If you don’t believe at Georgia, get out of Mark Fox’s way
A three-year plan? Why? Mark Fox doesn't accept that Georgia can't win now. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
ATHENS — In the spring, a player asked Mark Fox, “Do you really think we can win?” and for a moment he was stunned. No player had ever asked him that before.
In the first week of school, Fox made his team runs steps in Sanford Stadium in the heat of August, punishment for blown tutoring sessions and, he said, “being undisciplined.”
First road trip? Three players forgot their shoes.
“Three guys left their sneakers in Athens,” Fox said. “We go to practice the night before the UAB game and I’m like: What’s the deal here? It was embarrassing. We had the team manager who hadn’t traveled with us bring the shoes with him the day of the game. I was like, ‘OK, now I know why we’re having some issues here.’”
These are the little reality checks for the new Georgia basketball coach. When a program generally is synonymous with apathy and misery, interrupted by the occasional 20-win season and tornado-aided conference championship, inheriting problems are expected. You would just hope that everybody remembers their shoes and that players believe in the concept of winning basketball games as much as the coach does.
Mark Fox believes. His hope is that others soon will follow — players, fans, media. If early results are any indication, they will. The Bulldogs are only 8-8. They’re winless in three SEC games, with eighth-ranked Tennessee coming to Athens Saturday. But we’ve already seen wins over Georgia Tech and Illinois, and one of those near shock-the-world upsets at Kentucky.
Fox is doing this with a Fisher Price toolbox in a power tool world. He inherited neither players nor a winning culture in Athens. You scream, “Georgia basketball!” and if somebody appears to scream it back, it’s really only an echo in Stegeman Coliseum.
If this was all about Xs-and-Os, it would be easy. Fox handled that just fine at Nevada: 123-43 and three NCAA appearances in five seasons. He knows it’s about more than that at Georgia. He has spoken to Tubby Smith. He has spoken to Dennis Felton. He has spoken to Jim Harrick. (Fortunately, he had all of his shots first.)
Chances are, he”ll find success. He finally has what his predecessors didn’t: an apparent commitment of the athletic department to devote resources to something other than football. When “football” schools like Florida and Texas and Tennessee can win in basketball, it ends all of those it-can’t-be-done here debates.
But there is a lot baggage to overcome first. Fox’s greatest hurdle?
“The stigma,” he said. “We have to change the perception of Georgia basketball in the minds of young people — and in the minds of everybody. I expected we’d have to do that. We have to accept the term, ‘rebuilding.’ We can’t run from that term. I’ve told our team, it doesn’t have to be a two-year plan or a three-year plan. They can do it faster. We control that. My kids watch that show every Sunday night where they rebuild a house in a week ["Extreme Makeover"] . Our players have to realize, ‘They can do it faster.’”
They look at the final score. He says, “We’re making progress.”
They look at the standings, he says, “We’re 0-3, not 0-10.”
They look at the half-empty stands. He slaps them around a little.
“The kids have to understand that you don’t play hard just because the arena’s full,” he said. “This is part of the process. You have to earn their respect back. Once we get this rebuilt, there will be a home court advantage. But we have to earn that back.”
When he got the job, he asked every player why they came to Georgia. Most talked about the school, or Athens, or proximity to their home.
Only one mentioned winning basketball games.
Now when Fox recruits, he wants every player to say they’re coming to Georgia to win.
“I didn’t hear that enough when I came here,” he said.
One issue resolved.
Two, if you count that nobody has forgotten their shoes since the Alabama-Birmingham trip.
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154 comments Add your comment
willie martinez
January 21st, 2010
9:00 pm
53-50 lady dogs over tennessee
jesse james
January 21st, 2010
9:00 pm
How Bout Them Lady Dawgs!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations Coach Landers and Lady Dawgs and what a great crowd!
willie martinez
January 21st, 2010
9:02 pm
number 8 knocked off number 3
Jeff Schultz
January 21st, 2010
9:02 pm
Let me get this straight. We have two people pretending to be Willie Martinez?
jesse james
January 21st, 2010
9:03 pm
Let’s complete the sweep on Saturday! Warden Pearl brings his mates in.
willie martinez
January 21st, 2010
9:04 pm
no, i’m the real willie blogger. the limerick man. the pithy commenter. the guy who debated you about kirby smart leaving bama. need more proof?
sansho1
January 21st, 2010
9:08 pm
Now that’s funny stuff.
willie martinez
January 21st, 2010
9:09 pm
couple of months ago i was working on a limerick and couldnt find any words that rhymed with schultz. you expounded colts, bolts, etc. i rest my case.
jesse james
January 21st, 2010
9:10 pm
Did anybody see the call in the Louisville-Seton Hall game. Seton Hall player stepped in bounds bringing the ball in right in front of the official and there was no call. I don’t blame Petino.
Grey Dog
January 21st, 2010
9:14 pm
Fox is a winner! Georgia basketball is on the rise! Once Georgia starts to get some of the home-grown talent in this state…there’s no limit to the success!
Coffee Bluff DAWG
January 21st, 2010
9:16 pm
Seton Hall player at baseline was trying to inbound from 2′ over line and no call. HC advantage.
jesse james
January 21st, 2010
9:17 pm
I agree Grey Dog!
willie martinez
January 21st, 2010
9:36 pm
yo jeff, you veggin?
collegeballfan
January 21st, 2010
9:37 pm
Womderful coach. Lousy grads that will not support the program.
I think it is a disgrace. I am a Tech fan and I pull harder for UGA basketball than any UGA fan I know.
bank walker
January 21st, 2010
9:40 pm
Fox has made a believer out of me!GO DAWGS!!
Gen Neyland
January 21st, 2010
10:13 pm
Well, congrats to the Lady Dawgs. We lost by three on the road to a fine team…See you ladies later up on the Hill. I really expect similar treatment this weekend when the menfolk meet up. Just hope we get to the free throw line a wee bit more than the Lady Vols did tonight. Fox has done good work so far…You people need to fill up the Steg on a regular basis for your team…
Glenn
January 21st, 2010
10:21 pm
You will find out that Fox is and will be the best coach UGA has ever had. Yes even better than Tubby just wait and see.
Jeff Schultz
January 21st, 2010
10:24 pm
Willie Martinez — Sorry, I was distracted. By the couch.
willie martinez
January 21st, 2010
10:32 pm
Jeff, i, the real willie doesnt use caps. but glad to have you back.
Bill
January 21st, 2010
10:34 pm
Fox has his hands full but he can do it. Lady Basketball at UGA has always been the team people talk about. Now with Fox and his coaching habits maybe the men will step up. Good Luck Coach.
ANOTHER GOOD ONE JEFF……………..
Me
January 21st, 2010
10:38 pm
Jeff,
You can do really good work. I wish you didn’t feel the need to be moronic every so often to get hits. Just keep your readers informed. They will appreciate it.
Mark
January 21st, 2010
10:52 pm
I’m looking forward to being at the game Sat and getting LOUD. Worst performance from the bball Dawgs so far this year was against Mizzou (a full court high pressure team), similar to Tenn. We’re strongest inside and have guard depth issues. It will be interesting to see how much Fox has coached them up to handle the pressure. Handling the back court press (especially big men) also cost us the MSU game.
Jim Harrick
January 21st, 2010
11:01 pm
I came to Georgia for the academics.
I stayed for the thugs…
How many points is a three pointer?
How many halves in a game?
Even the wisest uga grads could never unravel those mysteries.
Hilarious!
January 21st, 2010
11:09 pm
ESPN announcer just referred to uga mens team as “overachieving.”
0-3 in the SEC qualifies as overachieving! Wow aim high!!!
Hilarious! I guess they are probably outstanding by SEC standards!
Chuck
January 21st, 2010
11:53 pm
UConn was a perennial joke in basketball before Jim Calhoun took the job there. Empty stands, years of losing, and in a very minor conference.
All it takes is the right coach.
And Gordon, you’re wrong about Tubby. He didn’t leave for any winning program. He had one out in his contract, for UK. He has said over and over that it was the only program that could have lured him from Athens. It was just our bad luck that the Celtics tabbed Petino when they did.
Motown Hound
January 22nd, 2010
6:58 am
Mark Fox was a great hire, finally UGA will never loose another game because they’re out of breath.
» SEC links: Georgia women take first place in SEC John Clay’s Sidelines
January 22nd, 2010
7:02 am
[...] Jeff Schultz of the AJC writes that if you don’t believe in Mark Fox, get out of the way. [...]
JSS
January 22nd, 2010
7:53 am
Jeff Schultz, how did your family come out with the bad weather yesterday out in Ventura Co.?
Mark Fox will be OK, if can win at Nevada, Trent Johnson is a winner, and so is Fox… The only problem he’ll ever have is the fanbase in Athens. Always, always, always watch your back!
hope
January 22nd, 2010
8:05 am
Fox is a great leader.
Eddie
January 22nd, 2010
8:18 am
21 times this year the hawks play back to back games. The Cavs only have to do this 17 times. So not only do they get the calls and have the league backing them, they also get a easier more favorable schedule. I guess that’s what is needed to get them to the finals
Blackberry Cobbler
January 22nd, 2010
8:39 am
The football team has the very same issues of sloppy attitude and lack of discipline on and off the field. The difference is that CMR appears to have no control over the situation for the last 2 seasons now. Fox grabs control. CMR just rides off in his F150.
Tweets that mention If you don't believe at Georgia, get out of Mark Fox's way | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
January 22nd, 2010
9:25 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Big E , Jeff Schultz. Jeff Schultz said: I still can't get over that three Georgia players forgot their sneakers on a road trip. http://bit.ly/4KznQT [...]
PeachJam
January 22nd, 2010
9:29 am
Good stuff Jeff.
SEC East Headlines – 1/22/10 | MrSEC.com
January 22nd, 2010
11:29 am
[...] changes as they prepare to go from a 4-man front to a 3-4 defense.7. New basketball coach Mark Fox believes Georgia can win… even if he’s having to fix all kinds of little “embarrassing” issues.8. Joker [...]
dawgrific
January 22nd, 2010
11:58 am
I don’t go to many games, as a matter of fact, the last one I went to was when we beat Florida under Harrick a couple of days before the scandal broke, ending what had been a great season in a terrible way. I truly believe that team could have made a serious tournament run, but ih well. sigh. Back to now, and FOx has me excited. I have watched every game that has been televised, and I really like what I see. My only worry is, for this season, will this brutally difficult schedule, and these close losses, kill our kids’ confidence? My long-term concern, obviously, is will Coach Fox be able to recruit. Goodness knows, there is SO much talent in GA, that if he can get a number of solid players, and the occasional superstar, this program has enormous potential. We have supported basketball strongly in the past, and I think want to again, but we have gotten so used to losing that our spirits have been broken a bit. Win and the fans will fill the Stegasaurus!
Go Dawgs!
dawgrific
January 22nd, 2010
12:02 pm
what’s great about basketball is that you only need a few kids to make a HUGE differnece, unlike football-so turnarounds can happen very quickly
Tron Carter
January 22nd, 2010
12:15 pm
The future is bright for UGA B-Ball.
He has already exceeded my expectations for year 1 and he beat the douchenozzles at Georgia Trek.
73-66 BBBBBBBWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA
30-24
See you dorks during baseball season.
Pepe Frias played here.
January 22nd, 2010
12:51 pm
Congrats to the Lady Dogs on beating Tennesee, i think UGA basketball, both men’s and women’s basketball programs are on solid footing. GO DAWWWWWWWWGS!!!
MarkA
January 22nd, 2010
1:12 pm
Willie Martinez: Catapults
Mike48
January 22nd, 2010
4:44 pm
We have had season tickets for 29 years now and I have seen some games
that were way-y-y-y-y-y beyond embarassing.
It’s a very good feeling to see this team, that is without question, short on
talent, but giving the proverbial 105 %. It will pay off one day.
Had Mr Favors come to UGA, we would be winning some of these close games,
and Mr Favors would be getting much better coaching so that he might play
at the next level.
Mark Fox Fan
January 22nd, 2010
9:21 pm
For those of you actually going to the game on Saturday, you should note that when the Georgia team is introduced, Coach Fox’s name will not be mentioned. Coach Fox believes that all of the focus should be on the players. He wants no attention on the coach. This is so different from the coaches we have had in the past and different from 99% of the teams in the country.
Most recruiters try to sell the head coach. Mark Fox is selling the program–a program without much successful history. As strange as it may seem, I am betting on COACH MARK FOX to get the job done! He is crazy like a fox!
If you don't believe at Georgia, get out of Mark Fox's way | Jeff …
January 22nd, 2010
9:39 pm
[...] more here: If you don't believe at Georgia, get out of Mark Fox's way | Jeff … Posted in Trends, Uncategorized, health | Tags: dennis-felton, georgia, georgia-tech, [...]
Tornado In Compton
January 22nd, 2010
9:51 pm
[...] If You Don't Believe At Georgia, Get Out Of Mark Fox's Way | Jeff (Curtis Compton/AJC). ATHENS — In the spring, a player asked Mark Fox, “Do you really think we can win?” and for a moment he was stunned. No player had ever asked him that be… [...]
If you don't believe at Georgia, get out of Mark Fox's way | Jeff … : Read what is Buzzing Around the World
January 22nd, 2010
10:08 pm
[...] Read more here: If you don't believe at Georgia, get out of Mark Fox's way | Jeff … [...]
ManDawg
January 22nd, 2010
10:56 pm
Hey Jeff,
Glad you got another jab in at Harrick. I do not understand what he ever did to you for you to have such a mean spirit towards him. You feel better now? Why don’t you forward him a copy of it and pull some other dingers out of the archive? I am sure it will cheer him up; he lost his wife a few weeks ago. God bless.
Cobb Dawg
January 22nd, 2010
11:30 pm
Isn’t it about time for UGA fans to start supporting men’s basketball? Kudos to Mark Fox!
Wreckmanaic
January 22nd, 2010
11:35 pm
If Fox had really wanted to make an impression, he would have benched the three who left their “sneakers” for the entire game.
Mark Fox's 'process' at Georgia just slammed on the gas | Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
8:44 pm
[...] recruits who have been drifting out of the state stop and think, “Wait, why not Georgia?” the Bulldogs’ new coach will talk about concepts like commitment and work ethic and building a program the right [...]
Matt the Brave
January 25th, 2010
1:03 am
What a concept! A UGA basketball coach who is wanting guys who want to come to the school and WIN. It has to be the #1 thing for these guys. I really am looking forward to seeing what his first recruiting class will look like.
Mark Fox’s ‘process’ at Georgia just went into high gear | India News Blog, Latest News From India, Latest Blogs From India
January 25th, 2010
1:21 am
[...] recruits who have been drifting out of the state stop and think, “Wait, why not Georgia?” the Bulldogs’ new coach will talk about concepts like commitment and work ethic and building a program the right [...]