UGA denies report VCU coach was offered job

Neither University of Georgia president Michael Adams nor athletics director Damon Evans has discussed the vacant Georgia basketball coaching job with rumored candidate Anthony Grant, a UGA official said today.

Georgia associate athletics director Claude Felton was responding to an Internet site’s report that Adams offered the job to Grant, the Virginia Commonwealth coach, over the weekend. Grant’s team was eliminated from the NCAA tournament by a 65-64 loss to UCLA on Thursday.

“I can say with complete authority that neither Damon Evans nor Dr. Adams has ever had a conversation with Anthony Grant as of today, Monday, March 23,” Felton said in an e-mail denying the report. Felton sent copies of his e-mail to numerous reporters who cover the Georgia program.

Earlier today, Evans told the AJC’s Chip Towers: “All I can say is … we have not made any offers to anybody.” Evans declined to discuss specific candidates.

Alabama was granted permission to speak to Grant by VCU athletics director Norman Teague, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Alabama AD Mal Moore contacted VCU Saturday night and was given permission on Monday. Tide coach Mark Gottfried was asked to resign in mid-January.