Monetary gifts from Richt among secondary NCAA violations reported by UGA
Mark Richt has given more than $60,000 of his own money the last three years to current and former staff members when UGA's athletic administration refused to step up with compensation. (UGA photo)
ATHENS – Mark Richt’s generosity and compassion toward his staff has landed the Georgia football coach in hot water with the NCAA.
Richt made personal payments of more than $25,000 to coaches and support staff due to what he perceived as inadequate compensation for those individuals. Richt’s actions were determined to be secondary violations of NCAA rules regarding supplemental pay, according to a recent NCAA review of an lengthy internal investigation conducted by UGA.
According to those reports, obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the Freedom of Information Act, Richt paid former recruiting assistant Charlie Cantor $10,842 over an 11-month period through March of 2011, former linebackers coach John Jancek $10,000 in the summer of 2009 and $6,150 to director of player development John Eason in July of 2010. All of the payments were made by checks from Richt’s personal bank account after UGA’s previous athletic administration declined his requests for increased compensation for those parties.
However, Richt unknowingly violated the provisions of NCAA bylaw 11.3.2.2, which regulates supplemental pay for staff members. Both Richt and the staff members who accepted his payments received letters of admonishment from UGA and must undergo additional rules education, according to the documents.
Richt was unavailable for comment on Monday. Athletic Director Greg McGarity declined to discuss details about the case, but acknowledged that all the violations discovered were deemed secondary and that the NCAA considers it a closed matter as of Nov. 30th.
“The report stands on its own,” McGarity said on Monday. “There’s nothing to add. We’re moving forward.”
Richt’s unsanctioned payments were just a few of several violations discovered by UGA in an internal investigation led by attorney Mike Glazier of the NCAA-specialized lawfirm of Bond, Schoeneck & King of Overland Park, Kan. In all, the Bulldogs admitted to committing at least 10 secondary violations in separate reports submitted first to the SEC office in Birmingham.
The NCAA enforcement staff reviewed those reports and responded with its findings in a Nov. 30th letter to SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. In summary, the NCAA agreed with assertions of Georgia and the SEC that all the violations were secondary. As a result of actions already taken, “no further action should be taken by the NCAA in the matter,” wrote Christopher Stroebel, NCAA director of enforcement for secondary violations.
Also revealed in the report:
- Georgia was determined to have violated game-simulation recruiting rules during an unofficial visit last January by prospective student-athlete Marshall Morgan. Morgan is a place-kicker from Coral Springs, Fla., who has committed to sign in the class of 2012. Coaches played a video of the Georgia fans’ doing the traditional cheer, “Go Dawgs, Sic ‘Em,” on the Sanford Stadium videoboard, while Morgan pretended to kickoff. Richt self-reported the incident retrospectively after learning that the “missing man formation” the Bulldogs’ orchestrated for Isaiah Crowell last January constituted a secondary violation.
- Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham had impermissible contact with an unidentified recruit in May of 2010. After signing in at the front office of a high school, Grantham walked down a hall looking for the school’s football coach. Unable to locate the coach’s office, Grantham was approached by a young man who asked if he could help him find his way. As it turned out, that individual was the prospect Grantham was there to recruit. Their “small talk” on the way to the coach’s office exceeded the NCAA’s limits for “greetings” during a non-contact period and Georgia was found to be in violation of NCAA bylaws 13.02.4 and 13.1.1.1 regarding contact. As a result, Grantham was withheld from off-campus recruiting activities from Nov. 27-Dec. 3, the number of evaluation days for the football staff for spring of 2012 was reduced from 168 to 158 and Grantham was ordered to attend a two-day rules seminar next summer.
- An unidentified football prospect (his name was redacted because he is now enrolled at UGA) received impermissible overnight lodging and transportation during an overnight visit last year. The prospect was scheduled to spend the night with a student-athlete in a university dormitory, which is sanctioned, but made a “spur-of-the-moment decision” to stay with another student-athlete at an off-campus apartment. Off-campus lodging and transportation for which is impermissible.
- Last month, Georgia provided two free meals to Tyriq Gurley, the 5-year-old little brother of 2012 running back prospect Todd Gurley. Meals were permitted for Gurley and his parents but not for siblings on the official visit. The Gurleys reimbursed UGA $21.33 for the child’s meals and UGA reported a violation of bylaw 13.6.7.7.
Those minor violations were added to a list that included Crowell’s “the missing man formation,” the impermissible participation of football lettermen Randall Godfrey and David Pollack in the commitment announcement ceremony of then-prospect, and the routine overpayment of four graduate assistants due to a clerical error last spring, and several instances of inadvertent “pocket dialing” of prospects during impermissible periods earlier this year.
While all the violations are minor and seem trivial in nature, McGarity was profusely apologetic in his seven-page letter to Slive.
“I want you to know that I am disappointed and embarrassed to be reporting multiple secondary violations in our football program,” McGarity wrote. “It is my hope, however, that after reviewing our self-report of each of these matters, you will come to the same conclusions that I have.”
Ultimately, Slive and the NCAA agreed with Georgia’s assessment. But McGarity is vowed to step up the Bulldogs’ educational efforts regarding NCAA policy. In addition to regularly-scheduled classes, he has instituted monthly and quarterly meetings for coaches and support staff.
Clearly the most intriguing findings were those that detailed Richt’s under-the-table payments to staff when the previous administration refused his requests. Not only does it illustrate Richt’s determination to do what he perceived as right for his staff members, it offers a glimpse into the dynamics of the relationship between Richt and former AD Damon Evans.
- Richt decided to pay Cantor money out of his own pocket after determining that Cantor was underpaid for his position compared to comparable programs against whom Georgia competed. Richt asked for a $10,000 raise. However, the University was in the midst of a campus-wide pay freeze and was experiencing furloughs, so Evans declined. Richt subsequently paid Cantor $834 a month over 13 months via personal check.
- Richt did the same thing in the summer of 2009. Richt asked the administration for a raise for linebackers coach John Jacek after he was offered the coordinator’s position in the summer of 2009. Richt’s request was declined, so he wrote Jancek a personal check for $10,000 on June 30, 2009.
- Eason received a $6,150 pay cut when Richt moved him off the coaching staff into an administrative role. Richt wrote a personal check for that amount to Eason in July of 2010.
McGarity contends it wasn’t rogue behavior on Richt’s part. The UGA AD included exhibits in his report of instances in which the athletic department sanctioned monetary gifts from Richt.
In December 2009, due to “difficult economic conditions being experienced by the University,” the athletic department decided to not provide “bowl bonuses” to non-coach staff members. Richt went to senior associate AD Frank Crumley and asked him to provide a chart of who would have normally received bonuses and in what amount. Crumley provided that list and Richt paid 10 people – sports medicine director Ron Courson, video coordinator Joe Tereshinski, strength and conditioning coaches Keith Gray and Clay Walker, football operations manager Josh Brooks, high school relations director Ray Lamb and four administrative assistants — $15,227 out of his own pocket.
Richt also paid the $15,337.50 five-year longevity bonus to former assistant Dave Johnson when Johnson left Georgia in 2008 just short of his fifth anniversary and the administration refused to pay. Richt paid $6,000 to Jon Fabris in December of 2010 when Fabris was unable to find a job after his UGA severance package expired.
In each case,the payments were not considered against NCAA rules because they were done with the knowledge of the athletic administration, according to the report.
McGarity wrote in the report that he included details of those actions by Richt because “the University believes Coach Richt acted out of a generous heart and certainly without any intent to violate NCAA rules.” McGarity explained that Richt and his wife Katharyn maintain two checking accounts, one that is used primarily by his wife for household expenses. The other, monitored by Richt, is what they call their “Giving Account.”
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690 comments Add your comment
UGAgrad71
December 20th, 2011
3:24 pm
Try as they might, the haters on this blog can only say that Coach Richt saw a need and met a need through his actions for his coaches. I remember reading years ago of George Halas (Chi Bears of the NFL) paying bills and helping old NFL players in different ways. Big hearts in both men. Good for them.
Seriosuly
December 20th, 2011
3:25 pm
Can the NCAA be any more stupid? Amazing!!!
Bad Dawg
December 20th, 2011
3:26 pm
Richt said offensive right guard Chris Burnette, who missed another practice Monday, has a “fairly severe” sinus infection. “We don’t think it’s any concussion issue right now,” Richt said. Freshman Watts Dantzler continued to work in Burnette’s spot. …Richt didn’t have final word yet Monday on any players being academically ineligible for the bowl. “I’ve heard absolutely nothing that would get me alarmed at all,” Richt said. “I think we’re in great shape.” …Georgia players stretched before Monday’s practice to Christmas music playing over a loud-speaker: “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “Oh, Holy Night.” The team holds its final on-campus bowl practice this morning. “Most of the work is done before we go home for Christmas,” Richt said. “As excited as the players are to be leaving…I think the coaches might be more excited.” …Linebacker Mike Gillard (ankle) remains out, but said via Twitter on Monday that he would “be back b4 the bowl game.”
Movie Quote Time
December 20th, 2011
3:27 pm
To quote Gilbert Gottfied’s character in the movie Beverly Hills Cop when they were supposedly going to arrest him for his wife’s outstanding parking tickets:
“You’re arresting me for parking tickets?!? There’s people out there with chain saws and you’re arresting ME?!?”
HARVEY UPDYKE
December 20th, 2011
3:28 pm
Is it ncaa violation to sell tree poison to alabama football players???Just asking-ROLL DAMN TIDE
gdawginkalamazoo
December 20th, 2011
3:28 pm
Dang, no wonder Richt doesn’t lose any assitants to other schools. Good guy right there looking out for his peeps. Glad to have him as our HC.
Bad Dawg
December 20th, 2011
3:31 pm
Coaching changes are one of the toughest things for recruits to deal with.
Whether it is a Head Coach, coordinator, or position coach, coaching changes often create a domino effect that often cause more changes and leave recruits uncertain.
Creekside cornerback and Auburn commit Joshua Holsey is experiencing this first hand, and although he is dealing with it well, he will be the first to admit that the lack of clarity is mentally taxing.
“I’m not really that affected by it right now, but I do think about it a lot,” said Holsey. “But if my position coach leaves, it would mean a lot.”
Holsey committed to the Tigers early in the process, but is now starting to realize that it may not have been for the best of reasons.
“I committed early because I was tired of the process and wanted to get it out of the way,” he said. “I wanted to be done with recruiting so I could focus on the season.”
Since his commitment, programs have not been shy about pursuing the Peach State prospect.
According to Holsey, two specific programs have come after him the hardest.
“Georgia and Alabama contact me the most,” he said. “Coach (Rodney) Garner contacts me from Georgia, and I know him well, and Coach (Kirby) Smart talks to my defensive backs coach and another coach contacts me.”
When asked if he was ready to open things up, Holsey made it clear that he didn’t want to comment, but he did reveal his intention to take some visits.
“I am trying to get some visits planned right now,” he said. “I know I’ll take a few, but I’m not sure to who or when I will take them.”
While the coaching changes have yet to take their toll on the four star cornerback, something definitely has him thinking about his future.
When asked if some other schools were on his mind, Holsey chose to keep things under wraps.
“No comment,” he said. “I’m still working things out, so no comment.”
BILLY JACK
December 20th, 2011
3:32 pm
This is such a non story-wake me up when Richt and Granthem sign long contract extentions-that will be good news worth reporting.
ugafan
December 20th, 2011
3:36 pm
THIS JUST IN: The NCAA has announced that no coaches can say MERRY CHRISTMAS to any recruit or write it to anyone in their Christmas Cards.
Bad Dawg
December 20th, 2011
3:38 pm
Also good reviews from Sheldon Dawson and Will Redmond on their official visits this past weekend. Their youtube highlight videos speak for themselves. Go Dawgs!
Technically Correct
December 20th, 2011
3:40 pm
Kind of makes you wonder if any of that money kept filtering down…
Mike Hunt
December 20th, 2011
3:41 pm
Whe ma check is?
Jimmy the Greek.......
December 20th, 2011
3:42 pm
Anyone hear how lightly Ohio State got penalized today?….The NCAA is even more a joke than we realize! Dawgs fan here but it seems like GT got it just as bad as OSU …….The NCAA hammered USC over one player and the coach was’nt found guilty of anything yet the money pit of OSU gets basically slapped on the wrist…….
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
3:49 pm
@DestinDawg (and his many other posting names) ONLY….
What’s up with Georgia? Players transferring. Players turning pro early. Coaches cheating. Nothing good happening at Georgia. No good players left. Coaches dishonest an breaking rules. Georgia soon on probation for 30 years! Soon will be lower than Vanderbilt in the SEC. Nothing good going on in Athens. Unhappy players. Unhappy coaches. Unhappy fans. Trouble everywhere. No hope for Georgia. Absolutely not hope whatsover.
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
3:53 pm
Seriously now…..all this seems very, very petty to me. The NCAA needs to be investigated for stupidity and favortism towards one program over others. Come on man!
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
3:54 pm
I heard that a coach from a SEC school gave a sibling of a recruit a piece of bublle gum….it cost 5 cents…report them now. Evil doers that they are.
War Dang Dawg
December 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
You have to love Richt. Who else could commit rules violations and elevate himself as a human being at the same time?
The money to Johnson is a little strange, though. If the guy left UGA before obtaining 5 years of service, I wonder why Richt thought that he was entitled to the bonus. As I recall it, Johnson left voluntarily to take another job.
Regardless, how anyone could keep track of all these nitpicky rules is beyond me. It looks like being human is in itself an NCAA violation.
Tide/Dawg
December 20th, 2011
3:56 pm
The NCAA is so archaic. At some point, the big boys will pull away and start their own league and leave the NCAA to pick on the little guys in the sport. The sad thing is that he would be a “repeat violator” if he righted these wrongs by paying them himself in the future. Coach Richt, just give em cash. It worked when a couple of “SEC schools” bought qb’s in the past. Or pay them through the church. That works too…
IL Jacket
December 20th, 2011
3:56 pm
Jimmy the Greek, thanks for the sentiment, but 8 players receiving $14,000 and the HC knowing about it, but refusing to say anything is about the same as one player and a $300 outfit the coaches knew nothing about don’t you think? If you can’t see that, you are definitely not NCAA enforcement material. Oh, I guess they did lose out on a bowl they probably would not qualify for anyway.
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
4:01 pm
BadDawg…..
Look at how many NFL players are from Florida in the last two to three years….and look at how many of them left early. That really hurt Florida. What your article failed to point out was that last years and this years Florida teams were extremely young…..a large portion of last year’s team was mad up of freshmen….and this year’s team was mostly freshmen and sophs…..not many players from those classes make all-SEC teams….but Florida will have a lot that make all-SEC teams in the next two years. It helps to understand what is going on with a program….its current situation…when you read articles like that. For example, 70 percent of the scholly players on Florida team last year were very talented freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and sophs. That bodes for a very good future in Gainesville, provided Brissett and/or Driskell live up to their billing and do not end up being the second coming of John Brantley.
It's official: UGA's Mark Richt is the World's Greatest Boss | Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2011
4:01 pm
[...] 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 [...]
War Dang Dawg
December 20th, 2011
4:02 pm
The funniest one was Grantham’s violation for unauthorized contact. I guess dumb luck is also an NCAA violation.
A close second was the prospect that made a split second decision to crash with someone else, off campus. You have got to be kidding me. Who makes up these rules and what were they designed to prevent? It couldn’t have been that.
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
4:04 pm
@DestinDawg and his many other posting names (ONLY)
……Georgia…..nothing but quitters and cheaters……nothing good happening in Athens. NCAA probation and all the players leaving for sure. No future for the Dawgs.
Jimmy the Greek.......
December 20th, 2011
4:07 pm
Yeah IL Jacket………I feel your pain……Your Jackets get an ACC championship yanked over a 300 dollar suit, USC gets banned from bowls and losing 30 scholly’s for 1 idiot named Reggie Bush, and yet if OSU would have taken a self imposed bowl ban this year they probably would’nt have had one next year even after multiple major violations and CUM could have hit the ground running ….either way he still is…….Their priorities are way off base….Theirs no way to figure it out!….Watch and see though, one day the presidents will vote to leave the NCAA and form their own alliance….
7576DAWG
December 20th, 2011
4:08 pm
When you read how generous Richt is with his staff the first reaction is to praise him and admire the intent. I certainly feel that way because I think CMR’s integrity and moral way’s are sincere . Unfortunately a larger number of coaches don’t have any integrity, ethic’s or moral’s and because of that I am surprised giving money to your staff is only a secondary violation and not a major infraction.
Let’s say that Cantor, who received $10,842 had a Nephew or son who was a 5 star ,at whatever position ,and you started him at $200,000 per year which was a comparable salary to other recruiting assistant’s when that son or nephew was in the 10 grade . Most coaches would justify raising Cantor’s salary to $400,000 by the senior year hoping and knowing that would influence the son or nephew to sign with Georgia.
The NCAA is right this time because coaches would be throwing around money like crazy to their staff to influence family member’s to come to their school.
Bad Dawg
December 20th, 2011
4:09 pm
hey Tampa Gator, I was not trying to insult the gators at all. I was just trying to bring a new topic to discussion. Florida is an extremely young team and next year will be their last year rebuilding. You guys should be back strong in 2013 or maybe sooner.
the truth...
December 20th, 2011
4:10 pm
Typical NCAA…maybe UGA can fix this by “lowering” Mark’s compensation enough to give these guys the raises they deserve. We all know that NCAA is what it is….a group of slime balls………………
Bad Dawg
December 20th, 2011
4:11 pm
I would like to see UGA compete against Florida when they are at full strength against Muschamp.
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
4:13 pm
BadDawg…..
The Gators will be much improved next year and will be in the SEC title hunt in two years.
Just checked…….FYI…….Florida had tons of former players start in the NFL yesterday…..11 of which left Florida in the last 2 years. That is a big number to lose on your football team.
Outrageous interference by Athletic Director
December 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
Richt had to pay them out of his pocket? The football team makes $150 million + a year last I checked. What kind of idiot under invests in that cash cow because he is worried about belt tightening in the broader University? As a result of this kind of short sighted behavior, we are falling behind the schools that have invested in their teams.
IL Jacket
December 20th, 2011
4:16 pm
Jimmy, I agree. I think they have certain “marquee” programs they feel they have to protect to keep the gravy train rolling and some of the non big time football programs can be used as whipping boys to show they are in charge. I at one time thought the BCS may be the straw that broke the NCAA’s back when it looked like we were going to four superconferences and setting up a real national championship tournament, but the way things are shaking out looks like the old fashioned bowl setups are too much of an allure, particularly for programs not in the championship hunt, that we may not get that definitive playoff the fans would like to see.
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
4:16 pm
BadDawg….
I believe, except for your freshman WR, you were at full strength this year. Florida was the team not a full strength this year……
TampaGator
December 20th, 2011
4:18 pm
Meyer must have been told about the minor slap on the wrist to come before taking the OSU job….and has been telling recruits the same.
Lewis Grizzard is dead and I don't feel so good myself.
December 20th, 2011
4:19 pm
The NCAA is much like the BCS….a joke. at least we can say “we’re not the NBA.”
I wonder how many college coaches feel compelled to do the same thing because the AD / President don’t know how to run a business the right way. Your people are your biggest asset, treat them well, treat them right and the company prospers in the long run. Being cheap, not econimocally smart mind you, CHEAP is a shortsighted approach. We are in the SEC, we are UGA, it’s time the simpletons running the show at our school start acting like they know what that privilege means.
IL Jacket
December 20th, 2011
4:21 pm
TampaGator, I think anyone with half a brain saw a bowl penalty coming, even the OSU administration. How could they not have, particularly given that they allowed the players to play in last year’s bowl. That arrogance is what got the NCAA’s dander up I am sure.
AlectheDog
December 20th, 2011
4:23 pm
McGarity is too cheap to give a guy his Head Coach wanted, a well deserved cost of living pay raise? What? Now Richt is paying out of pocket?
Another sign this McGarity guy is in over his head. Fire McGarity.
IL Jacket
December 20th, 2011
4:30 pm
Alec, the article says it was Damon Evans who refused the payments, not McGarity.
Seriously
December 20th, 2011
4:31 pm
Not a UGA fan but way 2go CMR. What a bunch of crap the NCAA puts these coaches/programs through. NUCK the FCAA!!
Seriously
December 20th, 2011
4:32 pm
But I am glad the NCAA nailed TOSU!!!
gt4ever
December 20th, 2011
4:34 pm
NCAA sucks…..
rj
December 20th, 2011
4:34 pm
What an incredible guy. Seeks to do the right thing and gets hammered by the NCAA. Come on guys, surely there are some large more egregious violations to concern yourself with. As a life long GT fan I continue to admire the presence of character in Mark Richt.
drew
December 20th, 2011
4:37 pm
Just another Good Ole’ Boy is right…
Perhaps he would have done some good by donating that money to charity and people who really need it rather than supplement the income of people who are already way overpaid – and for what – teaching Football???
PR
December 20th, 2011
4:39 pm
Yawn…
ChiliDawg
December 20th, 2011
4:40 pm
Who would I want in the foxhole with me, Nick Saban, Les Miles or Mark Richt? Coach Richt may not win as many games as Saban or Miles, but this demonstration of his personal character may explain why he recruits effectively. Since most of us don’t have a foxhole in our future, maybe this question is appropriate: If you had a son, which of these men would want him to be like?
dean
December 20th, 2011
4:44 pm
Paddy @ 7:30am provided me with a good late afternoon laugh.
Let the Big Dawg Eat!
December 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
A person SMART enough to know......
December 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
Why wasn’t Richt writing checks to the POOR Underpaid Professors that didn’t get raises? I mean it isn’t like College has anything to do with EDUCATION. The EDUCATORS don’t deserve to be paid more than a Coach to Morons now do they? Football people responsible for some 100 football players need more money than a Professor responsible for EDUCATING a few Hundred STUDENTS a semester?
UGa fans have their priorities in order for sure.
John B.
December 20th, 2011
4:51 pm
The NCAA needs to go away, it is time for a more realistic governing body.
lee
December 20th, 2011
4:53 pm
any other school this is called a slush fund, at UGA it’s called secondary benefits
Gator 1989
December 20th, 2011
4:57 pm
Exactly what Galan Hall did in 1989 and the Gators received 2 year probation and were not bowl eligible. Hope the Dawgs get no worse, but no less either.