Georgia assistant football coaches Tony Ball, Bryan McClendon, get significant raises
Georgia assistant football coaches Tony Ball and Bryan McClendon received significant pay increases recently, but they were the only members of the Bulldogs’ football staff to get raises following the Bulldogs’ 6-7 season.
Ball
McClendon
McClendon, Georgia’s running backs coach since 2009 and its youngest assistant, saw his pay more than double from $90,000 a year to $200,000 annually, according to documents obtained by the AJC under the Freedom of Information Act. Previously McClendon was one of the lowest-paid assistants in the SEC.
Ball, Georgia’s wide receivers coach and a member of coach Mark Richt’s staff since 2006, will now make $200,000 after earning $165,480 last year.
The raises, which were enacted in February and March, respectively, were the results of “competitive counter offers” from UGA, according to Athletic Director Greg McGarity. Both coaches were offered positions at other schools, but he declined to say from whom.
“All I can say is they were legit offers,” said McGarity, who was attending SEC athletic director meetings in Birmingham on Tuesday. “I think the key is continuity. We had already lost two coaches to other schools. Continuity of staff is important to me and to Mark and we thought it was important to maintain stability, especially.”
Offensive line coach Stacy Searels received a hefty pay increase to take the same job at Texas and linebackers coach Warren Belin left to take a job with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
No other coaches — including Richt — are due to receive raises this year, McGarity said.
Ball, who came to Georgia from Virginia Tech five years ago, declined to discuss any other job offers he may have received.
“That’s something I want to keep in-house,” he said. “Those things happen all the time. Obviously, I feel blessed to be at Georgia and excited about the direction under Mr. McGarity and Coach Richt. We’re excited about the future.”
McClendon did not return a phone message seeking comment.
“Salary actions” also were executed for new assistant coaches Will Friend, who came from UAB to coach offensive line, and Kirk Olivadotti, who came from the Washington Redskins to coach linebackers. They will earn $200,000 and $250,000 a year, respectively.
McGarity indicated Ball and McClendon might have received raises anyway.
“They’re well-deserved,” McGarity said. “Both of these men are tremendous coaches who work very hard and were underpaid, in my opinion. We had some momentum going after recruiting and they had a lot to do with that. All signs are pointing up and we needed to be proactive. We will always be proactive.”
Georgia also could not afford to lose two of its three minority assistant coaches. McGarity would not address it but hiring more highly-qualified assistant coaches in a year in which the perception is that Richt’s future is uncertain could have been problematic.
McGarity would not rule out the possibility of additional salary increases in the future.
“Like I said, we’re always going to be proactive,” he said. “If things happen during the season we may feel like we need to do something. I think you have to look at each situation independently, but we’re always going to do what’s in the best interest of Georgia.”
By Chip Towers, The UGA Blog
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276 comments Add your comment
Auburn Fans are Horrible
May 3rd, 2011
5:08 pm
W.T.F!?!?
I agree with the phd student earlier…You should be able to live very well in Athens on $90k. Bump McClendon up to $110K. If I were McGarrity I would require a real offer from another school on paper before more than doubling a guy’s salary…then figure the cost of living multiplyer and argue.
Jealous? You betcha!
If I was in charge of a project at my company that netted virtually no results, they would laugh at me if I asked for a raise.
McClendon should earn $200k as soon as we don’t lose games on fumbles by RBs…as soon as we don’t lose games because of missed blocks by the RBs…he should make $200k as soon as our best 2 RBs stop acting like damned idiots all the time!
BrokeBottom45
May 3rd, 2011
5:15 pm
How does anyone get a hefty raise when babysitting a bunch of losers? Wow, dogtown will really pay out the yazoo when and if this team ever reaches a .500 record again. I have heard that crime does pay and now this verifies that losing does pay. Could have let these boys go on to other schools and still have gotten back to the winning column just as fast. But then, this loser line of thinking is consistent with UGA.
BrokeBottom45
May 3rd, 2011
5:27 pm
Enter your comments here
teacher
May 3rd, 2011
5:29 pm
Too bad they don’t use the No Child Left Behind approach to paying college coaches-where are the results, where is the accountability when the kids won’t behave or leave school early?
This is crap
gcs
May 3rd, 2011
5:30 pm
Well-deserved raises. How else would UGA have gone 6-7 without them?
.
trey
May 3rd, 2011
5:41 pm
Now I see why Richt got his boxers into such a wad when challenged about McClendon — he knew he’d given the goof a more than double payraise.
I’m surprised BOO BOO didn’t get a $1M raise.
Flat Tire on I-95 In Jacksonville
May 3rd, 2011
5:47 pm
Mcgarity should consider giving raises to every coach on this staff after making that gutsy 4th and inches call against a Conference USA team
I mean what a nail biting decision against powerhouse UCF
They really should be rewarded
Brandy
May 3rd, 2011
5:51 pm
I was always under the impression that the purpose of college was to EDUCATE. Why are teachers paid so notoriously poorly, while sports coaches received hundreds of thousands of dollars?
Dawghater
May 3rd, 2011
5:59 pm
Makes sense to me. The running game sucks, give the coach a raise!
Ivy League Alum
May 3rd, 2011
6:08 pm
These second and third tier ‘colleges’ are nothing more than NFL farm teams masquerading around as educational institutions.
Isn’t tuition being increased at UGA?
Aren’t staff layoffs on the horizon?
Do anything, but protect the football team. Bread and circuses.
AltamahaDawg
May 3rd, 2011
6:26 pm
Either it will be worth it in the long run, OR it really won’t be worth it for a very short period of time.
Roadrunner
May 3rd, 2011
6:27 pm
Coaching-wise, Georgia will either win as a team or lose as one. Richt is the CEO of his management/coaching team and its up to him to decide who’s worth what and then win with that combination. If this isn’t a good move, it will ultimately cost Richt so let him manage/coach the team as he sees fit and we’ll all hold him responsible for the results. I’m a Dawg fan through & through, but we all know another mediocre or bad season won’t cut it this year, and if that happens most of these coachs will be looking for work at seasons end.
AltamahaDawg
May 3rd, 2011
6:33 pm
McClendon wasn’t the running game. The Running game co-ordinator was the running game. He’s gone, now we shall see if McClendon is anything more than a great recruiter……..which BTW…his efforts this past year in that respect did deserve a little bump in pay. not sure about 200K……He also can’t be one of the lowest paid guys in the conference either.
Tony Ball, I am all for matching what the going rate is for his staying around. Any SEC team would jump at the chance if we was looking for a job.
WDE
May 3rd, 2011
6:38 pm
They’re doing a great job. Keep up the good work.
Ed (The Original)
May 3rd, 2011
6:40 pm
Durham and AJ Green had great years under Ball, so I can see why he got a raise. But McClendon’s is a head scratcher. There wasn’t much to be proud of with the running game. But on a personal level, good for them and their families.
mark
May 3rd, 2011
6:41 pm
I wish teachers could go out on free agency. If GA wants preformance based pay, i am all for it!! Free agency for teachers. I too was offerred more money from an undisclosed school.
Jerry
May 3rd, 2011
6:43 pm
Man, the fake blogger has been busy, last 4 pages, all same person.
Clinch County
May 3rd, 2011
6:54 pm
@red&silver…What does Ealey coming from class A have to do with his production on the field? Oh yea, thats right. We wasted good scholorships on Class A backs Herchel Walker and Garrison Hearst. Should have learned from past mistakes..Thanks for reminding us dude!
Time for a Change!
May 3rd, 2011
6:59 pm
After the way the RB’s have performed over the last couple of years with their off the field issues and lack of dedication to UGA on the field, I think Mclendon is WAY overpaid now. He didn’t get it done at 90K a year…. what in the hell makes them think doubling his pay will get it done. If anything he should have gotten a pay cut! I say they should have let him go somewhere else. He isn’t worth it IMHO.
drew
May 3rd, 2011
7:04 pm
Pathetic…..when families all over the country are struggling to make it football coaches (is it really a job?) keep getting more and more….Oh yeah…America has its priorities in order. No wonder we becoming dumber and dumber each year….
Jerry
May 3rd, 2011
7:06 pm
Clinch County = Time for a change = mark = ed = everybody else on last 3 pages
same blogger, blogging to himself
chicken boy
May 3rd, 2011
7:14 pm
pass the grits please I is hongry dowun heeeuuhhh========this article is real is guess—-hard to believe
John
May 3rd, 2011
7:43 pm
Sports is the only industry where people get raises after having a crapola year.
rufus floyd
May 3rd, 2011
7:48 pm
As a UGA grad I find this insulting. They could have hired a grad assistant if they have any desire to control costs. These guys are terribly overpaid. Add another buck to season tickets. It is as if there is no control to athletics.
FLA DAWG
May 3rd, 2011
7:50 pm
If The Dawgs go 3 – 9 with no bowl game I guess the coaches will get another $100K.
UGA: The place coaches go to lead their teams to losses and get raises for doing it.
How low have we sunk?
I remember a time when our O Lines were highly respected and a Defensive Unit that flew to the ball like a bolt of lightning. Now the only high point of UGA Football is the BS Talk of Pre Season.
Danny Wofford
May 3rd, 2011
7:52 pm
A pay raise after a horrible season and a terrible running game? That makes a lot of sense!
Pay raise or not if the Dogs don’t do better next year, all the coaches will be released to find other employment. I think it’s probably realistic to think that a better year is highly unlikely.
Two Georgia assistants on the receiving end of pay raises | CollegeFootballTalk
May 3rd, 2011
7:59 pm
[...] Two Georgia assistants on the receiving end of pay raises Posted by Ben Kercheval on May 3, 2011, 7:59 PM EDT Despite the fact that Georgia is hot off a disappointing 6-7 season that ended with an even more disappointing Liberty Bowl loss to Central Florida, the university is rewarding two assistant coaches with some not-too-shabby pay raises. [...]
Nub
May 3rd, 2011
8:05 pm
Blah ….. Blah …. Blah…. Win the east next year or they are all calling the movers….. Excuses and B S have been flowing out of Athens for years….. Anybody remember the beat down at the hands of the tide with the whole world watching …. Espn game day hasn’t covered the dawgs since….
BallMachine
May 3rd, 2011
9:21 pm
6-7 failed season—give out huge raises to keep the brothas happy or they sue! keep on, keepin on baby!! It’s only taxpayer money —no big deal–give it out!
AlabamaKnowItAll
May 3rd, 2011
9:32 pm
Dawg Gone
May 3rd, 2011
4:02 pm
Imagine that……4th place finish in SEC West with 10-3 record is considered a down year @ Bamam however 10-3 is GREAT season @ UGA! Win a National Championship and maybe we can continue to chat….@ Bama bad coaches are FIRED!
AltamahaDawg
May 3rd, 2011
9:49 pm
Enter your comments here
AltamahaDawg
May 3rd, 2011
9:58 pm
Here is a little trick I like to use. Read the article before pipping in on it. McGarity never said the raise was reward for having a great running game. What he said was the way to improve the running game, and thus the upcoming season, was NOT to absorb even more staff changes. Also his recognition that recruiting is the key.
Burroughston Broch
May 3rd, 2011
10:15 pm
@ JB
Everything associated with UGA is taxpayer money at the end of the day. If the Athletic Association cannot pay its bills or the payments on the loans for expanding the stadium aren’t made, the taxpayers must pay. It’s the same thing as the Georgia World Congress Center.
It’s a pity that 1/4 of what UGA alumni squander on a half-assed football program cannot instead be spent on the University where the entire state would benefit. The University provides a much greater return on investment than the football program.
Heath
May 3rd, 2011
10:32 pm
If you reward mediocrity, you get more of it. You know, let Joe Cox keep starting after he throws 17 int’s, let Murray keep starting after 4 to’s against Florida, now, add another, let coaches who finish 10th in rushing in their conference get a raise.
truedawg
May 3rd, 2011
10:51 pm
I really hope CMR has a good hold on the wheel…I see this shaping up to “I gave you all you asked for” from AD. If CMR wins, it’s money well spent, if he looses it’s no excuse left. AD runs this place well so far…without heart, cold and calm. like it or hate it, its the way it has to be for him. I have faith in CMR though…Going to the Dome to start the regular season and to end it!!.. has to end there, cause Crystal balls are jokes. Has there ever been a Team holding a ball up in Jan that if it didn’t come from the SEC, could have made it that far in the SEC???
AltamahaDawg
May 3rd, 2011
10:54 pm
What game did Joe Cox start after throwing 17 Ints?
Johnathan50
May 3rd, 2011
11:02 pm
Richt’s undesserved salary should be reduced by half, and that money should go to pay the salaries of the other coaches. Richt apparently believes in getting something for nothing.
oldbird
May 3rd, 2011
11:21 pm
This is for all you folks that try to compare coach’s salaries to more “worthy” employees such as the faculty and staff. College football is in the entertainment business, and we as Americans support it wholeheartedly. Sandra Bullock making one movie which takes up 6 months of her life, earns what, 25 million. Not knocking Sandra, but even at 6-7, Bulldog football is very profitable, and in order to compete(which I hope we will again), requires retaining talented personnel on the coaching staff. Entertainment simply pays big money. When I was CFO at a bank, nobody stood in line to pay $50 a ticket to watch me run excel spreadsheets.
red&silver
May 4th, 2011
1:20 am
Clinch County
May 3rd, 2011
6:54 pm
@red&silver…What does Ealey coming from class A have to do with his production on the field? Oh yea, thats right. We wasted good scholorships on Class A backs Herchel Walker and Garrison Hearst. Should have learned from past mistakes..Thanks for reminding us dude!
Wow! We struck gold twice in how many years? Exactly! Get out of the past my friend!That’s why people say our fanbase is delusional!
red&silver
May 4th, 2011
1:24 am
AltamahaDawg
May 3rd, 2011
6:33 pm
McClendon wasn’t the running game. The Running game co-ordinator was the running game. He’s gone, now we shall see if McClendon is anything more than a great recruiter……..which BTW…his efforts this past year in that respect did deserve a little bump in pay. not sure about 200K……He also can’t be one of the lowest paid guys in the conference either.
Tony Ball, I am all for matching what the going rate is for his staying around. Any SEC team would jump at the chance if we was looking for a job.
Thanks for being knowledgeable! People don’t understand that you have a running game coordinator and that guy is in Texas!
51WTGW50
May 4th, 2011
1:34 am
Wah Mother F..ing Hoo. After a 6-7 season I know they earned it for GD sure.
Who is going to wear the #43o the SMOK’N jersey number next year? I think Ealey should get it. No, it should be King #4, Ealey #3, & Murray #0. That is about how great the DAWGS back field was last year.
Why do all the UGA players breakout in a cold sweat when they see a person caring a plastic cup heading their way?
Don’t worry guys Richt will never make you fill the CUP. He would HATE to have more than HALF his team miss a game against a SEC team, even VANDY.
51WTGW50
May 4th, 2011
1:39 am
ALL CLASSES WILL BE CANCELED FRIDAY. CINCO DE MAYO IS THURSDAY AND SINCE MANY TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WILL BE NEEDING TO BE BAILED OUT OF ACC JAIL ALONG WITH THE STUDENTS THERE IS NO REASON TO EVEN TRY TO HAVE CLASSES.
» SEC: Ex-NC State quarterback could end up in SEC John Clay’s Sidelines
May 4th, 2011
6:36 am
[...] Georgia assistant football coaches gets significant raises, reports Chip Towers of the AJC. [...]
Columbus Dawg
May 4th, 2011
7:10 am
Hey Chip, What do you think the chances of Boise getting hit hard by NCAA?
FLA DAWG
May 4th, 2011
7:13 am
AltaDawg,
Before typing I read the article for details and am then pensive about the entire issue…………bottomline the team has progressively gotten worse by anyone’s standard and these guys have received big raises.
The fear they may go elsewhere is a plus in my book. But by all means let’s keep them to maintain the continuity of performance our players have demonstrated over the last three years.
A load of Dawgs were just selected for The NFL………………the same guys that could not consistently execute plays because of poor coaching by some of the very same coaches who received these raises.
This season is shaping up to be something like last and if so UGA just wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here’s a novel idea……………….when someone or group perform very well then give them a raise…………not the opposite.
AltamahaDawg
May 4th, 2011
7:19 am
Actually, if you look at UGA list of past All-Americans, you will see a pretty fair proportion of them coming from smallish high schools. Not sure about the exact GHSAA clasification, but was that really the point? The Bailey Boys, Stanfill, Tarkenton, Hearst, Walker. What about AA, is that much different. I assume the % is pretty equal as well in that list. I’d’ be inteested to see that list from other SEC schools and who came from small HS.
Mediocrity Pays!
May 4th, 2011
7:34 am
Bad season, bad offense, bad running game—-giant raises! Great work by the uga athletic dept., where money grows on trees.
Dawg
May 4th, 2011
7:56 am
Awesome news that really makes me want to be a season ticket holder so I can THROW MORE MONEY AWAY! Are you kidding me? Everyone associated with the program should be taking pay cuts, especially in this economy. What a bunch of underachievers.
bitter chip
May 4th, 2011
8:12 am
just when im on the top—-i bring in the dream team and they kick me to the curb!!!!!!ajc punks
AltamahaDawg
May 4th, 2011
8:59 am
Fine Fla Dawg, the he should fire them all, in your opinion. But that’s a completely different issue. That doesn’t change the reality of this particular situation for McGarity. I also think he has a slightly bigger picture to deal with than what you know about.