TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Crean officially is out as Georgia’s basketball coach.
Georgia Athletic Director Josh Brooks made the announcement in a press release circulated by the school at 6 p.m. Thursday.
“I would like to sincerely thank Coach Crean and his family for their commitment to Georgia Basketball,” Brooks said in a statement. “Tom Crean demonstrated unquestionable effort and enthusiasm in what he has attempted to accomplish at Georgia. That said, our expectation is to compete for postseason success in all 21 sports. We believe a leadership change in men’s basketball is needed to achieve our goals.”
The decision came as no surprise to Crean or fans of the basketball program. But Georgia was unable to make the move until it had delivered a written notification to Crean. That happened Thursday afternoon shortly after the team returned to Athens from Tampa, site of the SEC tournament. Crean was observed packing up his office on the second floor of the Stegeman Training Facility around 3 p.m. Thursday.
The Bulldogs’ 2021-22 season ended Wednesday night when they lost to Vanderbilt, 86-51, in the first round of the tournament. The loss dropped Georgia men’s basketball’s record to 47-75 (.385) under Crean’s leadership. He signed a six-year, $19.8 million contract with the Bulldogs when he took over the program a year after he was fired by Indiana. If Crean accepts the $3.2 million buyout that his contract calls for after the fourth season, he will have earned approximately $1.1 million per conference win for the 15 SEC games he won.
What’s not immediately known is whether Crean will accept those terms. Had he continued as the Bulldogs’ coach, they would have owed him $7.2 million. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned that Crean retained lawyer Tom Mars to represent him. Crean’s agent, Jordan Bazant of New York, also is a lawyer.
Mars said Thursday he would have no comment about UGA’s move. Earlier in the day, Mars pointed out that the language in Crean’s contract required a written termination notice seven days before any separation action could take place. UGA did not deliver that notice until Thursday.
Mars is a Northwest Arkansas-based trial lawyer and former litigator for Walmart who practiced law in Atlanta until recently. He is best known for representing NCAA athletes on eligibility matters and led efforts to change legislation to allow one-time transfers.
After working for a time on the NCAA enforcement’s complex-case unit, Mars is back to representing coaches in contract disputes. Recent clients have included Auburn’s Bryan Harsin and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. He successfully represented former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt in a lawsuit against the school.
Brooks offered Crean the opportunity to resign Feb. 23 and accept the $3.2 million buyout, but Crean refused, people familiar with the situation told the AJC. Why the Bulldogs did not submit a notice of termination to Crean a week ago is unclear.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are carrying on a coaching search in earnest with the assistance of the Atlanta-based search firm of Parker Executive Search. Two of Georgia’s targets — USC’s Andy Enfield and Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes — accepted contract extensions from their current employers.
At least two other candidates remain in play in Cleveland State coach Dennis Gates and Xavier associate head coach Jonas Hayes. Both of their teams were eliminated in conference tournaments this week, with Hayes’ Musketeers getting bounced in overtime by Butler in the Big East Tournament in New York.
Furman coach Bob Richey and Chattanooga coach Lamont Paris are among numerous mid-level head coaches who have expressed interest in UGA’s opening, according to people familiar with the situation.
