With FAMU in the midst of its search for an athletic director, should FAMU look to former University of Georgia AD Damon Evans who's DUI arrest last Wednesday in Atlanta brought his storied six-year tenure at Georgia to an end?Evans was charged with DUI and failure to maintain a lane. Also arrested with Evans was a female companion Courtney Fuhrmann, a 28-year-old graduate of Georgia Southern University and a real-estate firm asset manager, who was charged with disorderly conduct.
Evans said Fuhrmann is "just a friend." Fuhrmann told officers she had been seeing Evans for "only a week or so." Evans is married and has two children. He apologized to his wife Thursday as she attended his news conference.
Evans became the Southeastern Conference's first black athletic director in 2004.
He was arrested about the same time his new $110,00 raise was to kick-in. With the raise, Evans would have earned an annual salary of $550,000. He resigned today and agreed to severance package worth three months salary, plus $100,000 he earned as a longevity bonus.
At a news conference Thursday, Evans apologized to the UGA community for making "a grave, grave mistake". He added, he'd "failed miserably" as a leader and as a representative of (U of) Georgia. At that time, he had hoped to save his job.
But details from the Georgia State Patrol's incident report from the arrest added even more embarrassment to both Evans and the University. According to the report, Evans attempted to influence the arresting officer by telling the officer he was (the U of) Georgia's athletic director.
Further, the officer noted that Evans was found with a "red pair of lady's panties between his legs."
Evans was the public face of the school's athletic department in many venues, including at home football games at Sanford Stadium. Before each game, his taped video message was played as he urged fans not to drink and drive.
"If you drink and drive, you lose," Evans said in the video message.
Success at UGA
UGA officials credit Evans with "many positive accomplishments" during his tenure, including an increased focus on the academic success of student-athletes, the overall financial strength of the athletic department and the hiring of many very good people as head coaches and senior leaders in the athletic department.
The case for Evans at FAMU
Obviously, Evans knows what he's doing, hires well, and has remarkable contacts.
Five months ago, UGA President Michael Adams had this to say about Evans: “He’s already become a nationally recognized figure in athletics, and we are fortunate to have him. . . . I think he’s done an extraordinary job. . . . And there’s not been a whiff of impropriety during that six-year period. If you’re the president of an institution, that means a whole lot.”
We tolerated Bill Hayes for two years at an annual salary of $175,000 and Nelson Townsend before him who made upwards of $225,000 a year. If Evans is half as good as he looks on paper, he should be able to out perform the both of them in his sleep.
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we can't afford him. Also, i'm not sure if FAMU is really that serious about sports.
ReplyDeleteWe can afford him, he's at the one of the lowest points in his life. No major college will touch him now. He's radioactive.
ReplyDeleteHe could be the Curtis Pulley of AD's at our level. Go for him!
FAMU should definitely go for it!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think we should go for him. It is a great opportunity for FAMU and a great opportunity for him to repair his career.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ the Curtis Pulley of AD's!!
ReplyDeleteHell yeah go after him! How do we know if we cant afford him if we never ask!?!
leave this guy alone...famu should not go after him. that's an insult to even suggest trying to hire this guy. its obvious he has some serious personal issues he needs to deal with or may be forth coming which could distract from his duties as AD. furthermore, if famu can fire gillespie when he had famu basketball riding to its highest level and hire the sorry coach we have now that set precedent and we should not tolerate any coach, professor, or administrator that has personal issues or rejects from another school.
ReplyDeletePeople said not to touch Billy Joe too but look how that turned out for us. FAMU accepts someone else's dirt and turns them into diamonds all the time. It's one of the things we do best.
ReplyDelete1:00 AM,
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, I don't drink alcohol and definitely don't condone drinking alcohol and driving, but if his only indiscretion is this one incident, any college should be willing to take a chance on him as AD. He knows his job. He wasn't fired (oops--didn't resign) because of incompetence. The public humiliation brought on to UGA and the SEC was the main reason he's no longer there. He has tooooo much talent and potential for any school/organization to overlook him as AD or some type of administrator in athletics. Of course, I imagine he and his wife have some issues they need to reconcile; that's personal--their business.
OT: If we can't afford to compensate strength and conditioning coach Wallace who quit his job because of pay and not receiving any benefits, I seriously doubt we can afford Evans as AD.
ReplyDeleteRattler Nation, what is going on with the Wallace situation. The TDO is reporting that he quit.
HELLLLLLLLLLLL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! FAMU doesn't need UGA's garbage. This guy has some very serious moral issues and FAMU should be above that. With regard to Billy Joe, look what he did to our football program. Because of him, we were placed on probation by the NCAA for numerous infractions. Let someone else take a chance on Damon Evans, the whoremonger.
ReplyDeleteGo get him FAMU, go get him today!!!!!
ReplyDelete7:56 AM please go look at the NCAA findings. Billy Joe was not found to be in the wrong you idiot. We have had Presidents who have both cheated and had DUIs. Did that affect their leadership abilities????? Hell No!!!! Go get this man. It is time for us to get somebody who knows what they are doing and can help move us forward.
ReplyDeleteWe do not need him at FAMU.
ReplyDeleteGo get him FAMU maybe he will convince the administration to get rid of Eugene Harris sorry a$$. He has embarrassed this university enough. Then after getting rid of Eugene Harris go back and beg Gillespie to come back.
ReplyDeleteGo get him FAMU maybe he will convince the administration to get rid of Eugene Harris sorry a$$. He has embarrassed this university enough. Then after getting rid of Eugene Harris go back and beg Gillespie to come back.
ReplyDeleteI don't ever recall Eugene Harris being stopped by a state trooper, charged with DUI, and hiding a white woman's red drawers between his legs.
ReplyDeleteFAMU IS NOT a safety net for white college perverts. Leave this adulterous, low moral person where he is.
With regard to Billy Joe, he ran a rogue football program and left FAMU in a mess. He had more walkons starting for him than the players he recruited. What does that say about his coaching ability.
WE DO NOT WANT DAMON "THE PERVERT" EVANS AT FAMU!!!! PERIOD!!!!!
FAMU, SAY NO TO DAMON EVANS!!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone seen my red drawers? LOL
I'll take a drunken Damon Evans over a druken Bill Hayes and a sober Nelson Townsend any day.
ReplyDelete3:22 PM, will you also take those dirty red drawers? Damon Evans is a lousy loser and has no place at FAMU.
ReplyDeleteI say FAMU needs to hire him. We all makes mistakes. This brother needs to be given a second chance. He would be a great AD.
ReplyDeleteNot totally against at least us considering this Brutha ...
ReplyDeleteBut ... We ain't THAT desperate for an AD ... That we need to scoop this Brutha up less than a weekend after getting caught with a Suzy's undies in his lap. He probably has far more issues he needs to tend to at home before looking to get on with ANYone ... much less us.
"At least let the ink dry on his Severance Check first!"
I think that if we are serious about being the best institution that we can be then we should go after the best talent that is available. Clearly this guy is the best talent available---although he is available due to some bad personal choices. Remember, Evans was hand selected to be UGA's A.D. by the great Vince Dooley, a man who is more worshiped in the state Georgia than Bobby Bowden was in the state of Florida. UGA would not have hired him if he was not prepared. So we know that he is capable.
ReplyDeleteOne question they may be asked however, is "Can he make a career comeback?"....Absolutely, some school some where is going to get lucky with this guy and in the first five to seven years he will have some athletic department on an absolute higher level because of the experience that he had as being an A.D. in the SEC. So from that standpoint, we will be crazy not to throw our names in his hat of bidders, especially since the first year or so his salary will not be an issue because he is receiving three months of his current pay and a $100,000 bonus, therefore, if we give him a three year deal worth $750,000 or $250,000 per year then he will be making what Nelson Townsend was making....but with better results.
The real question that we have to ask ourselves is how effective will Mr. Evans be working at an HBCU that does not have a history of booster support or alumni support that answers the call every time the athletic director ask. For example, how frustrated will he become if he is hired in August, and Coach Taylor and Dr. Ammons wants him to spear head the new field turf project that cost $700,000 but he can only raise $200,000 from the boosters. Keep in mind at UGA, he could ask one booster for $700,000 at receive it before he was in office a month. So the true question I think is, if we do go after him, and he accepts, how effective do we think he will be especially since he has no background in working with HBCUs....
Damon Evans was a "steppin fetchit" token for UGA. Vince Dooley called all of the shots. Dooly is not great by any stretch of the imagination. He put his hat in the ring to run for Georgia's Governor as a Republican one year. As soon as a female acquaintance accused him of offering her some dope at a party, he grabbed that hat out of the ring and never looked back. Bobby Bowden was very close to Jerry Falwell, a documented racist. So before you place ole Bobby on a pedestal, you may want to do some background research on him. After all, he always referred to his black players as "Afro Americans". What in the hell is that.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to Billy Joe, you really don't want to know the REAL facts about what was happening in that program. The NCAA did not have a rep in Billy Joe's team meetings, team hotels or practices. Why do you think noboby other than Miles offered him a job? How many of his former assistant coaches are coaching ANYWHERE?
5:13 PM, please name me THREE starting seniors that walked on at FAMU. JUST THREE!!
5:39 pm, the point that you make about Dooley and Bowden doesn't down play the idea that these two men were/are viewed as "gods" within their particular states. Look at the Tallahassee Democrat last fall and see how they referred to Bowden....I believe it was St. Bowden. Now, African Americans may note like him because of the views that he held, but as you may know that the black population in the state of Florida only makes up roughly 12% of the population....Nevertheless, the point that I was trying to make is that Dooley still has the respect of UGA alum and supporters because of what he meant to the University. Also, for Dooley to choose Evans speaks volumes....Also remember, that Dooley wanted to stay on as A.D. for another year but the administration felt that Evans was ready for job and in many was he proved that he was up to the task.
ReplyDeletefamu can't afford this young man Look at the conditions of the sports programs. You have a nice scoreboard in a ragged stadium.
ReplyDeletedrunk or not Famu love these kinds people but one thing about him he is qualified big time. just not a good choice morally.
HIRE HIM!!! Give him a chance. He will probably be a better AD because of the mistake he made.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that he is a "qualified" candidate with proven experience and skills would be the very reason FAMU would not want him, which is very sad. FAMU loves to keep "yes" men in certain positions to keep us in the same slump we are in. Watch how this play out.
ReplyDeleteFor the nay sayers, where are your suggestions. And Billy Joe won and is in the hall of fame. He won that law suit and gave the winnings to the atheletic department. Up yours cass.
ReplyDeleteNo Damon.....keep it moving....keep looking.
ReplyDeleteSAY NO TO DAMON.
ReplyDeleteWe do not need this low moral character at our university.
I say go for it...this is what HBCU's are about, giving blacks a chance. I mean we take students that have made mistakes so why not an AD. Lets not act like we are perfect. Go for this guy and dont be sitting here next year saying " we should have got Evans". This good be a huge boost to the program.
ReplyDeleteCan he operate at a black college? He may need some socialization skills to remember he is black.
ReplyDeleteIf you think the PR is bad for an agricultural school talking about putting turf in its stadium...just hire Damon Evans! Who is coming up with this stuff, who's at the wheel and who's calling the shots? I just can't believe Dr. Ammons came up with this! Maybe it's an opportunity for CESTA and its students to step in and help athletics. Some of the best answers are right in front of your noses. But turf in the stadium and hiring Damon Evans are not!
ReplyDeleteFunny how reading through ALL of these post, no one ever mentioned how J.R.E. Lee and his girl in Harlem robbed the Athletics department, creating the catalyst for the deficits we have today. Shaking my head at the short memories.
ReplyDeleteI like the guy that's coming from Ole' Miss.
ReplyDelete7/06/2010 7:56 AM, 7/06/2010 12:01 PM and 7/06/2010 3:52 PM
ReplyDelete"He who is without sin, cast the first stone". You all are on here namecalling...that is downright shameful and distasteful! You're on here anonymous so no one knows who you are but I betcha you're far from PERFECT! Unless you have something of value and inciteful to say take your foolish and juvenile comments somewhere else.