Relationships among the administration and the football office at the University of Georgia are strained, ESPN’s Travis Haney reported Wednesday.

Haney isn’t the first to report on apparent frustration between coach Mark Richt and athletic director Greg McGarity, but he collected a few of the data points and connected the dots.

Some close to the program believed Richt wouldn’t coach at Georgia beyond the Belk Bowl, and the rumor made the rounds via the blogosphere. Haney reported that friction between Richt and McGarity had a noticeable affect on the coaches’ demeanor toward the end of the season.

One point of major contention: the administration, at least in Richt’s point of view, apparently didn’t do enough to keep offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who accepted the Colorado State head coaching position vacated by Jim McElwain. Bobo was Richt’s quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator since the latter became coach of the Bulldogs in 2001, and perhaps the Georgia brass could’ve persuaded Bobo to stay by offering a generous raise.

Louisville also hired away defensive coordinator Todd Grantham last offseason by offering him $1 million per season. The Bulldogs hired former NFL offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer earlier Wednesday.

Unsurprisingly, Haney also reported that “a faction of boosters remains progressively frustrated that Georgia is a bridesmaid program in the SEC, always close to conference and national title consideration without ever reaching a payoff.”

Richt’s teams have reached double-digit wins in nine of 14 seasons, and rarely aren’t in contention for the SEC East title. However, Georgia hasn’t won an SEC championship in a decade.

Could Georgia get anyone capable of producing more wins, or better consistency, than Richt? It seems unlikely. But tension between coaches and administrators tends to intensify, not lessen, as there are always trying times in sports that can apply pressure to weak points.

It seems like McGarity understands that as well and apparently has moved to promote unity within the program.

Again from Haney:

Wisely, McGarity rallied in the wake of the Belk Bowl win and told donors via email that Richt would get an extension. Soon after, he promised first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt a raise. Pruitt had floated his name for a couple of jobs, including Texas A&M DC, when Richt’s tenure appeared tenuous.

But are those moves by McGarity surgery to repair the problem, or are they bandages? Donors were pleased to see a move by McGarity and administrators to show support for Richt, attempting to unify everyone after the devolution to point break.

Richt isn’t Urban Meyer or Nick Saban, but he’s done a commendable job at Georgia. It’s difficult to win enough to hold onto any SEC job for 15 years. However, if Tennessee and Florida make progress in 2015 and appear poised to leave Georgia behind, it’s possible that things could get interesting in Athens, Ga., at the end of next season, especially if frustration on all sides resurfaces.