Hard times have fallen on the men’s basketball program at the University of Georgia.
While there was some cause for hope after last spring’s miraculous run through the SEC tournament, the disappointing 2008-09 season has cause Dennis Felton to be shown the door. (It should be remembered that Felton’s severance package for failing at his job outweighs what most people get for succeeding at theirs.)
I’ve never been one for firing a coach during mid-season. Ninety-nine percent of the time it does nothing except make that season a throw away one. I expect it will be that way for this season’s Bulldog team.
UGA athletic director Damon Evans, however, decided the time to act was now and while he has that authority let’s hope he doesn’t turn into his mentor, former AD Vince Dooley, who made it a habit of firing coaches, loyalty be damned. Dooley, who had to show he was in charge of the athletic program, fired way too many coaches when their ousting was not justified.
But back to the current situation. It is time for UGA men’s basketball to make a splash. As much merit as there is in hiring someone who has done a solid job at a smaller school or someone who is a hot assistant at a top-ranked school, it’s time to go for broke and bring in someone who would immediately become the big dog so to speak in the SEC. The University of Georgia should hire Bobby Knight.
There have already been rumblings that Knight would take the job if offered. Sports writing icon Furman Bisher broke the story that Knight would love to coach the Bulldogs, would love to coach in the SEC and would love to wrap up his career in Athens. That’s really all one needs to hear. No additional talk is needed. Hire Knight and hire him now.
Knight has been away from the coaching rigors for several months now, enough to recharge his batteries for one final run. Yes, he’s getting up there in age, but his knowledge of the game is unmatched. I’ve not always agreed with Knight’s tactics, but I’ve never questioned his basketball knowledge. He’s one of the top five coaches in the college game of all time and he is just what UGA needs for several reasons.
Here are a few:
•UGA’s overall mentality is that of a football school. Knight would not take a backseat to football or anything.
He has that much power and influence and would use it as head coach at UGA.
•Knight could use his personality to perhaps finally get something done about the facility the Bulldogs have to compete in. Look at the arena UGA plays in when it is shown on TV. Then look at the ones other SEC schools play in. Enough said.
•Discipline issues would no longer be a factor if Knight were the head coach.
•Excitement for UGA men’s basketball would reach an all-time high. Currently the home arena is pathetically empty.
•A sport which has been treated as the proverbial red-headed stepchild, it finally gets the respect it deserves.
Knight should be No. 1 on UGA’s wish list. Forget anyone else. Make Knight the next coach. Get it done and get it done now.
There are some who will try to use Knight’s age against him in this process. I will point out that Dick LeBeau, who has gained so much positive press as the Pittsburgh Steeler defensive coordinator, is 71, older than Knight.
If UGA hires a hot coaching prospect, he would likely use the stop as a stepping stone to bigger things.
Knight, on the other hand, is looking at Athens as his final coaching stop. There is no where else he would be looking to go.
There are so many reasons to hire Knight, you have to wonder if Evans and UGA president Michael Adams will try and find an excuse not to.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
