Has he finally had it up to "here"?
At this point, there's an incredibly shrinking opportunity to debate Mark Fox's future. It appears that he hasn't signed his contract extension from last Spring. Now he likely won't sign it due to buyout implications which are rumored to impact him negatively in the new unsigned doc. His old contract ends after the 2016 tourney. Buying him out at
So...in my opinion and the opinion of others I talk to...he has to make the tourney or he's out. That means he likely needs to win 4 more games. There are 5 regular season games and at least 1 SECT game.
That includes 3 remaining road games and a home game against UK. Other than UK, the opponents are beatable, but so were Auburn (home) and South Carolina (home and road). Those are horrible basketball teams.
The only debate left is....what happens if he makes the tourney and loses first round? Is 6 years without a single NCAA tourney win worth rewarding? Can he find another job before before McGarity fires him after the NCAAs?
That's the question.
This is definitely coming to a head because he didn't sign that contract extension (which is a paper work maneuver between he and McGarity that makes sense for ALL parties by the way). He now has to get a net new contract extension after the season. Can that really happen if he makes the tourney and loses?
Given where we are with attendance and apathy, I can't see it. As for apathy, I haven't attended a home game in about two years despite being a season ticket holder*. Some of that is a work travel schedule which results in flying 60,000-130,000 miles a year. Some of that is due to having a new baby.
But I can't say that I've been missing it much. Before you call me a fair weather fan. I've been to 6 to 10 games for almost 25 years. But you can only hit yourself in the head with a hammer so many times before you say what am I doing watching a product that's so dysfunctional and bland that the recruits who sit near me look like they are about to start napping?
PWD
*Note: I do try and give away my home game tickets when I'm not there.
7 comments:
I can also verify that PWD spends a lot of time worrying about and talking about UGA hoops.
And you are right, IMO. He has to make the tourney and win a game to be at UGA next year. Strangely, I think that is exactly what it'll take for him to move to another school, too.
Well, the question is.. what will it take to get the program in Athens to take a step forward? I get Fox has made some missteps, but it does seem he's hit his ceiling in Athens. The big question is can we expect anyone to take us to the next step? I just wonder what can be done to elevate the program. That's not an easy question to answer, but I have to wonder if there is a name with cache out there we can overcome the recruiting challenges?
Mark Fox added 1 recruiter in 2014 with deep ATL ties and 1 in 2015 with deep ATL ties. Both moves were 4-5 years late. He came in and his #1 recruiter was Va Tech's #1 recruiter....which is like hiring the best cook at Red Lobster and calling him a Chef at a great restaurant.
He was told to get ATL guys and he didn't. Didn't have to be Korey McCray but someone of that ilk would've done it. And not remarkably recruiting picked up this year.
The next coach will need deep ATL ties and assistants with deep ATL ties. Then ideally, he'll play an aggressive style.
I said a few years ago that Fox isn't winning b/c roughly 40% of his roster wasn't SEC caliber. That's not the case right now...more like 30%. But still. It's all Jimmy's and Joes.
I don't think anybody will recruit that well with the current Stegeman. With Ole Miss getting a brand new arena next year, Auburn and GT just got one, and Florida and Clemson doing huge renovations for next season, Stegeman is clearly the worst arena in the SEC, and really one of the worst in all of major college basketball (if not the worst). It's embarrassing that the Steg still doesn't have a modern scoreboard over midcourt, as everybody else does. Furthermore, the students are not placed in position to help the atmosphere and give Stegeman a big home court advantage. The students should all be sitting in the first 5 rows from baseline to baseline, along with their spot behind the hoop. Instead, other than behind the one hoop (which only makes a home court advantage for first half), the remaining students are too far away from the court. Stegeman and the atmosphere (or lack thereof) really is a minor-league operation. What big time recruit would go into Stegeman and be impressed compared to any other major college arena?....none. I know UGA won't build a new arena, but at the very least put in a nice scoreboard over mid court, and put all of the students down near the floor from baseline to baseline.
Georgia basketball will forever continue to be a mediocre, underachieving program until changes are made to Stegeman. See my response above for specific details.
Brad Stevens. His run with the Celtics may be up in a year unless he can get the Celtics to the playoffs. He had good runs at Butler and his kids appeared to play above their abilities (they even hit clutch free throws in the tourney). His recruiting experience against Indiana every year should give him the ability to negotiate the ATL market, though he would need to get help. However, he could tout his NBA experience with recruits and coaches something Calipari surely uses. It would take Billy Donovan money to get him and maybe a little more, but that's less than what Kentucky pays. That would be a "next step" change to the program. And hey... he's got a Hugh Durham award.
And if anyone doubts it, I have the emails from the Felton era to prove it.
I dunno. I agree with everything you and PWD are saying, except the part about getting fired if he makes the tournament. I don't see that happening. McGarrity wishing he was gone? Sure. Fox wishing like hell he had a clean way out? Absolutely. But I don't see them taking it to the next step.
Post a Comment