Athens — Only minutes after getting a $4.8 million pay raise approved for his football coach, Georgia athletics director Damon Evans found himself defending Mark Richt's place in the SEC coaches' pecking order.

The executive committee of the Georgia Athletics Association board of directors on Thursday unanimously approved Evans' recommendation for an $800,000 a year bump for Richt for the final six years of his contract. Yet Richt's $2.8 million annual salary remains in the middle of the pack among SEC football coaches.

"This wasn't about where we were going to place him," Evans said via a telephone conference call late Thursday afternoon. "This was about what we felt was important at the University of Georgia. We've got to do things we think are fair. We've got to maintain a balance. I don't want us to always be held to what other institutions are doing."

Alabama's Nick Saban ($3.75 million per year), LSU's Les Miles ($3.5 million) and Florida's Urban Meyer ($3.25 million) all make more than $3 million a year. Arkansas is paying former Falcons coach Bobby Petrino $2.85 million, and Auburn's Tommy Tuberville is making $2.8 this year, the first of a contract that calls for a $200,000 increase each year through 2004.

"The University of Georgia is committed to football," Evans said. "We've always been. Those other institutions have to do what they have to do. And I'll say some of those institutions out there have coaches that at this point in time that have won a national championship. And when you get to that level that is a different level."

Richt, for one, doesn't seem at all concerned. The Bulldogs' coach said before Thursday night's practice that he's more concerned with stability than money.

"The money really doesn't drive me but a strong contract is good," Richt said. "It's good stability for the program, and it's good stability for our coaching staff and for our players, too, I believe. The stronger the contracts are the more stability there is, and that's my goal."

Richt was also promised across-the-board pay increases for his coaching staff. Those percentages and/or amounts were not immediately available.

"I've always been excited about being at Georgia," Richt said. "That's never waned. I feel like I've been treated extremely well in a lot of areas, one area being salary. I never felt like I was being mistreated in any way. I've always been treated very well and I'm very thankful."

Richt led the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record and No. 2 ranking in the final Associated Press poll this past season. After starting 4-2, Georgia won its final seven games in a row, including the 41-10 victory over No. 10 Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.

Richt's overall record is 72-19, and he has won 10 or more games in five of the past six seasons. The Bulldogs are expected to be ranked among the top teams in the 2008 preseason polls.

Georgia has gone out of its way to show its appreciation to Richt. It gave him a $500,000 per year raise and new eight-year contract two years ago after he had won his second SEC championship.

That contract, which runs through the 2013 season, does not change.

"This had a lot to do with the success he had this year, where our program stands and also a lot to do with the market," Evans said. "You build your reputation and you build confidence by what you do over a track record. ... Mark has done an incredible job during his run here as our football coach not only in the win-loss column but how he represents this institution and what he means to us overall."