Is Georgia's Mark Richt Really Deserving of Contract Extension and Raise?

The rich keep getting richer, and in the case of Georgia head coach Mark Richt, about $800,000 richer per year.

Georgia announced on Wednesday that Richt received a two-year contract extension (through 2019) that will pay the veteran head coach of the Bulldogs $4 million per year—up from the $3.2 million per year he made under his old contract.

"I appreciate the confidence that [athletic director] Greg McGarity has in the direction of our football program and how we represent the University of Georgia," Richt said in the statement. "Our staff has an outstanding work ethic and we are committed to the development of our student-athletes on and off the field."

This comes on the heels of defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt getting bumped from $850,000 per year to $1.3 million early in January, and new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer signing on the dotted line for a cool $950,000 per year—quite a bit more than the $575,000 per year former offensive coordinator (and current Colorado State head coach) Mike Bobo was making in Athens last year.

All told, Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph reports Georgia's assistant coaches will make $4.45 million in 2015—$1.23 million more than they made last year.

That sound you hear is Georgia stepping up to the big-boy table.

The sudden cash injection comes less than a month after Richt was the subject of rampant retirement rumors to the point where he was asked about them in the postgame press conference following Georgia's 37-14 win over Louisville in the Belk Bowl.

Coincidence?

Maybe, but it sounds more like a game of hardball.

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Richt is very deserving of his raise.

He's led the program to a 136-48 record since taking over for Jim Donnan prior to the 2001 season. He led the Bulldogs to two SEC titles, their only five SEC East titles and within an eyelash of a BCS National Championship Game berth in the 32-28 loss to Alabama in the 2012 SEC Championship Game.

Does he have his shortcomings? Yes.

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Georgia does suffer inexplicable losses nearly every season, including the 38-20 loss to Florida in 2014, a 35-7 blowout while undefeated to South Carolina in 2012 and a 16-12 home loss to the South Carolina (which finished 6-6) in 2007 that kept Georgia out of the SEC Championship Game (and possibly the national title game).

But Richt also deserves the credit for getting the program to where it is right now.

Prior to his arrival, Georgia was known for wildly underachieving on the national scale with players who never materialized into superstars until they left.

That still happens at times now, but the program is more known for being on the brink than being an afterthought.

Is the former more frustrating at times?

Surely, it is, but Richt gives Georgia a puncher's chance, and that's all anybody can ask for.

He rededicated himself to recruiting in 2011 after a two down years on the field. Since that "dream team," Georgia has finished 11th or better in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings every year and has the nation's sixth-best class coming in as of Wednesday.

With Richt, Georgia has a chance. Without him, nobody knows.

That stability is important and a big reason why Richt is worth the money.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.