Heart-Felton Farewell

A statement released by University of Georgia Athletic Director, Damon Evans, this morning announced a press conference to discus the situation of the men's basketball team. As anyone could guess, this was a subtle way to presumptively announce the firing of head coach, Dennis Felton.

The move may not surprise many, but it will certainly be met with some regret. Hired after scandal caused Jim Harrick to resign from the post in 2003, Dennis Felton recorded a 56-20 at Western Kentucky University as head coach of the Hilltoppers. Under Felton, the Bulldogs are 84-91 overall in five plus seasons.

Felton probably would have been fired at the conclusion of last season had a miracle run not bought him some extra time. Four wins in three days, two of them in overtime during a stormy weekend in Atlanta was good enough to give Georgia an improbable SEC tournament championship and an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

So, Dennis Felton got a second chance to prove that he deserved to keep the job. Unfortunately, he was unable to prove much of anything. At this point in the season, the Bulldogs are 9-11 and winless in conference play. A seven game losing streak helped bring the problem to the forefront and prove once and for all that something had to be done.

Certainly Felton should not be given all the blame. He has maintained the right attitude through his tenure and done everything to bring prominence to Georgia. Nothing has worked. Even in a state overladen with basketball talent, Felton was unable to recruit star players. And no matter how many times he must have said it, the players he did produce would not stay out of trouble.

Although he is a tough disciplinarian and an outstanding individual, firing him was the right decision for Georgia. Felton was given ample opportunities and resources to prove himself, and he was never able to find consistency. In order to become competitive, UGA needs to find someone else.

Still, we're all sorry to see Dennis Felton go and wish him the best where ever he ends up.