Richt’s generosity part of several secondary NCAA violations reported by UGA

On the same day that Ohio State will find out their NCAA fate, Georgia has learned that the NCAA will not take any further action on at least 10 secondary violations from a UGA report earlier this year.

Some of the violations are minor recruiting hiccups -- game day simulation, impermissible contact extended beyond “greeting” time (yes, I know) and providing the 5-year-old brother of a recruit meals totaling $21 (which was later reimbursed by the family).

But the more interesting violations came from head coach Mark Richt, who according to records obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, made personal payments to assistant coaches totaling over $25,000 because Richt believed his they weren’t being compensated enough. From the AJC:

Richt paid former recruiting assistant Charlie Cantor $10,842 over an 11-month period through March of 2011, former linebackers coach John Jancek $10,000 in the summer of 2009 and $6,150 to director of player development John Eason in July of 2010. All of the payments were made by checks from Richt’s personal bank account after UGA’s previous athletic administration declined his requests for increased compensation for those parties.

The AJC’s story goes on to list other instances where Richt paid assistants and staff out of his own pocket -- and own goodwill. Nevertheless, it was a violation of a subset of bylaw 11, which regulates supplemental pay for staff members.

Richt and the staff members who accepted payments received letters of admonishment from the school and must undergo additional rules education. The NCAA accepted the response from UGA and no further action was taken.

“The report stands on its own,” AD Greg McGarity said Monday. “There’s nothing to add. We’re moving forward.”