If you were wondering what Tom Crean was up to these days, and there's no reason to think you were, he's apparently getting bent on social media about something that would only bother the most sanctimonious, wound-up former coaches.
During Jon Sumrall's media session Wednesday, he was in the middle of a thought when someone's phone went off. It happens. It's very embarrassing for the guilty media member (it's happened to me more times than I wish to admit) and, depending on the coach, it can be met with a chuckle or an eye roll, before everyone keeps it moving.
Sumrall had a little fun with it and apparently that was too much for the former Georgia Bulldogs coach to handle.
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He can’t be serious on embarrassing that person. Do you think they meant for the Phone to go off ? Did it really need that performative reaction ? At least you got laughs at that persons expense. They DON’T work for you or play for you. Their job is important to them too!! https://t.co/w0Z49Vmu3X
— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) July 22, 2026
Tom Crean pushes back against Jon Sumrall after SEC Media Day incident
This is all a little rich coming from Crean, a guy who was widely known for his pettiness and "blow-by" handshakes after losses to the point of where it became an issue.
Naturally, Crean's lack of personality eventually caught up with him, which is why he isn't coaching now. He had a great run at Marquette thanks to Dwyane Ward and a few years at Indiana before they decided to fire him because he was so miserable to be around.
And then there was Georgia. Check out that four-year run. He went 15-57 in conference with a 1-17 record in SEC play in 2021-22. Even the worst power conference basketball teams stumble into four conference wins a season, Crean's final team at Georgia had ONE!
But I could go on for days about how terrible Crean was in Georgia. These are the ramblings of a bored man who clearly takes things too seriously. Thankfully, Sumrall took the criticism with a grain of salt because the Gators coach has far more important issues to address.
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You are right Tom. I wasn’t serious. I was joking. https://t.co/AKtgFS4rzz
— Jon Sumrall (@CoachJonSumrall) July 22, 2026
And in the interest of fairness, Crean seemed to acknowledge that he went a little overboard in his criticism.
It was clear Sumrall was joking. He wasn't going to throw a podium or try to kick the media member out of the press conference. Sumrall is an energetic guy and an intense guy, but there's nothing about him that suggests he's mean-spirited. Crean was trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.
If Sumrall wanted to embarrass that member of the media, he would have called them out by name. He did nothing of the sort. No one would know who he was talking to unless someone else outed them. Crean may have thought he meant well, but much like his teams at Georgia, he simply missed the mark.
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