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There's no need for a big name coach at Georgia the SEC is not a basketball conference. Just get someone in there who makes us a respectable team throughout the nation.
ATLANTA --- The silence coming out of Athens, Ga., these days might reveal much about the coaches Georgia athletic director Damon Evans hopes to interview in his search to replace Dennis Felton.
For example: Missouri's Mike Anderson, Oklahoma's Jeff Capel and Xavier's Sean Miller are still coaching in the NCAA Tournament and are unavailable to be interviewed.
Any of the three might be difficult hires, but Evans has said he will aim high and come armed with sufficient funds.
Another hot name in more than one school's coach search, Anthony Grant, of Virginia Commonwealth, is available but might be looking at another Southeastern Conference school.
Alabama athletic director Mal Moore received permission from VCU's Norwood Teague to speak with Grant about its coaching vacancy, Teague said Tuesday.
On Monday, Georgia associate athletic director Claude Felton said Grant had not been contacted by Evans or University of Georgia president Michael Adams.
Evans was out of his office on Tuesday and did not immediately return a message left on his cell phone.
Evans fired Felton on Jan. 29, leaving assistant coach Pete Herrmann to serve as interim coach for the remainder of the 12-20 season.
Felton was making $760,000 per year. Evans might have to at least double that salary to land an established coach.
Evans said his "goals and expectations" for basketball include "playing for championships at both the conference and national levels."
When he fired Felton, Evans said he was willing "to commit more resources that we have in the past" in order to hire the "best possible" candidate.
"Our commitment and my commitment to building Georgia basketball is strong, and when I say strong I'm going to add very strong onto that," Evans said, adding, "Our resources are abundant."
Evans has hired the Atlanta-based Parker Executive Search firm.
Dan Parker, of the search firm, did not return a phone message on Tuesday.
Comments
There's no need for a big name coach at Georgia the SEC is not a basketball conference. Just get someone in there who makes us a respectable team throughout the nation.
Damon Evans has the right attitude. There is no reason,when Atlanta is 45 minutes away, that UGA should not have a better basketball team. Sure, the SEC is a football conference, but to say it's not a basketball conference, when Florida wins back to back titles a couple years ago and you have one of the most historied basketball programs in the country with Kentucky. Do it Damon!! Throw some of that money at a good coach
Bob McKillop at Davidson!
Anthony Grant. A young up and coming coach.
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