Giving Georgia men’s basketball coach Mark Fox a $2 million raise and contract extension was as much about being proactive and capturing momentum as it was about rewarding the second-year coach for a good season.
So explained athletic director Greg McGarity, whose recommendation to UGA President Michael Adams and the Georgia Athletic Association executive board Thursday resulted in a five-year, $8.5 million deal for Fox.
It was not, McGarity emphasized, a reaction to any job overtures Fox may have received following the Bulldogs’ 21-win season and NCAA tournament berth.
“Trust me, this was all proactive,” McGarity said after the board unanimously approved the motion late Thursday morning. “You go ahead and let individuals know you’re paying attention, then you don’t have to worry about people knocking on your door to say, ‘hey, I need a raise.’ This was all initiated by us. It was not initiated by Mark.”
Fox’s contract was extended one year through June 2016, and his salary was increased from $1.3 to $1.7 million annually, effective April 1. That places Fox in the upper half of SEC coaches, McGarity said.
But it’s nowhere near the top. Kentucky’s John Calipari makes about $3.8 million per year, and Florida’s Billy Donovan earns $3.5 million, according to published reports.
“That’s where we agreed to land, and everybody’s very comfortable with that,” McGarity said. “I do think, and I’ve talked about this a lot, you really want all your staff and coaches to be on edge a bit. But five years, that is a strong commitment.”
Fox’s name surfaced in searches for openings at N.C. State and other places even before the Bulldogs’ finished with a 21-12 record and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. But Fox insisted then that he intends to remain at Georgia for the long haul and he repeated that Thursday.
“Georgia has committed to building this basketball program,” he said. “I think that’s evident now with the support we’ve had the previous two years and with the actions of the board today. This just continues to give us momentum.”
Fox has his work cut out for him immediately. The Bulldogs lost four players from last season, including its top two scorers and rebounders. Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie entered the NBA draft as juniors.
“Early entries make you a little greener than you want to be,” Fox said. “But it gives these other kids an opportunity, too. Two freshmen, Marcus Thornton and Donte Williams, have had the best springs of anyone on our team.”
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