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March 31, 2009

ESPN: Georgia Offers Anderson $2 million per year

UPDATE 4: He's staying at Missouri for $600,000 - 800,000 less per year in base pay than UGA offered. I'm not sure what Damon should've done different. He offered a quality, qualified candidate 300 percent more money than he was currently getting, 50 percent more than his current employer counter offered with, AND roughly the same amount that UK paid their coach last year. Geez. As for the leak, it wasn't our end. We had no incentive to leak. All the leaks started in Memphis.

Here's the official statement from Mizzou. here's the money line:
Financial details of Anderson's seven-year deal will be released at a later date upon complete execution of the contract.
I read that to mean, he hasn't signed anything. So, he could STILL end up at Memphis if they offer $3 million a year as rumored. He's just not coming here.

UPDATE 3: KC Star lists what Big 12 coaches make. If you're wondering, Anderson's rumored offer in SEC terms would put him third behind Calipari's offer and Donovan. Pearl would be fourth at $1.6 million.

UPDATE 2: Towers talked with Jimmy Sexton, Anderson's agent. Sexton says no offer from UGA yet. Sexton is legendary at working over all parties in situations like this. He's an artist. This is his true medium.

UPDATE: I desperately want Anderson, and I'm not sure we can get him if Memphis throws a staggering offer at him. But I'll say this. Anyone that doesn't think UGA is serious about putting a winning product on the court after we offer more than $2 million a year for a b-ball coach has their head lodged squarely in their rectum. The rumored six year $14 million offer to Anderson would be roughly the equivalent aggregate salary that we've paid all our head basketball coaches for the past 30-35 years combined.

PWD

186 comments:

StandupifyourUGA! said...

I pray this works out. This is what Damon wanted. A coach who turned a big time program around quickly. He also did it at UAB. Completely different defensive/offensive mindset than Felton. Capel ran the same sets as Felton. This would be a fun show to watch on the court. Also, he has recruited Atlanta. Perfect if it works out.

rbubp said...

They must feel pretty confident that he will accept, or we will be going down the "bad search" road that Parker was hired to avoid.

dawgnotdog said...

Unless the Missouri AD was hiding some cards,

his discussion with Anderson should be pretty short.

"You want to work here for about half a mill less?"

"OK, bye"

Ubiquitous GA Alum said...

I'm pleased ... all along I wanted AD Evans to go big. This is it. If Anderson declines, then we reassess.

However, I'll still be pleased and less apathetic if we went the mid-major route from the start (e.g. Grant)

The Watch Dawg said...

Great news.... good to know we haven't been getting all excited about a guy that wasn't even a candidate.

Anonymous said...

Good news and the timing is perfect. Memphis will not have a chance at him if Calipari has not come to a decision yet. Hope this works....!!!

Anonymous said...

Very interesting. Not sure Mike Anderson is a $2 million man, but so be it.

I do know this. He will never have to recruit but about 4 counties in the entire state of Georgia, and we could go undefeated running that full-court press if we can get all the kids into school.

Bernie said...

Sounds like Memphis is matching UKs offer. Still be surprised if Calipari stays, but it sure would be nice.

dawgnotdog said...

We are ahead of the curve on the 2 million dollar man.

We are about to see a big jump in basketball coaches salaries, fueled by the espn money to the SEC.

EVERY SEC school has extra money to spend, and Bama and UGA have thrown the gauntlet out there to spend it on hoops.

MikeInValdosta said...

I really do not think this would have got out in the press if we were not fairly sure he was going to accept. From the start, I believe the whole goal was to avoid a public rejection/humiliation.

Go Dawgs

Squarebush said...

From ESPN.com:

"If Anderson doesn't take an expected offer from Georgia, the Bulldogs are expected to turn to Miami's Frank Haith with an outside shot that Clemson's Oliver Purnell could be in the fray."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4029629&name=katz_andy

The Watch Dawg said...

It'll be nice if we can land him if for no other reason than to boast to the Alabama fans that we got more for our money. Haha. The Bammers will be PISSED.

Mr. Egger said...

I hope those aren't our backup plans if Anderson falls through. It'll be interesting to see how this thing ultimately shakes out amongst all parties.

Unknown said...

Guys,

Just because it leaked doesn't mean it was our guys. If you're the agent for Coach Plan B, then you're heavily motivated to leak anything you know or think you know to the press in an attempt to blow up someone else's deal.

PWD

rbubp said...

Or to get yours in someone's "desirability index," even if not the actual rumored school.

Anonymous said...

AJC is set to report that the offer to Anderson has not been made, per his agent.

Anonymous said...

Too bad Damon wasn't the AD when Tubby was here. Oh well, maybe if Anderson takes the job it means he will stay.

dawgnotdog said...

Ah yes, the "why did we not do anything to keep Tubby here comment"

There was NOTHING we could have done to keep Tubby here, short of keeping Pitino at Kentucky.

Anonymous said...

Maybe not more but surely something less than telling him he should go.

Vince Dooley, the grim reaper of UGA basketball.

MikeInValdosta said...

Frankly, I will go with Schlabach before the AJC.

Anonymous said...

PWD, do you know anything about the AJC morons suggesting they have a comment from Sexton that a deal was never offered to Anderson???

Unknown said...

It's Sexton. Take it with a grain of salt.

Anonymous said...

The AJC got scooped, so they want to prove that the story is false.

RC said...

If our Plan B guys are truly Haith, Hamilton, and/or Purnell, that would disappoint me a great deal. I could only conclude from that that we are far more concerned with our next coach's pigmentation than his actual body of work.

StandupifyourUGA! said...

The best news yet is the silence from Calipari. It means that Memphis is probably trying to match UK. I'm sure Sexton is holding off to see what Memphis does before advising Anderson to sign with Georgia.

Anonymous said...

StandupifyourUGA! - "I'm sure Sexton is holding off to see what Memphis does before advising Anderson to sign with Georgia."

Great point. Supposedly Memphis has already matched or at least come close to UK. He's just deciding where he wants to be.

Anonymous said...

Wonder why Sexton says Anderson is in the "sorting out process" if no offer has been made?

Also, Sexton may have tipped that Calipari is taking the UK job by implying Memphis is in the mix for Anderson.

Finally, I'm not quite sure why Sexton would take this sort of shot at Georgia: "Georgia appears to want to make a commitment to basketball and Damon probably has the most to offer. But Georgia hasn’t won consistently over the years and you wonder what the reason is for that."

Bernie said...

Sexton's an agent. He's paid to make statements like that and work every angle.

Anonymous said...

He wants and expects us to pay more to compensate his client for taking on the risk. Nothing more, nothing less.

Anonymous said...

Maybe I am missing something, but is Memphis in position to make a pitch to Anderson? I am assuming they are still making their pitch to their own coach? Or are we assuming Calipari is gone?

Ubiquitous GA Alum said...

News Channel 3 in Memphis reporting that Calipari has agreed to be the next coach at KYgel ...

http://www.wreg.com/wreg-calipari-decision,0,7710064.story

MikeInValdosta said...

Pure negotiating through the media.

Get the fan base all roiled up and then back off and question how committed UGA is to basketball.

Translation: Show me some more money

MikeInValdosta said...

Anderson's leverage is going through the roof!

HMMMMM said...

I dont really live under a rock, just have memory issues. Anyone know off the top of thier heads how much Richt is making? Dropping $2mil + for hoops, while needed, may lead to a re-do for Football guys.

Ubiquitous GA Alum said...

CMR makes 2.8M in salary with various bonus opportunites for milestones ... SEC, Bowl, MNC, etc.

Hobnail_Boot said...

Anon @ 1:30 - Is what he said untrue or unfair?

chris - CMR makes $2.8m + bonuses.

Anonymous said...

Hobnail Boot - Sexton's comment about Georgia basketball implies there may be some intrinsic obstacle to UGA ever being consistently good. Even given it's true that Georgia hasn't been a consistent winner, there is no need for him to take shots at a school that is helping his client get paid no matter where he goes.

rbubp said...

He's just being an agent. It doesn't mean anything more than "pay me more" or "we think Memphis may throw something on the table."

rbubp said...

Hale suggests indirectly, and I'm inclined to agree with him, that the "no offer" speak by Sexton is part of the protective language: there may be an agreement not to let on that there is an offer on the table until Anderson accepts, because then if he chooses Memphis instead, we do not look jilted--we never officially offered.

Ubiquitous GA Alum said...

The Courier Journal (Lex-KY) is also reporting that Calipari has accepted. He's also reached out to former UK coach Joe B. Hall and intends to contact Eddie Sutton and Tubby Smith ...

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090331/SPORTS03/90331023

Anonymous said...

PWD: Does he work in profanities, as well?

jason said...

Phoenix tv station reporting Anderson is #1 on Arizona's list.

Anonymous said...

News straight out of Columbia, Missouri: Anderson is not, I repeat NOT, heading to Athens. He eithers stays at Mizzou or leaves for Memphis. Hello once again crappy hoops!

The Watch Dawg said...

Anon@ 3:50 -

Does it surprise you that in Missouri they think Anderson isn't leaving? I'll bet that's the same thing fans in Memphis are saying about Calipari.

Larry Cromulent said...

Not really sure why everyone is acting like not getting Anderson could mean the end of the world.

Sean Miller's resume is just as impressive as Anderson's is. Both have been to the Elite 8 and the Sweet 16 in the past two years. Both have had success against larger programs.

Anonymous said...

MSNBC reporting Anderson has been offered job of CEO of GM by the Obama administration.

Anonymous said...

Larry, the sky is falling because they know who plan B is. If Mizzou keeps their man, we are f#cked.

Anonymous said...

How do we know who plan B is?
I don't. You don't. Andy Katz doesn't. Haith and Purnell were mentioned by Katz as in play for the UGA and Bama job way, way back in the beginning. They are his default candidates for mid-tier SEC hires. Nothing more, nothing less.

Anonymous said...

I love that Damon is going after Anderson, but the thing is that we already passed on even interviewing Anthony Grant...

If you pass on even speaking with Grant, one of the top options around, then you can't come home with Haith or Hamilton. You just can't. That's a disaster and Damon should be publicly and privately vilified for it. If you pass on Grant you have to get Anderson or an even prettier girl (Tubby or Sean Miller for example), but you can't come with the FSU or Miami guys. Damon's a joke if that happens.

Anonymous said...

If we don't get Anderson we need to slow the process back down and reset our search. We don't HAVE to have a coach named by the end of the week.

rbubp said...

Anon 4:16, David Hale is saying that he has been hearing Haith, too (and not Purnell, notably). Andy Katz is clearly uninformed...

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 4:20. I think you are overvaluing Grant. Evans could have interviewed him, but he chose not to. I don't believe that DE is a dumb man, so he must have his reasons. Have faith things will be alright.

Anonymous said...

We didn't want Grant. The day will come sooner than later that Grant would have left for greener pastures and a prettier school.

Also, for those of you that have repeatedly suggested that our BB arena is of no concern to a new coach; Schlabach reported on the radio earlier that Mike Anderson feels that there are 2 issues to worry about. Our long standing mediocre BB program and our BB arena.

MikeInValdosta said...

how long before the AJC rebukes that?

Anonymous said...

Well if those are Anderson's issues then he needs to decide in his own mind if he's the coaching equal of Tubby Smith and Jim Harrick. Both of those guys won, and had they stayed, would have won big at UGA, the Stegasaurus not holding them back.

Is Anderson man enough?

Squarebush said...

Consider how much time is spent in Stegeman versus how much time is spent in the new facility.

Stegeman is the perfect size for everything that is done in there athletically.

With a spruce up of the outside of the venue and an update in the concourses, concessions, and restrooms Stegeman will be good for several more years.

JB said...

i dont like the waiting game.. did we or did we not offer the job? the longer this drags on the less optimistic i am about anderson being our next coach, i hope im wrong, i'd love to have him! but can we really beat out memphis and arizona for him? does anyone have any idea who our second choices would be?

JB said...

how bout me?

im the 21 year old son of a insurance man, who coached rec league basketball for 15 years. i think i'm qualified, can someone put me in touch with good ole damon?

MikeInValdosta said...

Good story on carousel out of Arkansas

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/sports_blog_post.asp?pID=4342

Irwin R. Flecther said...

Some of you boys sound like you have the 'endurance' of a Jason Biggs in American Pie.

In fact, let's look at our search so far in those terms.

You have Bama...clearly in love with Grant...wanting to lock it down quickly...not even looking at other options. Clearly Bama is Henry Rowengardner. He scored with Tara Reid and look how that turned out. He was a bona-fide loser in the 2nd movie and Tara Reid ended up with a terrible boob job and alone on drugs.

Kentucky? They are trying to score with the European hottie...and they are doing it online in front of everyone. Here is the key here...if they get Cal, it is like the ultimate re-write...if they don't, they end up with the crazy red head chick from Band Camp b/c she was the only one left that would touch him after he blew his wad (h/t- thanks, Nique!) on live TV.

The way I look at it is that UGA is going to crap all over ourselves and end up with Stiffler's mom (i.e. Bobby Knight... an exciting night on the pool table but nothing that can ever be considered either stable, healthy, or more than a fun story) or we are going to have to step out on a limb (see not interview Grant), quit Lacrosse, and sing for our true love, and not tell anyone that we scored. It may not be sexy or 'newsworthy' (Chip Towers is such a douche..."it's quiet so UGA must be failing in it coach search"- No, dumbass, it's quiet b/c the AJC had to turn off your blackberry service b/c no one reads that doggy training fish wrap), but you end up with Mira Sorvino neck-ed on a dock.

Peace!

skidawg1985 said...

Paul and Anderson sitting in a tree...

There is a definite man crush here.

Anonymous said...

"But Georgia hasn’t won consistently over the years and you wonder what the reason is for that."

LMFAO

No way ANYBODY takes that job. I'd rather be unemployed!!!

Hobnail_Boot said...

+1 Irwin R. Fletcher

SSB Charley said...

"I'd rather be unemployed!!!"

Like you have a choice.

Anonymous said...

ESPN has reported the inevitable that Calipari has indeed accepted the UK job.

Anonymous said...

nothing on espn online yet.

Anonymous said...

Its on there now, the contract isn't yet signed but they have agreed to terms

Anonymous said...

link?? I was just on espn and it is not there.

Anonymous said...

http://m.espn.go.com/ncb/story?w=188ru&storyId=4031573&i=TOP

Anonymous said...

Imagine the first day with the team if Anderson goes to Memphis.

"Hi, I'm Coach Anderson and I beat you punks in the tourney like you were stepchildren. Start running and don't stop until I say stop."

The Watch Dawg said...

I just want to thank Irvin Fletcher for the best comment I've ever read. I'm still laughing over here. Beautifully done, well played sir.

Anonymous said...

FWIW, Mizzou Rivals' site reporting Anderson to stay. 1.6M per/yr for 7yrs.

Anonymous said...

Dangit! Confirmed on ESPN that he is staying...for a half million less per year than UGA offered...ouch! http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4031846

Anonymous said...

Damon should have hired Bobby Knight. At least he wnated the job!

MikeInValdosta said...

not to get all "Annie' or anything, but the sun will come out tomorrow.

Let the reactionaries start their dog pile now...

MikeInValdosta said...

It had to be the 7 years, had to.

Sure glad we kept this quiet.

Larry Cromulent said...

SEAN MILLER.

That is all.

burt said...

Bobby Knight will be a much better hire than Anderson or Grant. We got lucky.

Anonymous said...

Yeah but would Bobby take the job now?

The Watch Dawg said...

We're not hiring Bobby Knight. Good god you guys are idiots.

Anonymous said...

Well, there is our embarrassing public rebuke.

We are f*cked, to put it clearly. Dumbass Damon Evans f*cked this up royally.

Where do we go now? Put all you eggs in one basket and take it in the pooper. Great job damon. you failed.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MikeInValdosta said...

Does anybody remember when the AJC was a 24/7 news organization?

They have been so damned behind on this story.

Cox sucks just that!

Anonymous said...

I am not calling for Damon Evans' head just yet--I am calling for Parker's. How much are we paying him?!? To do what right now?!?

Anonymous said...

Actually The Watch Dawg, Damon is the idiot. He should have fired Felton last year when there was a better shot at hiring a quality coach. Again Bobby Knight is the ONLY name coach that wants the job. Now we are left with a bunch of ACC rejects.

Anonymous said...

A million cocktails to Mr. Fletcher.
And did we ever REALLY think that Anderson was coming? I think we got a little ahead of oursleves...
Sean Miller ain't happening either fellas. I'm telling you, don't be surprised if we end up with Tubs. The FSU or Miami dudes would be a hiring FAIL.

Larry Cromulent said...

Anon 9:17

Are you kidding me? Idiots like you really give the whole Anonymous Commenting thing a bad name.

Damon screwed this up? Really? WE HAVEN'T EVEN HIRED A COACH YET. Please allow him the opportunity to screw it up before crushing him for it. There are plenty of capable coaches out there. The world isn't going to end because Mike Anderson is staying at Missouri.

What impresses me (yes, I used the word "impress") about this is that Anderson and Sexton listened. That is the place UGA basketball is in right now -- we should be happy that Elite 8 caliber coaches will even listen to us.

Anonymous said...

LOL, I'm not so sure they "listened" to us. More like UGA was used as leverage for higher pay.

sarge said...

I can just feel all the bammers laughing at us right now.

Anonymous said...

Larry, Amen brother. Lets give it a chance. All the yahoos who complain at the drop of a pin are out in force. Pathetic.

Damon went for the gold. Adams is most likely never going to accept Knight. Lets give it a rest until we see what happens.

And kudos to Mike Anderson. Staying at Mizzou and remaining loyal to the kids he recruited and coached is a rare trait these days. I wish we had him, but I can still admire him.

Unknown said...

Missed Anderson...Grant already gone...but I'm keeping the Faith that Damon will get a good guy.

Anonymous said...

Complete disgrace. He took about $650 K LESS to stay with Mizzou.

Evans has to be kidding? We hired a search firm for this? Regardless of who we eventually hire (surely some mediocre African-American coach from a major conference, ie, Haith, Hamilton, Purnell) this is a complete embarassment.

GOPUGA said...

Paul,
Love your blog and I agree with you on this coaching search. You can't blame Damon after he offered 2.3 million per year and I still think we will get a pretty good coach. I wish everyone would wait till a hire is made and then gripe if need be

murph turner said...

Damon didn't screw anything up, we weren't going to give anyone a freaking 7 year deal.

Anonymous said...

You are right it is a complete embarassment. Call me a yahoo if it makes you feel better but Damon has gotten nothing up his sleeve except a few ACC rejects.

matt b. said...

He must have visited Stegeman

Anonymous said...

Something tells me Bama knew Anderson wasn't going anywhere and that's why they went so hard after Grant.

Anonymous said...

It appears that Evans is in a little over his head. If you can't sell the SEC, our recruiting base, the brand new practice facility, and $600-$800K MORE A YEAR to a potential coach, it reflects on the salesman, not the job.

You don't offer unless you are sure he will accept. As far the "leak" - it certainly was Anderson's people since he signed for about 2/3rds of what we were offering.

Bottom line, this puts a huge stain on other coaching candidates. Evans better have an Ace up his sleeve. You cannot hire a guy like Haith or Purnell and expect to ignite this fan base.

Anonymous said...

We spent over three months, money on a search firm and let other qualified coaches get poached only to be publicly humiliated by the first guy we offer (and all for an extra $750K?)

Kudos Damon - keep up the good work.

The Watch Dawg said...

I love how people who clearly don't follow UGA basketball 11 months out of the year suddenly know without a doubt that the sky has fallen and Damon Evans has failed. Good lord...

Anonymous said...

matt b - actually you're right, he did. Schlabach said on espn radio today that Anderson was not impressed & was concerned a/b Stegeman. It was a big deal to him.

matt b. said...

Well no one can say that Stegeman isn't a detriment to the University. Today proved it.

Anonymous said...

@ anon 9:47: I heard that Bama stayed away from Anderson b/c of his graduation rates. Don't flame me; I'm only saying what I heard. I don't even know any truth to it b/c I haven't check his graduation rates. Those numbers, though, are numbers I haven't seen anywhere with any of this search.

Oh, well, though.

We all expected a big splash, but we just need someone to put us back on the map and reestablish credibility. Even a decent coach should have success at UGA with the in-state talent. On the upside, at least we're not locked in long-term with Paul Hewitt!

Anonymous said...

Eh, let's just hire Bobby Knight, and get it over with. Our first two choices are gone. If we couldn't land Anderson, there's no way in hell we are getting Capel. Hire Knight and at least have a little bit of exposure as opposed to hiring the coach of East Something State who'll just be a Felton part II.

Anonymous said...

Massive. Collosal. FAIL.

Skeptic Dawg said...

I hate to say that I told you so, but I flippin' told you so. For days now I have been saying there is no logical reason for Anderson to head to Athens. Everyone who was screaming 1. Money 2. Recruits 3. New Practice Faciluties can kick rocks. Apparently money is not everything to everyone. We simply shot too hight given our current status in the hoops world (which I applaud DE for doing). We have to be realistic in our search and/or hopes and dreams. Haith and/or Hamilton would be terrible hires for most schools, UGA included. Our next move is anyone's guess. Good luck DE!

Anonymous said...

Lon Kruger, line one. Lon Kruger, line one. We need someone with the ability to move us up and get us stable while we get the Coliseum remodel done. Once he retires, or moves on somewhere else, then we can try and break the bank for a guy.

Make no mistake this was a very public failure.

Sexton took Damon to school on this one. There was no real interest if you turn down that kind of guaranteed money.

bob said...

Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you.
Forget the dead you've left, they will not follow you.
The vagabond who's rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore.
Strike another match, go start anew
And it's all over now, Baby Blue.

cabyrd11ugacubs said...

what do we do now

cabyrd11ugacubs said...

who is interested in this job
we have plenty to offer what is the problem

skidawg1985 said...

UK was turned down by Lute Olson and PJ Carlesimo before CM Newton found a guy named Rick Pitino. That turned out just fine.

What can you do when you offer someone that much money and the person says "no"?

Maybe he really likes Missouri and with 8 players coming back, he might be thinking "Why go some place with little (no?) basketball history and build a program when I have got something good started here."

Keep in mind if he were the UGA coach and turned down another school offering a lot of money, everyone hear would be saying what a great and loyal person he is.

Skeptic Dawg said...

cabyrd11ugacubs: What exaclty do we have to offer? Apparently cash is not enough, nor is the "hot recruiting bed of Atlanta" enough. To land a "high profile" coach, UGA hoops has to first prove that it can win on a consistant basis. That has never happend here. Not that is can not, it just HAS not. You may disagree, but then we are back to the chicken or egg theory.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 10:21, you're kidding right? Sexton wanted MA to go to UGA, it would have been more money for him. Agents are paid a percentage of what their clients sign for. Sexton lost a lot of money by MA staying at Mizzou. I for one think MA will be heading to Memphis, because it was my understanding as that he hasn't signed anything yet. Also I am concerned why people think we missed on our first 2 choices. MA was the first, but who else did UGA seriously pursue. I hope no one thinks that Grant was our #2. DE never pursued him for a reason. He wasn't our #2.

MikeInValdosta said...

Nice perspective, Skidawg1985.

We are going to get this thing turned around. Damon didn't fail.

Anderson got 2.3m (counting incentives) for SEVEN years. He has great facilities, 3 years of recruiting his players, and a great fan base.

How in the world is Damon Evans to blame for him staying?

For all the Bobby Knight people, I would much prefer Sam Mitchell, Vern Fleming, Leonard Hamilton, Tommy Ammaker or even Purnell, hell just about anybody other than Knight or Haith.

upstatescdawg said...

Somebody give me a good reason: Why not Billy Gillespie?

Bernie said...

We'll make a run at Capel and then settle for someone like Haith.

Anonymous said...

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/goodmanonfox/2009/03/31/GEORGIA_BACK_TO_CAPEL

No Haith.

Anonymous said...

Don't knock stegman to hard. Had great sex on top of that place back in the 80s.

Anonymous said...

Hire Phil Jackson.

Anonymous said...

"If you can't sell the SEC, our recruiting base, the brand new practice facility, and $600-$800K MORE A YEAR to a potential coach, it reflects on the salesman, not the job."

Um, are you joking? LMFAO at selling the SEC. You are talking about the WORST TEAM (RPI 192) of the WORST major conference (RPI). Sure, the facilities are decent but you have no fan base and no talent. Mizzou can seat 15k fans, Stegman would hold 10k if there were that many people in athens who knew what basketball was.

Seriously though, who the $#@% wants to coach at UGA? That's like saying you want to get a degree from Florida or want to get a job at General Motors.

"Stegeman is the perfect size for everything that is done in there athletically.

With a spruce up of the outside of the venue and an update in the concourses, concessions, and restrooms Stegeman will be good for several more years."

Uhh, Stegeman is the filthiest dump in all of sports. It has no character, no history, and no amenities. Just as mediocre as the basketball program.

"It had to be the 7 years, had to."

"Damon didn't screw anything up, we weren't going to give anyone a freaking 7 year deal."

No, it had to be that UGA's basketball program is a joke. Why would you want to stay for 7 years when you know you'd just leave after 2 anyways.

"The FSU or Miami dudes would be a hiring FAIL."

GUESS WHAT, THEY AREN'T COMING TO YOUR SORRY PROGRAM EITHER.

"You cannot hire a guy like Haith or Purnell and expect to ignite this fan base."

LOL, what fan base?

Anonymous said...

Or at least not yet.

The Watch Dawg said...

Anonymous commenting should be banned.

Anonymous said...

^ you should be banned for stupid posts...

"Does it surprise you that in Missouri they think Anderson isn't leaving"

No, not really. It surprises me that you, the Watch Puppy, thought UGA had a shot of landing him in the first place. Have fun with mediocrity, although you are probably used to it by now!!

Dubbayoo said...

Now that everybody in the country knows you offered somebody $2.1 million and got turned down, can you offer the next guy any less?

mitch said...

How bad does our program suck when you offer a coach 2+ million and he turns you down for 1.3 million, geez thats bad.

Unknown said...

Sure, the bball program has been less than stellar but wouldn't that be the perfect opportunity for a coach? To come in and mold the program into exactly what he wants it to be? With the talent that is in GA (and surrounding states), the draw of the university (because don't all athletes come for the academic opportuniities?), and the best college town in the nation, it seems you'd be doing yourself quite a favor to consider UGA.

Remember, our football program used to suck, too. (Donnan, anyone?)

Anonymous said...

Exactly. UGA is like the fat ugly girl with a rich daddy. None of the popular want to take her to the prom.

Anonymous said...

Maybe this is for the best. Damon didn't get where he is by being incompetent. He has surrounded himself with good coaches, with the exception of men's basketball, and we have a huge surplus of cash. Anderson is at a program that has been so down (no Final Four there), that he's suddenly the American Idol of Missouri. I think he parlayed the Georgia offer into a huge raise, and good for him. It's not rocket science that whomever is hired for this job will have to recruit spectacularly, sell a "new and improved" brand of Georgia basketball, schmooze with the alumni and, in pretty short fashion, start winning a lot of games. They won't be given the luxury of seven years, and Damon is not going to tolerate a Felton Version 2.0. $2.1 million is big boy money in a big boy conference, and I want a guy with a titanium set running the show, not some fellow who has found his comfort zone in the Midwest. If true, his concerns about Stegeman are laughable. Imagine if Richt had made comments about the narrow concourses at Sanford and the price of bottled water.

Anonymous said...

Hire Mike Fraser!

Anonymous said...

"Sure, the bball program has been less than stellar but wouldn't that be the perfect opportunity for a coach? To come in and mold the program into exactly what he wants it to be? With the talent that is in GA (and surrounding states), the draw of the university (because don't all athletes come for the academic opportuniities?), and the best college town in the nation, it seems you'd be doing yourself quite a favor to consider UGA."


Maybe if you stopped drinking the UGA kool-aid you'd actually sound reasonable.

a) UGA doesn't get the good talent in Georgia. That's like picking USF or UCF because of the talent in Florida.

b) There is hardly a program to begin with. Who cares if you get to mold it? You have to mold Trey Thompkins poor work ethic and your owns fans perception of the game of basketball before you can mold anything else, and the first two could never happen.

c) Draw of the University? What does that tell you about your "draw" when you can't (i) buy a coach for $500k more than what anyone else is paying or (ii) take recruits from your rival, sub-500, ACC bottom dwelling school that has a coach who cannot coach.

d) Best college town in the nation? LMFAO. Have you even been to Chapel Hill or Franklin Street? Charlottesville?

Nothing against Athens, it's a lot of fun, but that's not necessarily what grown men, typically with kids, are looking for. I'd pass on forcing my kids to go to school in Clark County. Most college towns, including Mizzou, aren't surrounded by the moat of redneck nastiness like Athens is. It's great if you are 18-22, and also great to visit afterward, but its not a place most coaches are looking to raise a family - especially when the program is in the dumpster.

"I want a guy with a titanium set running the show, not some fellow who has found his comfort zone in the Midwest. If true, his concerns about Stegeman are laughable. Imagine if Richt had made comments about the narrow concourses at Sanford and the price of bottled water."

Good luck with that. You can't even convince someone to come to Athens for $500k more than your competitors.

And obviously you don't understand anything about what a basketball venue should be. Anderson's comments were directed towards narrow concourses or the price of water. Rather, he was concerned that Stegemen is an absolute dump (the worst basketball venue I've been to and I've been to at least 30 for college basketball). It has no character, no history, no fans, and no amenities. A quick makeover every few years is laughable, not the shock Anderson felt when he realized that UGA's sorry excuse for a basketball stadium is really just a large high school venue.

Anonymous said...

as usual, it goes back to stegman. rid ourselves of that $hithole and we rid ourselves of the problem. if you knock it down, they will come.

Anonymous said...

What if we treated this job like any other job? I.e., post the vacancy, and ask people who are interested to submit their resumes? I don't want someone who only wants to come here for the money.

Anonymous said...

"d) Best college town in the nation? LMFAO. Have you even been to Chapel Hill or Franklin Street? Charlottesville?"

Had to comment on this -- I've been to Chapel Hill / Carrboro and Franklin Street, and I thank God every day my parents pushed me towards UGA instead of UNC. Several UNC graduates have told me that Athens is by far the superior town -- food-wise, bar-wise, and entertainment-wise. As for Charlottesville, I haven't been there, so I can't comment.

Back to agonizing over the future of our men's BB program!

the tri guy said...

Does anyone even know if Anderson has seen our new practice facility or Stegemen since 1998? If he truly didn't think he could win here, then no hard feelings--ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

BUT, if he based his decision on what he remembers of UGA's facilities from his days at Arkansas, then I think it shows a COMPLETE lack of due diligence on his part and ultimately we are probably just as well off without him.

Anonymous said...

I'm not really a UGA fan, UW, Seattle here, but yes...UGA is easily the best college town I've ever been to. And I've been to all those the anon above mentioned.

Don't all the former UGA coaches still live there because they didn't want to leave Athens because it was such a great place? Wasn't that T. Smith's main issue with leaving, that he'd be pulling his family out of Athens that they loved so much?

I casually follow the program living in Lawrenceville, and there are a lot of reasons why a coach wouldn't want to go there (UGA president, cough), but the city of Athens DEFINITELY wouldn't be it.

Jarred said...

Unfortantly this is what I was woried about. It nothing to do with Damon, or any of our current staff, but more to do with the fact we have little to no prestige in basketball. Everything we offer has to do with the SEC as a whole and our facilities, something just about every other school in the SEC can offer. I don't know where we go from here, but getting rejected, and the way we got rejected, well I don't see a good way to spin it.

Jim Wood said...

the tri guy - considering the fact that Mike Anderson coached Missouri to a victory over Georgia at Stegemen this season...I'm pretty sure he's seen it.

the tri guy said...

Yep, that would be a total off-teleprompter moment by me there. Good catch Blawger, sorry about that.

chardog said...

So where are we at in this search we over 60 days now!

Normaltown Mike said...

I pray that Anderson is taking the job at Memphis and not staying at Mizzou. At least then we can point to a superior program outbidding us, instead of a mediocre (though admittedly better than us) team underbidding us.

That said, shouldn't the AD and search firm require a signed "non-disclosure" agreement prior to begining negotiations? Obviously it benefits the agent to fan the flames of a rumour. But in this case, it destroys our ability to negotiate with the next potential HC.

I certainly don't want to go after a top-flight coach at this point. We took a shot and failed publicly. Another public failure and you start to look like Jeremy Foley. We can't afford to hire an overmatched Ron Zook, as we've done this twice (Jirsa n Felton) since Tubby left.

The biggest mistake we can make is getting another coach that is terrible with fans/boosters (Gillespie) or completely dependent on recruiting a superior player to beat another 1 on 1 (Felton/Grant).

Hopefully the search firm has a list of coaches that understand winning with less (as Anderson seemed to) and enjoy creating enthusiasm (Tubby & Harrick).

dave clark said...

Been to Chapel Hill and Athens.

Athens >>>>> Chapel Hill. It's not even close. I've had plenty of UNC buddies tell me the same exact thing.

Unknown said...

NTMike, hiring a Ron Zook is probably the best thing our basketball program can do right now. Hire someone who might not be the best coach but is an excellent recruiter. Then when we get our facilities in order, fire him and pick someone up who can actually work with a stocked cupboard and lead us to victory.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anon 8:07--please go crawl back in your hole. Athens is amazing and sure, Clarke (with an e) County does not have the best schools, but Oconee schools are pretty great. And FYI--that's where they all live. The UGA job is a good one, and while we might not be able to land Anderson, we will still get someone great (might not be first choice, but great). The only sport we lag behind in is basketball and I have full faith that Damon will get us up to par in a few years. Stop talking about things that you have no knowledge of and go back rooting for your crappy ACC team. I find it funny that haters are so obsessed with UGA that they continue to comment on our boards.

Anonymous said...

Normaltown Mike - a non-disclosure agreement is laughable in this day of media. MA, Sexton, Damn, and any of their collective associates didn't break the story we were after him. You can't hide a flight plan to Memphis & Missouri.

Anonymous said...

Is there going to be any difference in the new coach and Dennis Felton?

dawgnotdog said...

anon 10:59....

keep up....Alabama already hired Grant.

HE is the coach who is no different than Felton.

Anonymous said...

Be careful Mizzou, signing a hot coach to a long term, high dollar, buyout laden contract, is risky.

- GT Hoops fan.

Astronaut Mike Dexter said...

To all the commenters (most of whom are anonymous -- big surprise there) who have already downshifted into sky-is-falling panic mode over Anderson turning us down, I have only this to say: Wipe away your tears, change the goddamn panties you just peed in, and calm down.

The search isn't over until we hire someone. Anderson was my top choice, but him declining the job does not mean that UGA or the basketball program have ceased to exist. There are other good candidates out there, and I'm confident we'll get one.

Quit being such crybabies, and while you're at it, leave the "Evans only wants to hire someone because of his skin color" crap at the door. You embarrass the entire fan base with that kind of paranoid nonsense.

StandupifyourUGA! said...

I nominate Doug's post as the best BBall post of the year. This should be the post that starts all Bball discussions. My thoughts exactly. Stop the skin color comments. It is completely embarassing to our school and our players.

Anonymous said...

Doug,

Put me into PR disaster group, it's bad. It is. The tail is now wagging the dog in the search. But, the thing that has bugged me the most is that multiple sources have named Haith as a possible candidate. He's unacceptable and it would be a blow to efforts to revive the moribund men's b-ball program. It also does not fit with what Evans publicly said he was looking to do in the hiring of a new coach.

Anonymous said...

I'm of the mindset that we should keep going for some of the big names with the wad of money we have. I know there is the potential for further rejections and thus embarassments, but to be completely honest I don't feel like we have a lot to lose regarding any image of Georgia hoops.

Anonymous said...

Adams is going with what he knows...Former UCLA coaches. Get ready for Steve Lavin to be announced as the next BB coach.

Anonymous said...

Get Gillespie. He's available, and he's an excellent coach. He would prosper in an environment where the media isn't as smothering as it was at Kentucky.

StandupifyourUGA! said...

What about Mark Montgomery? I know not a big name, but he has been learning the ropes for years under Tom Izzo and could be the next big thing. Could be the chance our program needs. http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/montgomery_mark00.html

Anonymous said...

Not to mention, Gillispie may cost less because he just made $6 million for getting fired!

Bernie said...

Anon 2:12 - you may have just answered your own question...unless you're a different Anon from Anon 2:10; in which case you answered his question.

UK may be able to afford the PR nightmares Gillispie brought, UGA cannot.

Anonymous said...

StandupifyourUGA: If we are going for an Izzo assistant, how about Utah's coach, Jim Boylen?

He was Izzo's top assistant for two years and was an NBA assistant coach for 13 years prior to that. He went 24-10 this year, made the tournament and won the Mountain West Conference.

He has a great personality-the kind of guy who can walk into a room and know everyone within 15 minutes and would do a good job as a recruiter and someone for Georgia fans to rally around.

chardog said...

I wonder whom Damon is looking to talk with if he's gonna be in Motown tommorrow for Final 4. Mid major coach, an asst head coach?

Anonymous said...

Who said Damon is going to be in Detroit tomorrow? Where are you hearing that?

Anonymous said...

It's been confirmed on the other board through the his office.

dawgnotdog said...

If you were looking for a college basketball coach, and the college basketball coach's convention was being held in Detroit, why wouldn't you be there?

Ah....but some will scream at Damon for taking a pleasure trip to the Final 4.

chardog said...

I didn't realize there was a college BB coaches convention there.

Hunkering Hank said...

All 162 comments prove to me is that nobody gives a damn about Georgia basketball.

A-Phiz said...

amazing how many people suddenly care about UGA basketball...there are more posts in here then there are people at the game. I'm not talking to everyone but those who don't even go to the games should not be writing their opinions on basektball

chardog said...

I don't attend games, I live in Charlotte, however I make it down to a few FB games a yr and that's been scaled back from the 5 or so I was making before getting married. FYI I was attending plenty of games as a student and saw Nique Fly Slamma Jamma in the Nerdiseum in HotLanta.

Hunkering Hank said...

I was just being sarcastic. I think it's great that this many people are showing an actual interest in what happens. I think it means that if UGA put a decent product on the court, the place would fill up.

Irwin R. Flecther said...

Wow. Most of you are idiots. Seriously, just plain dumb.

OK...so who was our #1 choice if we could have anyone? Mike Anderson?

WRONG!

I'm sure if we could start a list and start to narrow it down, we would start with Red Auerbach, move to Phil Jackson, work down to Coach K, Dean Smith, Roy Williams, Pitino...and somewhere down the line we would get to Anderson.

However, things like salary, the fact that they died, the coaches desire to be near home, stability, NBA vs. college, etc. are all going to be factors in who might actually be available to Georgia.

That is the key...at some level it comes down to what I'll call 'avaiability.'

Now if we had offered Coach K to leave Duke and he rejected the offer, you guys would say it was dumb in the first place...but not that is was some damning indictment of the potential of UGA hoops.

However, b/c we offered Anderson, and he turned out not to be available, the sky is falling and UGA hoops is damned to the third circle of Dante's underworld?

That is just stupid talk. He wasn't available. So what? There is bound to be a great coach that IS available for $2M+. It isn't Anderson, but that isn't the end of the world nor is it the end of UGA hoops.

Let's say you have to ask out somebody from the tri-delt sorority. You know the hottest girl has a 3 carat engagement ring. fine. you ask out the next hottest girl. She decides to go with the guy she has been dating semi-exclusively. Does that mean it is off to the Dairy Queen to try to ask the fat girl that eats so many Dilly Bars that she can't tuck in her Dairy Queen issued polo? Maybe for some of you, but I would think rational folks would agree that you can still scrape up some talent from the tri-delt house with your second or third pick.

So goes our coaching search.

(the flip side is that maybe we are the fat kid that wears the same Kling-on script t-shirt to class every day and that we swear has never washed his hair or his face....I get that. But you know what, even if we are that kid, we are rolling in bank. Rich ugly dudes still pull wool.)

Anonymous said...

"The UGA job is a good one, and while we might not be able to land Anderson, we will still get someone great (might not be first choice, but great)."

It's really not. Even within the SEC, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Miss. St., Bama, Arkansas, and Vandy (arguably) are better jobs. Arguably the only other red headed step children besides UGA are USC, Ole Miss, or Auburn.

Not sure if we are better than any ACC school, except maybe Virginia Tech or FSU. Both have turned it around recently though.

Big 10 - Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, MSU, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn St, Purdue, Wisconsin

Big East - UConn, Georgetown, Syracuse, Villanova, Pitt, Notre Dame, WVU, Louisville, Marguette

That's like roughly the 40th best program, not including the big 12 or pac 10.

Maybe UGA is in the top 50, but I'd probably put them 50-60 in terms of bball programs, and that's generous considering what they have done lately and how pathetic our coliseum and fans are.

2) Based on that, we will likely get a mediocre coach to fix our mediocre program. I'd even take Paul Hewitt at this point. He can't coach but we'd at least have a one year Favors rental.

Anonymous said...

Irwin you are retarded.

The whole point is he WAS available. DE had him in a conference room, giving him a heart to heart, and he rejected the shit out of that like Dikembe Mutumbo circa 95.

Coach K is not available. Anderson, who was openly listening to other offers, clearly was.

Trey said...

"Rich ugly dudes still pull wool."

The meaning of life. It has been discovered. I'm in awe.

MikeInValdosta said...

Where was UCONN basketball 20 years ago. gainesville? Texas? Gonzaga?

I haven't seen anyone say we are one of the best basketball programs. Plenty of us have said we could be a top-tier BB program for the reasons that have been recited over and over on these boards.

These are the same morons that buy high and sell low.

Unknown said...

Fletch,

Ahhhhhh.....the Tri Delt house. God Bless America.

PWD

WIDawg said...

You know what they say, If you can't get it anywhere else, Tri-Delt....

rbubp said...

Mike,
No kidding. I am kind of astounded at the avalanche of naysayers that were all apparently waiting in the wings to play Chicken Little as soon as the clock struck 12.

You know, we'll hire someone. And if that someone wins games without acting like a Harrick, guess what? You'll forget all about this on your way to the Stege with the other bandwagoneers.

So take a deep breath, folks, and ignore the non-Dawg trolls rather than feeding them. We have a little while before the final sign of the apocalypse comes to bear.

The Watch Dawg said...

Those who know about the Tri-Delt house... know.

Anonymous said...

The Dawgs need a coach who knows how to run the "old picket fence"

cabyrd11ugacubs said...

wow this should get interesting
i do not think we have much of chance at jeff capel

richard b said...

People are complaining about anonymous commenting on a blog run by a dude named Paul Westerdawg? Seriously?

You can't expect people to give their real names all of the time, like Frank Dawgnoxious or Quentin R. McDawg.

(rolls eyes)

Anonymous said...

Not to change the subject, but who would marry a tri-delt? I mean that would be like marrying the town crotch.

The Watch Dawg said...

richard b,

it has nothing to do with knowing your real name, it has everything to do with the fact that anonymous posting inevitably leads to more trolls posting inflammatory comments for the sake of stirring things up.

Anonymous said...

Well, watch dawg..you are an anonymous poster also. Whats the difference between THE WATCH DAWG and ANON... not one damn thing.

Anonymous said...

Gillispie was only a PR nightmare at UK because UK blows everything out of proportion--especially the anti-current-coach crowd. What did Gillispie do at UK that was awful? Offer a rude answer to a dumb question at a halftime interview? Almost every coach has made stupid and rude remarks. It was blown out of proportion by the already annoyed, annoying UK fans. Did this happen when he was at Texas A&M? Nope. Why? It wasn't because he was always Saint Billy when he was in Texas. It was because the kind of attention he received there was only good because he is a master at turning programs around. If he came to Georgia, he would turn things around (how couldn't he? Georgia basketball has stunk for a long time!), and--since we don't expect our team to be in the final four every year (like UK)--we wouldn't be so quick to find fault with him anytime he doesn't sound like the mythical version of Rupp himself. I think he's a safe choice, frankly, and I hope we don't overlook him because of a few bad interviews at UK. He's a proven winner, and he'll win here. (He may be the only coach available who could compete with Calipari in both recruiting and coaching strategy.) If we're committing to winning, he's the obvious choice.

Bob said...

As a UAB fan I am surprised that Anderson turned down your offer.

He left UAB after he lost a number of players that were seniors, plus he left us witb an APR hit of 2 scholarships.

His first 2 years at Missouri were not great and indeed there were grumblings about getting rid of him before the season started.

He lost 2 of his best players in Carrol and Lyons. They wont be easy to replace.

I think his agent is just using this to get a prime offer from memphis. Like 8+ years and $2.5-3 million.

And really, being top dog in Memphis would be better than being a middle of the pack team in the SEC in that he has a greater chance of making the NCAA every year.

I read somewhere that his buyout is only 500k so even if he has signed, it wont keep memphis away. And I dont believe he has signed.

I am suprised that Missouri did not offer more and that he agreed to it but Sexton knows what he is doing when it comes to suking the last buck out of teams

Jman781 said...

184 comments so far. People say UGA fans don't care about their basketball team and that only those fans who attend every game are worthy of commenting. I disagree. UGA fans will attend, but unfortunately, they need something to be excited about. UGA football is so huge and expensive, that it's going to take a bit more that 3 wins every year in the SEC to get people to make the trek to Athens, especially if those terrible years are extended for as long as they have now. We as a fan base desperately desire to have a decent, not great, basketball team. The number of posts suggest that we are just waiting to get excited for this team. If the fan base was truly terrible, as some say, then there would be 18 posts, not 184.

I understand the argument that we should support our bball program no matter what. We should get a large capacity for games against TEXAS A&M CC even though we lose to teams like that. But you would be hard pressed to find ANY program's fanbase that would support a team like UGA's over the past few years: Duke, UNC, UCLA, Kentucky? I am certain that if Mizzou was as bad as UGA, their games would be just as empty. I am also certain that if UGA went to the elite eight, our arena would be packed; the Harrick years proved that.

I, like many UGA fans, desperately want this coaching change to help get UGA out of the gutter. Let's get excited.

Go Dawgs.

Jman

mark said...

"The Watch Dawg said...
It'll be nice if we can land him if for no other reason than to boast to the Alabama fans that we got more for our money. Haha. The Bammers will be PISSED.

3/31/2009 11:16 AM"


BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Jman781 said...

As a follow up to my above post, someone, anyone, please explain the thought process behind hiring a middling ACC coach as our next HC. Purnell? Haith? Really? Given that I want to excited, why should either of these two excite me? Please help.

Jman

P.S. Not that race matters, but why has every candidate been African American? Anderson, Capel, Grant, Haith, Purnell and Hamilton. It almost seems as if that is the first requirement...Just curious.

 
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