Timeline emerges about possible Tom Crean departure from Georgia
By Keith Farner
Published:
Tom Crean is not likely to be back next season as Georgia’s men’s basketball coach. But a timeline has emerged about his possible exit from the program.
The AJC’s Chip Towers reported that according to Crean’s contract he signed in 2018, the Bulldogs have to give him 7 days’ written notice to be terminated “for any reason or no reason by the Association.”
As of midday Thursday, Crean had not received such notification. According to the terms of the contract, written notification has to be delivered in person or via first-class mail.
The Bulldogs’ season ended Wednesday night when they lost to Vanderbilt 86-51 in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
The AJC also reported that Crean hired lawyer Tom Mars to represent him. Crean’s agent, Jordan Bazant of New York, also is a lawyer.
Mars is a Northwest Arkansas-based trial lawyer and former litigator for Walmart who practiced law in Atlanta until recently. He is best known for representing NCAA athletes on eligibility matters and led efforts to change legislation to allow one-time transfers.
After working for a time on the NCAA enforcement’s complex-case unit, Mars is back to representing coaches in contract disputes. Recent clients have included Auburn’s Bryan Harsin and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. He successfully represented former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt in a lawsuit against the school.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
