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Creative Director
ATHENS -- University of Georgia officials will announce today that Damon Evans has been promoted to the school's new athletics director, two people close to the search process said Thursday.
UGA spokesman Tom Jackson confirmed Thursday that a news conference has been scheduled for today.
Evans, 34, would become the first African-American athletics director in the Southeastern Conference -- 16 days after Mississippi State University hired Sylvester Croom as the first African-American football coach in the SEC.
Evans would also be the youngest athletics director in the conference. He is less than half the age of Vince Dooley, 71, the former UGA head football coach who has spent the last 40 years in the university's athletics department and has been athletics director since 1979.
Evans also was considered Dooley's hand-picked successor. Bob Hope, a public relations specialist in Atlanta, said that was a factor in Dooley's asking UGA President Michael Adams in June to extend his contract two more years. Hope said Dooley felt that would be enough time for Evans to grow into the job.
But Adams denied Dooley's request, forcing Dooley to retire next June 30 -- and sparking a firestorm of controversy among the Bulldog faithful.
"I think that is just a stunningly positive announcement," said Hope, who was behind an Internet campaign to oust Adams. "I can't believe Michael Adams is going to hire Vince Dooley's prot?g?. I think it's a smart move. To some degree, it was the only move. I don't think anyone else would have been accepted by the Georgia people."
Evans, a native of Gainesville, has worked the past 5 1/2 years as senior associate athletics director under Dooley.
When he was approached by a Journal-Constitution reporter before Thursday night's basketball game in Athens and asked to confirm whether he was offered the job, he smiled and said: "All I can say is, you need to talk to Jere Morehead," referring to the head of the search committee.
Adams and Morehead could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Adams interviewed three finalists -- North Carolina State athletics director Lee Fowler and Texas Christian athletics director Eric Hyman were the other two -- at a hotel near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Wednesday.
Fowler, 50, withdrew from the UGA search Thursday morning after N.C. State offered him an extended contract and higher salary. Hyman, 52, was told Thursday afternoon that he was no longer under consideration for the job.
In a statement published on TCU's Web site Thursday night, Hyman said: "I was flattered to be considered. However, after talking with a representative from Georgia, I have notified our chancellor that I am no longer a candidate for the position."
The search committee appointed by Adams to find Dooley's successor also interviewed Florida associate athletics director Greg McGarity and former UGA football player Mark Lewis, who is vice president of Olympic sponsorships for General Electric.
Hope said Adams' decision to appoint Evans may appease some of the UGA president's critics.
"Vince really felt like he was sort of prepping and mentoring Damon into that job," Hope said. "Vince really worked hard to find the right person to succeed him, and he really felt Damon was that guy."
Dooley expressed those sentiments in a draft of a letter he planned to send to Adams last June. Dooley wrote: "One of the brightest, most capable young administrators in the country is already in place in our Athletic Department. Damon Evans is a loyal Bulldog who has all of the leadership qualities to not only sustain the great program we have, but also to take it to new heights. In fact, I considered Damon as a worthy successor and part of that succession plan was for me to stay on a few more years and give him more time to develop his skills. Despite the fact that plan fell through, I am convinced Damon is ready . . ."
Although the paragraph was omitted from the letter Dooley eventually sent to Adams, Dooley never wavered in his support of Evans. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained the draft through open records laws.
Evans played wide receiver for the Bulldogs in 1988-92. He earned a bachelor's degree and master's in education from UGA. He returned to Athens in 1998 after working as assistant commissioner for eligibility and compliance services at the SEC for two years. He also was compliance director at the University of Missouri in 1994-95.
UGA spokesman Tom Jackson confirmed Thursday that a news conference has been scheduled for today.
Evans, 34, would become the first African-American athletics director in the Southeastern Conference -- 16 days after Mississippi State University hired Sylvester Croom as the first African-American football coach in the SEC.
Evans would also be the youngest athletics director in the conference. He is less than half the age of Vince Dooley, 71, the former UGA head football coach who has spent the last 40 years in the university's athletics department and has been athletics director since 1979.
Evans also was considered Dooley's hand-picked successor. Bob Hope, a public relations specialist in Atlanta, said that was a factor in Dooley's asking UGA President Michael Adams in June to extend his contract two more years. Hope said Dooley felt that would be enough time for Evans to grow into the job.
But Adams denied Dooley's request, forcing Dooley to retire next June 30 -- and sparking a firestorm of controversy among the Bulldog faithful.
"I think that is just a stunningly positive announcement," said Hope, who was behind an Internet campaign to oust Adams. "I can't believe Michael Adams is going to hire Vince Dooley's prot?g?. I think it's a smart move. To some degree, it was the only move. I don't think anyone else would have been accepted by the Georgia people."
Evans, a native of Gainesville, has worked the past 5 1/2 years as senior associate athletics director under Dooley.
When he was approached by a Journal-Constitution reporter before Thursday night's basketball game in Athens and asked to confirm whether he was offered the job, he smiled and said: "All I can say is, you need to talk to Jere Morehead," referring to the head of the search committee.
Adams and Morehead could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Adams interviewed three finalists -- North Carolina State athletics director Lee Fowler and Texas Christian athletics director Eric Hyman were the other two -- at a hotel near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Wednesday.
Fowler, 50, withdrew from the UGA search Thursday morning after N.C. State offered him an extended contract and higher salary. Hyman, 52, was told Thursday afternoon that he was no longer under consideration for the job.
In a statement published on TCU's Web site Thursday night, Hyman said: "I was flattered to be considered. However, after talking with a representative from Georgia, I have notified our chancellor that I am no longer a candidate for the position."
The search committee appointed by Adams to find Dooley's successor also interviewed Florida associate athletics director Greg McGarity and former UGA football player Mark Lewis, who is vice president of Olympic sponsorships for General Electric.
Hope said Adams' decision to appoint Evans may appease some of the UGA president's critics.
"Vince really felt like he was sort of prepping and mentoring Damon into that job," Hope said. "Vince really worked hard to find the right person to succeed him, and he really felt Damon was that guy."
Dooley expressed those sentiments in a draft of a letter he planned to send to Adams last June. Dooley wrote: "One of the brightest, most capable young administrators in the country is already in place in our Athletic Department. Damon Evans is a loyal Bulldog who has all of the leadership qualities to not only sustain the great program we have, but also to take it to new heights. In fact, I considered Damon as a worthy successor and part of that succession plan was for me to stay on a few more years and give him more time to develop his skills. Despite the fact that plan fell through, I am convinced Damon is ready . . ."
Although the paragraph was omitted from the letter Dooley eventually sent to Adams, Dooley never wavered in his support of Evans. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained the draft through open records laws.
Evans played wide receiver for the Bulldogs in 1988-92. He earned a bachelor's degree and master's in education from UGA. He returned to Athens in 1998 after working as assistant commissioner for eligibility and compliance services at the SEC for two years. He also was compliance director at the University of Missouri in 1994-95.
