Georgia has fired head basketball coach Tom Crean.
The move was obviously not unexpected. Crean came to Athens as one of the highest profile coaches available when the Bulldogs were looking to replace former head coach Mark Fox. However, it simply did not work out.
“I would like to sincerely thank Coach Crean and his family for their commitment to Georgia Basketball,” said athletic director Josh Brooks 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 post-season success in all 21 sports. We believe a leadership change in men’s basketball is needed to achieve our goals.”
In four years, Crean posted an overall record of just 47-74, 15-57 in the SEC. The Bulldogs never finished higher than 10th in the conference standings. A search for his replacement will begin immediately.
The 2021-2022 season was Crean’s worst. Following the team’s loss to Vanderbilt Wednesday in the SEC Tournament, Georgia finished with its worst record in modern history at 6-25 overall, a mere 1-17 in the SEC.
The six victories stand as the fewest for Georgia since the 1973-74 team went 6-20 almost 50 years ago.
Crean is wrapping up his fourth year with the Bulldogs after taking over for Mark Fox after he was fired
Ironically, Georgia did manage victories over a ranked Memphis team and holds a win at home over Alabama.
However, the victory over the Crimson Tide was way back on January 25, as the Bulldogs finished the season losers of 12 straight, 20 of their last 21.
Injuries did not help Crean’s cause. The Bulldogs lost P.J. Horne to a torn ACL prior to the start of the season, and later lost transfer Jailyn Ingram to a torn ACL nine games into the campaign.
Frustration over the season came to a head at halftime of Georgia’s loss to LSU Feb. 16 in Baton Rouge.
That evening, assistant coach Wade Mason got into an altercation with Director of Player development Brian Fish. Mason allegedly shoved Fish, resulting in an indefinite suspension. He has not been back with the team since.
On the court, there were issues, too. Optimism was in the air when Crean signed former five-star Anthony Edwards. Edwards lived up to the hype, ultimately becoming the top pick in the NBA Draft. Still, the Bulldogs could finish no better than 16-16, 5-13 in the SEC.
Ironically, the season that followed turned out to be Crean’s best. Even without Edwards, Georgia finished 14-12, and with most of the team eligible to return, it was generally thought that the 2021-2022 campaign could be even better.
That is, until a wave of transfers hit the team.
Adding insult was the fact that three—Tye Fagen (Ole Miss), Sahvir Wheeler (Kentucky), and KD Johnson (Johnson)—each transferred to rival SEC schools. Talented sophomore Toumani Camara (Dayton) and Justin Kier (Arizona) also said goodbye.
Though Crean was able to find capable players like Kario Oquendo (15.4 points per game), Aaron Cook (10.6 ppg), and Braelen Bridges (12.8 ppg), the overall talent level simply was not enough to overcome what the Bulldogs would see on a game-by-game basis in the SEC.
Crean came to Georgia after spending a year as an analyst on ESPN after being fired as the head coach of Indiana after nine seasons with the Hoosiers. He led Indiana to back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16. Prior to Indiana, Crean led Marquette to five trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a Final Four trip in 2004.
Athletic director Josh Brooks will decide who’s next.
Sources confirm to UGASports that potential candidates have already started to be screened and the university is using the Parker Executive Search firm to help.
Possible names that have already been floated around include Cleveland State’s Dennis Gates, Murray State’s Mike McMahon, Niko Medved of Colorado State, and Andy Kennedy of UAB.
Former Bulldog and current Xavier assistant Jonas Hayes is a favorite of many Georgia fans and alumni. And depending on how aggressive Brooks wants to be, there could always be a name nobody is discussing.
Time will tell.
