Georgia Bulldogs announce contract extension for head coach Mark Fox

Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox (right) reacts to a foul call and draws a technical foul against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half in the quarterfinals of the SEC college basketball tournament at Georgia Dome. Georgia defeated Mississippi 75-73. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Update: The extension is now official, per a university announcement.

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After a late charge to make some considerable noise toward an NCAA Tournament at-large selection and a solid SEC run, the Georgia Bulldogs will reportedly announce a contract extension for head basketball coach Mark Fox on Wednesday afternoon.

To this point, no official announcement has been given to a specific degree, but the university has already scheduled an announcement regarding the “contract status of head basketball coach Mark Fox”, so the writing is on the wall. The Bulldogs just completed a season with a 20-14 overall record, but more importantly, Fox guided an undermanned unit to an impressive 3rd-place finish in SEC regular season play, and the team was playing its best basketball as the season concluded.

Of course, not everyone has been a fan of Mark Fox during his tenure in Athens, and there is some understandable skepticism surrounding this decision. Georgia’s overall record is just 85-77 in his five seasons in Athens, and with the exception of an at-large berth after a 21-win season in 2010-11, there has been little in the way of on-court accomplishment.

Still, Fox seemed to do his best work this season, and while there are still valid question marks about whether he can recruit at a high level in the SEC, his on-court coaching has been quite solid for the most part, and that is encouraging. It is easier to endorse this move after a 20-win season that generated some positive response, but if the bottom falls out back to the point where UGA won just 15 games in two straight seasons, people will once again be calling for his job.