Here’s an observation about Butts-Mehre I never thought I’d have a reason to share: life comes at you fast.
Georgia is replacing one national championship-winning track and field coach with another.
Caryl Smith Gilbert, Southern Cal’s director of track and field, is moving from the Pac-12 to the SEC to take over as head coach for the Bulldogs.
She guided the USC women’s team to two NCAA outdoor championships including capturing this season’s title on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.
It’s the first head coaching hire for first-year athletic director Josh Brooks who also will be picking a successor for longtime softball coach Lu Harris-Champer who retired on June 6.
The move comes a day after Petros Kyprianou’s time as Georgia coach ended. The school officially announced Kyprianou was leaving Sunday morning and announced his replacement more than an hour later. [Emphasis added.]
Yes, I know the writing had been on the wall for a while now, but an hour? Sixty freakin’ minutes? To hire a coach who won a natty the day before?
That’s about as un-McGarity a sequence of events as I could possibly imagine. Except I’m not imagining it. The only thing that could make this even more perfect would be to discover the school didn’t waste forty grand on a search firm.
Yeah, I may be starting to warm towards this Josh Brooks fellow.
Get The Picture 
I have to admit, this sounds like…. competence. I dont know what I expected, but I’m pretty sure “hiring a national championship coach immediately” wasn’t it. Props to Josh.
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My first thought as I was reading your story was how much did he pay for the search committee. Question answered and I’m impressed by the hiring process. One can hope it’s a sign of things to come.
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No $75k consulting fee followed by a lukewarm internal hire? Does he know about the Georgia Way?
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Is the battleship turning?
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Whether it was deserved or not, I’m happy to see criticism of the UGA Athletics Department dialed down from eleven.
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Because why, exactly? It makes you uncomfortable to see incompetence called out?
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As a man who made a career in dangerous environments I’m in no manner tolerant of incompetence. I’m also intolerant of disloyal and whiny bitches. Does that make you uncomfortable?
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So complaints on this blog about the performance of McGarity and BM have been disloyal and whiny, then?
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(Your implication that the obvious incompetence by the McG and BM articulated herein as “disloyal” and “whiny” does make me uncomfortable, and it also strikes me as hypocritical, if you are “a man who made a career in dangerous environments [who is] in no manner tolerant of incompetence.” Tolerating incompetence is a question of loyalty, then. Hmm. I like your posts otherwise, man, but someone’s got to speak truth to power when it comes to BM, no?)
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Chill Pill needed here.
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Seeking succinctness I succeeded in simply sucking ambiguously in the starting statement (say that three times without spitting or stuttering).
Yeah, the management at BM, especially the unlamented Mcgarity, deserve criticism. I just think it’s a bad look on an open board and it’s not my style. I reserve those type insults for our opponents. Then I doubled down in a drive-by post doing what I do. Being a dick. Mea culpa.
If Mr. McGoo suffered the same ramifications for incompetence as in my occupation? Our problems with him would’ve ended most rikki tik. Hopefully Brooks will give us less reason to whinge. Some of the boys will still complain because that’s what they do. Henceforth, I’ll keep my opinions on that to myself as well as my criticism of most anything UGA.
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I’d hate for you to keep your opinions to yourself, RangerRuss. C’mon, man–Rangers lead the way.
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Damn. I heartily agree with Munsoning. I was serious about liking your comments, RangerRuss.
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Gastr1, I’m with ya…few people on here type shit that makes me shoot coffee into my nasal cavities (talk about a High Caffeine Colonic) like ol RR. Just avoid shaking his hand…
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I do get a bug up my shorts when people start saying we shouldn’t critique things on an anonymous blog featuring a bunch of no-impact observers.
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Good advice, FD. I had to reject that Ohio State skank’s application. She has that ol yankee accent and just wouldn’t shut the fuck up. How anyone with a mouth that full can keep talking, I don’t know. Uncle Got’s busy getting his jollies off on that vibrating tractor and shooting ‘yotes while 86Bone and Corch feel as if they need more practice. Sitting in opposite corners doing their thang.
So it’s just me, all by my lonesome, running Brandee’s by hand. Shake hands? I wouldn’t even fist bump that nast.
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Gastr1, you seemed stressed, man. Come on down to Brandee’s. I’ll build a little fire, have FrozenDawg warm up a bit. He’ll take matters in his own hands.
I need a break for sure.
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Thanks, RangerRuss, I appreciate the invite. Yes, this summer needs to be major de-stress-ification time. I need a trip to New Mexico or a trip to Puerto Rico and get into a zone of zen.
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If RR spent a career in the military it’s understandable that he should have a tolerance for incompetence; accepting that incompetence is an understandable consequence of serving. Never complain, never explain and hope for the best is a way of life in the military.
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Mr. James, I spent my formative adult years in the Ga National Guard enlisted and as a Regular Army Officer. I was fortunate to be mentored in High School and then at UGA and simultaneously in the Guard by some of the most competent soldiers to ever shit between a pair of combat boots. After taking my lumps working with my Dad since I was nine and the experience gained training under old, hard combat Vets, there was no way I could stay beyond my initial obligation. Some of the sharpest, most competent men on this planet made my time in the yankee Army worthwhile. Unfortunately the ranks were filled with too many incompetents who just so happened to be superior to my rank. No way was I going to put my life in the hands of those fools. Again.
So I transitioned to a profession that not only requires but demands competence. My low tolerance for incompetent shitheads has resulted in my being sixty years old with all my digits intact.
Scars?
Yeah, I got scars.
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Yes Sir, May I have another….
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After extending the less than average baseball coach and the basketball walk out i thought brooks letting the track coach go was pure Greg 2.0. Surprise, surprise, surprise – Impressive move by Josh.
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Excellent hire – she came into Georgia last year and took the best girls’ track prospect in the state to LA. I’m definitely optimistic.
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Wonder where her hubby is gonna find employment, should he come east…?
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I’m guessing he has a spot waiting for him in the Georgia Bulldog Club if he wants it.
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“Her husband is former NFL and Alabama linebacker Greg Gilbert. He works in development in the USC athletic department. They have three sons including Spencer, a walk-on linebacker at USC.”
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I saw that in the article. I’m betting Gilbert will be a development officer for the AA.
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“Smith Gilbert will have the title director of men’s and women’s track and field at Georgia. She will be the first female to head a men’s program at Georgia.” That’s pretty progressive.
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When he hires that softball coach from James Madison, heads will really spin.
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I’ve been curious to do more research on the James Madison AD. They seem to have a few programs that are performing.
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Their mens bball team had a strong 1st year under the former Georgia Southern coach. He did a good job there, and knows the south. Came up at College of Charleston under Bobby Cremins; they didn’t hire him when Bobby retired. They wanted a name. The guy they hired cratered. They guy they passed over did a fine job in Statesboro. 🙂
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I wonder why she came here. Did we secretly promise her the upgraded facilities that Petros wanted?
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If so, why did we not give them to coach P instead of letting him walk ??
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My hunch is because he embarrassed the University. They don’t want to set a precedent that a coach can appeal to the public anytime the Department says “No.” If I’m right, it’s similar to the Pruitt Indoor Facility debacle.
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I am thrilled with this hire. It is interesting that she made this move though. The USC track facility is much nicer and much bigger than Town Specs and she has built a great program there. Surprisingly…. I did read on a the USC247 board that many were not happy about the amount of support that was given to T&F at USC. Maybe that had something to do with it. Hopefully Brooks will give her what is needed to improve an already strong UGA program.
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Maybe it’s just me, but I would think that she and her family might want out of CA as quickly as possible.
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Is that because it’s going to be 110° here in Cali this week?
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You must be having a cold snap where you are trbodawg. We’re going up to 113 here in the Central Valley.
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Damn! It’s 66 in my neck of the Ohio woods. Come on over.
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18 told her Athens Town is cool…
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Billy Payne an’em convinced those pinheads on the Olympic Committee that Georgia temperatures averaged in the low 80’s in mid-summer. Which is technically correct when you include nighttime temps in the average.
I’m still a bit amused twenty-five years later.
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It’s just you.
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to clarify—my response intended for rigger92 on the perception fallacy. . .just spent 2 weeks home in GA. Loved it. Love it here just as much. the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
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Sounds like a good move. Kudos to Josh for what looks like a great hire.
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This is all Kirby, not Brooks. He opened the pipeline to USC with JT and more will follow. Probably needs an improved T&F program to keep our WR horses in tune. GATA
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Roquan
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Cool. Now do basketball and baseball.
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Baseball and basketball are just something for sports reporters to do when it isn’t football season.
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Ranger Russ, I enjoy your comments!
A pox upon those who criticize anonymous bloggers who enjoy plaisanterie
joviale on topics dished by The Senator!!!
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