home team almost always wins this game and Felton has played Tech 3 times at home and 2 times away. Thus his record is 3 and 2. Get it?
Since both Felton and Hewitt have been at their respective schools, Hewitt has 3 20-win seasons, 3 NCAA appearances, and 1 NC game appearance. Felton has 2 NIT appearances.
So shut up.
By offensivedog
March 12, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
Please hire an assistant coach who knows something about offense (I guess Harrick isn’t available?)and let Felton coach defense.
By AltamahaDawg
March 12, 2008 5:23 PM | Link to this
How about an assistant that knows how to shoot freethrows?
By shane #1
March 12, 2008 6:01 PM | Link to this
alt,free throws seem to be a lost art today,along with the mid-range jump shot,and the pick and roll play.kids should be able to shoot their foul shots before they get near a college.however,many high school players get by on their size,strength,and athletic ability,and don’t learn the game.when i was playing hs ball missing a couple of free throw earned you a spot on the bench.somebody needs to tell these kids that a 10 foot jumper or a couple of free throws count as much as a dunk.
By bravesfan79
March 12, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this
So Hershal Walker wants to spend more $$ on physical fitness for schools??
How about teaching all the little black kids (and that means highschool age kids 2) how to do the basic stuff like multiplication first?
I hear of a teacher that said some of them…for example to multiply (5 times 6) they draw 5 dots….. then repeat it 6 times. then add up all the dots…..HAHA…. sad actually..
Dont worry Hershal…if they dont get the physical education in school thell shurly get it in jail when they have nothing to do but workout.
By scooter11
March 13, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
Bravesfan: You are just plain ‘ignant’. Haven’t you ever heard the phrase “sound mind in a sound body”? At least #34 is making an effort on some front, and has been for a number of years.
By I-DOG
March 13, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this
Chip,
A question about Spring practice:
Since we only have two proven traditional TE’s and we use some two TE sets…
Will the Dawgs cross train someone like Chapas or Munzemier(spelling?) in case of emergency… so that if we lose a TE or two to injury, we can still have an effective blocker in two TE sets?
By ............................................BuLLdawg
March 14, 2008 5:47 AM | Link to this
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So Georgia Tech is bristling over UGA hats worn by recruits at their practice last night. Paul Johnson tried to annoy the Tech players at football practice by saying when UGA has beat them 6 times in a row. Yes, Paul Johnson, if Coach Richt has beat Georgia Tech 7 times in a row in football, then yes we have beat you 6 times in a row.
Paul Johnson, Try to keep up.
Counting to more than is found on one extremity for Georgia Tech football players, with a worse APR (NCAA Academic Progress Rate) than The University of Georgia Football Players, requires what ? 2 Slide Rulers ?
What is the AJ-C going to say when the Conference who has their Men’s Basketball Tournament in this city ends up with more teams in the NCAA Tournament than the stinking ACC ?
Virginia is a horrid men’s basketball team, and Georgia Tech has a Losing Record in basketball because it Lost to Georgia. Georgia Tech also lost to Virginia this season. Tech also lost to Winthrop, whatever that is. And, Georgia Tech lost to UNC Greensboro, whatever that is. Yet, we are told how great Tech is, Georgia isn’t, Paul Hewitt is secure with his Losing Record to UGA, and how Dennis Felton must be fired with his Winning Record against Tech. Have fun against Duke Georgia Tech fans, **both of you.
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By ............................................BuLLdawg
March 14, 2008 5:48 AM | Link to this
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Big 10 is not only the worst Football Conference, but they also are the worst men’s basketball conference in addition.
Let’s run down the top Big Ten (11) Men’s Basketball Teams, shall we ?
59 SOS Wisconsin.
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50 SOS Michigan State.
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55 SOS Indiana.
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109 SOS Purdue.
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These are the TOP Big Ten (11) Men’s Basketball Teams 2007-2008.
And, the only ones expected to make the NCAA Tournament Big Dance.
No. 68 Average Strength of Schedule for all Big Ten (11) NCAA Tournament Teams, and NOT ONE with a Strength of Schedule less than the Top 50.
Which is the WORST MEN’S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE 2007-2008 ?
Answer : the same as it is for the worst football conference 2007-2008.
The Big 10.
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By REGGIE BALL
March 14, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
Tired of hear the same old thing. “HE CAME IN UNDER TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES.” It ahs been 5 years … I don’t think that Evans has the guts to fire him. I bet he gets one more year, especially after winning last night.
By REGGIE BALL
March 14, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
Tired of hear the same old thing. “HE CAME IN UNDER TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES.” It has been 5 years … I don’t think that Evans has the guts to fire him. I bet he gets one more year, especially after winning last night.
By murdock5151
March 14, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this
what happenned to the daily dose of spring football blogs, it has been quite a while
By Coondawg69
March 14, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this
At least Evans realizes that this is an important decision. I personally would like to see a change of direction. It’s a huge decision and Evans better make the right choice. That’s why he’s making about $500K. Make a wrong decision and you can become Tennessee— see Wade, O’Neil, and Buzz. Make the right choice and you can become, well, Tennessee— see Pearl. Question: Does Evans want to be a player in men’s basketball? If he does, he’ll make a change. If he doesn’t, he will not. Let’s not forget that the University of Florida is a football school. Over the past 15 or so years, Florida has won two national championships in football…. and been to a Final Four, lost the championship game, and won the last two men’s national championship…. Hmmmm, what has Georgia done during that time span…. oh that’s right, Georgia must be a Gymnastics school!!!
By Coondawg69
March 14, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
At least Evans realizes that this is an important decision. I personally would like to see a change of direction. It’s a huge decision and Evans better make the right choice. That’s why he’s making about $500K. Make a wrong decision and you can become Tennessee— see Wade, O’Neil, and Buzz. Make the right choice and you can become, well, Tennessee— see Pearl. Question: Does Evans want to be a player in men’s basketball? If he does, he’ll make a change. If he doesn’t, well, he will not. Let’s not forget that the University of Florida is a football school. Who over the past 15 or so years has won two national championships in football…. and been to a Final Four, lost a championship, and won the last two men’s national championship…. Hmmmm, what has Georgia done…. oh that’s right, Georgia must be a Gymnastics school!!!