New UGA AD Greg McGarity 'On The Job, Two Days Early'

Marc Weiszer reports:

Former Georgia athletic director Damon Evans is working in marketing for a company in Boston, his father, Sam, confirmed this afternoon.

…

Jeffrey D. Markley, the company’s chief executive officer, is a UGA alumnus and significant contributor to the university.

Anyone who happens to be concerned about new Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity’s punctuality: your fears are without cause.

McGarity has elected to sacrifice the one week of reasonable weather in this whole goshforsaken man’s armpit of a scorching Georgia summer. Don’t take that for granted, Bulldog Nation. Of course, McGarity does have a sizable stack of papers in his To Review tray, by which we mean 120-something football players to keep from getting arrested anymore ever.

Dawg Sports is your Greg McGarity discussion mainline. Also, Dawg Sports has air conditioning.

Dawg Sports comments on what must be expected of Greg McGarity:

Making coaching changes. No, I’m not talking about Mark Richt, wiseacre. As Paul Westerdawg has noted, McGarity’s tenure is apt to include the retirements of Jack Bauerle and Andy Landers. He also will be charged with keeping Mark Fox in the fold or finding his replacement if his success in Athens leads him on to greener pastures. Finally, there is the very real possibility that McGarity may be called upon to make some tough decisions regarding Jay Clark and David Perno. Eighteen years of working for Jeremy Foley did not train Greg McGarity to tolerate mediocrity, so Coach Clark could be another couple of regional-round exits away from Zooking himself. We could learn quickly how much patience our new athletic director possesses.

Upgrading facilities. Damon Evans left Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall awash in cash—-heck, he even saved the athletic administration a boatload of money by committing career suicide in a way that minimized the expense of his own severance package—-and Greg McGarity has seen firsthand the importance of being at the forefront in the SEC arms race. I strongly suspect McGarity will not be inclined to fund an indoor football practice facility—-he knows from working with Urban Meyer that first-class operations don’t need the draw of an ornamental luxury largely lacking in practical utility—-but he may opt for refurbishing Foley Field (not named for his old boss, by the way), particularly if he needs to lure a big-name baseball coach to Athens.

Getting the football program back on top. Not that anyone’s counting, but, while Greg McGarity was in Gainesville, the Florida Gators attended ten SEC Championship Games, captured seven conference crowns, and won a trio of national titles. The Sunshine State Saurians did this despite having to replace the man who up until that point had been the most successful coach in their history, and they did it without so much as a serious whiff of an NCAA scandal after having spent the 1980s running a program so dirty it made Pat Dye go, “Damn!” Given McGarity’s experience at Florida, it will be particularly interesting to see how committed he is to keeping the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, as well as whether he will continue his predecessor’s dedication to stout scheduling or soften up the Bulldogs’ non-conference slate so it more closely resembles the Gators’.

Dawg Sports is your Greg McGarity supercenter.

The search for a successor to former Georgia athletic director Damon Evans has seemingly come to a close.

Channel 2 Sports in Atlanta has confirmed through school sources that Greg McGarity will be the new athletics director at the University of Georgia.

McGarity is the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director at the University of Florida, and according to the schools website is responsible for the swimming & diving and women’s tennis programs, event operations, facilities, as well as assisting the Athletics Director in supervision of football and men’s basketball programs.

Channel 2’s Zach Klein also had the following to add on Twitter.

Source says the “Bulldogs want to get an established, experienced individual who could help UGA now. The move also hurts the Gators”

Adams: “I want an outside opinion to take a hard look at what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. As well as we’re doing it, can we do it better?"

The prez has developed a reputation both far and near as a realpolitikky careerist. So this move could be perceived as a way to ensure Adams retains as much control as possible. Promoting from within would be giving more power to someone with loyalties throughout the university, while looking outside Athens means Adams can bring in a new face that leads people to use cliches like crony, puppet, and ilk.

Or maybe he’s acting out of accordance with the character that has been read into many of his previous decisions. Who knows. Dawg Sports can surely come up with a better take on this than the one I’ve just thrown together.

From today’s ongoing press conference by UGA President Michael Adams, Frank Crumley has been named the interim athletic director. A search committee to find a new AD will be led by Dr. David Shipley.

Via the AJC:

I would like to once again offer my sincerest apology to the University of Georgia people — the president and administration, athletic staff and coaches, fans and supporters, and especially the student-athletes. It had been my hope since taking the job in 2004 that I would have a long career at UGA.

But because of a serious mistake in judgment, that won’t be the case, and I understand that I have a long road to rebuilding my reputation and career.

I do want to thank all those who have supported me and the Athletic Association over the past six years and would encourage all those in our Association to remember that they are there for the student-athletes. Keep them first and foremost in everything you do. God bless and ‘Go Dawgs.’

Damon Evans
July 5, 2010

Curiously, Evans went with a serious mistake instead of my serious mistakes, but it’s time to close this chapter. Dawg Sports is daydreaming up a better tomorrow.

That might sound like a lot to of money for a university to hand to a punchline, but (A) it's pocket change compared to UGA's athletic budget, (B) it's likely in Evans' contract somewhere, (C) Dawg fans would probably accept any price necessary to get rid of Evans ASAP, and (D) he'll need a little something to tide him over until Lane Kiffin brings him on as all-time wingman.

Dawg Sports is already moving forward, monitoring the likely candidates to replace Damon "Seven Minutes in Heaven" Evans.

From Zach Klein's Twitter.

Perhaps one of the five most unbelievable things about the entire Evans legend: Adams had to ask for Evans' resignation. You almost picture Evans being surprised to learn of Adams' request, like, "Oh, well I guess I could resign, but do you mind giving me one good reason why I should?"

Meanwhile, some Dawg fans are already agreeing on a replacement.

The AJC has published the Damon Evans police report, and, um, it’s, well I just, how do you, ok we, WOW.

Here’s the meat of it, transcribed by Google Docs (emphasis mine):

On 6/30/10, at approximately 2354 hours, l was patrolling south on Roswell Road near Lakemoore Drive in Fulton County. I observed a black BMW 750| bearing GA tag 1, traveling north on Roswell Road that failed to maintain its lane by drifting across the white dotted line with its driver side tires. I turned around on the vehicle and the driver drifted back across the white dotted line approximately two feet across the line with the passenger side tires. The driver moved into the left turn lane as if he was going to enter an apartment complex, but drove back into the left lane of Roswell Road. When the light turned green, the driver continued north on Roswell Road at a low speed and drifted onto the yellow center line with his driver side tires.

I initiated a traffic stop and the driver stopped in the left lane of traffic on Roswell Road, instead of pulling into the left turn lane to make hls turn. After pulling into the parking space, I asked the subjeçt for his license. The subject fumbled through his cards and dropped some of the items before giving me his license. I also noticed that the subject had a red pair of lady’s panties between his legs. While talking to the subject, I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his vehicle and breath. The subject had red, bloodshot, watery eyes and droopy eyelids. I asked the subject how much he had to drink and he stated, " a couple of drinks." The subject admitted to drinking two Vodka-Martinis at a restaurant and also drinking a Martini at the Beluga Martini Bar.

I asked the subject to step out of his vehicle and, while talking to the subject outside of his vehicle, I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. I asked the subject if he was taking any medications and he stated, “no.” The subject stated, “l feel pretty good,” smiled and laughed for no apparent reason.

I started checking HGN and the passenger, Courtney Nay Fuhrmann, got out and started walking towards the back of the vehicle. I asked Courtney to have a seat back in the vehicle and so did Mr. Evans. I attempted to continue performing HGN and the passenger got out of the vehicle again. Itold the passenger several times not to get out of the vehicle again. I checked HGN with 6 clues. While giving the instruction for the walk and turn test, the passenger began yelling out the driver side window. The passenger was being very loud and obnoxious and was obviously intoxicated. After I demonstrated the walking portion of the walk and tum test, Ms. Fuhrmann got out of the vehicle again. I told Ms. Fuhrmann to get back into the vehicle and if she got out again, l would place her under arrest. I could smell a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her breath. While dealing with Ms. Fuhrmann, Mr. Evans walked up towards us and I had to instruct him to step back. Mr. Evans stated that she was only trying to protect him. After finishing the walk and turn test, the passenger exited her vehicle and again started to the rear of the vehicle.

I placed the subject under arrest, handcuffed her and put her in my patrol car. After arresting the passenger Mr. Evans stated, “I have a young lady and she is intoxicated and I am just trying to get her home.” He also said, “l apologize and don’t want to use my influence but she is trying to protect me.” The passenger continued to be combative in the back seat of my patrol car. See DUI sheet for other field sobriety tests. The subject refused to submit to a preliminary breath test. He stated that he didn’t want to blow.

I placed Mr. Evans under arrest for DUI and he pulled away from me and kept trying to turn around. I had to tell him several times to stop turning around. I handcuffed him and read Implied Consent Noticelsuspect Age 21 or over from the orange card with a request for his breath. The subject refused by saying, “no.” The subject voluntarily started talking about his situation. The subject stated, “I am not trying to bribe you, but I am the Athletic Director of the University of Georgia.” The subject admitted again that he’d been drinking and started cnying. The subject stated. “I didn’t think I was drunk.”

I told the subject that he was too impaired to drive and he agreed saying, “maybe so.” I asked the subject what her panties were doing in his side of the seat and he stated, “she took them off and I held them because I was just trying to get her home.” The subject stated that he understood what was going on and stated, “l don’t want to use who I am; but l would just ask that you take me to a Motel.” The subject stated that he messed up and asked if I would take him to a Motel. The subject also stated, “we go through life and we all drink and jump in a car.” He stated, “I felt that I was good, but maybe not.” He also Stated, “But I am not trying to bribe you, but is there anything you can do without arresting me.” Mr. Evans stated that Ms. Fuhrmann was a friend of his but there was nothing there because he had a wife and family. The subject again asked would let him go to a Motel and stated, “I will agree with you by saying this, drinking and driving is never good.”

While transporting the subject to City of Atlanta Jail, Ms. Fuhrmann mias talking to Mr. Evans and stated that she was mad because he was going to get off and she was not. Mr. Evans asked me if there was anything that he could do to get a warning and I told him I don’t issue warnings for DUI. Just before pulling up at the jail, Mr. Evans asked me again if it was too late and what could he do. After arriving at the jail, I took Ms. Fuhrmann into the sally port first. I asked Ms. Fuhrmann how long they had been seeing each other and she stated, “onIy a couple weeks or so.” While standing in the sally port of the jail, Ms. Fuhrmann stated, “that l promise you one thing, he will get off.” She also stated, “Just to let you know, it will be erased because he is the Athletic Director of UGA and he has that power.”

I released the subject to jail personnel. I returned to my patrol car and printed Mr. Evans’ paper work and he again stated he would not take the state test. The subject began crying uncontrollable before I took him into the jail. The subject was released to jail personnel.

Elsewhere the officer describes Evans as crying, talkative, and swaying, with slow, mumbled speech. He allegedly needed to use his car for balance and didn’t ace the field sobriety tests.

Until this mountainous shoe dropped and left a crater filled with a volcano full of tornadoes belching out red panties onto storied Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, some portions of the local sports community were still able to imagine a future in which Evans remained as UGA’s AD. That’s long gone now. The university could perhaps forgive one drunk driving incident. The Tiger Woodsy details are guaranteed to alter the attire of rival fanbases on gamedays, but the school could possibly find a reason to forgive that as well. It cannot let its athletic director get away with using the school’s good name, repeatedly, in an attempt to avoid drunk driving charges.

As a Tech fan, I’ve retired from laughing at Evans jokes for the time being. Too much. Wow.

From the AJC:

“My relationship is with the University of Georgia Athletic Association and, for that reason, I have recommended to Mr. Evans that he have individual counsel. I have recommended him to Mr. Steve Weiner, who is an expert in this area and familiar with the Atlanta judicial system. He is to meet with Mr. Weiner today and he will represent him as an individual, which is the appropriate way to handle it.”

Steve Weiner doesn’t have a public website but appears to be an experienced DUI lawyer.

Conveniently, our own Kyle King is both a Dawgs aficionado and practicing lawyer. If any blog is up to the task of speculating on what (if anything) these (and any other) developments mean, it’s Dawg Sports.

• If you have time to read only one blog post today about Damon Evans, make it Kyle King's, of our very own Dawg Sports:

Even though my legal practice does not involve working in the criminal law arena, I understand that Evans had to walk a fine line at his press conference, preserving his entitlement to the presumption of innocence while apologizing for putting himself in a position to create a public relations fiasco. He chose his words carefully because he knew the prosecutors who will decide how to handle his case were watching, but Evans’s need to fixate upon the niceties of the law undermined his ability to focus upon the nuances of leadership. I heard him apologize for causing pain and embarrassment to various people and institutions; I have no idea for what, specifically, he was apologizing. Is he sorry for how it looks or is he sorry for what he did? If the latter, what did he do? I know what I think he did, but I also know that he knows what he did. "I’m sorry I did you wrong, but I’m not going to tell you how" doesn’t fly with me as an apology. That sounds an awful lot like "I’m apologizing because I think you think it’s important to hear me say ‘I’m sorry’" to me.

• David Hale:

The biggest question: Do I think Evans will keep his job? Honestly, I don't know, but I will say that virtually every source I talked to before the news conference thought he would offer his resignation. The fact that Michael Adams is on vacation may delay any sort of decision, too. But the truth is... this is going to be very, very hard for Evans to overcome at Georgia. Which isn't to say it can't be done.

• MaconDawg of Dawg Sports reflects on what the university may lose because of Evans' mistake:

I genuinely like Damon Evans. He is a Double Dawg and a Georgia Bulldog Letterman, sure. But he has also demonstrated himself to be a shrewd and decisive leader and educator. Last year I was talking to Roderick Battle about his sports management major. He surprised me a little when he said that Damon has been very helpful to he and other students in that program, that he would come to classes and explain to them why certain decisions within the Athletic Association were being made, and was always willing to have them stop by and ask him questions. That really stuck with me, because I like to believe that the folks over in that money printing factory known as Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall actually care about students and consider themselves teachers.

• Vineyarddawg of Dawg Sports compares Evans' decision to some of the dumbest moments in sports history. This is likely your first and only chance to see an athletic director compared to Tonya Harding. 
• Bill King:

Frankly, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t have to do a lot more than just apologize. UGA athletes arrested on alcohol-related charges must sit out at least 10 percent of a season. If Evans is going to get to keep his job, it would seem only fair that he at the very least forgo that $110,000 salary increase that went into effect today.

• The Bubba 'N' Earl crew know a Georgia Tech conspiracy when they see one.
• Chelsea Cook collects student reactions:

"I was surprised when I heard," said UGA rising senior Caleb King, who coincidentally has the same name as a UGA football player. "It's pretty hypocritical. Isn't he the guy who warns you to not drink and drive before every game?"

• Blutarsky: If he were a player, we know what would happen to him.

From georgiadogs.com:

I’m very ashamed and embarrassed by my actions," Evans said. "I let so many people down. I let my family down and I let the Bulldog Nation down and so many that believed in me and that supported me along the way. My actions were not indicative of what we teach our student-athletes at the University of Georgia. Our goal is to represent our institution in a positive way and I failed miserably.

All I can do is move ahead and learn from my mistakes. I need to size up who I am as an individual and right now I have some shortcomings. I owe it to all of our fans, to Dr. (Michael) Adams and to all of those who stood by me through this very difficult time. I understand the predicament that I put Dr. Adams in. We need to do what is in the best interest of our institution. I feel like my actions have put a black cloud over this storied program, one that I never thought I would bring. I have to get back on track, set an example and be the leader that I talk about being.

UGA president Michael Adams also released a statement:

Damon Evans informed me early (Thursday) morning of his arrest and provided me an account of the events of (Wednesday) night," Adams said. "Drinking and driving is a serious matter, and I was extremely disappointed to hear of the arrest. Certainly this is not an example of the kind of leadership that I expect our senior administrators to set. I have high regard for Damon personally. I care deeply about him and his family and know him to be a man of integrity. He has sincerely apologized to me for the embarrassment this has brought upon the university. I was notified of this matter while away on vacation and will reserve further action pending a full review by staff and legal counsel.

Evans has not offered to resign. As of right now, 55 percent of Dawg Sports poll respondents want Evans to resign or be fired.

Please guess which of the following posts comes to us from Dawg Sports, and which arrives via From The Rumble Seat:

1. A Devoted Fan’s Perspective on Damon Evans’s DUI Arrest
2. One For The LOLZ

Elsewhere on the perspective spectrum, Garnet And Black Attack hopes we've all learned our lesson about the gravity of DUIs, while Every Day Should Be Saturday hosts a mugshot appreciation festival.

With lightning reflexes, the AJC's sports editor has unearthed a piece of aged video of an anti-DUI PSA recorded by UGA athletic director Damon Evans as part of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety's Operation Zero Tolerance thing. It looks like the kind of thing that may have been played on scoreboards late in games at Sanford Stadium.

Transcripted:

On behalf of our coaches, staff, and student-athletes, we welcome you to beautiful Sanford Stadium. We appreciate your support of the Dawgs, and we invite you back for another exciting Saturday between the hedges.

We ask that, when leaving the game today, that you be responsible. Don't drink and drive, and don't let your friends drink and drive. Because if you drink and drive, you lose. So choose a designated driver before each game, and have a safe drive home.

Go Dawgs!

Stay with SB Nation Atlanta for more on the Evans story, and for more on various Governor's Office of Highway Safety initiatives. In particular, Big Boi would like a word with you about the Click It Or Ticket program.

The latest… he is en route to Athens:

Source close to UGA says Damon Evans being driven back to Athens now. Will meet with Sr. Athletic officials and Head Coahes at 1pm.