What is a contract?

[CanesWooshWoosh]

I don’t know much so hopefully someone here can help me out.

Mark Richt had a contract to coach through 2020. After last season, he signed a new contract, to coach through 2023.

But it’s all at the same price - $4 mil/season.

So... is a contract, like, a two line message board post? Example: “You’ve been extended, with the same terms, until 2023!! Congrats!! Sign here _____”

Or do they negotiate like 80 pages of “stuff”? Because, if a corn dog costs one dollar; and the lunchlady promises to sell me corndogs for one dollar until 2020, why would either of us extend that agreement?

 

[OptimusCreampie]

Knowing Blake James he probably told richt to write down his thoughts and feelings on a post it note and he’ll make it happen

 

[CanesWooshWoosh]

Knowing Blake James he probably told richt to write down his thoughts and feelings on a post it note and he’ll make it happen

I wonder if Richt wrote a post-it note to get himself and his entire staff massive buy out clauses.

 

[kryptonite]

I don’t know much so hopefully someone here can help me out.

Mark Richt had a contract to coach through 2020. After last season, he signed a new contract, to coach through 2023.

But it’s all at the same price - $4 mil/season.

So... is a contract, like, a two line message board post? Example: “You’ve been extended, with the same terms, until 2023!! Congrats!! Sign here _____”

Or do they negotiate like 80 pages of “stuff”? Because, if a corn dog costs one dollar; and the lunchlady promises to sell me corndogs for one dollar until 2020, why would either of us extend that agreement?

As for why, because of money and security (we'll ignore the fact that nobody thought Richt was leaving for anything but retirement so extending made no sense from Miami's perspective). Miami had agreed to pay him $4 mil/year until 2020, then they agreed to pay that for 3 more years. I'm no math whiz, but that should be something like $12 mil more. And remember, if Miami wants to terminate Richt they'll have to pay all/most of what's left.

Beyond that, it's seldom as simple as $4 mil/year. There will be incentives for reaching a bowl game, final ranking, as well as a buy-out clause...sht like that. So I think the thing is closer to 80 pages than 2 lines.

 

[mdpcane]

a contract is when Luca Brasi knocks on your front door and you're a dumbass if you answer it .... capiche ?

 

[CanesWooshWoosh]

As for why, because of money and security (we'll ignore the fact that nobody thought Richt was leaving for anything but retirement so extending made no sense from Miami's perspective). Miami had agreed to pay him $4 mil/year until 2020, then they agreed to pay that for 3 more years. I'm no math whiz, but that should be something like $12 mil more. And remember, if Miami wants to terminate Richt they'll have to pay all/most of what's left.

Beyond that, it's seldom as simple as $4 mil/year. There will be incentives for reaching a bowl game, final ranking, as well as a buy-out clause...sht like that. So I think the thing is closer to 80 pages than 2 lines.

Wait, why do they have to pay the remainder of the contract?

Is that a thing that is negotiated?

Who starts the negotiations? Is there leverage? Did Miami NEED to spend $12 million?

If I get fired from McDonald’s on January 3rd, I’m not paid for the remainder of the year; $12 and hour, 40 hours a week, 51.5 weeks. That’s just bad math. McDonald’s would go out of business.

 

[Ssoto0055]

Wait, why do they have to pay the remainder of the contract?

Is that a thing that is negotiated?

Who starts the negotiations? Is there leverage? Did Miami NEED to spend $12 million?

If I get fired from McDonald’s on January 3rd, I’m not paid for the remainder of the year; $12 and hour, 40 hours a week, 51.5 weeks. That’s just bad math. McDonald’s would go out of business.

Your employment at McDonald's is at will. It means you're free to leave at any time and McDonald's can terminate you at any time. It makes no sense for Mcdonald's to enter a contract with you when you're easily replaceable. Richt has more bargaining power than you. I'm not taking a shot at you, just stating the reality of the situation.
A contract legally binds you to perform or refrain from performing certain actions. It was negotiated at 3 years for 4 million a year. You can't just say you no longer want to follow through. Then why bother to have a contract. Not paying Richt would be a repudiation of the contract.

 

[CanesWooshWoosh]

Your employment at McDonald's is at will. It means you're free to leave at any time and McDonald's can terminate you at any time. It makes no sense for Mcdonald's to enter a contract with you when you're easily replaceable. Richt has more bargaining power than you. I'm not taking a shot at you, just stating the reality of the situation.
A contract legally binds you to perform or refrain from performing certain actions. It was negotiated at 3 years for 4 million a year. You can't just say you no longer want to follow through. Then why bother to have a contract. Not paying Richt would be a repudiation of the contract.

Is Florida an “at will” state? If so, why extend Richt? What’s the benefit? My French fried potatoes are always crispy and delicious; why doesn’t ownership renegotiate with me? Would that be bad business?

 

[kryptonite]

Wait, why do they have to pay the remainder of the contract?

Is that a thing that is negotiated?

Who starts the negotiations? Is there leverage? Did Miami NEED to spend $12 million?

If I get fired from McDonald’s on January 3rd, I’m not paid for the remainder of the year; $12 and hour, 40 hours a week, 51.5 weeks. That’s just bad math. McDonald’s would go out of business.

The presumption is that there aren't many guys around who can do the job so the school has to make the offer pretty sweet or somebody else will just outbid them. This leads to thing like a promise to pay some/all of the remaining contract if they terminate the coach. It's like CEOs getting golden parachutes...they get fired and get paid extra money. There's usually a bit in there where the coach has to pay back the money if he takes another job.

No, Miami didn't need to spend that money...that's one of the things that has people ****ed at the AD. Richt wasn't going to take another job, so there was no good reason to renegotiate last year.

The McDonalds analogy doesn't work because there are many people to take your job, but very few to take Richt's.

 

[kryptonite]

Is Florida an “at will” state? If so, why extend Richt? What’s the benefit? My French fried potatoes are always crispy and delicious; why doesn’t ownership renegotiate with me? Would that be bad business?

Doesn't matter if it's "at will", there's a contract that undoubtedly says Richt gets a ton of money if Miami fires him. Miami is free to fire him, but they'll still have to pay.

 

[Ssoto0055]

Is Florida an “at will” state? If so, why extend Richt? What’s the benefit? My French fried potatoes are always crispy and delicious; why doesn’t ownership renegotiate with me? Would that be bad business?

By "at will", it means you're not working under a contract. You can be released at any time as long as you aren't let go for a prohibited reason like racial discrimination without a penalty. Richt is under a contract, which changes the situation. The parties agreed to certain things. One would be "waiving" Miami's ability to fire him as easily as you could be fired. Richt's contract was extended because Miami wants him to continue to be their coach. To Miami, locking Richt for the foreseeable is beneficial in the eyes of the administration. It doesn't mean Miami is right. People make bad decisions when getting into a contract.

 

[Unsider]

But Richt has to deliver, no? What about him not living up to his end of the bargain? Can’t tell me he gets paid even if does not perform to standards. I mean, to get paid for a job, you have to do the job. You can’t claim you were on the job 8 am to 5 pm everyday, without production to show for.

 

[Ssoto0055]

Doesn't matter if it's "at will", there's a contract that undoubtedly says Richt gets a ton of money if Miami fires him. Miami is free to fire him, but they'll still have to pay.

Miami isn't "free" to fire Richt. That was the point of the contract. It prevents Miami from firing Richt for the duration of the contract, unless they're willing to pay him some amount the parties agreed to.

 

[Unsider]

As for why, because of money and security (we'll ignore the fact that nobody thought Richt was leaving for anything but retirement so extending made no sense from Miami's perspective). Miami had agreed to pay him $4 mil/year until 2020, then they agreed to pay that for 3 more years. I'm no math whiz, but that should be something like $12 mil more. And remember, if Miami wants to terminate Richt they'll have to pay all/most of what's left.

Beyond that, it's seldom as simple as $4 mil/year. There will be incentives for reaching a bowl game, final ranking, as well as a buy-out clause...sht like that. So I think the thing is closer to 80 pages than 2 lines.

If I did that, I would lose my hoochie privileges for a hurtful time from my woman!

 

[Ssoto0055]

But Richt has to deliver, no? What about him not living up to his end of the bargain? Can’t tell me he gets paid even if does not perform to standards. I mean, to get paid for a job, you have to do the job. You can’t claim you were on the job 8 am to 5 pm everyday, without production to show for.

What are these "standards?" What do you mean by "deliver?"

 

[BoxingRobes]

I do not understand why a coach - any coach - would be extended nearly three years out from the end of the initial contract.

I could see an extension before a lame duck year, but two...three years? Fvck out of here.

 

[kryptonite]

Miami isn't "free" to fire Richt. That was the point of the contract. It prevents Miami from firing Richt for the duration of the contract, unless they're willing to pay him some amount the parties agreed to.

Yes, they are free to fire him if they're willing to pay. It's not like he can just refuse to go.

As an example:

"In 2005, Les Miles signed his first contract with LSU. That contract was only for 4 years, and stated that LSU would pay out Les Miles’s remaining salary in the event of a termination without cause."

"Without cause" included firing him for losing too many games. His contract states that he will coach, not that he will win. Note that it doesn't say he can't be fired, only that he has to be paid unless he breached the contract. This is pretty standard, and Richt could probably sue his agent if his contract doesn't say something similar.

https://hkm.com/football/15-million-potential-reasons-why-lsu-did-not-fire-les-miles/

 

[kryptonite]

I do not understand why a coach - any coach - would be extended nearly three years out from the end of the initial contract.

I could see an extension before a lame duck year, but two...three years? Fvck out of here.

It's what you do when you fear that another team will come knocking.

 

[kryptonite]

But Richt has to deliver, no? What about him not living up to his end of the bargain? Can’t tell me he gets paid even if does not perform to standards. I mean, to get paid for a job, you have to do the job. You can’t claim you were on the job 8 am to 5 pm everyday, without production to show for.

Unless it's written into the contract (and it's not) that he has to win a certain number of games, W/L record is irrelevant.

I get why you have trouble believing this, but it's true. He's not obligated to win, only to try to win. The standards apply to how he carries himself and conducts football operations, not whether he wins. As I said before, there aren't many guys who can do the job at this level so you either pay them and give them a cushy contract or somebody else will. We could hire a guy for $500k but he'd either suck or get snapped up by another program the second he had any success with us.

 

[Go Canes!!]

The extension he signed is pretty much standard prodecure and made sense at the time, contrary to what people on here who think they have 20/20 hindsight see now.

He had just completed the best season here in the last 15 years. He'd just been named ACC coach of the year. Ticket sales were booming. He'd brought our program stability. We were already recruiting forward to 2020 and 2021 extremely successfully. Kids who were committing would be arriving as his original deal was expiring so it eliminated negative recruiting about him being here. He likely didn't ask for much more money if any.

A lot of talk about Mazlhan here lately, Well Auburn did the same thing we did after last year with a coach many thought was going to get fired going into the season. Jeff Brohm. who started out 0-3 and finished 6-6 just got an extension into 2024 cause Purdue hung a big number on Ohio State and Louisville came sniffing around.

Just about every school does it. We are no different.