Greg McGarity seemed to be the nearly universal first choice of many Georgia fans to be the new athletic director, and it looks as if they’ll get their wish. Florida’s #2 man is all but announced as the new top Dawg. We were warned that a thorough search might take anywhere from 6 to 12 months, but it seems to be over in just about six weeks.

I’m trying to understand the source of the unbridled enthusiasm for this pick. I’m not being contrary, and I see few obvious negatives other than his lack of experience as an athletic director. Most are basing their preference basically in his association with a wildly successful Florida program. Make no mistake, that counts for a lot. Florida, like Georgia, has an impressive record in the field of play, in NCAA compliance, and in academic success. I appreciate that the next athletic director comes from a similar culture.

I admit to being a little underwhelmed in the list of applicants that was released last week. Most saw McGarity’s name on the list, breathed a sigh of relief, and moved on. There were a few impressive names on the list , including McGarity, some with NFL experience, and a few from smaller programs. But there were few, if any, public applicants from similar programs. I grant that people in those positions might have been approached off the record in order to preserve their standing at their current high-profile jobs.

So if everyone else is happy with McGarity, I suppose I should be too, as much as anyone can get excited about an administrator. Damon Evans, for his personal faults, leaves a pretty good legacy in the areas of compliance, financial management, and academics. McGarity’s first job is preserving and building on those strong attributes while he seeks to improve Georgia’s overall performance on the field.