Crumley named UGA interim AD

Evans' replacement a longtime aide

Though Damon Evans admitted he has a lot of shortcomings following his arrest last Wednesday night in Atlanta on a DUI charge, the athletic department he is leaving behind does not.

At least that's the belief of Frank Crumley, who was tabbed Tuesday afternoon by University of Georgia president Michael Adams as interim athletic director.

"I just think we are going to do what we have always done before," Crumley said. "We have a great support staff. We'll just continue to do what we've always done, and that's to focus on the student-athlete."

Crumley has worked in Georgia's athletic department since 1991, beginning in promotions and marketing and serving from 1994 to 2000 as assistant ticket manager. He then was promoted to director of business operations for his alma mater and has served since May 2007 as the executive associate AD for finance and administration.

Adams said Tuesday that Crumley is among several internally who could be considered for the job on a permanent basis but that he first wants to look outside. He announced a six-member search committee that will be headed by UGA law professor David Shipley and will include Adams, longtime swim coach Jack Bauerle and senior woman administrator Carla Williams.

TRIO TO CONSIDER?Georgia president Michael Adams wants to look outside for his new athletic director, and these are three people iwith whom he's already familiar:ERIC HYMANHyman was a finalist for the Georgia opening in 2003 that eventually went to Evans. He was named in July 2005 as the athletic director at South Carolina, which just celebrated its second national championship of any kind at the College World Series. Before coming to Columbia, he was TCU's athletic director for seven years, guiding the Horned Frogs to Conference USA and then the Mountain West Conference.MARK LEWISLewis interviewed for the Georgia AD job in '03 as the vice president for Olympic sponsorships with General Electric but was not among the three finalists. A snapper for the Bulldogs in the late 1980s and the son of former Georgia Tech football coach Bill Lewis, he now is president of Jet Set Sports, a leading provider of Olympic Games hospitality packages and event tickets to corporate clients and the general public.GREG McGARITYMcGarity also interviewed for the Georgia opening in '03 but wasn't a finalist. Born and raised in Athens, he played tennis for the Bulldogs before graduating in 1976 and coached women's tennis from 1977 to '81. He is the executive senior associate director at the University of Florida, the first SEC athletic department that has routinely earned more than $100 million annually in revenue.

"This is one of the best five or six AD jobs in America, I believe," Adams said. "I assure you there will be no shortage of interest."

Adams, a 1966 Chattanooga High School graduate, is hopeful for a speedy, efficient process, but Shipley said completing the search before 2011 might be "overly optimistic."

Evans not only was arrested for DUI but was accompanied in his 2009 BMW by 28-year-old Courtney Fuhrmann, who was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge. The first black athletic director in Southeastern Conference history apologized for his actions Thursday evening, but when he was asked about Fuhrmann, he referred to her as just a friend.

The police incident report released Friday contained a narrative in which the arresting officer approached the car and saw red panties between Evans' legs.

Evans told the officer, "She took them off and I held them because I was just trying to get her home," according to the report.

Adams was on vacation when Evans was arrested and asked for his resignation after returning to Athens.

"Once I learned all the facts, I felt there was no choice but to do what is best for the university," he said. "It was the totality of the situation and what it said about good judgment or the lack of such at this level that led me to my conclusion."

When asked if Evans had any prior incidents that were cause for concern, Adams said, "I have not had any reason to question his judgment, and I have not seen any evidence of the kind of conduct that led to this unhappy conclusion. It's clearly been one of the most difficult times I have been through.

"The tragedy in all of this is the terrific job he has done the past six years."

Love arrested

Georgia redshirt freshman cornerback Jordan Love was arrested late Monday night for obstruction of a police officer after failing to provide his full name. The arrest occurred after campus police responded to a complaint about three people shooting off fireworks outside McWhorter Hall.

The misdemeanor charge may be dropped after police learned Love never reveals his middle name due to personal reasons.

Continue reading by following these links to related stories:

Article: Evans' exit is official

Article: Evans' future as Georgia AD in limbo

Article: Evans awaits fate after DUI

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