UGA rewards Richt with extension, pay raise

BIG PAYDAYS

SEC schools whose football coach has an annual compensation of $4 million or more:

School; Coach; Amount

Alabama; Nick Saban; $6.9 million

Texas A&M; Kevin Sumlin; $5 million

LSU; Les Miles; $4.3 million

Ole Miss; Hugh Freeze; $4.3 million

Georgia; Mark Richt; $4 million

South Carolina; Steve Spurrier; $4 million

The way Georgia has been throwing around football money this year, it was only a matter of time before some found its way to Mark Richt.

The Bulldogs’ head coach was given a two-year-contract extension and had his salary raised $800,000 per year by the UGA Athletic Association executive board in a specially-called meeting Wednesday afternoon. President Jere Morehead — the board chairman — and Athletic Director Greg McGarity declined to take questions during the call, which was monitored by reporters but mostly was conducted in the silence of executive session.

Richt’s previous contract, which paid him $3.2 million per year, was due to expire after the 2017 season. The new deal — which calls for a $4 million annual salary — will end after the 2019 season. No other contract details were immediately available but eventually will be subject to open-record laws.

“We are very pleased with the direction of our program under Mark’s leadership,” McGarity said in a statement released by UGA. “Mark and his staff are making significant strides in all areas of our program, and we look forward to great things in the years to come.”

On Jan. 2, McGarity sent a letter to Georgia’s top financial contributors informing them of his intent to extend Richt’s contract and praising the football staff for the win over Louisville in the Belk Bowl and their 10-3 season amid adverse situations. The Bulldogs had star tailback Todd Gurley for only six of their 13 games after he was suspended for breaking NCAA rules and eventually sidelined with a season-ending knee injury.

However, not all UGA fans were pleased with the season. The Bulldogs lost to three of their biggest rivals, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia Tech.

Georgia was ranked No. 9 in the final polls of the 2014 season. That means the Bulldogs have finished among the nation’s top 10 in one of the postseason poll in eight of his 14 seasons as their head coach.

“I appreciate the confidence that Greg McGarity has in the direction of our football program and how we represent the University of Georgia,” Richt said. “Our staff has an outstanding work ethic, and we are committed to the development of our student-athletes on and off the field.”