Ladies and gentlemen, the man at the top of the Georgia Way food chain:
These have not been heady days for Georgia athletics, and two days ago athletics director Greg McGarity fired one of his key coaching hires. So with that as a backdrop, and with McGarity watching, UGA president Jere Morehead was asked a two-pronged question on Wednesday:
What does he say to the many fans who are concerned about the state of the athletics program? And what is his confidence in McGarity?
Morehead began by listing the accomplishments of several Georgia teams, mainly in spring sports, and also expressed confidence in the future for Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball. While he did not directly address the question about McGarity, the president stated his confidence in the direction of the overall program.
“I still have confidence in our athletic program,” Morehead said. I think our prospects for the future are bright and I don’t have any reason to think that we’ve got any systemic problems that have to be addressed at this point.”
Not as long as the money’s rolling in, anyway. Besides, how can you not have complete confidence in a man who bills himself as Mr. Accountability?
McGarity, meeting with two reporters afterwards, pointed out that baseball was the only spring sport that’s not nationally ranked right now.
He also addressed the track record of his coaching decisions.
Whether it’s pro sports or college sports, sometimes things just don’t work out. So it’s not a perfect science,” McGarity said. “I accept full responsibilities for every hire, whether it be regardless of what the person’s rank or title is. So I understand and it’s no fun when things don’t work out. But that’s part of the business.
“And I think if you look at any conference school, or any institution, there are going to be times when things just don’t work out. Then it reaches a point where you just move on and try to make sure the next hire is successful. But I’m sure in the history of our sports program and others it’s an inexact science, to where it’s very difficult, for reasons that you just can’t predict.”
Lather, rinse, repeat makes for, if not a dynamic management philosophy, at least one with which everyone at Butts-Mehre can wrap around themselves like a warm, fuzzy blanket. Plus, McGarity can sell the excitement of better times ahead with the latest, newest, bestest-evah head coach to the boosters and fan base. We never seem to tire of that. Wallets, ho!
Are you inspired yet?
Get The Picture 
Regardless of which low-cost entry-level coach we bring in, restraining them with a budget at a fraction of their competition is a one-two punch guarantee we will be looking for their replacement in a few short years.
Lather, rinse, repeat, indeed.
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So Mark Fox’s job isn’t safe?
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Fox was a Damon hire who had head-coaching experience.
Given his cost is not covered by a private endowment, The Georgia Way would have to cough up the money to cover the remaining three years of his contract.
So yes, his job is safe for now.
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I like how justifying his job as being safe is the cost to fire him, always watching the bottom line. Well played.
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God, this is a demoralizing truth.
I will also love my alma mater and hope for the best for it, but the people pulling the strings are making it harder and harder to fully invest in Georgia’s sports success (emotionally, financially, or otherwise).
I’m on the verge of becoming one of those people who attends only one football game a year. I feel sick even admitting that, but it’s true.
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Yeah those country club sports with few scholarships are doing great and coincidentally they don’t cost as much as baseball, basketball and football. Nor do they bring in much.
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Man, when you already have the talking points chambered and ready to fire. . .
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Spoken like a number of CEOs who have toed the company line so they could keep that money rolling in, all while the company fell apart. Things are good and the future is bright as long as they keep $ in the positive.
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AD McG is not competent. The only 2 sports that matter to Georgia fans are basketball (somewhat) and football. He hasn’t won a conference Championship in either since he got here. He is going on a rare spending binge because his contract is up for renewal in June 2019, that means Kirby Smart must somehow figure out how to go from 8-5 to a conference championship in 2 seasons. AD’s future is tied tightly to Kirby’s, as goes one, so goes the other. Another factor that plays into it is Coach Mark Richt’s results over at Miami. He won more than Smart in season 1, and has the #1 recruiting class currently. Should Coach Richt wildly succeed at Miami, AD McG will have a lot of questions to ask about his judgment. The AD’s future is tied inevitably to the man he hired, and the man he fired.
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CMR is gone…give it up.
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CMR always seems to start off strong early in the recruiting season then fall back into the mid tier SEC level as signing day approaches. If he has the #1 class by the end of the cycle I will be shocked. But a mid tier SEC style class at Miami will do them wonders. Good for him.
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Kirby better get on it with the ’18 class. He’s not getting all of Dantzler’s in-state studs which are the only way to take us to the Promised Land.
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From what I heard we have a few less commits at this time than we had last year, so no need to panic…but honestly I don’t follow it closely anymore. Let me know when to hit the panic button stoop…:)
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Those spring sports doing well almost all have coaches you didn’t hire, Greg. You hired Stricklin (baseball – awful), Brewer (women’s golf – reportedly let Chris Haack fill the position), and Petros Kyprianou (track and field – a promotion from within of a longtime assistant at UGA).
So yeah. Tout those successes you have no part of.
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The Georgia Way
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In the 7 years that McGarity has been AD, we haven’t won any championships (conference or national) in any of the biggest sports –
football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, or gymnastics.
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By contrast, in the 7 years preceding his arrival, we won 13 championships in those sports. Granted, 9 of them were in gymnastics.
football – 1 conference championship
men’s basketball – 1 conference championship
women’s basketball – none
baseball – 2 conference championships
gymnastics – 4 conference championships & 5 national championships
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The men at the top of the Georgia Way food chain aren’t university presidents. They’re liquor-fortune heirs.
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Sad but true.
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Do you actually believe someone giving large amounts of money to the athletic association would then demand the AA not spend the money nor strive to win at a high level, and then eventually skim from said money to put into the University’s general fund/ endowment? The particular philosophy of athletic management at UGA stems directly from the higher education administration/ academic mission end.
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This is my question as well whenever people bring up the liquor barons. It makes no sense that they would give so much and then be happy to watch it sit in a reserve fund while the teams slide into mediocrity. Someone please explain.
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They remain at the top of the food chain, and keep calling the shots at a bargain.
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Exactly. Some people just like being in charge, especially when it isn’t costing them a fortune.
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Arrogant mediocrity.
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“Uh, Jere….that chart for the current trends in UGA sports? You’re holding it upside down.”
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Eh, I wouldn’t read a whole lot into those comments. They could reflect his genuine feelings (which would be a real let down) or they could just be corporate speak until the time comes to get rid of McGarity.
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Jere is so clever that he got to be President without having a PhD. Name another state flagship or peer or aspirational to UGA with a president whose highest degree is a JD.
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Spring Sports???? Is the Chess team and Badminton teams doing well?
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If a poll was taken by current UGA coaches, people in the SEC office, SEC member Athletic Directors and coaches as well as media members who cover UGA (other than a few of the rump smoochers at the AJC), The University of Georgia would be looking for a new A.D. first thing in the morning.
The only potential good news relating to President Morehead’s quote is the historical regularity such votes of confidence foreshadow the sacking of the coach, manager, GM, AD, CEO, etc…being discussed by the person of authority.
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^^^^My thought and hope as well
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Maybe, just maybe, the people at the head of the Georgia Way are starting to hear the rumbling of the masses. I really wonder what the season ticket renewal rates are and whether they are starting to scare the daylights out of the powers that be. Keep up the good work, Senator.
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You’re all just like my mother. I have to push back against this Georgia Way narrative.
I don’t know when I first read that phrase but at some point like anything else that’s thrown in your face over and over I started to believe in it. There were 90 plus comments yesterday dumping on the program – and I get it is a message board and we come to vent and read vents – but dang it got me thinking – who goes to work wanting to screw it up? Nobody.
If I could explain the AD in the most sympathetic of terms I would say it’s a group of people who are doing their very best to balance all of the pressures of the job in much the same way as the 100+ schools who also didn’t win any championships last year.
I think as fans we can be in a state of dissatisfaction without constantly impugning the intentions and good faith of those in leadership.
Give them a break.
Is this post too “Georgia Way”?
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That’s a cute post. McGarity is an idiot. He’s needs to be fired.
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I’ll accept that argument before I would the “blame it on Georgia Way.”
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Do you understand that he reflects the Georgia Way? He had to be called out by CJP before agreeing to the CJPMIPF. He left AJ and Todd hanging out to dry for crap that other schools have told the NCAA to pound sand for. He doesn’t spend money until he realized his neck was in the noose if Kirby doesn’t work out. He likely was the person who decided to drug test football players after spring break. He lied through his teeth about the decision to replace CMR and the Process to replace him. He has misfired on every coaching change he has made (Kirby is an incomplete). He has presided over the downfall of our dominant women’s gymnastics program. Do I need to go on?
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I will go on…
What do the following Georgia programs have in common?
Football
Mens Basketball
Womens Basketball
Baseball
Softball
Soccer
Volleyball
None of these programs had a winning conference record this season.
What do the these Georgia programs have in common?
Volleyball
Baseball
Softball
Each of these programs occupy last place in its conference or division.
If winning was important here, he would be long gone. But fortunately, he is employed by The Georgia Way and is celebrated for his financial achievement.
Well done.
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Is that you Greg? Doing your very best and having good intentions is an honorable thing. But, what is important is doing those things and having success. If your best isn’t getting the job done is that satisfactory?
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Lol – I don’t mind an argument on the merits of one’s work. I only object to lumping ones one work into a ridiculous and all encompassing narrative called Georgia Way.
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You need to study the definitions the Senator and others composed for The Georgia Way and see that McG epitomizes the essence of our problems. But I guess we could all take heart that we are a top 14 team in the SEC and top 120 in the country (pick your sport of choice).
#Equestrianteamchamps
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The whole notion of the Georgia Way is arbitrary and asinine.
When did this Georgia Way start by the way ? Could anyone answer that?
If you want to argue McG sucks then you have plenty of evidence. Saying he is a symptom of a systemic problem at UGA is absurd. (Whatever you’re unhappy about) is a symptom of him being a bad AD.
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We are now Eastern Ole Miss
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As others have posted, I have always wondered why UGA is not competing with some of the top programs and finishing in the top 5 EVERY YEAR in the once named Sears Cup. Money, resources, it is all there. Hire some folks to win in all sports.
Find someone who can hire them.
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