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re: South Carolina over the years ....
Posted on 8/16/14 at 10:30 am to scrooster
Posted on 8/16/14 at 10:30 am to scrooster
good stuff scrooster. some other little tidbits to your story. we were in close discussion w/ FSU, Penn St. and I think Miami to create our own conference in the 80's. word got out to the Big 10, who decided to grab Penn St. SEC expansion was started by Dick Bestwick, who was Vince Dooley's right hand man at UGA and also worked some at the SEC office. Bestwick & Dooley had actually brought up the subject at a SEC meeting of expanding and adding USC in the 80's before PSU's jump to the B10. we then hired Bestwick to be AD to replace Marcum who was fired. Bestwick, w/ Dooley's support again made a plea to the SEC for expansion w/ USC. Bestwick didn't last long at USC because of health issues, but he supposedly did get the SEC to create an expansion committee to explore the idea. some USC BOT members were aware of what was going on and lobbying for support w/ UGA. King Dixon just walked into the situation. I learned this from one of the BOT members that was involved.
A few years ago, I actually met Dick Bestwick in Athens who later retired from UGA and he confirmed it all (in front of a bunch of UGA friends that didn't realize that UGA played such an integral role.)
I agree we had a lot of missed opportunities to do something great like w/ Dietsel and Carlen, but the SEC more than made up for it. I wish the University would do something to recognize Dick Bestwick's contribution.
A few years ago, I actually met Dick Bestwick in Athens who later retired from UGA and he confirmed it all (in front of a bunch of UGA friends that didn't realize that UGA played such an integral role.)
I agree we had a lot of missed opportunities to do something great like w/ Dietsel and Carlen, but the SEC more than made up for it. I wish the University would do something to recognize Dick Bestwick's contribution.
3
Posted on 8/17/14 at 12:07 am to winyahpercy
Great post, Rooster. But, as far as I am concerned, the biggest mistake we made was not hiring Dick Sheridan and several of his staff when we could have. He wanted to come to Columbia.
The above only barely edged not hiring Cremins when we could have.
Also, I have to mention Warren Giese, who had an overall winning record. Our record would have be a lot better if he had passed a little. He had the studs.
The above only barely edged not hiring Cremins when we could have.
Also, I have to mention Warren Giese, who had an overall winning record. Our record would have be a lot better if he had passed a little. He had the studs.
Posted on 8/17/14 at 2:25 am to winyahpercy
quote:
good stuff scrooster. some other little tidbits to your story. we were in close discussion w/ FSU, Penn St. and I think Miami to create our own conference in the 80's. word got out to the Big 10, who decided to grab Penn St. SEC expansion was started by Dick Bestwick, who was Vince Dooley's right hand man at UGA and also worked some at the SEC office. Bestwick & Dooley had actually brought up the subject at a SEC meeting of expanding and adding USC in the 80's before PSU's jump to the B10. we then hired Bestwick to be AD to replace Marcum who was fired. Bestwick, w/ Dooley's support again made a plea to the SEC for expansion w/ USC. Bestwick didn't last long at USC because of health issues, but he supposedly did get the SEC to create an expansion committee to explore the idea. some USC BOT members were aware of what was going on and lobbying for support w/ UGA. King Dixon just walked into the situation. I learned this from one of the BOT members that was involved.
A few years ago, I actually met Dick Bestwick in Athens who later retired from UGA and he confirmed it all (in front of a bunch of UGA friends that didn't realize that UGA played such an integral role.)
I agree we had a lot of missed opportunities to do something great like w/ Dietsel and Carlen, but the SEC more than made up for it. I wish the University would do something to recognize Dick Bestwick's contribution.
Reading all this, it's a little bit ironic I think that Bestwick was a college player and graduate of the University of North Carolina...
Posted on 8/17/14 at 6:39 pm to winyahpercy
Dick Bestwick definitely got the ball rolling ... and he was very close friends with Paul Dietzel who, even after Dietzel had retired and moved to Boone. Coach would lobby for us and was instrumental in garnering a bunch of votes in our favor including Dickey at Tennessee who was going to vote against us along with Bama and Kentucky.
The real ally in our joining the conference was the AD at Florida at the time, whose name escapes me at the moment, Sloan maybe, who assigned a little known associate AD at the time by the name of Jeremy Foley, to work with the Committee at SC who also had Dietzel lobbying with them, in order to get SC the necessary votes. Foley may have had the contacts at Bama I think, and Dietzel handled Dickey at Tennessee and I forgot who it was at Kentucky.
Jim Carlen got involved too and got Vince Dooley on board full bore. Coach Dooley once told me how strongly Coach Carlen advocated on our behalf and Coach Dooley always said he thought we would be a perfect fit for the SEC.
It was a joint effort.
I never knew Dick Best wick very well - met him a couple of times. Loved Carolina - was a very nice man.
King Dixon power-played him out of office with the help of some friends. But in retrospect and considering the turmoil at the time, it was probably a necessary move. Dixon was connected and was a task master with a Marine Corp mentality. He was very organized and very focused and he commanded utter loyalty and respect.
The SEC expansion committee was impressed with Dixon and he made a lot of promises about facility improvements and other things that we needed done.
But Foley was instrumental and has remained a loyal friend to us, and us to him.
When John Palms and King Dixon decided Mike McGee was going to be the next step ... it was inevitable that we would eventually succeed.
McGee was embroiled in a dispute with an assistant coach he had fired at SoCal, a false discrimination claim that McGee won in court. But McGee was the best AD in the country at the time and Palms and Dixon convinced him to come back closer to home ... and he did.
McGee first set about cleaning-upa lot of the internal issues in the Round House, then he started working on the individual programs.
The real ally in our joining the conference was the AD at Florida at the time, whose name escapes me at the moment, Sloan maybe, who assigned a little known associate AD at the time by the name of Jeremy Foley, to work with the Committee at SC who also had Dietzel lobbying with them, in order to get SC the necessary votes. Foley may have had the contacts at Bama I think, and Dietzel handled Dickey at Tennessee and I forgot who it was at Kentucky.
Jim Carlen got involved too and got Vince Dooley on board full bore. Coach Dooley once told me how strongly Coach Carlen advocated on our behalf and Coach Dooley always said he thought we would be a perfect fit for the SEC.
It was a joint effort.
I never knew Dick Best wick very well - met him a couple of times. Loved Carolina - was a very nice man.
King Dixon power-played him out of office with the help of some friends. But in retrospect and considering the turmoil at the time, it was probably a necessary move. Dixon was connected and was a task master with a Marine Corp mentality. He was very organized and very focused and he commanded utter loyalty and respect.
The SEC expansion committee was impressed with Dixon and he made a lot of promises about facility improvements and other things that we needed done.
But Foley was instrumental and has remained a loyal friend to us, and us to him.
When John Palms and King Dixon decided Mike McGee was going to be the next step ... it was inevitable that we would eventually succeed.
McGee was embroiled in a dispute with an assistant coach he had fired at SoCal, a false discrimination claim that McGee won in court. But McGee was the best AD in the country at the time and Palms and Dixon convinced him to come back closer to home ... and he did.
McGee first set about cleaning-upa lot of the internal issues in the Round House, then he started working on the individual programs.
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