Associated Press
July 6, 2010
Frank Crumley was named Georgia's interim athletic director on Tuesday, though university president Michael Adams said he wants to look outside the university first for a full-time replacement for Damon Evans.
Evans resigned following a DUI arrest last week.
Crumley received the promotion on Tuesday after working as Evans' top assistant - executive associate athletic director for finance - since 2007.
"Not to make light of it, but it will be business as usual," Crumley said.
Crumley said Evans' arrest brought "some surprise and shock" to the athletic department.
"I think it's sort of shock but everybody is adjusting and happy to get back to work today. I know I was ... to get some normalcy back in it," Crumley said.
Adams selected a six-member search committee, headed by University of Georgia law professor David Shipley, to seek Evans' permanent replacement.
"This is one of the best five or six AD jobs in America, I believe, and I assure you there will be no shortage of interest," Adams said.
Adams said he is looking for "a person of integrity."
"I think in all these cases anyone you want already has a good job and so you have to work with someone else's schedule other than your own," he said.
"I'm looking for someone who has a very high level of experience."
Adams said he hopes for an "expeditious" search, but Shipley said it is "overly optimistic" to suggest the search will end before 2011.
Among the other search committee members are Georgia swimming coach Jack Bauerle, associate athletic director Carla Williams, and the student member of Georgia's athletic board, Trey Sinyard.
Evans became the Southeastern Conference's first black athletic director in 2004 when he was hired by Adams to replace Vince Dooley, who had been at the school as football coach and athletic director for 40 years.
Adams said he hoped Evans would provide continuity as a long-term head of the athletic department, but that plan was crushed by the embarrassing arrest on Wednesday.
"The past five days have been very difficult, even sad, for all of us," Adams said.
"Once I learned all the facts I felt there was no choice but to do what is best for the university."
Adams said Evans offered his resignation on Saturday. Adams said it didn't take long to decide a change was necessary.
"I would simply say to you it was the totality of the situation and what it said about good judgment or lack of such at this level that led me to my conclusion," Adams said.
Adams said Evans had done nothing previously to cause concern about his future.
"I have not had any reason to question his judgment and I've not seen any evidence of the kind of conduct that led to this unhappy conclusion," Adams said. "It's clearly been one of the most difficult times I have been through. I've said it before and it's still true, I care deeply about Damon and his family.
"The tragedy in all of this is the terrific job he has done the past six years."
Crumley, who joined the athletic department in 1991, worked under Dooley and Evans.
Like Evans, Crumley's specialty is finances. He served as chief financial officer for the athletic department. Under Evans, Crumley was responsible for day-to-day operations and budget planning.
Adams said Crumley could be a candidate for the full-time job even though he first wants to look at outside candidates.
Adams was to meet with Georgia's coaches and senior staff on Tuesday.
"I have great confidence in them and their ability to move things forward," Adams said, adding he would remind the coaches and senior staffers to avoid a situation such as the one that led to Evans' exit.
"This is a sacred trust that we're all merely stewards of and we need to make sure in every decision we make and everything we do we have ultimately the best interests of the university at stake," Adams said.
