UGA just named former Bulldog tennis player and UF executive senior associate AD Greg McGarity as athletics director this afternoon at an Athens press conference. UGA President Michael Adams introduced McGarity to the media.
McGarity will begin his duties at UGA starting Sept. 1. The hire came rather quickly after the resignation of Damon Evans despite Adams’ assertion that it may take six months to a year to name a new AD.McGarity’s contract is for five years at $420,000 per year with a $20,000 raise each year. There will be a $25,000 bonus if he completes his fifth year.
“Greg McGarity is an experienced senior athletic administrator who has spent his entire life in athletics and athletic administration,” Adams said. “He was admired greatly during the time he worked in the department here, and I can tell you from the comments I have read during this process that this is considered to be a great loss at the University of Florida. He has been involved in major personnel decisions at Florida, and I consider hiring the right people in the right positions to be the most important function of a senior administrator.
The 1976 UGA grad is excited to be returning home.
“I look forward to continuing and furthering the academic and athletic excellence already exemplified by this great institution,” McGarity said. “I am excited about the opportunity to return home and to lead the athletic program at my alma mater, and particularly to work with our students, athletic staff, the UGA administration, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters.”
The native of Athens graduated from Georgia and worked for the school until 1992 when he left for UF. McGarity’s duties in the UGA athletics department included roles as assistant UGA SID and assistant AD. Once in Gainesville, McGarity worked his way up to eventually becoming the No. 2 guy in the athletics department under AD Jeremy Foley.
McGarity will be leaving one profitable and successful athletics program for another. While Florida is a perennial top 5 finisher in the annual Sears Cup trophy – which measures total athletics success – UGA has won a bevy of national championships in a variety of sports in recent years. Georgia is also ranked as one of the most profitable athletics departments in the nation and set an all-time record in 2005 for profits by an athletics department.
McGarity was thought of by many to be one of the top candidates for the job, but some thought that if Adams passed him over in 2004, he would likely do the same again this time. However, Adams and a six-man committee have apparently forgotten whatever kept them from hiring McGarity in 2004.
Other candidates for the job included current interim AD Frank Crumley, former Georgia football players Mark Lewis, Chris Welton and Matt Stinchcomb, UGA associate AD Carla Williams, among others.
McGarity officially applied for the job on July 16. Evans was arrested for DUI on June 30 and officially resigned on July 5.
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Best news in a while for UGA.
Damon’s embarrassing actions might have been the best thing to happen to UGA in a long time. McGarity is extremely qualified for this. Lets hope he learned more than a few things while at UF.