After 91 losses during five-plus seasons under coach Dennis Felton, the Georgia men’s basketball program needed a change.

Felton was fired on Jan. 29, with athletic director Damon Evans in search of a coach who could bring excitement and success back to Athens.

Evans’ hunt ended with Mark Fox, previously the head man at Nevada.

Fox officially entered as Georgia’s head coach at an April 6 press conference, with his wife wearing red and black and his kids decked out in Georgia gear.

From all accounts, he’s been making the right moves ever since.

“It’s been a lot different,” junior forward Chris Barnes said before this season’s first practice.

Fox put together a diverse coaching staff, with each position satisfying a crucial need. Assistant Philip Pearson knows the SEC intimately from his days playing and coaching at Alabama.

Stacey Palmore is regarded as a superb recruiter from his days at Virginia Tech. Kwanza Johnson came with Fox from Nevada, having been praised for his work with post players.

Putting together an excellent staff was a plus, but Fox had to also win over the players left behind in Felton’s wake.

The key to winning over the locker room was honesty, Fox says, because, “some of the kids didn’t choose me – they inherited me.”

“We just try to be truly genuine,” Fox said. “We try to be honest with people. I don’t think there is any other way to do it. We are exactly who we are.”

And Fox’s message quickly resonated with the players. Sophomore forward Trey Thompkins says Fox is a genuine person, and truly cares about the players, especially away from the court.

“Last year we had a lot of problems and issues off the court,” Barnes said. “People knew Dennis Felton wasn’t going to be here, and they didn’t want him here. But a lot of people have grown to love coach Fox. They like him as a coach, as a person. He’s just taught us so much being here the last few months.”

Impressing his players off the court was integral for Fox, but on the court success is why Evans brought him to Athens.

“I’d say if went undefeated we’d be pretty successful,” Fox said, tongue-in-cheek.

Fox said he wasn’t in the business of predicting wins and losses, saying, “We’re going to plan to win them all.”

And while Georgia isn’t undefeated under Fox – currently 4-3 – the attitude and atmosphere surrounding the program has changed. And for the better.