Tom Crean's first road trip at his new school was interrupted when Georgia's chartered jet slid off the runway Monday night, postponing the team's trip to Philadelphia for a game at Temple on Tuesday, the school told ESPN.
Everyone on the flight was safe.
Due to logistical challenges at its airport in Athens, Georgia, the team bused to an airport in Anderson, South Carolina, for its flight. That's when the trouble started.
"The University of Georgia basketball team's travel to Philadelphia for tomorrow night's game at Temple was delayed by weather," the school said in a statement. "The Bulldogs were scheduled to depart from the airport in Anderson, S.C., at 5:00 p.m. The team boarded the plane at approximately 6:15. While the plane was taxiing on the tarmac at a slow rate of speed, it drove off the concrete and became stuck in mud. At 9:00 p.m., it was determined the plane would need inspections which would not allow it to be used on Monday. The team will spend the night in South Carolina and fly to Philadelphia on Tuesday morning."
Crean said the team noticed a shift on the plane.
"Everyone is fine," Crean told ESPN. "All we knew is that we were a bit tilted. Long night though. The plane wasn't going to be flyable tonight."
Georgia won its first game under Crean last week, a 110-76 home victory over Savannah State.