Mark Fox Receives Deserved Raise and Contract Extension

by T Kyle King on Apr 28, 2011 12:33 PM EDT in Georgia Bulldogs Basketball

Did Mark Fox deserve a raise? Some members of the Dawg Sports community certainly thought so, and, evidently, Greg McGarity agreed, as Coach Fox has received both a pay bump and an extension of his contract from an official-sounding body with an unwieldy albeit self-explanatory name, the University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors Executive Committee.

The $400,000 pay increase given to Coach Fox by the University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors Executive Committee---sorry, but it's just plain fun to say!---ups his salary total to a cool $1.7 million per year. In addition, an extra year was tacked onto his contract term, which was designed to keep Coach Fox in Athens at least through 2016.

This seems like a reasonable move after a promising campaign. By guiding the Bulldogs to an NCAA Tournament berth in just his second season on the job, Coach Fox earned a raise and an extension, but, because we have been down this road before, Greg McGarity was prudent to learn the lesson of Georgia Tech's experience with Paul Hewitt: don't tie your hands by breaking the bank over one good year.

If, as I believe to be the case, last season was the start of a trend rather than an aberration, there will be more raises and contract extensions to come. In the meantime, though, Coach Fox has produced new fervor for Georgia hoops (as I can attest from personal experience), which warrants this vote of confidence from the University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors Executive Committee (all right, I'll stop). Here's hoping he can keep it rolling.

Go 'Dawgs!

Poll

What do you think of Mark Fox's contract extension?

It's too little, too late; he deserved better, sooner.

1 votes

Greg McGarity got it exactly right.

65 votes

It's too much, too soon: improve recruiting and make the Big Dance two years running, then we'll talk.

18 votes

I have not yet formed a firm opinion.

4 votes

None of the above. (Explain in comments.)

3 votes

91 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

McGarity nailed this

Got him a good raise, extended his contract a year, but didn’t break the bank or overreact in doing so. He wanted to show Fox he appreciated the effort and they want to keep him there, but it’s too early to bring him to the top paid coach in the SEC. Get us to the big dance again, or to the Sweet 16, and then he’ll really get paid.

by andycapps on Apr 28, 2011 12:49 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

I like this response. Rec’d.

Congrats, Mr. Fox, but I am not satisfied.

I am bi-winning. I win not only here but also there.

by Jman781 on Apr 28, 2011 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for the rec

I agree, what he did was like a good appetizer at a 5 star restaurant. It got my appetite going and got me excited for the future.

by andycapps on Apr 28, 2011 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Dang it.

Stupid intellectual property protection. I tried to find a clip from the Dana Carvey SNL sketch where he, as the snooty maître d’ at a trendy restaurant, dismissed would-be patrons to “Wait at the bar” with a wave of his hand so I could liken it to the state of the UGA hoops program for most of its existence.

But instead, I had to wast time and space to over-explain a joke that probably wouldn’t have been that funny with the video and is totally drained of humor without it.

by NCT on Apr 28, 2011 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I like it...

just wish he’d have finagled another couple hundred grand from McGarity to create a new administrative coaching position, like say Director of Player Development, and filled it with say Jonas Hayes or another experienced coach well connected to the Atlanta recruiting scene.

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Apr 28, 2011 12:51 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

I like it, too

as well as that suggestion, but $1.7mil/year is too much. Jim Calhoun only makes $1MM/year ferchissakes, but I guess the AD can spare it.

by Grib on Apr 29, 2011 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm sure Calhoun's total compensation trumps $1m

especially if you include whatever the shoe companies pay him, and his cut of their player slush fund.

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Apr 29, 2011 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Jim Calhoun's salary is $1.6M, and that's just his university salary.

That doesn’t include his endorsement deals and such.

At least, this was the number thrown out by the smart-alec know-it-all law student during Calhoun’s famous “not a dime” press conference remark.

by vineyarddawg on Apr 29, 2011 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

To me

he did a satisfactory job, but didn’t deserve a raise. That being said, I’m well aware that this is the way the game is played. If you’re happy with a coach, you keep giving him raises until he has a couple of bad seasons. Then everyone says “he’s makin too much money to not make it outta the sweet sixteen”. Then you fire him. Unless he makes it to a final four. Then when he doesn’t make it back to the final four in 5 years, everyone says “he’s restin on his laurels! We need someone young and hungry!” Then you fire him.

The circle of life for college coaches. So take that money Mark. Take it with my blessings.

by Mark Mandingo on Apr 28, 2011 5:19 PM EDT reply actions