UGA's football coach will be around awhile

[GrantDawg]

Richt signed a new contract with one of the highest buyouts I've ever seen. Here's the story:


New Richt contract includes high-priced buyout

By MARK SCHLABACH
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

Athens -- If another school wants to hire Georgia football coach Mark Richt in the next few years, it will have to write a seven-figure check to the Bulldogs.

The eight-year contract Richt and school officials signed last week includes a $1.5 million buyout for each year left on the contract through 2007 plus an $800,000 buyout for each of the years from 2008-10. That means if he left after this season, the school would get $8.4 million.

"This is where I want to be," Richt said. "[The buyout terms] didn't bother me one bit. I didn't blink an eye. It just says Georgia wants me and I want Georgia. I know I wanted Georgia from Day 1. We like it here a lot."

Not only does the contract tie Richt to Georgia, it ties Georgia to Richt. The school would have to pay Richt those same amounts if it fires him without cause.

"I think it shows his commitment to us," Georgia athletics director Vince Dooley said. "I think it's a mutual commitment for the first five years. He didn't have any troubles with that because he wants to be here."

The $1.5 million a year contract puts Richt among the 10 highest-paid football coaches nationally and ranks him third in the SEC, behind only Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer ($1.65 million annually) and LSU's Nick Saban ($1.6 million). Richt and the school agreed to the contract last December after he led Georgia to its first SEC championship in 20 years.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained a copy of the contract on Wednesday through open records laws.

Richt's annual salary includes $200,000 in base salary, $600,000 in radio/television compensation, $100,000 for camps, $400,000 for endorsing Nike and a $200,000 longevity bonus. The bonus is a deferred payment; he gets $1.6 million if he's still coaching at Georgia on Dec. 31, 2010.

Performance bonuses could inflate his compensation by as much as $225,000.

Richt's contract also grants him two cars and money to buy insurance for them.

Under the old contract, Richt received less than $40,000 for winning the SEC championship and playing in the Sugar Bowl last season. If Richt's new contract had been in place last year, he would have been paid $125,000 in bonuses.

Unless there is a special "out" for FSU, I don't think even they would pay that kind of money. KWhit and I were just talking about his contract and wondering if he wouldn't jump ship once Bobby retired. Now, I'm not wondering.

[Ksyrup]

While I'm sure he would be (would have been) welcomed back at FSU if that scenario played out, I can tell you that there are still an awful lot of people in this town who are not happy about what occurred prior to the Oklahoma championship game. He put himself first - whic is fine - but he still stayed with the team and did an admittedly half-assed job, and it showed on the field. He's not exactly a beloved figure around here.

Still, facing the prospect of Terry or some other clown running this team after Bobby steps down, I'd be more than happy with Richt. And, I don't think it's just a coincidence that Bobby's contract runs through 2007, and Richt's buyout amount per year drops from $1.5M to $800K after 2007.

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
While I'm sure he would be (would have been) welcomed back at FSU if that scenario played out, I can tell you that there are still an awful lot of people in this town who are not happy about what occurred prior to the Oklahoma championship game. He put himself first - whic is fine - but he still stayed with the team and did an admittedly half-assed job, and it showed on the field. He's not exactly a beloved figure around here.

Still, facing the prospect of Terry or some other clown running this team after Bobby steps down, I'd be more than happy with Richt. And, I don't think it's just a coincidence that Bobby's contract runs through 2007, and Richt's buyout amount per year drops from $1.5M to $800K after 2007.

You really believe Bobby is going to be around until 2007?

[scooper]

Originally posted by GrantDawg
You really believe Bobby is going to be around until 2007?

If by some miracle JoePa is, so will be Bobby.

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by GrantDawg
You really believe Bobby is going to be around until 2007?

Well, there's two schools of thought. One is that they just extended his contract so that rivals wouldn't have as much amunition to suggest that Bobby would only be around for a year or two more during recruiting season. The other is that he's Bobby, and with the way things are going, he's more determined than ever to stick around to right the ship.

If health isn't an issue, I could see him sticking around until 2007. If things are getting back on track, he won't have as much pressure. If things continue to go bad, he would fight even harder, and only pressure from the school (or health problems caused by too much stress) would force him to leave.

If he won another championship, then I could see him stepping down like he probably should have after the Virginia Tech game.

[Noop]

What about Chuck Amato? He might be the next head ball coach or that new guy KEvin Steele.

[scooper]

Good point, Noop. If NC State were smart, they'd work up a Richt like deal with Amato real quick.

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by Noop
What about Chuck Amato? He might be the next head ball coach or that new guy KEvin Steele.

Amato may have been the choice either way, but now I would have to think he would be top of the list.

[Wolfpack]

Amato seems to be pretty happy at State. He's taken less money so that he can assemble his "million-dollar staff" the way he likes it. We brought in a new OC this year and Amato pretty much told him to leave the playbook alone if he knows what's good for him.

Unfortunately, State probably can't up the compensation package like Georgia just did. Most of the athletic money in recent years has gone to facilities (RBC Center, new football building at the stadium, etc.), so there is not much money to throw at Amato. Be that as it may, Wolfpack Nation will be in an uproar if AD Lee Fowler doesn't work something out to keep Amato long-term, especially if 2003 improves somehow on 2002. In three short years, Amato has probably become the most powerful individual on campus. If FSU were to open, I don't know if he'd turn away from his alma mater and a fan base that practically thinks he's walking on water at the moment to take over a situation where he'd have to follow a legend (history is littered with failures on those lines).