Tuesday's Daily News 'n Notes: The Mayhem to stay for awhile; stunning HS FB coaching dismissal; UGA blows lead, Tech rolls, and more
Tuesday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
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Mayhem agree to settle in at the Coliseum for five more years
Lunch tasted better than normal for many people Tuesday with the late-morning news that the Macon Mayhem and the Macon Coliseum management had come to terms on a five-year extension to keep the two together until 2025.
Spectra Venue Management, which has run the Coliseum properties since 2016, and Mayhem owners Bob and Diana Kerzner made the announcement through releases around 11:30 a.m.
Said Bob Kerzner in a release: “"When we moved the team to Macon in 2014, we immediately saw the potential for a long-term home”, said owner Bob Kerzner. “This community has embraced us and welcomed us with open arms. We are ecstatic to call Macon home for at least another five years!"
David Aiello is Spectra’s general manager for the Centreplex.
"We could not be more pleased to continue hosting the Macon Mayhem through 2025”, Aiello said in a release.“Working with Bob and Diane Kerzner and (Mayhem GM) Blair Floyd has been a pleasure and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them as the host venue for their home games for seasons to come.
“We, along with the support of Mayor (Robert) Reichert and the county Commissioners recognize that the Macon Mayhem serve as a staple institution to the Middle Georgia community and we could not be more excited about keeping them locally based right here in Macon.”
The Mayhem’s first season was 2015-16, and Macon won the SPHL title in 2017.
The Mayhem, who also engaged in a trade Tuesday with Fayetteville, are at home Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week. Tickets for Saturday’s game, Nickelodeon Night, are only $6.
Peach State College Basketball Report
Yellow Jackets cruise past Morehouse
Georgia blows nice lead in ‘bad’ loss at Missouri
Around/About Georgia
Valdosta BOE fires head football coach Rodemaker
Alan Rodemaker, owner of a 51-25 career record and 36-17 with a 6A state title at his current job, was fired from his current job - head coach at Valdosta - by a 5-4 vote Tuesday night of the Valdosta Board of Education.
Rodemaker went 15-8 in two seasons at Peach County, 1999-2000, and then left football for business for several years before taking over as defensive coordinator at Valdosta under Rance Gillespie, another former Peach County head coach, before taking over in 2016.
Valdosta has gone 14-2, 4-7, 8-5, and 10-3 under Rodemaker, whose winning percentage for Wildcats coaches with at least four years is seventh-best all-time, at 67.92 percent.
Valdosta has had five head coaches since the end of the Wright Bazemore (268-51-7 from 1941-71) and Nick Hyder ( 249-36-2 from 1974-95), excluding Charlie Greene in 1972-73 (17-3).
Mike O’Brien has the longest tenure since then at seven years, going 70-20-1 with four state championships. He was fired by the system in 2002, and was followed by Rick Darlington (11-4, 8-5, 7-5), Rick Tomberlin (1-9, 9-3, 5-5, 7-4), Gillespie (11-2, 8-3, 7-4, 6-5, 9-2, 8-4), and Rodemaker.
Darlington resigned under pressure, Tomberlin was fired, and Gillespie left for an ill-fated second stint at Georgia Southern.
Hawks not sharp in loss to Toronto