New coach intrigued by Bulldogs’ potential: Slonaker says Georgia ‘hit a home run’

Athens —- Envision an old Western movie. A mysterious stranger rode into town Friday and was presented the badge as Georgia’s new marshal of basketball.

The few people who know anything about Mark Fox say the Bulldogs got themselves a top-shelf sheriff.

Mark Slonaker, a former Georgia player and assistant coach who now works in UGA’s office of development, was one of the few locals attending Friday’s introductory news conference who knew the new coach from Nevada.

“We hit a home run here,” said Slonaker, a former head coach at Mercer who said he’s known Fox since he was an assistant at Washington in the early 1990s. “I’m thrilled. When I heard we landed him, I told everybody who asked, ‘great hire.’ We did great.”

Fox, 40, was chosen from five candidates athletics director Damon Evans and UGA President Michael Adams said they talked to about the job. He was, they contend, the only candidate offered the position.

Fox accepted a six-year contract worth $1.3 million per year. Previous coach Dennis Felton, fired Jan. 29 during his sixth season, was making $760,000.

Fox was one of two applicants interviewed Thursday in the offices of Parker Executive Search in Atlanta. The Bulldogs had discussions with Missouri coach Mike Anderson on Monday and Tuesday. Clemson’s Oliver Purnell and Miami’s Frank Haith were approached later. Georgia also had hoped to speak to Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel, though it’s unclear whether they met.

“I said from the beginning we were going to conduct a national search, and we did that,” said Evans, declining to discuss specific candidates. “But I cannot express enough how impressed I was and am with Mark Fox. He’s a great fit for the University of Georgia.”

Fox believes he is. He spoke of Georgia as being the kind of job he has sought his entire life.

“I certainly was attracted to the potential of this program,” he said. “I haven’t slept much the last three days because of my excitement.”

Fox was on planes a lot. He spent at least 16 1/2 hours flying back and forth from Atlanta to Reno on Wednesday and Thursday. He met with his old team Thursday night in Reno and his new Georgia team at 7 a.m. Friday in Athens.

“I was really excited because we waited on him a pretty long time,” freshman forward Drazen Zlovaric said. “I liked the way he talked and the way he carried himself. He was serious and relaxed at the same time. He was straightforward with us. I’m really excited to get into the gym with him.”

Fox said he was bringing only one member of his staff with him to Athens, No. 2 assistant Kwanza Johnson. He said he wanted to add coaches familiar with Georgia and would consider assistants on the current staff.

Fox succeeded current LSU coach Trent Johnson at Nevada and won 81 games the first three seasons to tie a national three-year record held by Gonzaga’s Mark Few. Overall, Fox was 123-43 with four WAC titles and three NCAA berths. He was 2-3 in the tournament.

Trent Johnson might be the only person east of Garden City, Kan. (Fox’s birthplace), who can speak with any real authority on Fox. Besides having worked together, the two are best friends. Johnson introduced Fox to his wife Cindy in Washington.

“What you have in Mark Fox is —- and I’m speaking from the standpoint of facts, not bias —- is a great coach,” said Johnson, in Detroit attending the Final Four. “Look what he did at Nevada. The biggest compliment I can give is I’m not looking forward to competing against Georgia that one time a year. It’s probably going to put a strain on our relationship. He’s that good.”