@tylerdawgden other than dumpster fire facilities....it's one of the best jobs in baseball because of Cobb County and HOPE.This Tweet is the best way I know to frame what I am about to write: There is no reason Georgia shouldn't talk to everyone in baseball, including current SEC coaches, about the job. Now, I know we will not be able to talk Paul Mainieri or Chad Holbrook away from LSU and South Carolina. I do believe there are opportunities to go get a very good, proven head coach. Even a proven assistant coach can be a good hire. There are even great coaches [sigh for dramatic effect at heresy spoken] in other power conferences we should pursue.
— Paul Westerdawg (@GeorgiaBlogPWD) May 20, 2013
I have no problem with an ambitious search that ends with us hiring someone who we didn't have on the radar screen. There are plenty of reasons why someone would chose to stay where we are that we can't overcome immediately, the facilities included. There are, as PWD noted, plenty of reason for someone to come to Athens. HOPE provides an avenue to spread the 11.5 equivalency scholarships around more. You add that with the talent base Cobb County and other very strong baseball programs in the state, there is no reason UGA isn't competing for some of the very best coaches around.
| Oh hai possible baseball coaches. |
One other thing to remember: Perno was one of the higher paid baseball coaches in the conference (grouped with several in the $425-475K range). McGarity isn't going to get a home town guy discount with this hire. I think the quick decision last year to keep Perno had a caveat that included significant improvement, as evidenced by the really quick hook.
Why does the search matter? In all likelihood, McGarity will lead a search for a new football coach. Then facilities won't matter. We'll also have a search for a basketball coach, where facilities and the AD's own statements on the low expectation will matter. We have to have a very big thinker running that search. Will we see a very big thinker running this one?
One last thing. I know we've been holding off on baseball facility improvements due to 'funding' issues (read: dangling a significant lead gift to jump start the money train). Is is possible we've also been holding off as a negotiating tool to offer a possible top flight coach? I'd say it is pretty short sighted to do that, considering you are likely losing more interest than you'll get with the tactic, but something has to explain the lack of commitment to funding significant improvements at Foley when we clearly have money in the bank to make it happen.
Who do we go after? Who will we get?
TD
