There are varying opinions about the job Georgia’s Greg McGarity is doing and has done as he wraps up his 10th year as the school’s athletic director. But there only two opinions that matter where his performance is concerned: That of UGA President Jere Morehead and that of the Georgia Athletic Association’s board of directors.
McGarity would seem to have the firm backing of both. McGarity was lauded by various student-athletes and members of the board during Wednesday’s winter meeting at the Georgia Center of Continuing Education, after which the president was asked about McGarity directly.
“Well, from my perspective I think Greg and his team are doing an outstanding job,” said Morehead, who also serves as chairman of the athletic board. “We’ll certainly sit down and talk in the next several weeks. But I continue to have great confidence in our athletic director. As does our SEC commissioner, who reminds me that Mitch Barnhart and Greg are the senior statesmen among the SEC athletic directors. So I appreciate all the great work he does for us.”
McGarity, 65, has a one-year contract, which expires in June.
At this time last year, the board voted to raise his salary to $675,000 and have McGarity continue on a yearly basis with annual raises of $25,000 and a $50,000 longevity bonus for each year he works.
That means McGarity would earn $700,000 in salary and another $50,000 bonus for remaining another year.
“I think it's his job until he doesn't want it anymore,” said board member Jon Stinchcomb, a former Georgia football player. “That's what I think and understand. I don't think he's given anybody any reason to think otherwise. He's stabilized a couple of programs that weren't doing very well and, as we all know, the engine that drives everything is doing pretty good as well. Unless something changes, I think everybody's very pleased with the job Greg's doing.”
McGarity gave no hints as to how he’s leaning. He said he would discuss his options with Morehead in “the next four or five weeks.”
McGarity did say he still enjoys his work and doesn’t mind working without a contract.
“Oh, absolutely,” he told reporters after the hour-long board meeting. “I’m 65. I enjoy working. So that part of it, I have no problem with that. If I was younger it might be a different story, with four or five years. But I’m very comfortable with the way things are.”
Health wouldn’t appear to be an issue. McGarity, an Athens native, jogs with a group of friends every morning at 6 a.m.
Morehead pointed out McGarity’s fitness.
"From my perspective he looks younger every day, so I don't think it's too much of a grind,” he quipped.
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