The days of Mark Richt coming out of his own pocket to pay bonuses to his assistant coaches are definitely in Georgia’s rear-view mirror now.
The run to the national championship has indeed become a financial boon to the staff of football coach Kirby Smart, whose 10 on-field assistant coaches will earn a combined total of nearly $2 million more than last year.
The highlights on the new salary pool for the 10 assistants, which is $6.42 million, up from $4.56 million:
- Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker has received a raise to $1.5 million, up from $900,000 last year. Georgia’s defense was one of the best in the country last season.
- Assistant coach James Coley, expected to move from receivers coach to another position, has been bumped to $850,000 from $450,000 last year. Coley turned down a job offer from Texas A&M to become offensive coordinator.
- Offensive line coach Sam Pittman will now earn $825,000 after earning $660,000 last year.
- Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney received a $100,000 raise, and will now earn $950,000.
Strength and conditioning coordinator Scott Sinclair also received a significant bump, and will now earn $450,000. Sinclair earned $300,000 last year.
Here is the outlay for the 2018 staff, and what it earned in 2017:
2018 staff: $6.42 million
Mel Tucker, $1,500,000
Jim Chaney, $950,000
James Coley, $850,000
Sam Pittman, $825,000
Dell McGee, $550,000
Tray Scott, $420,000
Cortez Hankton, $375,000
Glenn Schumann, $325,000
Dan Lanning, $325,000
Scott Fountain, $300,0002017 staff: $4.56 million
Mel Tucker, $900,000
Jim Chaney, $850,000
Sam Pittman, $660,000
James Coley, $450,000
Tray Scott, $400,000
Kevin Sherrer, $375,000
Dell McGee, $350,000
Shane Beamer, $300,000
Glenn Schumann, $275,000
Throw in the pay bumps to the S&C staff…
Including the strength and conditioning staff assistant salaries — Ed Ellis ($180,980), Jamil Walker ($101,125), Rodney Prince ($90,000) and Ben Sowders ($85,000) — Georgia is paying its football assistants just over $7 million in 2018.
… and you’re talking about some real money.
Now, some of the bump can be attributed to adding a tenth member to the coaching staff, but there’s no denying that Tucker and Coley are the recipients of some sweet increases there.
Should we assume that the rest of the $6.6 million McGarity is raising with the season ticket price increase will go to Kirby? If so, that would put him roughly in the $8 million dollar a year arena. (At least that’s what I would argue if I were Jimmy Sexton. Hey, I mean, it’s what the man said, right?)
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