The Richt contract extension: What’s the magic number?
Checking to see how many more seasons he has in his pocket. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Georgia wants to keep Mark Richt and Richt wants to stay. What’s left are details. But details are important, contractually speaking.
Richt’s existing contract runs through 2013, so it isn’t as if he’s a free-agent-to-be. Presumably AD Greg McGarity will offer a raise and an extension, which brings us to the heart of those details. How many more years?
This is a concern not without nuance. Too short an extension sends one message; too long sends another. Here would seem the alternatives:
One more year: This wouldn’t so much be an extension as a very gentle pat on the back. It essentially would say, “We like what you did this season, but we want to see more.” Outsiders would interpret this as McGarity feeling the rise to 10-3 from 6-7 was less a function of coaching than scheduling. A one-year extension won’t happen because it would undercut Richt almost as much as no extension.
Two more years: This would push Richt’s deal through the 2015 season, which is a good ways off and, for recruiting purposes, would allow him to assure current recruits he has a measure of job security through their college careers. Unless, that is, they redshirt. And if they’re not good enough to plays as freshmen, who wants them? (Kidding!)
Three more years: This is the most-rumored extension, and it would make some sense. Five-year contracts are the industry standard. (Even Paul Hewitt had a five-year contract, the difference being that his never stopped being a five-year contract.) This would be a virtual mandate for Richt, but a virtual mandate might be overdoing it. Does one bounceback season override two lesser ones? Will a different schedule — Georgia is scheduled to play at South Carolina and Alabama next season, though speculation holds that SEC newbie Missouri will take the Tide’s place — yield a less desirable result? Is McGarity, who hasn’t negotiated with Richt before, prepared to make the statement: “This is the only coach we want or are ever going to want”?
Four more years or beyond: Too long for any coach, even one who has won his division four times in 11 seasons. Skeptics among us — and they still exist — would note that Richt hasn’t won the SEC since 2005 and has never taken his team to the BCS title game. (Got close a couple of times, though.)
Were I McGarity, I’d open with a two-year offer but count on settling for three. Richt is still a handsome commodity in an industry where big-name schools have been reduced to hiring the likes of Jim Mora (UCLA) and Charlie Weis (Kansas). There’s no reason to tick off such a bird in hand.
By opening with a two-year bid, McGarity would make the point that Georgia likes and supports this coach but wants him to consolidate the gains made in 2011 and have even bigger seasons soon. By settling for three, McGarity comes off as erring on the side of his coach, which is the side an AD needs to choose unless he’s about to fire him.
Georgia fans could and should be enthused by the developments of the past four months. A team that was losing almost every in-doubt game found ways to win 10 times running. That said, the Bulldogs did lose to the three best teams they played, and only one of those losses wound up being close. For as far as Georgia came in 2011, there’s still a ways to go.
The good news is that Georgia again has reason to believe Richt is the man to take it there. He deserves a reward. But a reward isn’t the same as a lifetime contract. The aforementioned Hewitt got one of those, and seven years later Georgia Tech had to pay dearly to make him go away.
By Mark Bradley
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561 comments Add your comment
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
December 15th, 2011
9:50 am
I have been asked to consider being tattooed for the bowl game. It’s a unity thing between me and the players. I may go with it. I am looking at some nice tattoo patterns now. I may go with, “I rund this stait.”
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
9:50 am
“All the haters are fearful.”
I highly doubt LSU, Bama, Arkansas, Auburn and UF are fearful of UGA coaches, Lex.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
December 15th, 2011
9:50 am
Going to the dog house. Later.
John Galt
December 15th, 2011
9:51 am
We need to give him a long-term extension to protect us from our own stupidity. So many of us were calling for his head when we slumped and that would have been a grave mistake.
Who could we get that is better? Mora, Weiss, Muschamp,CPJ, Chizyc, Nutt? He is at worst the 3rd best coach (Miles, Saban) in the best conference in the NCAA. He is clearly better than Goff, Donnan, and I dare say, Dooley.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
9:51 am
“Georgia fans could and should be enthused by the developments of the past four month.”
Bradley needs a proofreader fast. “Four month?” You’re writing skills are weak, Bark.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
December 15th, 2011
9:51 am
I still believe a contract shouldnt be talked about until after next seasons results
2 yrs only though
But the OC has to show better performance than just 2 qtrs of decent play calling every game
evil empire
December 15th, 2011
9:52 am
i see where coastal carolina fired their head coach because they lost to georgia…
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
9:52 am
“He is at worst the 3rd best coach (Miles, Saban) in the best conference in the NCAA. ”
Guess you forgot about Petrino. WHOOPS! Auburn has a national title as well. Not sure how Richt would even be considered a top coach when he hasn’t done anything significant at UGA.
LHarding Dawg
December 15th, 2011
9:55 am
Give the man 3 years and a good raise. Give all the assistants a raise and do whatever it takes to keep them.
bjohndawg
December 15th, 2011
9:55 am
Look you have one of the few stable head coaches in the SEC. You know he is not going to be getting a DUI. Or have red pants between is legs. He wants to be at Georgia. He has accomplished much in his 10-11 years. And he just came off a productive season.
Sign him to a three year extension with a one year rollover.
bjohndawg
December 15th, 2011
9:56 am
And give him a new ford truck.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
9:56 am
“Look you have one of the few stable head coaches in the SEC.”
I like CMR a lot. I have a ton of respect for the guy. I think he is fading a bit and I don’t see him sticking around more than 3-4 more years.
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
9:57 am
2010
Richt’s 2nd year was on a par with the 2nd year of Saban, Meyer and Chizik. He got left out of the BCSCG because the SEC string hadn’t started yet.
I can make an argument that every SEC champ since 2002 should have been national champs except 2005 UGA.
History shows that 2004 AU was pretty darn good.
Saying Richt hasn’t done anything just makes you a hater just like I said that helps generate 18 pages of blog hits with most of them being from non UGA supporters.
Richter scale
December 15th, 2011
9:57 am
They’ve got to lock him down 10 years; he was on a Wheaties Box, does pool flips and said “hell” twice! Seriously, it just feels good to know next season we can beat Aub, FL, TN & GT again – and this time SC. Go CMR!
LHarding Dawg
December 15th, 2011
9:58 am
I see the always classy AU people are out of bed commenting on things they know nothing about.
dmr
December 15th, 2011
9:59 am
Mark,
You ask if ONE bounce back season overrides TWO lesser ones. I would submit that the TWO LESSER SEASONS were the anomaly under Richt. The last two seasons were filled with lesser talent and obviously some kids that were just unwilling to act appropriately. If Richt has a fault, it may be that he is “too” loyal and restrained with those who don’t follow the rules and perform up to snuff.
Richt chooses to find the good and focus on the positive until he is almost worn out…ah la Ealey and others. Richt stays true to his word about not only wanting these guys to be good football players, but also focuses on them being better men.
Give Richt his additional three years, a raise, lock up Grantham, and then evaluate the rest of the staff. If Georgia can develop some depth, this team can be special over the next couple of years.
Mike A.
December 15th, 2011
9:59 am
Russ, we feed you to look pure bred and keep your mouth shut, except for occasional drool and a happy yap when coach looks at you. You are not under contract, and you serve at my pleasure, like all of my menions. You keep posting here, I will send you to a place with no wireless connection.
Dawg Reflections
December 15th, 2011
10:02 am
I honestly don’t get the obsession with firing Bobo? For starters his “play calling” and offenses have produced more points than Coach Richt’s did during his time at OC. Heck, even when we had Cox at QB we scored points. You can’t win football games when you have to score 45 points to do it. Once we squared away the defense we got it back on track. No OC is perfect. Coach Bobo is a Dawg, he’s a better than solid recruiter, and he’s done a admirable job taking over as OC of a major D1 program with no prior experience. Careful what you wish for. Do you want someone coming in with no ties to the program, running a SPREAD or OPTION / Gimick type of offense? I for one DO NOT. I will keep my pro style offense that allows me to target ANY of the best recruits in the country at QB, Receiver, Tight End, RB, FB, OL, etc. etc.
LHarding Dawg
December 15th, 2011
10:04 am
dmr – I’m not sure that being “too loyal” is a fault. Not in my book anyways.
Alphare
December 15th, 2011
10:04 am
Coach Richt was in a pile of trouble last year, and red hot seat after the 1st two games of the season. Now he is getting 3 year extension.
That’s what magic a soft schedule can do for you.
I don’t believe UGA has yet beaten an end-of-season ranked team for 2 years.
Dawgs 73
December 15th, 2011
10:06 am
I’ll be the first to admit, that I wasn’t very high on Richt actually elevating this team to an SEC east champs this year, but he proved me wrong. I do give him credit for making changes and getting more out of his players, but he still has a lot to prove in my book.
In part, he is as much responsible for allowing an inferior DC in Martinez to stay at UGA and decimate what was a formidable defense. What’s being overlooked, is that it took McGarity lighting a fire under his “you know what” to really increase the overall performance of this program. As much credit as Richt is garnering, he wouldn’t be in this position without the HUGE improvement on defense with Todd Grantham. If we “tie up” Richt for an extended number of years, McGarity must consider the same for Grantham. After all, the offense was good, but the defense was phenomenal.
WDE
December 15th, 2011
10:07 am
2010 BCS CHAMPS lot of room to talk when your OC leaves to take a job making less than he was at your school and in a lesser conference and please spare us the “he wants to be a head coach ” spin he could have been a head coach last year for over 3 times what Ark St is paying him. He and the DC are rats leaving a sinking ship …I’d be watching ol’Tropper real close to if you see him turn that hat so the brim is facing forward…change it is a coming…and really the timing has to hurt Bama and the Gators need new OC’s guess the Barn will have to settle for 3rd best coach our there at best..have a great day but I’d wear a life vest.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
10:08 am
“Saying Richt hasn’t done anything just makes you a hater just like I said that helps generate 18 pages of blog hits with most of them being from non UGA supporters.”
Lex, after reading the hate filled comments on Jeff Shultz’s blog about Auburn, I have every right to retaliate. Anyway, like I said, I like CMR a lot and respect him. His 2001 team was great and his 2007 team was great but they lost 2 games.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
10:08 am
“I see the always classy AU people are out of bed commenting on things they know nothing about.”
Hypocrite.
MebeingMe
December 15th, 2011
10:09 am
Again Mark……..you have all the questions answered. No need to ask AD McGarity anything
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
10:09 am
2001 was 8-4
2002 was 13-1 and the 2 teams in the title game were cheaters
I also said 2004 Auburn deserved the title too
Alphare
December 15th, 2011
10:10 am
Dawgs 73,
“but the defense was phenomenal”.
What do you think of Boise State’s offense? outright phenomenal?
evil empire
December 15th, 2011
10:10 am
that defense got coastal carolina’s coach fired…not sure of the seat temp at nm state after they faced the greatest defense in the history of mankind…my god, what a defense!!!…no way butkus or lawrence taylor even make the scout team…
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
10:11 am
” lot of room to talk when your OC leaves to take a job making less than he was at your school and in a lesser conference”
Do you even know what Arky St. record is?
Nope, I thought not.
“He and the DC are rats leaving a sinking ship”
Uh huh, and next you’ll say “the hammer will fall.”
If you knew anything, which you don’t, you’d know that Roof sucked and was about to get fired. Malzahn lasted 3 years at AU which is the average for offensive coaches. LSU and Bama have had the same thing happen.
You see, when your team wins the BCS championship, everyone wants your coaches.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
10:12 am
“Barn will have to settle for 3rd best coach our there at best”
UGA has a nice remedial english class with your name on it.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
December 15th, 2011
10:13 am
“2002 was 13-1 and the 2 teams in the title game were cheaters”
Sounds like you think anyone but UGA is cheating.
“I also said 2004 Auburn deserved the title too”
Can’t argue with that.
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
10:13 am
alphare
After last year, no way we were ready to play boise with their 25 5th year seniors and a pretty darn good college QB.
The defense got better. The lack of depth hurt us against LSU along with the inability to run the ball and not become one dimensional.
We really need to win this bowl game. It will shutup a lot of the doubters and give us huge momentum into 2012
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
10:14 am
It has been proven that OSU and Miami were cheating big time during the 2002 season.
We have had nothing in that regard.
That’s what I meant.
evil empire
December 15th, 2011
10:16 am
awwww…they were cheating…whats wrong?…didn’t get your participation ribbon???…
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
10:17 am
Nah we didn’t get the NCAA investigation that they did
If that’s your interpretation of a participation ribbon, then yes we didn’t get one.
Don’t want one either
GTT
December 15th, 2011
10:17 am
Fifteen.
Alphare
December 15th, 2011
10:17 am
The state of Alabama has won NC titles 2 year in a row.
Now they have a chance to win 3 in a row.
I don’t think that has ever been done by any other state.
Bremen Dawg
December 15th, 2011
10:17 am
2 years with a 2 year option at the same pay. Here is where it needs to be adjusted. Up to 5 million in bonus – wins SEC East (750,000), wins SEC (1.25 million) wins National Championship (3 million), we have to put the money out there for a National Championship.
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
10:18 am
Bama won’t beat LSU
Even if it happens, it will be a split title and the BCS will remain a joke
Bobo is Not the Problem
December 15th, 2011
10:18 am
Richt will be let go during this contract. The question is, how many years will UGA supporters be left holding the bag with? Will we have to pay him like we did Goff and Donnan for numerous years while also paying the new coach. Count on it.
Athletic Associations and their fans (including the kool-aid drinkers on this board) are such suckers, financial babes in the woods. It is nonsensical to extend Richt’s contract. It already has two freaking years left on it. He is going nowhere. Yet every college coach in America gets paid for multiple years after their service is done because the “uncertainty hurts recruiting.” Well, the uncertainty is already there, goofballs. No matter how many years his contract has, he will never coach all of them. Like every other coach, he will be let go at some point. So no recruit knows whether Richt will be the coach. The contract has nothing to do with it.
Athletic Associations need to smarten up. Fans need to smarten up and quit supporting this nonsense.
Reason #1 I will NEVER make a contribution to UGA or the Athletic Association. Gross mismanagement of funds.
Abe Lincoln
December 15th, 2011
10:21 am
I would like to see Coach Bobo and Coach Grantham get extensions. Both are great coaches and great recruiters.
RedandBlackDAWG
December 15th, 2011
10:21 am
LOL,
Your accounting skills are only outdone by your stupidity. The SC game showed UGA put up 42 points on their defense and their offense put up 17 on our defense. Mistakes gave SC the win. Of course by your accounting standards UGA lost by 100 points I guess. Where in the world do people like you come from? You are a true discredit to mankind. I will give you one thing though. You would make a good target for canon fodder in the Army.
ClinchPanther
December 15th, 2011
10:21 am
Anything less than five years is an insult.
roughrider
December 15th, 2011
10:23 am
Since he has two years on his remaining contract, a one year extension should be enough.
Observer
December 15th, 2011
10:23 am
DawginLex, “cleanup in aisle 5″, so move along and do your job.
LHarding Dawg
December 15th, 2011
10:23 am
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a coach leaving a major school who won a NC for less money. Espicially $450,000.00 less. Like the commercial says “Now thats incredible”.
Alphare
December 15th, 2011
10:25 am
Lex,
“Bama won’t beat LSU”.
That’s just a plain silly statement. BAMA and LSU beat their common opponents with the nearly same scores. They played against each other to a standstill.
That tells me they are about equal. Yes, LSU beat dawgs by 30 points. I have no doubt BAMA can beat the dawgs by 30 points as well.
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
10:26 am
Observer
December 15th, 2011
10:23 am
DawginLex, “cleanup in aisle 5″, so move along and do your job
************************
Observer
You are fired.
I’m the boss.
You are a minion.
Leave now.
We will mail you your check.
WDE
December 15th, 2011
10:26 am
@2010 BCS CHAMPS agreed everyone in the Sun Belt conference wants to hire your coaches and Hey they want to go, and sparky I never said anything about the hammer or the NCAA I’ve said a number of times I think that boat has sailed. But the year after a MNC and now the DC suxed and was going to get fired , and the world renowned OC leaves for a lower paying job in a lower tier school or perhaps Ark St is a higher tier school that Auburn you seem to know everything you tell me. And you want to spin this like its a good thing??
Dawgs 73
December 15th, 2011
10:26 am
Alphare – I know that it’s easy to point to the first game of the season and lampoon the defense, but when you have a DC in his second year take and he takes UGA from mid 50’s statistically in the nation, and improves to top five, I would say that is pretty phenomenal.