Florida influence apparent in management style of UGA’s Greg McGarity
ATHENS – There are some nervous coaches around Georgia’s athletic department these days. That tends to happen when the coach of perennial top 10 program abruptly resigns the week after finishing 11th.
Georgia gymnastics coach Jay Clark offered his resignation shortly after meeting with UGA athletic director Greg McGarity on May 4 and it served as an overture to his staff. Clark had two years remaining on a five-year contract he signed when he succeeded ultra-successful head coach Suzanne Yoculan in 2009.
The Gym Dogs weren’t awful under Clark, not by a long stretch. But they fell well short of the standards set by Yoculan’s teams, which won 10 national championships, including their last five in a row.
“We’re expected to win championships and we wanted to,” Clark said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
It didn’t matter that Clark was part of that run as an assistant coach for Yoculan or that of two of his gymnasts were crowned individual national champions. Three consecutive third-place finishes in the SEC and three whiffs on making the “Super Six” round of the NCAA Championships were too much to overcome, in McGarity’s eyes.
McGarity’s move stunned many in the Bulldog Nation and more than a few in coaching. But it came as little surprise to people who observed McGarity prior to his tenure at Georgia.
Before his UGA appointment, McGarity served as athletic director Jeremy Foley’s right-hand man at Florida for 18 years.
“All I know is when Greg and I worked together, one thing that he and I talked about — and I’ve got to think it’s part of his management philosophy — is you don’t necessarily judge a program on where it is today,” Foley said. “I think you judge it on where it’s going to be or if it’s as good as it can be. Sometimes you evaluate programs and they may be OK.
“But there are certain places in the country — and Florida’s one and I think Georgia is one — where being OK isn’t satisfactory to people in leadership roles.”
McGarity, a UGA graduate and longtime Vince Dooley aide, left Georgia to become Foley’s senior executive in 1992. UGA President Michael Adams hired McGarity in August of 2010 following Damon Evans’ dismissal.
During McGarity’s time in Gainesville, Foley dismissed at least 15 Florida head coaches. Among them were three baseball coaches — including Pat McMahon just two years after playing for the national championship — and a football coach in the middle of his third season.
“Sometimes Jeremy has fired people and I’ve just been stunned,” said Pat Dooley, longtime executive sports editor and columnist for The Gainesville Sun. “[Baseball coach] Andy Lopez was a stunner. Pat McMahon was a stunner. [Football coach] Ron Zook only got 2 1/2 years. But that’s what his philosophy is. If you know it’s going the wrong way, don’t wait until it gets there. And I think Greg learned from that.”
Though McGarity’s primary responsibility with the Gators was as their chief business executive, he also was Foley’s closest confidante and a resident sounding board. Asked how often he consulted McGarity on personnel moves, Foley stated flatly, “I can’t think of one he wasn’t involved in.”
“There are so many things that go into the decisions that you make,” McGarity said. “That’s my job, to have a knowledge of what’s going on in every sport, along with a lot of help from a lot of other people I know.”
McGarity’s said his expectations should not come as a surprise to Georgia’s coaches. He spells it out for them on a sheet of paper he keeps in the bottom left drawer of his desk at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall.
Aptly titled “What I Expect from Coaches,” McGarity gives a copy to every University of Georgia head coach upon their first meeting. He distributed a copy to all 15 of the Bulldogs’ coaches in the fall of 2010 and he gave one to volleyball coach Lizzy Stemke, his only new hire to date, this past year.
McGarity’s list includes 10 items, most of which are directives about attitude, work ethic and rules compliance. But coaches would be well advised to pay attention to No. 8.
“Develop a program that is competitive in the SEC and nationally, understanding that the definition of ‘competitive’ is different from sport to sport.”
It’s that second clause that tripped up Clark. Nobody could argue that the Gym Dogs were extremely competitive if not dominant. They were ranked among the top five programs in the nation up until the team had had to count three falls at the national championship meet. But relative to previous achievements, Georgia was regressing.
This makes McGarity’s next moves difficult to predict. There are a few coaches watching with keen interest.
- Baseball coach David Perno, the Bulldogs’ skipper since 2002, is down to the final two years of his contract, which expires June 30, 2014. With a week left in the regular season, Perno’s team is 29-22 overall and 13-13 in the SEC and will be sweating out an NCAA tournament bid. Georgia has already qualified for the SEC tournament, has won two SEC championships under Perno and has been to three College World Series when it had been to only three in previous history.
- Georgia women’s golf coach Kelley Hester is in the fifth and final year of her contract. The Lady Bulldogs were ranked ninth and seeded third before a disappointing performance in the NCAA Central Regional in Ohio in which they failed to advance for the second straight year. UGA has won one national championship in golf (2001) and 11 SEC titles, but finished fifth this year and no better than third under Hester.
- Track and field coach Wayne Norton is in the final year of his contract as well. Georgia’s teams combined for 217 points — the most in school history — as the men finished third and the women took fourth at the SEC championships this past Sunday.
Georgia football coach Mark Richt survived McGarity’s scrutiny last season when he earned a new five-year contract following 10 wins and an SEC East championship. Indications are men’s basketball coach Mark Fox and women’s basketball coach Andy Landers remain are in good standing, too, at least for now.
Interviewed at the end of this past week, McGarity declined to discuss any coaches specifically. Speaking generally, he McGarity said he meets with every coach regularly throughout the season and conducts one-on-one reviews at the end. He said he doesn’t judge team performances in a vacuum. Injuries, personal hardships among players or coaches and all extenuating circumstances are considered, he said.
For instance, the fact that Perno lost two players to traumatic, permanent injuries in back-to-back seasons, lost an 18-save closer to injury before the first game and is dealing with a serious, ongoing health issue within his family all will be taken into account.
“People have to trust the leadership here and have confidence that we know what’s going on in all our sports,” McGarity said. “There are a lot of things that go on that people just have no idea about and they’ll never know anything about because they are basically dealt with internally.”
Foley, for one, thinks the Bulldogs are fortunate to have McGarity calling those shots.
“Georgia hit a home run with Greg,” Foley said. “I’m very happy that he’s there. He has the abilities to do that job and he’s been ready to do that job for a long, long time, in my opinion. The blessing is it didn’t happen for a while. I got to keep him for 18 years.”
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149 comments Add your comment
kybodawg
May 15th, 2012
1:23 pm
if he sets down one on one with each coach i wonder what he and bobo talk about?
AltamahaDawg
May 15th, 2012
1:52 pm
You guy’s compare Mcgarity’s 2 years with only the Foley “highlights”. There were quite a few less than steller moments in his career too. I am sure that somebody could even paint a few things fairly questionable. Wasn’t even really Florida’s first choice as an AD, Basically outlasted everybody and finally got the job. Done a great job overall, but it has been a long career to look at. it’s sort of foolish to compare the 2 at this point in McGarity’s tenue here.
AltamahaDawg
May 15th, 2012
2:15 pm
So, Youcalan’s man got Youcalan’s handpicked replacement fired? Motives there would be?
Spokesman for the SEC East
May 15th, 2012
2:17 pm
Monkey you are a fool if you dont think UF’s athletic programs have done well in recent years.
Lets see: Back to back Basketball Championships, 2 BCS Championships, Final series in both Baseball and Softball, 2011 Womens Tennis Championship, 1 Soccer Championship, and then of course in the top 5 All sports championship with #1 overall last year. Other than those facts idiot they have not done well.
AltamahaDawg
May 15th, 2012
2:40 pm
Insider, we will see? You have already stated that was a mistake to retain Richt.
Homepage | MrSEC
May 15th, 2012
2:58 pm
[...] Georgia AD Greg McGarity expects success from his coaches… or [...]
CEPH
May 15th, 2012
3:01 pm
McGarity not only looks like Alfred E. Neuman I think he has the same intellect. Where do you come up with the idea that he is so tough? If Foley had come to UGA the first thing he would have done is fire Richt not the Volleyball coach for gods sake. He is acting so tough with these perephrial sport coaches while Richt is stroking him. If he had not been a UGA guy they wouldn’t have even looked at him . He was at FLA for eighteen years and no one even gave him a whiff for an AD job. UGA just panicked after the red panty affair and grabs a “GA Guy” thats the bottom line!!!!!!
FRED
May 15th, 2012
3:44 pm
When he gets CMR out of Athens than and only than will i beleive he knows what he is doing.
AltamahaDawg
May 15th, 2012
4:01 pm
OK, so far the 2 Florida fans have by far had the most adult comments in this thread.
Monkey
May 15th, 2012
4:19 pm
Spokesman for the SEC East
May 15th, 2012
2:17 pm
Monkey you are a fool if you dont think UF’s athletic programs have done well in recent years.
Lets see: Back to back Basketball Championships, 2 BCS Championships, Final series in both Baseball and Softball, 2011 Womens Tennis Championship, 1 Soccer Championship, and then of course in the top 5 All sports championship with #1 overall last year. Other than those facts idiot they have not done well.
Apparently you cannot R-E-A-D-….I said it took Spurrier and his winning program to breathe life into a failing UF Athletic department, not Jeremy Foley,,,Spurrier started the return not the AD,,,
Please read better before you comment …no one mentioned “recent”….
Monkey
May 15th, 2012
4:20 pm
Spokesman for SEC East…change your handle if you cannot grasp facts
dawginit
May 15th, 2012
5:55 pm
I agree, i should not have used the term “bonafide idiots” to describe the anti-McGarity folks. The UF fans here have been classy. I know it makes some of the dippity doo dah UGA fans uncomfy to see an AD at UGA demand excellence….maybe it’s a generational thing. I was at UGA from ‘94-98, and although I resented UF’s dominance in athletics, I resented even more UGA’s (and yes, Dooley’s) acceptance of being second best. I see from this blog that there are Dawg fans who are stuck in neutral. God bless Greg McGarity.
legendofthegame
May 15th, 2012
6:03 pm
None of Greg McGarity’s ideas seem to work, still, after 2 seasons, 0 victories against ranked teams for the football program? 0 SEC Championships? Just a typical theoretical admin type, which none of his ideas actually are practical enough to work.
gt4ever
May 15th, 2012
7:21 pm
What happened to Jay Clark should embarrass anybody connected to UGA sports…. I laugh at the people who think Grantham is the best DC in college football…. What a true hack, and embarrassment Grantham is to UGA… But hey, it couldn’t happen to a better program…
Florida Convict U
May 15th, 2012
7:37 pm
More arrest at Florida:
Florida defensive tackle Leon Orr violated the terms of his deferred prosecution agreement for his misdemeanor marijuana possession charge by getting cited for knowingly driving with a suspended license on Monday, according to Alachua County court documents.
Peadawg
May 15th, 2012
8:23 pm
“A GT grad wins the PGA’s Players’ Championship.”
A UGA grad won The Masters. What’s your point?
Glenn in Alaska
May 15th, 2012
8:48 pm
Things will change soon either in victories or coaching staffs. You can count on that.
Mikey D.
May 15th, 2012
8:51 pm
Just out of curiosity, what is the ongoing health situation in Coach Perno’s family? Doesn’t sound too good. Whatever it is, he’ll be in my family’s prayers.
Captain
May 15th, 2012
9:31 pm
Some of you people would be funny if you weren’t so idiotic.
DestinDawg – regarding where the Georgia-Florida game is played, location has NOTHING to do with the outcome of the games. The size of the field is the same in Athens as Jax. Mark Richt has a better road record than home record during his tenure. Fact of the matter is Georgia has lost 17 of 20 not because of where the game is played but how the game is played. Florida has been better coached, had better players, and outplayed the Dawgs. Many of those games could have been played at Tift Co HS, or the Kroger parking lot in Macon and the Gators would have won. Keep the game in Jax, just “man up” and win.
gt4ever – a GT supporter questioning Todd Grantham’s ability as Def Co-ordinator – now that’s funny. Who is GT’s DC? What’s Grantham record as DC against the vaunted offensive juggernaut coached by the genius Fish Fry Johnson? You GT people are hilarious, pitiful for sure. What’s your record against Mark Richt? Get back to your tickle piles you silly boys.
We will find out about McGarity soon. He’s fired two women’s coaches. Will he fire Perno? Don’t see how he could possibly justify keeping him, there is no way to hang onto someone whose SEC record is.500 this year, a dismal record worst in the SEC in 2010, a 3rd place seed in the NCAA last year and at best the same this year. that IS the definition of mediocre. Women’s golf coach Kelly Hester inherited a Top 5 program 2 yrs removed from a National Title when she was hired four years ago. She has failed yet again to get out of a regional after going in as Top 10 ranked with a pitiful 11th place regional finish, she has missed on too many quality prospects, the program is being passed by
the rest of the SEC. Lets see what transpires. No changes may validate the opinion of those who feel McGarity wasn’t the best choice.
dbc
May 16th, 2012
12:32 am
How do we influence these writers to post more than one tired, lame story a week?
SEC Football Morning Coffee: Florida DT Leon Orr Arrested | SEC Football
May 16th, 2012
7:07 am
[...] Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that there is a clear Florida influence in the management style of Georgia athletic director [...]
bart
May 16th, 2012
8:49 am
Go Greg! Let’s get rid of the mediocrity in our ahtletic programs. There’s no reason UGA can’t have top programs in every sport. It makes perfectly good sense to me to get rid of coaches who are taking a program in the wrong direction. Why wait until a program hits bottom before you do something?
7675DAWG
May 16th, 2012
9:02 am
I think McGarity is going a great job so far. I think he will need a total of 5 year before all the programs at Georgia are where they need to be. Changing head coaches from any team is very disruptive because the recruiting philosophy changes and a lot of new coaches are hired. Dooley was forced out because he wanted to call the shots . Evans was a complete yes man to the President.McGarity is starting at Georgia at the right time because Adams is leaving which will let McGarity do his job in evaluating the coaches without prejudice.
All the head coaches need to be on notice that McGarity is not satisfied with anything short of championships.
Mobile Dawg
May 16th, 2012
9:06 am
When did Mark Richt put the ink on the new contract? If it’s been signed I missed it.
kingdaddy
May 16th, 2012
9:59 am
Is there any news on a new president for UGA and if so, who is he or she and will they be athletics friendly???
Buckeye
May 16th, 2012
10:11 am
Missouri QB arrested. Welcome to the SEC! SEC! Must be a pledge activity or a requirement for Fulmer Cup eligibility.
Joe
May 16th, 2012
11:51 am
Andy Landers needs to be fired. Mark Fox gets one more year to show signs of hope.
7576DAWG
May 16th, 2012
12:12 pm
kingdaddy
If we could pry him away from Augusta National Golf Club William “Billy” Payne would be a great selection to replace Adams.
kingdaddy
May 16th, 2012
12:50 pm
7576DAWG
Don’t take this wrong, but wouldn’t that be a step down? He’s already got a “Dream Job”! He would be really good for the University and their Athletics…
kingdaddy
May 16th, 2012
12:53 pm
President of The UGA. also is a great job, but not like A.N.G.C…
Snoop Dawg
May 16th, 2012
12:59 pm
This article is a buch of crap. Spin, spin, spin. The UGA spinners are spinning!
Reality is spelled R-I-C-H-T. Richt is the personification of complacency, incompetency, and cronyism.
McGarrity just rewarded these stellar attributes with a contract extension for five more years of misery.
Snoop Dawg
May 16th, 2012
1:05 pm
The double digit IQ types on this blog need to lay off Suzanne Yoculan and her husband or significant other (don’t care which). Leeburn is a very influential Dawg, very successful, a real man and a winner. Those of you who are jealous of him need to see a shrink or maybe a doctor to see if you may be able to get a surgical enlargement to help out your libidos.
Yoculan should be hired as the AD, instead of Howdy Doody Florida retread McCavity.
AltamahaDawg
May 16th, 2012
1:18 pm
I see what you did there. Made fun of IQs, then followed up with more low IQ cliche’s?
Snoop Dawg
May 16th, 2012
1:31 pm
Altamaha, you and Doginfects aren’t in the double digit IQ category. You two lead the pack of single digit dogs.
Why don’t you pray for the good Christian Man to be a better coach?!? See where that gets us…
You two are enablers to these losers like Richt and Bobo. Look in the mirror.
Snoop Dawg
May 16th, 2012
1:39 pm
Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw–
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime–Macavity’s not there!
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no on like Macavity,
He’s broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime–Macavity’s not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air–
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity’s not there!
Macavity’s a ginger cat, he’s very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly doomed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake.
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square–
But when a crime’s discovered, then Macavity’s not there!
He’s outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s.
And when the larder’s looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke’s been stifled,
Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair–
Ay, there’s the wonder of the thing! Macavity’s not there!
And when the Foreign Office finds a Treaty’s gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,
There may be a scap of paper in the hall or on the stair–
But it’s useless of investigate–Macavity’s not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:
“It must have been Macavity!”–but he’s a mile away.
You’ll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,
Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macacity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
He always has an alibit, or one or two to spare:
And whatever time the deed took place–MACAVITY WASN’T THERE!
And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!
mcdaviddawg
May 16th, 2012
1:48 pm
He didn’t deal with Richt and he above all knows Richt isn’t coaching. The new figures on money at public schools shows Georgia has lost a lot of ground with the current football situation. Richt is costing us at least 10 mil over his salary.
WDE
May 16th, 2012
2:36 pm
Snoppy please get help at the very least your meds need to be tweaked.
Kevin
May 16th, 2012
3:17 pm
Some if these arguments are humorous to read but the bottom line is none of us know what kinf of AD McGarity is yet. His only hire is the women’s volleyball coach for Christ’s sake………..let’s give it a few years and see. If CMR doesn’t get us at least another SEc Champ. in the next 2 or 3 yrs let’s see if grag has the cajones to pull the trigger. If mark fox can’t make UGA basketball relavent(NCAA tournaments bids and at least a win or two while there in march ) in the next year or two then let’s see what he does. After all this will be Fox’s 4th yr., can’t blame felton or Harrick anymore.
it is what it is
May 16th, 2012
3:57 pm
did McGarity’s infuence carry over from Fl? Damn right, Fl use to play the Charleston Southerns and sisters of the poor and now pitiful UGA with all its 5 stars has a bevy of pitiful opponents in their lineup because afterall we are suppose to understand that their 5 star dream team cannot make it own its own merit it must try and deceive the country into this horse manure of a schedule.
realisticfan
May 16th, 2012
4:07 pm
If McGarity had any balls he would have already sent Andy Landers packing. And Perno would be on the hot seat. It also bothers me when the AD at Fla heaps such high praise on McGarity. Sounds like he is glad he is at Ga cause he knows his weaknesses.
Dawg Doo
May 16th, 2012
4:45 pm
Let’s see: Georgia Southern (three times), New Mexico State (twice), Arkansas State, Northwestern State, Middle Tennessee State, UAB (twice), Louisiana Monroe, Western Kentucky, Western Carolina, Central Michigan, Tennessee Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette and Idaho State. These were all “opponents” on UGA’s schedule between 2000 and 2010. Yet to listen to these Mutts complain about McGarity, I thought that Georgia had been scheduling ooc games against the NFC East! Proof once again that no school has a more delusional fan base than the Mutts.
Henne Patchinko
May 16th, 2012
4:59 pm
So UGA football has been in a slide for 5-6 years according to a Gator fan? SEC East top team in 2011. Most recent time before that 2007. That’s three seasons between. Yeah, the sky’s falling alright.
Pfft.
Plus4am
May 16th, 2012
6:46 pm
Look for the lady dawgs golf coach to be the next one out. Recruiting all European that can’t win and girls that can’t break 80. Coach Hester doesn’t know how to put together a team or should I say a winning team!
Greatputter
May 16th, 2012
9:08 pm
Get your facts straight. Uga w golf won ncaas in 2001. Hester was hired in 2007 after mccorkle was fired for sex harrassment scandal. She was assistant for 2001 team. One of her “Europeans” was the NCAA golfer of year in 2011.
Dawgsin11
May 17th, 2012
8:59 am
Greatputter, what is the UGA women’s golf team doing right now? The same thing they did last year….watching the NCAA finals from Athens. What is the Arkansas women’s golf team doing-the program Hester left to return home to UGA-they’re getting ready to play in the NCAA finals. Team results Greatputter, team results. Quit making excuses. She and McGarity both know she hasn’t gotten the job done.
Plus4am
May 18th, 2012
3:22 am
Facts are Hester has her girls staying home another year. Without that one girl from Spain UGa would not be ranked in the top 50. Her recruiting is dismal, she signed two girls from out of state that aren’t ranked in the top 500. Pretty bad when that is the best you can get, especially for a top 10 team. I think breaking 80 is a requirement in college golf but if you don’t you stay home or go to Georgia. The top girls from the home state are going else where, a sure sign!
Hairy Dawg
May 20th, 2012
10:49 am
The biggest problem Dawgs have had was McG getting rid of Adams. Now that Adams get shoved out door eventally at end of next year why not do it now to get Pres that not choking the recruiting. By cannning Adams now we support Coach Richt in recruiting without no restrictoins and kicking rear of pointy heads like Adams. Then we loads up on best recruits like the Dream Team 3 needs.
McG got to show he got guts enough to stand up and kick Adams out door to bring in Pres that supporting Dawgs and not the pointy heads. But winning requires recruiting best talents and not choked by pointy heads. And that why McG had to kick Adams to curb and get real Pres that want to win in football by supporting Coach Richt and being Christian. Now that Adams problem being fixed we run ownership of SEC and BCS to.
Hairy Dawg
May 20th, 2012
11:02 am
And I can’t waits till we unload the rear whooping can on Mizzou to shows that “show me “what real SEC football is. Then we owns East goning into Dome to beat Bammer lamma ding dogn or that sorry Bungle Tigers on way to BCS Champs. This is goning be good year for Dawgs with BCS and Adams sent packing!
Go Dawgs!
Barry
May 21st, 2012
6:00 pm
Bulldawgx2 is the “idiot” – not McGarity. He (”2″) has a real judgement problem based on something other than fact.
I have known the new AD for many years and worked have within the athletic department at UGA and U of F. Greg McGaruty is a quality person – a smart, tough,and experienced administrated who worked under some of the best in the business. He is a great hire for the Dogs and will be a fine AD for many years to come.