Fox, McGarity get UGA contract extensions

Georgia head coach Mark Fox celebrates after a basket during an NCAA college basketball game between Georgia and Vanderbilt on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in Athens, Ga.
Georgia head coach Mark Fox celebrates after a basket during an NCAA college basketball game between Georgia and Vanderbilt on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in Athens, Ga.

Georgia's men's basketball coach has a new contract, and Georgia's indoor football practice facility has a set location.

Mark Fox, who guided the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament this past season, received a two-year contract extension at Thursday's spring meeting of the university's athletic association board of directors. The two-year extension will extend Fox through the 2019-20 season with an annual salary of $2 million plus a $150,000-per-year longevity bonus that he could collect at the end of the 2020 season.

photo Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity

"I am very pleased the board approved the extension today," athletic director Greg McGarity told reporters in St. Simons Island. "We are very appreciative of the leadership Mark provides to our basketball program. Mark continues to build on the solid foundation he has established as our head coach."

Fox has been 41-26 with NIT and NCAA trips the past two seasons after going 65-63 during his first four years in Athens.

"Six years ago I envisioned that together we could heal and build a great basketball program at the University of Georgia," Fox said. "The collective efforts of many people now allow us to praise our team on the court, in the classroom, and in our community. This pride, along with the passion of the Dawg Nation, provide great energy as we strive to achieve even higher levels of success."

McGarity received a raise and a two-year extension that will run through June 30, 2019. He will be making $575,000 in July and will be earning $650,000 by July 2018.

The indoor facility, McGarity announced, will adjoin the northeast corner of the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall complex addition and will extend northward alongside Rutherford Drive to the north end of the current grass practice field. The target month to begin construction for the estimated $30 million facility is January 2016, and the funding plan is expected to be available at the autumn board meeting.

Georgia will have a fiscal year 2016 budget of $117,419,039, according to McGarity, a notable increase over this year's budget of $99,850,500.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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