Georgia announces extension to contract of athletic director Josh Brooks

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Georgia athletics director Josh Brooks received a contract extension on Thursday, the first day of spring meetings for the UGA Athletics Association Board of Directors.

Brooks, who had two years left on his current contract set to make $940,000 for 2023-24 and $1.03 million for 2024-25, will now receive a base $1.025 starting this July with a $100,000 raise each year for six years. His new deal also includes incentive-based bonuses for the Learfield Directors’ Cup and student-athletic academic performance totaling up to $100,000 annually.

After receiving a raise at this time last year, the annual evaluation and amendments to Brooks’ contract will have him in Athens through June of 2029.

Brooks was hired in January of 2021 and has helped guide Georgia athletics to a trio of National Championships. The Bulldogs’ football program won the title in 2021 and 2022 while equestrian, albeit recognized as an NCAA sports instead recognized by the NEAC, was the country’s top team in 2021.

Off the field, Brooks has had an equally large impact, helping fundraising and facility upgrades reach new heights. Georgia Athletics set a new record in FY23 for fundraising, raising $97.7 million as of the spring meeting. The previous mark of $86.4 million was also set under Brooks’ watch in FY22.

Meanwhile, Brooks and company announced a $300 million capital campaign this time last year with a five-year goal for fundraising. Over a third of the money has already been raised for the facility upgrades and renovations to the likes of Sanford Stadium, Foley Field, Jack Turner Softball Stadium, Magill Tennis Complex and various other facilities used by the Bulldogs.

“He’s down to two years remaining on his current contract and all of his peers in the SEC have longer pending contracts. I thought it was important to show to Josh our collective confidence in his performance and our desire that he remain the athletic director at the University of Georgia for an extended period of time,” University of Georgia president Jere Morehead said on Thursday. “He hasn’t told me that he was being recruited (laughter), but it would not surprise me. I wanted to express to him our confidence in his performance.”

“I’m extremely grateful. I got into this business 20-plus years ago as a student equipment manager with my first job making $20,000 a year. I never got into this business to make money; I got into it to help student-athletes and college athletics,” Brooks added. “Athens, the University of Georgia, has been great to me. I want to spend the rest of my career here. I want to retire here. I think it’s a blessing. It’s extremely gratifying to see your hard work be recognized. But again, it’s not about the money; it’s more about the years and the guarantee that I’m going to be here a very long time. This was not a competitive offer. I have not had to seek out; I’ve not had to listen, and I’m not in the market. This is where I want to be so that’s what makes it even more rewarding that I’m not in a situation where I’m having to leverage.”

Brooks was named a finalist – one of six across the country – for the Sports Business Journal Awards Athletic Director of the Year in 2023. Brooks, just 42, was the youngest Power Five athletic director up for the award. The Bulldogs are expected a top-10 finish in this year’s Learfield Directors’ Cup.

Brooks has also been responsible for making several head coaching hires in his time on then job. In year one alone he brought in two national championship winning coaches from USC, Caryl Smith Gilbert in track and field and Keidane McAlpine for soccer. Brooks has also named successors for longtime head coaches Jack Baurle (swim and dive), Lu Harris-Champer (softball) and Jeff Wallace (women’s tennis), all three of whom retired. On top of that, new hires were made in men’s and women’s basketball last offseason.