Georgia is wisely spending to keep Mark Fox in fold
Mark Fox wants to stay at Georgia, and he'll get paid to do.
Two weeks ago, it was rumored that North Carolina State was targeting Georgia’s Mark Fox as a candidate to be its next basketball coach. I wrote then that I doubted Fox would leave, and he followed that up with the expected generic denial: “I’m not a candidate for any job. All of my focus is on the Georgia team.”
Not surprisingly, that door to Raleigh is pretty much closed now.
Fox today reaffirmed to our Tim Tucker that he is “not interested” in any other job, and he and Georgia are working on a new or amended contract.
Fox makes $1.3 million, and he is about to get a healthy raise. His salary is already $300,000 more than Georgia Tech just gave to new coach Brian Gregory, whose hiring has been met with a cool response.
Such is the financial state of the two athletic departments.
Credit goes to former Georgia athletic director Damon Evans for hiring Fox and his replacement, Greg McGarity, for trying to keep him.
Fox is not without his detractors. Some believe the Bulldogs should have done better than go 21-12 and lose in the opening round of the NCAA this season.
Not to cast him as the next John Wooden here, but I don’t understand the criticism. He has taken Georgia from being 12-20 two years ago to 21-12 in his second second. They went 9-7 in the SEC, their best conference record in a non-probation season since 2000-01. Injuries to their best player, Trey Thompkins, had an obvious effect on the offense. There’s also something to be said about needing time to change the mindset and learning how to win games.
Fox is accomplishing that. Georgia is doing the right thing by making sure he doesn’t get away.
By Jeff Schultz
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134 comments Add your comment
Stuck in Kentucky
March 30th, 2011
4:27 pm
Never paid more than cost as well, good to have connections. One of the best sport settings I’ve ever attended. Unless you are in the upper area where you need a sherpa to assist you up the incline. I’d rather give birth than sit up there again.
IL Jacket
March 30th, 2011
4:32 pm
Don’t really follow the round Dawgs that much, but their hustle and tenacity in the game with UW were impressive. Had they not gotten down so far, the result may have been entirely different. CMF also seems to represent the University well, so good luck keeping him. Looking forward to the new rivalry with CBG in the fold.
GT Alum
March 30th, 2011
4:33 pm
That quote would indicate he plans to make them make him leave, not leave of his own accord.
But, yeah, I basically said the same thing about a coach who was saying he wanted to stay at the school where he is. Doesn’t every coach say that until he signs with another school?
Enjoy the ride, UGA fans
March 30th, 2011
4:33 pm
To UGGA: I take it you work for the CIA and have phone taps that lets you know what calls Fox gets and makes. That would also explain how you have access to what the new contract looks like. Fox did inherit Leslie and Thompkins, and do you not think they have progressed greatly, especially Travis, under Coach Fox’s tutelage.
To Phil: Patience my friend. Fox inherited a mess, yet had a winning conference record in year 2. Coach K did not have a winning conference record until year 5. Many posters today would have voted to have Duke can him. Also, Washington was streaky, but hardly pathetic, winning the PAC 10 tourney, and almost beating Carolina on their defacto home court.
To 5150: NCAA selections are made on your whole body of work, not one or two head to head matchups. Bama was held back by a weak schedule, and an RPI about 30 slots behind the Dogs.
To Buckeye: I would have liked to have seen Shannon Scott in Athens, he is a good get for OSU, but Fox landed the top player in the state
DawginLex
March 30th, 2011
4:34 pm
buckeye,
the next coach at OSU might be “Coach Fickel”???
You really can’t make this stuff up can you??
Buckeye
March 30th, 2011
4:43 pm
DawginLex,
Actually, it’s spelled Fickell ( my mistake) , but pronounced as it sounds. Luke Fickell. Started 50 games as a player so we’ve known the name for a long time. May seem funny to others. The combo of Vrabel and Fickell were a pair of odd names but they we’re quite disruptive in their day. Vrabel was more of a down lineman at Ohio State than he was as a Patriot.
UGA is a destination job
March 30th, 2011
4:46 pm
Only way I see Fox possibly leaving is if a Kansas, UNC, Duke, UK come calling, and if that happens UGA basketball will have had some very successful seasons. Remember Tubby turned down Ohio State, and it took a program the caliber UK to get him away from Athens. Rare it is for a UGA coach in ANY sport to leave without being forced out. Tubby and Ron Polk are the only exceptions to that rule that I can recall.
Stuck in Kentucky
March 30th, 2011
4:49 pm
In just two seasons he takes them to the dance and beat a final four team along the way. If GA fans were told that would happen the day Fox was hired, not many, including myself, would have believed it could happen. Great job Coach!
Stuck in Kentucky
March 30th, 2011
4:54 pm
UGA, Tubby would have only taken the UK job. I did not understand why until I went to Rupp and it all made sense. That place is a 7 point advantage at least. Look at it this way. Kentucky has arguably 2 top ten , maybe top 5 college coaches (Cal & Pitino) and we are at the bottom in education. We are our priorities???
$3,000,000
March 30th, 2011
4:58 pm
Call me…NC State!
Mark (another one)
March 30th, 2011
5:07 pm
Fox’s recruiting appears to be sound but of course that is just based on their high school reps. Those don’t always pan out. My belief is that he will continue to develop the program and win games. That can be self feeding, and UGA has the facilities and the support to support him taking this program to the next level.
I remember Richt saying if you don’t want to have to live with high expectations, don’t coach at Georgia. He may regret the words but they’re true. As Fox builds his program, expectations will be raised, and simply making the NCAAs won’t be enough to keep people happy. He knows it and I suspect he is up for the challenge. UGA fans want to win and they expect their coaches to do so.
GT Alum
March 30th, 2011
5:17 pm
I don’t know that there’s many schools where you don’t have to deal with high expectations. Hewitt apparently felt expectations at Tech were unrealistic. If you don’t want to have to deal with high expectations, coach at a smaller school that doesn’t expect to win often, or at a school where the sport you coach is thoroughly overshadowed by the other sport. However, even then, if you have success, that’s going to lead fans to expect at least continued success, if not greater levels of success. That’s part of coaching. Hell, it’s part of life. The difference is most of us don’t have the forums for our customers to complain and build sentiment against us as individuals when we aren’t achieving what they think we should.
JSS
March 30th, 2011
5:25 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
Are you thinking what I’m thinking (about UGGA)?
GTBob
March 30th, 2011
5:29 pm
If I was Fox I would never leave UGA. They will pay extremely well and have virtually no expectations for any real success.
Coastal Dawg
March 30th, 2011
5:47 pm
Great news! Absolutely wrap him up and make him comfortable so he can concentrate on UGA basketball.
Hillbilly Deluxe
March 30th, 2011
6:00 pm
Is it just me or does Mark Fox bear a striking facial resemblence to Jim Cornette?
MaxxDawg
March 30th, 2011
6:16 pm
Dawgs had no shooters this year, Dustin Ware was the only decent one and he was afraid to take a big shot in the tourney. Enter elite scorer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With Caldwell-Pope among other recruits, Travis Leslie returning, and Marcus Thornton is starting, this team will be very tough to deal with on both ends of the floor next year.
JSS
March 30th, 2011
6:21 pm
Hillbilly Deluxe
March 30th, 2011
6:00 pm
“Is it just me or does Mark Fox bear a striking facial resemblence to Jim Cornette?”
Ha ha! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-wl-8a3RV4
Jeff Schultz
March 30th, 2011
6:22 pm
JSS — “Are you thinking what I’m thinking (about UGGA)?” …. Not think — know.
5150 UOAD
March 30th, 2011
6:29 pm
Jeff and JSS
What are you guys talking about on the UGGA thing? Fill us in please.
JSS
March 30th, 2011
6:31 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
Glad, I had at 5 hours of sleep before I came across that one! Whew!
JSS
March 30th, 2011
6:33 pm
@ POAD..
You really don’t want to go there… Let that one alone, it’s deep!
Hillbilly Deluxe
March 30th, 2011
6:39 pm
JSS
If you go to Youtube and type in almost any wrestling personality’s name, followed by shoot, (ex: Jim Cornette shoot), there are some very interesting interviews. Jim Cornette’s are something to watch.
JSS
March 30th, 2011
6:39 pm
@ Hillbilly…
Just for you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIftqOEK22o&feature=related
JSS
March 30th, 2011
6:41 pm
@ Hillbilly…
Yeah, I know, have you ever seen Tenn. Mountain Wrestling?
Hillbilly Deluxe
March 30th, 2011
7:21 pm
JSS
I’ve seen just a little of it. I hope somebody can succeed doing it the “old school” way. I think they were much better at telling the stories and building heat, in those days. I don’t really care for the direction the WWE and others have taken in the last 10-15 years.
Bounced Big Time!
March 30th, 2011
7:32 pm
FIRE ANDY LANDERS!
jumbeauxtiger
March 30th, 2011
8:41 pm
Good article Jeff and I think you are spot on.
EDAWG
March 30th, 2011
9:21 pm
Whats the rush the guy went 8 and 8 last 16 games, is anybody really after him.
DawgFan
March 30th, 2011
9:51 pm
Good for Fox…but who really cares??? How many games did we sell out this year even with two top NBA talents? How many Dawg fans do you know that stayed up to watch us in the NCAA’s? Shoot I have a ton of friends that are season ticket football fans (like me) that did not even know we were playing Washington on tv for the National Tournament. Fact is…most UGA fans want the Basketball team to do well but not so much as to actually watch a weekend game that would keep them home from partying. We will never get behind basketball so why not write about what we actually care about? Why not more on the Auburn scandal instead! LOL
JSS
March 30th, 2011
10:49 pm
@ Hillbilly…
The Landels and Bob Orton run it. I’ve known the personality that portrays Cheyanne Vegas for about two years. They have a big reunion card each year at the East Tenn. State Fair. You should go one year if you get a chance. Ron Garvin generally always comes…
Remember .......
March 31st, 2011
10:42 am
UGA grad here. Folks, we must remember that we are UGA basketball. We are not going to morph into a KY over night. If UGA replicates this season past, next year, it will be simply wonderfull. We are UGA basketball and it will take maybe 4 or 5 years of continued sucess like this season past, to have a credible “program.” We must first lock down a solid coach and CMF is that guy.
The local kids need to grow up viewing UGA going to the NCAAs every year. They need to view local stars signing with UGA and then enjoying personal and team success. This will take 3 or 4 years for sure. We are not a one and done type of school like GT. Look how that strategy has failed them.
Go Dooooooooooooooooooooogs.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
March 31st, 2011
12:30 pm
Eric Ainge story will generate a lot of hits from UGA fans considering the his wins against the Dawgs. AJC is missing the boat.
Alabama | MrSEC.com
March 31st, 2011
1:11 pm
[...] Georgia officials are talking about a new contract for hoops coach Mark Fox.4. This writer says UGA would be wise to spend cash to keep Fox.5. For his part, Fox says he’s “not interested” in any other jobs.6. [...]