Enthusiastic Crean ready to get going with Georgia
Athens, Ga. — Tom Crean opened his first news conference at Georgia by talking for almost 27 minutes before fielding his first question.
First impressions were clear: Georgia’s new coach has a high-energy personality, and he’s enthusiastic about his job.
Crean, named Thursday as Georgia’s new coach, spoke Friday with passion and great length about his plans for building a championship contender at a school better known for its football success.
“The foundation is here,” Crean said. “We’ve just got to build it up.”
Crean, the former Indiana and Marquette coach, accepted the job without even visiting the Georgia campus.
Instead, a phone conversation with Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity on Wednesday, followed by a six-hour visit Thursday with McGarity and University of Georgia president Jere Morehead at Crean’s home in Sarasota, Fla., sealed the agreement on both sides.
McGarity said Crean’s enthusiasm in the six-hour meeting was similar to what he displayed at Friday’s news conference.
“It was evident,” McGarity said. “He was passionate about it. He had a lot of questions and we had questions. It was much like today.”
Crean was hired only five days after Georgia fired Mark Fox, and one day after former Ohio State coach Thad Matta turned down an offer from McGarity.