Report: Former Marquette coach Tom Crean nears a deal to return to coaching at Georgia

JR Radcliffe
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Former Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean

The first day of the NCAA Tournament has proven to be an eventful occasion for former Marquette men's basketball coach Tom Crean.

Crean, who spent the year as an analyst for ESPN after Indiana fired him on the first day of the Big Dance in 2017, is apparently close to reaching an agreement to become the new head coach at the University of Georgia. The maneuver, again on the first day of an NCAA Tournament, was reported by ESPN basketball breaking-news specialist Adrian Wojnarowski. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also confirmed that Crean was about to sign.

A news conference to introduce Crean could come as early as Friday, according to Wojnarowski. Georgia fired coach Mark Fox on Saturday.

Crean, 51, went 166-135 over nine seasons at Indiana and reeled in two regular-season titles, as well as three appearances in the Sweet 16. But after his team went 18-16 last year, the Hoosiers moved on, eventually replacing Crean with former Dayton coach Archie Miller. 

Tom Crean and Dwyane Wade talk during a Marquette NCAA Tournament game in 2003.

Before that, Crean spent nine seasons at Marquette, famously leading the Golden Eagles to the 2003 Final Four before moving into the Big Ten.

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Georgia defeated Marquette this season, 73-66, on Dec. 2 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. It was the back end of a home-and-home series after Marquette went to Georgia the previous season (MU won, 89-79), so there isn't a reunion necessarily on the docket with Crean and MU.