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
ARdawg
December 15th, 2011
3:14 pm
Richt has shown some tremendous improvement this year. He deserves an extension on the current deal. He doesn’t deserve a new deal
ARdawg
December 15th, 2011
3:14 pm
jascon
We had a real schedule this year. Richt doesn’t get approval on the schedule
AltamahaDawg
December 15th, 2011
3:15 pm
I stand corrected on Bradley, (and I should have known that because my very first comment desputed the term “reward”) But My point remains on the contract.
And I’m sure you were only quoting Bradley in making your point, rrrrrright?
this dawg want hunt!!
December 15th, 2011
3:16 pm
SSI, what has your mighty program done the past 2 years? Nothing, yet you come on this blog everyday and take shots at UGA. Then you brag about how great Florida’s talent is, and how great their 2 pitiful unproven q.b’s are. You are so shallow, and a typical Gator fan. You think that every player Florida has is better than the players on any other team. Question for you moron? How did Florida do with all of it’s 5 star d.l. this year? Answer is simple, they got run over by S.C, UGA, Bama, and LSU. You should worry about how pitiful your program is now, and how it feels to have the worst head coach in the SEC leading your program. A head coach that has beaten no one with a winning record in his 1st year. Go blog on the Florida TImes, because your idiotic posts here are a joke, just like your program now.
bugsquacher
December 15th, 2011
3:17 pm
dont extend it…. send the message that he has another year to prove himself… another 10-3 season gets him 2 years…..SEC champs gets him 3……..a NC gets him 4.
Bad Dawg
December 15th, 2011
3:18 pm
Preach that message right there Billy and hopefully the dawg nation will get it. I am not saying fire Mark Richt, I am just against giving him an extension until he proves his team can be competitive in the games that count again. He has 2012 to really prove his worth with the schedule looking seemingly easier than this year (if that is possible). Another SEC championship game berth would not be surprising but getting humiliated like we did on a national stage via Boise St. and LSU will be a cause for concern.
jascon
December 15th, 2011
3:18 pm
The 2013 schedule is going to be the real test though…South Carolina, Clemson, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee (should be back)
bugsquacher
December 15th, 2011
3:18 pm
whatever happened to “pay for performance”?
bugsquacher
December 15th, 2011
3:19 pm
Face it…. we did well with the schedule….could have been 1 game better…. but the schedule was a cupcake…..dont drink the kool aid just yet….
AltamahaDawg
December 15th, 2011
3:25 pm
Either conduct business in the norm of what SEC coaches operate in with respect to contracts or FIRE the guy. McGarity can’t get away with wanting to keep him but whining about it.
williebkind
December 15th, 2011
3:27 pm
I say given him an extention without a PAY RAISE! He makes enough money as it is. Money does not buy good coaching!
Bubba Mutt
December 15th, 2011
3:27 pm
SSIgator….my brother is still wanting to meet you at Demere Traffic Circle….sayis something about not believing a Forida fan would bravely live on SSI and show his colors….no sir he doesn’t believe it!!!!!!!!
SSIgator
December 15th, 2011
3:27 pm
this dawg want hunt!! -
“Then you brag about how great Florida’s talent is” – incorrect
“how great their 2 pitiful unproven q.b’s are” – incorrect
“You think that every player Florida has is better than the players on any other team” – incorrect
If you are going to cite something that I said at least get it correct. Also, the topic at hand is a contract extension for Richt and as I told WDE above, I (and probably the rest of the SEC football prorgams) am in full agreement with that.
Herschel Talker
December 15th, 2011
3:30 pm
MB:
Are you impressed by a run of 10 straight wins against unranked teams? Teams that include the worst UF and Tenn teams of the last 20 years. Narrowly escaping Vandy and UK? Is that what will buy someone another 3 years running the show?
Anyone with any knowledge would dissect this deeper than just looking at 10 straight wins. This is also 3 losses against the only 3 good teams they played. This is 3 losses where the team looked confused,lost, and unprepared. This deserves a contract extension?
With the talent at UGA, is that what should be the norm every year. UGA was the 5th best team in the SEC this year.
If you are happy with mediocrity and being a second rate SEC team, then sign Richt up for another 10 years or even another 20.
FIRE MARK RICHT!
HT
Bad Dawg
December 15th, 2011
3:32 pm
bugsquacher, most of this bunch is satisfied with 9-10 wins and beating up on georgia tech (really?), florida (down year), and Auburn (down year). The standards of the dawg fan base is too low, if people would rise up and demand a championship then maybe UGA would actually win one. Until then I guess we’ll have to deal with mediocrity and humiliation on the national scale.
AltamahaDawg
December 15th, 2011
3:32 pm
The money is a fomality. Nobody making 3 million a year is really deserving or not deserving. It’s just the rate for the gig. He’ll get some sort of revamped compensation, but that’s not the point.
ARdawg
December 15th, 2011
3:38 pm
Altamaha
I hope he doesn’t get anything revamped. He hasn’t earned any IMHO. If the truth be known and/or admitted, he hasn’t earned an extension either but, the is the way of business in college football these days.
GTBob
December 15th, 2011
3:38 pm
Maybe when someone at Tech or their family or a love has their life spared with this new vaccine
I think id rather die then have anything injected into me that was developed at UGA.
UGASlobberknocker
December 15th, 2011
3:39 pm
Why play the BS mind games? Give him three yrs and be done with it.
UGASlobberknocker
December 15th, 2011
3:40 pm
@GTBob
I can help you with that
SSIgator
December 15th, 2011
3:40 pm
GTBob -
That was pretty cold.
ARdawg
December 15th, 2011
3:41 pm
GTBob
Your hatred and jealousy is seething. Seek help guy, really.
Bluto
December 15th, 2011
3:44 pm
Can we all pitch in and raise money to see that GTBob never gets anymore medical care?
Who’s with me????
YYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Impartial Observer
December 15th, 2011
3:45 pm
Two years. Anything else would be stupid. I hope Alabama and Saban stay on UGA’s schedule in 2012. Let Richt demonstrate he can earn the SEC East next year instead of backing into it.
AltamahaDawg
December 15th, 2011
3:46 pm
I agree, that is the nature of the business. That’s why I don’t get your acceptance of that but still “hoping” that they don’t revamp his compensation. As I have said before, either fire the guy or don’t. But don’t keep him, only to put him over your knee in public. You should want the coach at UGA to have the best contract he can as far as appearances go.
Bad Dawg
December 15th, 2011
3:46 pm
Give him 3 years for what? Did he win the or at least compete in the big games in the past 4-5 years? No. A division championship with all of the east rebuilding or down except South Carolina is not good enough. Some of you fans out their give me a good explanation for an extension and if it involves his win loss record or what he did prior to 2008 I don’t wanna hear about.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
December 15th, 2011
3:47 pm
4 years and 4 million $$$, this is easy. Oh, by the way, tkt prices will pay for this.
SSIgator
December 15th, 2011
3:47 pm
“Checking to see how many more seasons he has in his pocket”
Just noticed the caption under the photo. Probably should read, “Dang, here are my sunglasses and my SprayTan. Right in my pocket where I put them. Going to be a sunny day and I want to look good for the camera.”
SSIgator
December 15th, 2011
3:52 pm
Bad Dawg -
The KoolAid Club doesn’t want to hear that. Ten years from now they will still be talking about how Richt won two SEC Championships in the early 2000’s.
Gorilla Biscuit
December 15th, 2011
3:53 pm
GTBob, you could speed things up and go off yourself.
Boise Dawg
December 15th, 2011
3:54 pm
With his loyalty and success, he deserves the 3-year extension and it should help with recruiting. Georgia can afford 3-years… the athletic department would have no problem with a buyout even if Richt falls on his face next year (not likely given the state of the East and the returning players on his roster).
AltamahaDawg
December 15th, 2011
3:56 pm
I’ll explain it. They aren’t deciding on retroctively bonuses. They are in the process of planning for the future.
It’s really that simple.
Alphare
December 15th, 2011
3:56 pm
Rick DeHaven and other dawgies blaming depth:
why is your depth so shallow? Your recruiting has been highly ranked since I can remember. Where do you do to them? red-shirt forever, or medically released?
You have to start using those 4 stars if you recruit them. You have another bunch coming soon, what’s your prediction for your future depth?
ARdawg
December 15th, 2011
3:56 pm
Altamaha
For the record and that it is stated publicly, I like Richt and hope we keep him as coach. That said; his current deal of 5 years for 3 mil a year plus MBO is a very sweet deal. 3 years have expired and he has fell well short of the expectations when that agreement was entered. A two year extension of that deal still leaves it a very lucrative contract and Richt still one of the highest paid coaches in college football. Anything else above that IMHO is a very bad business decision on the part of the peeps holding the checkbook
GTBob
December 15th, 2011
3:56 pm
Awe, all of these UGA fans who love Mark Richt because he is a good christian man want me to go kill myself. I can feel gods love on the blog. lol.
WDE
December 15th, 2011
3:58 pm
Any of you that want to not give an extension have a limited view of college football. An extension will allow the UGA coaches to more effectively recruit and at the end of the day that recruiting is what has lead to our improvement. CMR needs to be able to look into a recruits eyes and his families eyes and tell them that he will be there to help their son for his career at UGA. When as many recruits pick UGA because of their relationship with CMR that is a huge deal. If you don’t extend he can be in many cases be viewed as a lame duck. 2-3 years will take that problem away. If you really only care about a MNC you have to give the coach every advantage to get the recruits he needs to get there.
GTBob
December 15th, 2011
4:02 pm
An extension will allow the UGA coaches to more effectively recruit
Maybe all coaches should be given lifetime contracts then regardless of how they perform.
Dawg Gone
December 15th, 2011
4:02 pm
@Alphare two reasons we have a dept problem we don’t oversign at the clip of say a Bama or LSU or USC for that matter and we actually kick the trouble makers to the curb. Do you think that any member of the UGA team this year could have gotten into a fight, held down a US Marine and put the boots to him and still played ? We give them chances to do right but ask Mett,Ealey, etc if you can just continue to be a pain and stay..answer is no. Mett by the way is shaping up to be a starter at LSU I wonder if he has learned his lesson or no one cares what he does?
ARdawg
December 15th, 2011
4:03 pm
Boise Dawg
They can afford itif they give him a new deal for 10 years, that isn’t the point. The man is already a millionaire and his current lifestyle isn’t going to change with a 2 year extension over a 3. A two year would make his total a 4 year deal.
Winning 10 games after that miserable season of 6-7 is improvement, nothing more. Not to be admonished nor revered. He needs encouragement from a financial standpoint but, let’s stop short of rewarding him for two years of abject failure
Dawg Gone
December 15th, 2011
4:05 pm
@GTBob no they should be given lifetime contracts and nor should they be kept on after having to forfeit a ACC title for cheating.
ARdawg
December 15th, 2011
4:06 pm
“Maybe all coaches should be given lifetime contracts then regardless of how they perform.”
There’s one dim light on in there somewhere but, still, nobody’s home
Stinger
December 15th, 2011
4:06 pm
Give him 20 more years. Bwhaaaaa haaaa haaaa !!!!! Another 20 years on top of 31 years since UGA won a Championship.
GTBob
December 15th, 2011
4:07 pm
GTBob, you could speed things up and go off yourself.
Now now. Is that what Mark Richt would say? I thought we had good christians on this blog.
DawginLex
December 15th, 2011
4:08 pm
We should all ignore GTBob from now on.
He is only baiting us.
Dawg Gone
December 15th, 2011
4:08 pm
@Stinger 20 more years would equate to what 19 more beat downs for the bugs?
Dawg Gone
December 15th, 2011
4:09 pm
@DawginLex ignore who Lex ?
GTBob
December 15th, 2011
4:09 pm
Do you think that any member of the UGA team this year could have gotten into a fight, held down a US Marine and put the boots to him and still played ?
Nah, they would just be suspended for the New Mexico St game.
reality Gator
December 15th, 2011
4:10 pm
Only at the UGA will a coach be rewared extension for mediocrity season, puppies beat every one in the bottom of the east and west combine records incl gators in the SEC 12-55, they lost to every team with a wininng record.
11 years no Nat, before you gators haters start, Myers 2 NAT in 6 years, old ball coach 1 Nat in 5 years.
Oh, but wait puppies have the best talent every year, this man could not get a coching job anywhere in the state of Fla.
AltamahaDawg
December 15th, 2011
4:11 pm
If 2 years is good business , how is 3 clearly not? To me there really isn’t any difference. If you are going to stick you neck out and claim to love it, why not just go ahead and make it a 5 yrs left if thats what is “expected” in the business. If it even is, I’m not sure. Why even screw around with it.The contract is just a formaility. They will keep him as long as they want to or get rid of him anytime, anyway.
Runnin with the Dawgs
December 15th, 2011
4:11 pm
We went through several coaches after Vince Dooley before we settled on Mark Richt. He’s the best thing to happen to the Dawgs since Dooley and he deserves everything he gets from UGA. I hope he stays ’till he retires. GO DAWGS!