ATHENS, Ga. - Damon Evans was hired as Georgia's athletic director Friday, the first black person to hold that job in the SEC.
"My goal was always to be an athletic director, not an African- American athletic director," Evans said. "However, I do understand the significance associated with being the first African-American athletic director in the SEC."
Evans, 34, also will be the youngest athletic director in the league when Vince Dooley retires in June.
"There's no doubt I'm ready," Evans said. "I wouldn't have put myself in this position if I wasn't ready. When you have people doubting you because of your age, it makes you work harder."
The SEC has been criticized for the pace of its minority hiring. Now, the appointment of Evans comes less than three weeks after the first black football coach in the SEC was hired - Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State.
This latest move follows months of controversy since university president Michael Adams did not renew Dooley's contract. Dooley's supporters contend he essentially was forced into retirement. Dooley, 71, groomed Evans for the job, but had hoped to work a few more years.
"I always thought Damon would be the one," Dooley said. "I just thought he needed a couple more years of experience. That was one reason I wanted to stay on for a couple more years, in addition to many other reasons. I thought it would be helpful to him to have a couple more years maturity."
Georgia football great Herschel Walker, who resigned from a fundraising committee because of the way Dooley was treated, lauded the hiring of Evans, particularly because of his ties to the school.
"It's a super decision, but the decision against Coach Dooley is still wrong," he said. "You can't say this makes up for it."
Evans played football for Georgia from 1988-92, an era that included Dooley's final season as coach.
Evans worked at Missouri and the SEC before returning to Georgia and moving up to his current position of senior associate athletic director for internal affairs.
Evans accepted handshakes and congratulations Thursday night as he watched the Georgia basketball team beat South Alabama 65-63. The other finalists for the job dropped out Thursday.
FLORIDA STATE: The Seminoles received national letters of intent from four softball players: Whitney Buckmon, Tiffany McDonald, Brittany Osmon and Melissa Wood.
Buckmon, a 2002 Gatorade player of the year nominee in Georgia, hit .577, stole 32 bases, scored 44 runs and struck out just five times this season at Chamblee Charter High.
McDonald, a Washington native, went 29-2 in leading North Mason to a district championship. She struck out 294 batters and pitched 11 no-hitters.
Osmon was a four-year starter at Mount Carmel in California. She was a member of two American Softball Association national champion teams.
Wood, who played at Parkview in Georgia, hit .435 as a senior.
THE TOP DAWG
WHO: Damon Evans, Georgia athletic director.
AGE: 34.
FAMILY: Married to Kerri; 5-year-old son, Cameron; 2-year-old daughter, Kennedy.
HOMETOWN: Oakwood, Ga.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Named UGA's senior associate athletic director for internal affairs in June 2000, after serving two years as associate athletic director for internal affairs. Returned to UGA, his alma mater, in 1998 after serving as a director for the SEC. The league promoted him to assistant commissioner for eligibility and compliance services in 1997. He also served as director of compliance and operations at Missouri from 1994-95.
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in finance and master's degree in sports management from UGA.
BULLDOG HISTORY: Played football at Georgia from 1988-92. Played in three bowl games (1989 Peach, 1991 Independence, 1992 Citrus). Was a member of the 1991 and 1992 teams that won nine and 10 games, respectively.
