I don't believe it was, but it might have been necessary.
Recruiting is a great challenge in being able to wait till a HC actually earns an extension in college sports.
If not for needing the appearance of stability, I'd think he would need at least 2 winning seasons to have actually earned it.
The man has a losing record and he's talking as if this season was some pinnacle, Kirby doesn't think a season where he was a play away from winning it all was the top of the mountain, I mean he didn't win a post season game, not 1.
We've seen this near death experience play out for what, 5 years with Richt ? Every bit of success either moves us forward or delays the inevitable, only time will tell which situation we're in with Stricklin.