The Dashboard: New baseball coach will face early challenges

Friday’s firing of Scott Stricklin as Georgia’s baseball coach did not come as a surprise.

The Bulldogs’ failure to get out of three regionals (2018, 2019, and 2022) played a role. But ultimately it was a belief that after 10 years, the program had reached its peak under Stricklin. And with a $45 million facility upgrade set to begin this summer, the timing for a change was as good as it was going to be.

In some ways, Stricklin’s tenure in Athens was not unlike that of former Bulldog basketball coach Mark Fox.

Fox’s 10 years in Athens saw Georgia’s basketball team make just two trips to the NCAAs, failing to win a game both times. Taking the canceled 2020 season out of the equation due to Covid-19, Stricklin’s 10 years as the Bulldog baseball coach resulted in just three trips to the NCAAs in nine seasons were not the results Stricklin or athletic director Josh Brooks had hoped.

Before looking ahead, indulge me on Stricklin one final time. No, it did not work for him at Georgia. Nevertheless, he’s a good baseball man and a class individual.

The same can be said for his staff. The professionalism of the entire staff has been appreciated.

So, moving forward, what will Brooks be looking for?

Whoever winds up getting the job--and this is not a knock on Stricklin--will need to be somebody who is a proven leader, obviously. But also, he must be A, a good recruiter, and B., willing to go above and beyond to promote the University of Georgia. It's essential to do everything necessary to convince players to make the Bulldog baseball program as good as it’s capable of being.

If this formula sounds familiar, perhaps it should.

We all know there’s no bigger fan of the University of Georgia and its athletic program than football coach Kirby Smart. We’re already seeing second-year basketball coach Mike White described the same way.

Considering the limitations placed on baseball with the 11.7 scholarships, finding someone with some juice for Georgia will be part of Brooks’ formula for choosing a new coach.

The fact Georgia is finally getting its player amenities up to par with the rest of the SEC will only help Brooks convince the right coach to take the job.

Laugh all you want, but recruits like bells and whistles. When the Bulldogs’ $45 million Foley Field project is complete, there will be plenty of those, including new hitting areas, a pitching lab, and completely rebuilt locker and team meeting rooms.

Roster construction will certainly be something to watch.

Given players like Parks Harber, Fernando Gonzalez, and Jaden Woods, among others eligible for the Major League draft, a new coach is going to have to wait until the draft’s completion in July before knowing exactly what eligible players move on.

Of course, there’s also the NCAA transfer portal, which could be a revolving door. The portal for baseball players opens on May 30 and the list of players jumping could be significant.

Georgia’s new coach figures to also be busy.

Even if Stricklin had remained, it was going to be imperative for the Bulldogs to hit the portal hard for starting pitchers. The guess here is, whoever the new coach is, will too.

Keeping SEC Freshman Charlie Condon around could be Job 1.

Condon is as big a Bulldog fan as there is. His love for the school, Saturdays at Sanford Stadium, ranks up there with Georgia’s most die-hard fans.

However, with the transfer portal and NIL, one does not have to be Karnac the Magnificent to predict other big-time programs will come calling.

This is a prime job for someone.

With the recruiting base that is the state of Georgia, improved facilities with SEC-level player amenities, and a rabid fan base, there is absolutely no reason this baseball program should not be among the cream of the SEC crop and a contender for NCAA play every year.

But it starts with finding the right coach--a coach with a plan, a coach with a vision to pull it off.

That’s the task facing Josh Brooks.

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens.