Five months later, a very different Athletic Board meeting
The same board that five months ago approved a new five-year, $3.25-million contract for Damon Evans will convene at 11 a.m. today to hear details of his resignation.
This morning’s meeting, via conference call, of the UGA Athletic Board’s executive committee is expected to reveal Evans’ resignation settlement and perhaps the game plan for choosing his successor as Georgia’s athletics director. I’ll be listening in on the call from the Butts-Mehre building and will post updates on Twitter (@ajcuga), so please follow me there.
Meanwhile, I keep thinking about that meeting barely five months ago -– Feb. 3 -– at which the Athletic Board expressed its enthusiastic approval of Evans’ job performance by giving him a new five-year contract and a $110,000-a-year raise.
At that meeting, UGA President Michael Adams said of Evans: “He’s already become a nationally recognized figure in athletics, and we are fortunate to have him. . . . I think he’s done an extraordinary job. . . . And there’s not been a whiff of impropriety during that six-year period. If you’re the president of an institution, that means a whole lot.”
And on that day, a grateful Evans told the board after it emerged from executive session and announced the new contract: “I’m touched deeply by it.”
In a hallway outside the meeting room a few minutes later, he told me: “We’ve got a lot left to do. I want to see us grow in so many different phases. I want to see us recognized as the elite program, and I sincerely mean that. . . . I’m fortunate. Who wouldn’t want to be the athletic director at the University of Georgia? . . . An old country guy from Gainesville, Georgia –- who would have ever thought? It is just a blessing.”
Everything was upbeat at that meeting, which also saw the board approve Evans’ recommendation to spend $21.3 million on renovating Stegeman Coliseum and creating an entry plaza behind the north stands of Sanford Stadium.
No one in attendance on the afternoon of Feb. 3 could have imagined where things would stand on the morning of July 5.
Keep up with today’s meeting: @ajcuga on Twitter.
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130 comments Add your comment
Just Another Country Boy
July 5th, 2010
11:35 am
Sorry but I guess I have been lucky in my life that I have never been pulled over for DUI and unlucky that I don’t get to drive around with a 26 yr old with no underwear on. There are not too many in this country that have been behind the wheel when they should have not been. But if I did why would I get a settlement to leave a job and not just get fired? Who can not say that the south has come a long way when a married black guy gets pulled over drunk with a young white girl and they pay him to leave him dream job. “I Have a Dream!”
dawgdays
July 5th, 2010
11:35 am
When you sleep with dawgs, you get fleas. Especially ones with panties between their knees.
dawgdays
July 5th, 2010
11:38 am
Adams, Damon and the whole bunch should be shown the door. Coach Dooley must be rolling the the floor laughing at this dog and pony show.
Me luv black women
July 5th, 2010
11:39 am
I would love to do to your wife what you paid that girl to do to you
jess
July 5th, 2010
11:43 am
A lot of innuendo here about Damon’s previous “playa” missteps. Any fire to this smoke or the usual BS?
Barkin'Dog
July 5th, 2010
11:54 am
Panties on your seat, panties on your seat… lookin’ like a fool with panties on your seat.
Drinkin’ too much, caught DUI… lookin’ like a fool with panties on your seat.
Askin’ for a warnin’, crying like a babe… lookin’ like a fool with dem panties on your seat.
Sorry… after reading all of this for 3 days, I couldn’t help myself.
I truly do hope he gets his life back in order. After all, he’ll get paid for several years work he’ll never do. Unfortunately, his wife and children will probably get the bulk of it.
And just as unfortunate, this didn’t help the cause of many quality black coaches and administrators who seek and deserve promotions. Another reason for the quick settlement and desire to put this episode as far back in the rearview mirror as possible.
Dawg Fan
July 5th, 2010
11:55 am
The Lesson: Don’t drink and drive and stay away from floozy bimbos who can’t keep their panties on !
New Hire
July 5th, 2010
11:59 am
The new hire should be an African-American to promote diversity on uga’s campus, which is mainly white.
Lady Star
July 5th, 2010
12:06 pm
The white chicks love the brothers! The white man can’t match up!
heeldawg
July 5th, 2010
12:12 pm
Winfield J. Abbe, what drugs are you taking? Your incoherent, repetitive, rambling post encourages Damon Evans to sue Georgia…for what? Because Mr. Evans got drunk and went driving around Atlanta with a chick who was not his wife? Because the University had to sever ties with a person who had brought shame on his employer, his wife and his children through his own poor judgement? Sorry, Mr. Abbe, but this incident is Mr. Evans’ fault, and his alone. I’m sick of people trying to somehow twist their own indiscretions into a scenario in which they somehow morph into becoming a victim.
From the context of your post, I would think that you were a plaintiff’s attorney–except they generally have a better command of the English language than you do.
Jimdawg
July 5th, 2010
12:34 pm
collegeballfan, you could not be more wrong. The academic standards at UGA were rising long before Adams came around.
dd
July 5th, 2010
12:59 pm
Hey, it could be worse.
We could be tech or florida.
gotta say it
July 5th, 2010
1:16 pm
I just gotta say it.
Kryptoniter for a wealthy blackman – a white woman – everytime. when will they learn.
You can get pulled over for a DUI in GA – w/ a whitewan. then she is talking sh*t saying – “Do you know who he is??? He’s the Atletic Director….blah, blah, blah….He’ll have this tossed out tomorrow” She’s outta control and talking wayyyy too much.
And then to add gasoline to the fire — YOU ARE SITTING THERE WITH HER PANTIES in YOUR LAP – talking about – “I was just holding them….”
I haven’t even talkied about him trying to “influence the officer”, if it had been a white guy..the cop would have given him some slack – maybe (maybe not in these revenue raising days!)
Then – the whip cream and the cherry on this UGLY SUNDAE – you do public service announcements about the dangers of “driking and driving”.
RECIPE for HUGE “F” on your report card.
AD Stinky Fingers
July 5th, 2010
1:21 pm
Look for Courtney Furhmann to start selling ‘Genuine/Certified’ worn red panties on ebay, she could easily double her money.
Look forward to a “red panty out” at all UGA football games coming to a stadium near your.
gotta say it
July 5th, 2010
1:23 pm
heeldawg — There is a thing called a “morals clause” in you employment contract, that is the catch all for all this bad behavior.
As a regular hourly associate on your job, you don’t have one of these. Most salaried positions do not require a employment contract either until you start making around $100k.
This is why they can “let you resign” for behavior unbecoming or shedding an ill light on the University.
Same kind clause that the NFL has the NBA has but does not use it “apparently”.
Orange and Blue
July 5th, 2010
1:45 pm
The fat lady has sung and Gator Nation is still #1.
Meanwhile the dawgs are still wonder if they will ever beat UF.
Willie M.
July 5th, 2010
1:50 pm
Miss me yet?
CONFEDERATE DAWG
July 5th, 2010
2:05 pm
I GUESS I BETTER START MAKING MORE “HELPFUL” POST
Obama Your Moma
July 5th, 2010
2:07 pm
The trooper obviously acted stupidly.
Helen Thomas AKA Bozo the Clown
July 5th, 2010
2:08 pm
We all make mistakes.
Al Gore
July 5th, 2010
2:10 pm
I feel your pain.
Victoria Secret
July 5th, 2010
2:13 pm
Attention UGA Fans,
We are all out of red panties.
May I suggest pink?
Ole Vol Fan
July 5th, 2010
2:19 pm
Well, it looks like UGA did something even dumber than Tennessee did with our coach.
UT will roll over the dead puppies again this season.
Damon Evans out as Georgia AD : Football Rumor Mill
July 5th, 2010
2:26 pm
[...] The same board that five months ago approved a new five-year, $3.25-million contract for Damon Evans will convene at 11 a.m. today to hear details of his resignation. This morning’s meeting, via conference call, of the UGA Athletic Board’s executive committee is expected to reveal Evans’ resignation settlement and perhaps the game plan for choosing his successor as Georgia’s athletics director. – Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
SOOHSO
July 5th, 2010
2:42 pm
Confederate dog, I hear the Redcoat Band is going to play DIxie this year. That should make you happy!!!
Dawg House
July 5th, 2010
3:10 pm
If there’s one thing the Evans episode has proven, it’s that there are plenty of both black AND white racista in this state…a bunch of ignorant racists. What an embarrassment you are–to the University, the state, and to your families.
Steven Skaggs
July 5th, 2010
5:09 pm
The “Battle Hymn of the Republic” is set to a variant of the tune of a Southern campmeeting song–”Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” — which probably originated in South Carolina.
JT
July 5th, 2010
9:11 pm
Was not Damon Evans trained, taught, and recommended by Vince Dooley?? Adams just made him a yes man
JT
July 5th, 2010
9:18 pm
History of Battle Hymn of the Republic
http://www.trivia-library.com/a/origins-of-famous-songs-battle-hymn-of-the-republic.htm
Headlinin’: Disgraced Evans officially out at Georgia
August 24th, 2010
11:30 pm
[...] contract. Evans reportedly met with university lawyers over the weekend and is expected to announce his resignation to the UGA Athletic Board this morning. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Bradley, [...]