The call for change this March seemingly extends to the basketball arena as well as the political one.
The state’s two marquee college programs, Georgia and Georgia Tech, are on failure’s brink. Barring miracle conference tournament runs this week, both will miss the postseason.
The disappointment could mistakenly cost two coaches their jobs.
Straw polls show Georgia basketball coach Dennis Felton is as done as Mike Huckabee. And a vocal part of the Georgia Tech faithful say Paul Hewitt has used up all the political capital he earned with the 2004 Final Four run.
Fans should be upset with the teams’ performances. But neither coach deserves to be fired. Not yet anyway.
Felton inherited Jim Harrick’s mess, reason enough to give him more than five years. Then he lost the recruit who might have changed the program’s fortunes, Louis Williams, to the NBA. Several other top players are gone because of disciplinary reasons.
Felton and Hewitt hear the fan rumblings. Felton even has a prepared defense: Questioned about his job security following a loss in Saturday’s regular-season finale, he fell back on the difficulties of rebuilding after an NCAA probation and compared his performance to those done by coaches at schools in similar circumstances, like Baylor, St. Johns and St. Bonaventure.

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