Mark Richt says decision to sell Lake Hartwell property was Christian motivated
Mark Richt said the decision of sell his second home on Lake Hartwell was in order to be able to give more to the less fortunate. (AJC photo by Curtis Comption)
I had to laugh earlier today when a colleague at work pointed out that the independent blog “SportsByBrooks” was reporting that Mark Richt had placed his Lake Hartwell home up for sale.
Predictably, “Brooks” — aka freelance journalist Brooks Melchior, 43, of Los Angeles — makes the leap that Richt selling off his property surely must mean that Richt is in real trouble as the head football coach of the Georgia Bulldogs.
Writes Brooks: “Normally, I don’t subscribe to a coach putting a home up for sale as a sign of anything, but in this case, it might be applicable. . . . Richt doesn’t strike me as a guy out to flip houses, so I think it’s reasonable to surmise that last year’s 6-7 record — and the subsequent outcry emanating from Athens — may have something to do with the coach making over his real estate portfolio.”
I found this funny because Richt told me several weeks ago that he and his wife had decided to place their second home on the market and he told me why. He revealed that to me in an off-the-record meeting we had shortly after I had been placed back on the UGA beat. Actually, I initiated the discussion when I told Richt that my wife and I were considering downsizing but were afraid we would take too much of a financial hit with the economic times being what they are. Richt told me then what he and Katharyn were doing and actually predicted what the reaction would be if and when it went public.
With the cat out of the bag, so to speak, I called Richt Wednesday and asked him to explain again — this time on the record — what he and wife were thinking when they decided to sell the lakehouse. I’ll just let him tell it:
“Within the last year, I read this book, “The Hole in Our Gospel,” written by Richard Stearns. He’s the president of World Vision, U.S. I think people understand who World Vision is but, basically, they help the poor. Through their organization, you can help children, you can help build wells, you can buy them donkeys, whatever people need. World Vision helps people across the world. Well, anyway, there was a lot of statistical data in there about the amount of people that live on a dollar a day around this world. Billions of people. So I’m reading this book and it really affected me. It helped me realize that what we have is way more than we need and that our ability to give is hindered by this property. I guess that’s the best way to tell you. We just wanted to be in a better position to give and bless people that don’t have anything. We felt like this was one way to be able to do that.”
The house and surrounding acreage was listed for $1.99 million on May 17. Richt had the Hart County home built in 2009, about the time his oldest son Jon Richt signed a scholarship to play football at nearby Clemson University. Jon Richt transferred to Mars Hill College shortly after Tommy Bowden was dismissed as Clemson’s coach.
Richt makes more than $3 million a year as Georgia’s coach and has earned more than $25 million in income from UGA since being hired in 2001. So it’s not like he can no longer afford it or is concerned that, without the Georgia job, eventually won’t be able to.
“Our ability to own this home, to have this home, that’s not an issue,” Richt said Wednesday. “It has absolutely nothing to do with anything that has to do with football. It has to do my wife’s desire and my desire to give.
“I was actually compelled to do this much earlier,” he added. “I made the decision to do it a while ago but I didn’t want to do it during the season or during recruiting because I knew it would be blown out of proportion. But it’s been on my heart for a long time, so we’re just going ahead and doing it.”
As for the book that served as Richt’s inspiration, you can read about it HERE. Stearns writes that 40 percent of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day and 15 percent of the world’s people, about 1 billion people, live on less than $1 a day. The United States, on average, lives on $105 a day, the book claims.
“I’d challenge anybody to read this book and not be affected by it, Richt said. “We just live in such wealth here in America. And I’m talking about everybody. Anybody who’s making 30 grand a year is extremely wealthy compared to rest of the people in the world. These kids, these families will walk two or three miles, half a day or more, to get water that’s really not healthy. They’re drinking stuff that’s not safe for them. Then children die of AIDS, they die of malaria and they die of dehydration. Kids end up dying or the parents die and they’ve got nothing.
“This book just talks about how much of that is going on around the world and, if it was sitting right outside our door, what would we do about it? It’s a very compelling book. Compelling enough for me to say, ‘you know what, I don’t want to pour money into a home like that when I can use it for better things, for eternal things.’ It was just very alarming to find out what’s going on out there and we need to do something about it.”
As has been Richt’s style, he’s doing more about it than selling off his property. He and his family are taking a trip to Honduras this summer with World Vision to observe and assist in the construction of water wells.
As for the SportsbyBrooks report and the predictable assumptions made by it, Richt laughed and said “maybe some good will come from it.”
“If this situation gets people to read this book and gets people more interested in helping the poor, then I’m happy about it,” he said. “I hope other people respond. It’s a very compelling book and if people read it, I think they’ll understand where I’m coming from.”
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398 comments Add your comment
Sarge1
May 26th, 2011
8:22 am
Funneeeeee. Richt says he made this decision. That’s very admirable but in REAL Christianity you never decide – you only OBEY God’s decision and subsequent command (Matthew 7:21, 22).There is a vast difference between a “Christian” work and a God-directed work. It’s the vast gulf between Heaven and Hell.
WDE
May 26th, 2011
8:22 am
Mudcatjoe troll on little guy troll on
Its time to move on
May 26th, 2011
8:24 am
Richt needs to just go ahead and put on his Jesus sandals and leave. I’m sick and tired of losing to teams like Vandy,Kentucky ,SC and the Central Florida’s. UGA needs new blood fast!
College Football Coach Selling Lake House To Give More Money to Relief Organizations : Worship.com
May 26th, 2011
8:25 am
[...] the entire sports article at the Atlanta Journal & Constitution here .AKPC_IDS += "4275,";Popularity: unranked [...]
nowhereroad
May 26th, 2011
8:25 am
Tough time to sell a house for any reason, but I suppose his prospective buyers aren’t being hit like the great majority of us are in this market/economy. Wish I could downsize…would cost me too much cash.
Coach Richt is a good man, and I am thankful my kid is at Georgia. Wouldn’t want him anywhere else. But that doesn’t mean all is well, far from it. I hope like h e double l that this team can make a strong run. I believe they will. It could be a wild ride, can’t wait.
Good luck with that house Coach! God Bless.
david
May 26th, 2011
8:30 am
For those who say he’s just now doing this so he can free up money to give away- The man has been giving away most of his $ for 20 years. He’s the real deal. And a fantastic football coach.
Now I could be like some of these losers and post stats etc, but I wont. His record speaks for itself.
Love you Coach, you changed my life.
Buh bye
May 26th, 2011
8:37 am
Richt better wins some hardware for us sinners or its buh bye!
The Alpha Male
May 26th, 2011
8:43 am
Man, I love this guy. All you wretches condemning him can rot.
Tebow2
May 26th, 2011
8:44 am
That is pretty much what I would expect from a Gator. Pure trash. You and your family.
Huh
May 26th, 2011
8:45 am
Love the excuse making. christian motivated. lol
riiight. more like–
boise loss
sc loss
fla loss
aub loss
and pick another game.
adios. at least he is smart to get it done before the fact.
bull dawg
May 26th, 2011
8:52 am
if god is for this man who can stand against him?
JB
May 26th, 2011
8:56 am
Richt and Dawgs getting a lotta love from pre season mags and press. I don’t know if they are rooting for him in their own way, or they think looking at the changes, the D, the schedule, the man might win 10 games this year.
JB
May 26th, 2011
8:59 am
And I’m a believer, and as naive as this sounds to non believers, if God wants him at Georgia for a long time, he’ll win 10 or so this year. If God wants to take Mark in a different direction, Dawgs will struggle this year.
Tard Dawg
May 26th, 2011
9:00 am
He’ll still get fired next year if he has a bad season.
Buh bye
May 26th, 2011
9:01 am
@ JB…. the pre season mags are looking for sales dude…. wake up. Its called blowin smoke up your rear end.
aikenbravesfan
May 26th, 2011
9:02 am
The great part about this article/discussion is that Coach Richt is not bothered by it. If he does get fired after this season it will be UGA’s loss.
MountainDawg
May 26th, 2011
9:02 am
“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required”. Luke 12:48 (KJV)
Buh bye
May 26th, 2011
9:05 am
@ aikenbraves fan…. why should Richt be bothered? He has milked UGA for millions. He is fat and happy and rested on his past laurels with the help of mostly Donnan players.
jarvis
May 26th, 2011
9:13 am
That’s a lot more than Donnan ever did with Donnan’s players.
Todd from Birmingham
May 26th, 2011
9:13 am
It’s time for Richt to go save humanity and georgias football program. Resign! That is, if your such a worldly man Richt.? Give new life to something you took the life out of. Let a motivated coach see what he can do with ol Big Red. It has been a slow slow death in the making, but, this will be Richts last fall in Athens..Praise God!
jarvis
May 26th, 2011
9:16 am
Todd, don’t you have some trees to kill or something?
SentientDawg
May 26th, 2011
9:17 am
This is a noble gesture by Mark Richt. Will he sell all his belongings to help others? Do other Christians do what he did? How many out there are helping those devastated by recent natural disasters in Japan, Alabama, Missouri? I wonder if the Christian blog is about football or doing unto others.
Rick S
May 26th, 2011
9:20 am
Mark Richt for all the criticism he takes is a person who has his priorities in order- something I know I could improve in!
Lance
May 26th, 2011
9:23 am
To “Not a Real Coach”…I’d say that those three coaches you named are not in HIS class. As much as I LOVE college football, there really is more to this life than a game.
Little Sisters of the Poor
May 26th, 2011
9:24 am
There has definitely been a disconnect between Richt’s personal life and the behavior of the players he recruits and supposedly “nurtures.” We have a place for you, Mark.
bubba4dawgs
May 26th, 2011
9:25 am
God Bless you and Kathryn, Coach Richt! I am proud to know you and to be a Dawg fan! What you both are doing is far more important than any thing accomplished on the field. The naysayers will never be quieted. Good people are measured by their good deeds not the negativity of the bad mouthers. Incidentally, I believe you have some players who have a big heart too…..like Jay Rome, for instance! Gee, you’ve made my day and I shall read the book, “The Hole in Our Gospel”. Thank You!!
1eyedJack
May 26th, 2011
9:31 am
Little Sisters of the Poor, even Father Flanagan would pull his hair out if he had to deal with today’s kids.
It is what it is
May 26th, 2011
9:32 am
He’s a great guy. Thanks for posting this..
dooley noted
May 26th, 2011
9:38 am
Mark Richt is a good person. He’ll never forget what it was like to be a career backup behind Jim Kelly, so he makes weird personnel decisions based on the players feelings, rather than on winning games. The lackluster play is now bearing the fruit of lackluster recruiting. If your son were a blue chip prospect, would you want him to sign with a 6-7 team? Send your kid to college somewhere else to play ball and let him go to church with Saint Richt.
Joey
May 26th, 2011
9:41 am
“Mark and his wife have much bigger and more important “fish to fry” in their world than being a coach and making a lot of money.”
************************************************
Will, if you truely know this to be fact, then why doesn’t Richt just move on to those more important things.
He is truely a wonderful person, but, again, if you know the Richts feel that way, it is almost a little unethical to continue coaching while feeling that it isn’t as important as other things.
Maybe that is part of the reason for the arrests, and him now saying he going to start studying football.
cadenmark
May 26th, 2011
9:43 am
Mark Richt is a first class guy. We are just lucky enough to have him as our head coach. His (and his wife’s) greatness come from within them, not “between the hedges” or from coaching on any other football field. The Georgia Bulldogs are fortunate enough to have him and them, as our own…and I for one am darn proud to have him as our couch and his wife as our sideline caretaker, not to mention, his children as our sideline cheering section. The Richt’s are first class all around!
#10Fan4Life
May 26th, 2011
9:44 am
I Roll with the Tide but I have always been aware of Coach Richt’s faith in Christ, so his generosity does not surprise me. How about it SEC coaches? Can you guys match this?
Coachin' Em Down
May 26th, 2011
9:48 am
Jesus… I like him very much… but he no help on curveball…
Gary
May 26th, 2011
9:51 am
Proud to have him as our coach. I am willing to let him decide win it is time for him to go. I honestly believe he will know when he is not able to perform at the level required and will walk away from the game with honor and dignity and will be remember for his actions on and off the field. I would not trade him for another coach in football. He is a class act and he is good for the school. I just hope the big donors who have the power to influence decisions at the school can read an article like this and realize their is so much more to life than winning football games. Go Dawgs. Thanks CMR.
Mom of 2 girls
May 26th, 2011
9:54 am
Wally, Richt doesn’t need to apologize to Dawg Nation because he did nothing to Dawg Nation. And who are you to question his religion? Get some windex and lots of it because that glass house you living in got some mucky walls. We have no heaven or hell to put him in. Reminder that even Jesus wasn’t perfect. Gone are the days when we could really just be happy for people and wish them the best. Let’s spend some time straightening out our own souls before we start judging others!
Joey
May 26th, 2011
9:54 am
Hope coach finds some offensive linemen in Honduras . . .
oc mom
May 26th, 2011
9:59 am
A bunch of Bull****
1eyedJack
May 26th, 2011
9:59 am
Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigar, rum. He will come.
1eyedJack
May 26th, 2011
10:02 am
Coachin’ Em Down, you trying to say Jesus Christ can’t hit a curveball?
dooley noted
May 26th, 2011
10:04 am
gee, hope another college team doesn’t hire him away from us……sarcasm. This is Richt’s last job in football. He’d be a great Preacher, though.
Skitty Fritty
May 26th, 2011
10:07 am
Finally, a leader who really walks the walk. God Bless you Coach Richt !
Go Dawgs!
May 26th, 2011
10:14 am
wally
May 25th, 2011
5:08 pm
As a UGa fan I too have lost respect for Coach Richt when he used the language that he did in Macon
Wally, being a Christian doesn’t mean one is perfect or won’t make mistakes. What it does mean is that he has a personal realationship with Christ. I’m not trying to preach here, but there is MUCH more to being a Christian than “being perfect” in the eyes of man. I personally think it’s a testement to his Christianity that he hadn’t snapped on some idiot fan sooner.
I love how people want to compare him to Saban and Miles when he owns both head to head. The MNC has a lot to do with luck, timing, and schedule. Everyone always remembers how dominant a National Champion is, but few remember that they ALL have a scare and win a game that they probably should lose. Be patient Dawg fans our day is coming, and it will be with Mark Richt. Call me a kool-aid drinker if you will, but we are much better off with Richt than without him.
Go Dawgs!
The Rock
May 26th, 2011
10:21 am
The Rock says Mark Richt is a fellow Hurricaine who has a good heart; however,the Rock knows Mark Richt is on the hot seat and this is a great way to liquidate his assets with the added benefit of helping the poor.
shankit
May 26th, 2011
10:24 am
Been a fan and supporter of the Dawgs for over fifty years.
Beginning to lose a lot of respect for the Dawg nation, if
it is represented currently by a large contingent of the bloggers
on this site.
I have now become a larger supporter and fan of Mark Richt,
than I am of the Dawg nation.
If this group of fans and administration fire the best coach Georgia
has had in over fifty years or so, then It will be hard for me to
support a program supported and run by a group of idiots who
now think they represent the Dawg nation.
The US should bring back the draft and teach a little respect and
discipline to you.
Charles
May 26th, 2011
10:37 am
Those who question motive and sincerity do not understand that all Christians live under grace and if doing what we are commanded to do puts them in an unfavorable light with some (particularly those who think life begins and ends between the hedges) that is something that grace teaches one to deal with daily I am sure Coach Richt’s motives are not based on what others think, but on the conviction that serving others can take many paths, including his job. Blessed that he puts service above self. Glad he is our coach.
Charles
UGA ‘70
South's Top Dawg
May 26th, 2011
10:39 am
Chip – pretty confident that Brooks Melchior is the same guy that worked at the Red and Black back in the day with Jim Callis. Callis = great guy. Can’t say the same about Brooks.
Bill Sutton
May 26th, 2011
10:54 am
At the end of the day it is about how much good we’ve done with what we’ve been given, not how many football games we’ve won. You have to admire Mark Richt and his wife as good people and then you have to ask are the rest of us doing as much good as we can with what we’ve been given? These Richt haters need to get a life. The wins or loses will take care of themselves.
saywhat?
May 26th, 2011
10:56 am
“Richt simply isn’t in their class, nor will he ever be.” So true, because Richt has some class…some real class.
Charlie Hayes
May 26th, 2011
10:57 am
Glad to have you at UGA CMR! You are a wonderful man and a superb coach. UGA has had a lot success under your command and there are many great years ahead of you at UGA. Please do not worry about the negative comments these trolls write on this board. They are all jerks that just want to create conflict. Just pray for them and walk away………….DGD – Dang Good Dawg!
Down South Dawg
May 26th, 2011
10:59 am
Forgive them, For they know not what they’re doing!