It’s official: UGA’s Mark Richt is the World’s Greatest Boss
Deep pockets and a big heart: Some combination, eh? (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Were I Georgia, I wouldn’t just “self-report” this “secondary violation.” I’d shout it from the mountaintops. I’d make it the first sentence in Mark Richt’s official bio, which would now read:
“Mark Richt, in his 11th season of coaching the Bulldogs, stamped himself the World’s Greatest Boss by paying staffers OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET!”
Excuse the capital letters, but sometimes major emphasis is required. This is one such moment. Some football coaches pay recruits. Georgia’s football coach dips into his personal finances to reward the guys who’ve worked for him. He committed a violation, all right. He showed the rest of us what it means to put (literal) money where your mouth is.
In so doing, Richt just made Georgia — unwittingly, but even unwitting actions have consequences — the program of choice should the Bulldogs ever have another opening for an assistant coach or a office go-fer. Richt felt so bad about firing Jon Fabris, a member of the defensive staff jettisoned in December 2009, that he gave Fabris $6,000 when he couldn’t find another job. Who does such a thing in this economy? Who does such a thing in any economy?
Some coaches have the reputation of being difficult to serve under. Richt just stamped himself as the coach you want to work for. We all knew he was a good guy, but this borders on sainthood. (”St. Mark of Athens, driver of Ford trucks and benefactor to unsung associates.”)
OK, it was technically a violation — a violation in the way that jaywalking to push somebody clear of a runaway bus is a legal misdemeanor. I think everyone can agree to let this one slide without penalty. Me, I’d consider giving Richt a raise for philanthropy, but that would kind of defeat the purpose, would it not?
By Mark Bradley
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268 comments Add your comment
markie mark
December 20th, 2011
5:02 pm
@JanusOne – this happened during Damon Evans tenure as AD.
Matthews Dawg
December 20th, 2011
5:04 pm
GT Bob….I guess your school loses out on both a Great Coach with a heart for his fellow man and Championships! Go Dawgs!!!
Timmy Dog
December 20th, 2011
5:05 pm
I understand why he’s to be commended when it comes to his conscious, but under the table payouts? How can he not know that is a NCAA violation? Who else are we paying?
BiggdawgK
December 20th, 2011
5:06 pm
Despite Georgia having one of the top 3 Booster funds to draw from Damon Evans didn’t want to pay any more cash?! It looks more and more like that bimbo in red panties did us a favor after all. I’ll take a coaches AD like McGarrity over a president’s puppet like Evans any day.
Coach Mark Richt shows what a great guy he is once again. The fact CMR never seeks any publicity for his many good deeds speaks volumes. Any parent that would send their child any where other than UGA hates their kids.
Merry Christmas GO DAWGS
BiggdawgK
December 20th, 2011
5:09 pm
tiny timmy
Why do morons like you even put dog in your name when everyone reading your comments know you hate Georgia? Is that a techies idea of being clever?
Merry Christmas GO DAWGS
PTC DAWG
December 20th, 2011
5:10 pm
To the clown and the IRS comments…you show your ignorance.
Gifting is allowed and not taxable under certain guidelines. It’s around 10K a year for CMR and his spouse…ie they can give away that much each to any one party without an issue at all.
Now carry own with your foolishness.
GT Man
December 20th, 2011
5:12 pm
If Paul Johnson could ever beat Ga . then maybe he could get a truck commercial and make enough extra dough to hire and pay for a Defensive Coordinator. Wish i was one of Richts coaches, i could use a little extra—kudos to him, just hope NCAA dosent try to mess up his gift giving.
BigTimeTechFan
December 20th, 2011
5:12 pm
Sorry by this story does not add up:
Coach JANCEK made $145,755.81 in 2008
Coach JANCEK made $156,314.40 in 2009
Richt gave JANCEK $10,000 in 2009 for not getting a raise???????
Bama in Atlanta
December 20th, 2011
5:13 pm
It’s my understanding that the NCAA rule violation was that assistant coaches cannot receive “supplemental pay” outside the university. My thoughts on making it legal if the university is not going to increase the salaries per Richt’s request is that Richt have it put in his contract that each year he can apportion a certain amount (either dollar or %) of his pay to be shifted to assistant coaches. This way it is technically being paid by the university but, in essence, still coming out of Richt’s pocket if that’s what he wants to do.
1eyedJack
December 20th, 2011
5:13 pm
We are blessed to have this man as the Head Coach of our football team. All men have their faults, and his have been well documented on these blogs, but they pale in comparison to the loyalty, generosity, humility, and compassion that this man shows. Surely this kind of deed will be rewarded.
Having said that, Coach Richt, if you have the ball fourth and inches on the Michigan State 1-yard line…go for it!!
1eyedJack
December 20th, 2011
5:14 pm
I was furloughed six days last year and MY boss didn’t offer to make it up.
pluuhhheeezzzzz-
December 20th, 2011
5:15 pm
omg, coach richt is great.
this verifies what we have been saying all along.
he is the greatest human being ever to walk the face of planet earth.
i’m calling the vatican and nominating him for sainthood!!!
First of all, $6k to this guy is like the rest of us giving a homeless guy a dollar.
Second, I find it interesting how certain “feel good” stories have come out of Athens at just the right time this year. the uga beat writer going with Richt on his mission trip..awww, and now…aaw…he helped out poor coach Fabris……aww…how can we make demands about winning on this guy…he is such a great human being….blah blah blah.
ok, so coach fabris…a man who was making SIX FIGURES A YEAR and obviously couldn’t manage his money well enough to have an emergency fund in case he got fired…uh…thats like a real estate agent not banking any money.. thinking they were going to keep selling houses every day for the rest of their lives…and now…rut ro raggy.
so he loaned a guy some money who was down and out. COACHES DO THAT ALL THE TIME.
I find the timing of this story (in the middle of contract negotiations) to be very fishy…..trying to put some political pressure on….uh huh.
why don’t you just win football games and let the rest take care of itself?
1eyedJack
December 20th, 2011
5:17 pm
pluuhhheeezzzzz-, you’re a sad little man. Jealous much?
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 20th, 2011
5:25 pm
Salute to Mark for doing what is right and doing just that with His Money!!!!!!! The real story here is UGA doesn’t have the money to buyout Mark if this year had been a bad year!!!! You do understand this UGA Dogs? UGA would be wise to update his agreement and remove the buyout with an updated salary to sweeten the deal for Mark. Saban has no buyout so Mark doesn’t need one either.
bucket
December 20th, 2011
5:25 pm
@ pluuhheezzz – first, it was alot more than $6,000 to Coach Fabris. If you total the money mentioned in Chip and Mark’s articles he gave money to several coaches and staffers who had been denied pay raises by the previous AD. Second, get a life if all you have to do is criticize generous good deeds.
Charlie Hayes
December 20th, 2011
5:26 pm
GTBob stated “I don’t think his compassion is a positive in all situations though. Very few leaders with that kind of mind set have ever accomplished anything great.”
What about Jesus? Maybe CMR is walking on the lighted path that was blueprinted for him….
Charlie Hayes
December 20th, 2011
5:27 pm
@ GTBob – What about Tebow?
JDawg1785
December 20th, 2011
5:28 pm
Amen to that, Mark! We’re lucky to have a man like Coach Richt in charge at Georgia.
SEC Oracle
December 20th, 2011
5:29 pm
Does it have to be a gifte to be reported to the IRS as income? Why not anything under $10,000 as a gift from Mark Richt? I don’t know IRS codes so I am just asking.
2010 BCS Champs
December 20th, 2011
5:29 pm
O State walked away unharmed today. Any thoughts?
GTBob
December 20th, 2011
5:35 pm
GT Bob….I guess your school loses out on both a Great Coach with a heart for his fellow man and Championships! Go Dawgs!!!
Yes, giving ten grand to other coaches who are making 6 figures really shows he cares about his fellow man. What a saint. How do we know these were even gifts? Maybe Richt and the other coaches had a bet on how many field goals Blair Walsh would miss this season.
GTBob
December 20th, 2011
5:36 pm
@ GTBob – What about Tebow?
Tebow did a great job of doing what Urban Meyer told him to do.
7576DAWG
December 20th, 2011
5:37 pm
Mark ( another one )
Huntsville Dawg
Nowhere did I indicate that CMR would do something like pay a coach extra money to get a family member to come to Georgia. I have complete respect for CMR and feel he has as good of morals’ ethic’s and integrity as a coach can have. The point that I was making was a lot of head coaches do not and would be more than glad to pay a staff member extra money if it could influence a recruit to come to their school and just call it a well deserving raise that the AD won’t approve.
The Ohio State sanctions | Get The Picture
December 20th, 2011
5:39 pm
[...] – makes for a bookend on the day with Mark Richt’s reported violations for being, as Mark Bradley puts it, the coach you want to work [...]
Buckeye
December 20th, 2011
5:41 pm
Enjoy basketball season, dogs.
Timmy Dog
December 20th, 2011
5:42 pm
BiddogK, you are a jerk. I am a huge Dog fan! I bleed red/black!
It Happens
December 20th, 2011
5:45 pm
I think this happens much more than people think at big time schools, I mean how much money do these head coaches really need from year to year to get by on. Richt did what any loyal guy/coach would do if given the chance and means to actually do it, think about it none of the payouts or handout were over the IRS gift total. Kudos to Richt for doing this, he in theory saved us GA taxpayers a few dollars. The only down side I can see to this is UGA saying to Richt we must be paying you too much if you are just giving it away but that is for his agent to deal with.
7576DAWG
December 20th, 2011
5:45 pm
Even though I feel CMR would never use paying a staff member extra money to influence a family member of the staff to get the recruit to come to Georgia, I do feel a lot of coaches would do it in a heart beat if it would get a 4 or 5 star recruit and that’s why I brought it up . This should be a major violation not a secondary one. But if it was CMR wouldn’t think about doing it. My whole take on this is CMR need’s to let the AD handle all the money issues to the staff. There are reason’s the NCAA have this rule and you just can’t dismiss it as being a stupid rule.
Impartial Observer
December 20th, 2011
5:45 pm
Nobody who criticizes Richt criticizes the man’s character. Everyone of his critics recognizes that he is a man of high moral integrity. However, one has every right to criticize his coaching ability, decisions and record. Coaching results per se are separate and divorced from character and should be treated as such. Therefore anyone who criticizes Richt based solely on some aspect of his coaching is well within his/her right and those individuals who refer to such people as “haters” need to start acting like adults and accept the cricitism for what it is. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.
Coach Paul Johnson
December 20th, 2011
5:50 pm
Yeah, I pay my assistant coaches a little extra….with punches to the face!
And watch out or I’ll punch you next, you retard!
b
December 20th, 2011
5:51 pm
Gtbob searches for some way to criticize UGA on every topic, even this one.
Good grief.
GTBob
December 20th, 2011
5:52 pm
My whole take on this is CMR need’s to let the AD handle all the money issues to the staff.
That would make more sense. In a way, what he did is actually an insult to the UGA Athletic Department.
BILLDAWG
December 20th, 2011
6:03 pm
NEXT TIME GIVE CASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Driver 8
December 20th, 2011
6:06 pm
Mark, You could collaborate with Mark Richt on his biography thereby establishing CMR as your boss of sorts.
In all seriousness, I’m guessing that his generosity with staff only scratches the surface of his philanthropic work. I’ll bet there is a very inspirational story to be told about how this humble leader lives his life and you are just the guy to bring it to light.
You might find a better coach but you won’t find a better man. This ‘84 grad is grateful to have him as the face of the Bulldogs.
Georgia Sucks
December 20th, 2011
6:07 pm
Free Tans for all! Merry Christmas!
And his boss is a.....
December 20th, 2011
6:08 pm
I wondered when that would get brought up: CMR’s boss(es) are responsible for determining salary and compensation; CMR decides differently and does whatever he wants. As altruistic as he may be, CMR sure made folks above him look like cheapskates. But still a classy move to look out for your workers IMHO. RTR!!!,
Fish fry better than stupid tans
December 20th, 2011
6:09 pm
This article is about coach Richt, not coach Johnson. Trying to let Johnson look bad on a uga blog. Typical redneck uga fans.
lee
December 20th, 2011
6:10 pm
Why do you guys even respond to GT bob….He’s a complete idiot
BigTimeTechFan
December 20th, 2011
6:11 pm
Mark, how much did UGA pay Coach Jancek in 2008 and 2009. Richt says he did not get a raise, did he?
great contrarian
December 20th, 2011
6:11 pm
@it happens. I thin you’re dead on. I Aldo think the uga fan base is desperate for a reason to back this guy.
Tech Sux
December 20th, 2011
6:14 pm
GTBob, you are an idiot wrapped in a moron. Your comments are totally retarded. Losers who say good guys can’t win are dorks that play video games all night and have never been laid…
bucky oneil
December 20th, 2011
6:14 pm
it’s nice to be in a position to do nice things like this. It’s even nicer to have the where with all to actually do it! How many well to do folks even consider an act like this? Good for Coach Richt!
Stinger2
December 20th, 2011
6:21 pm
CMR showed that he is a generous and compasionate person by helping his assistant coaches out of his own pocket.
As a GT fan, I have posted many positive comments about him.
That being said, in order to avoid future NCAA secondary violations, he could ask UGA to include a clause in his new contract that would allow him to take a temporary pay cut. Then use the $$$ to give his assistants a “raise” in cases where he wants to help them.
lee
December 20th, 2011
6:22 pm
right on bucky
sigmund freud
December 20th, 2011
6:30 pm
He was certainly compensating for something, that much is true.
sigmund freud
December 20th, 2011
6:35 pm
If you look at the picture, there is no rocket in the pocket.
Destin Dawg
December 20th, 2011
6:36 pm
in this day and age of win at all costs.. you’ve got to love and respect coach Richt.. and Todd Grantham.. fire and ice.. great combo.. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.. extend them both and build a dynasty… look at coaching problems at Tenn. Auburn, Fla. and now S.C. go Dawgs beat Michigan State !!
Pompano
December 20th, 2011
6:39 pm
Good old Hypo-Richt. This guys is as slimy as any other SEC coach – makes you sick he plays the holy-roller card
Lewis Grizzard's Ghost
December 20th, 2011
6:39 pm
@ GTBob … RE: 4:21 pm post
“Richt is a good guy. There is no doubt about that. I don’t think his compassion is a positive in all situations though. Very few leaders with that kind of mind set have ever accomplished anything great.”
How about Jesus, brother?
sigmund freud
December 20th, 2011
6:40 pm
Though he’s desperately trying to find one.