Neuheisel leaves with $4.5 million

Published 9:00 pm Monday, March 7, 2005

KENT – Former University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel will get $4.5 million after settling his wrongful termination suit against the university and the NCAA on Monday.

The settlement was announced Monday morning, just before closing arguments were to begin in King County Superior Court. The case had been tried for five weeks.

In the deal, the NCAA will pay Neuheisel $2.5 million and the university will pay him $500,000. UW also will forgive a $1.5 million loan paid to Neuheisel in 2002.

The money the university will pay will come out of the athletic department’s operating reserve fund and will not affect the budgets or operating expenses of Washington sports. University President Mark Emmert said the payment will not come out of tax dollars.

“It’s money the athletic department generates on their own,” Emmert said.

Outside the courthouse, Neuheisel said he’s relieved the trial is over.

“I feel fully vindicated,” the Associated Press reported Neuheisel saying. “Obviously they’re going to have their stories, too, but I feel like this is the best scenario. Nobody’s nose gets bloodied.”

Had the case gone to the jury, Neuheisel could have received twice as much.

Neuheisel had accused the university of wrongfully firing him and the NCAA of encouraging the school to terminate his contract. The university argued that it was within its rights because Neuheisel had signed a contract allowing for his firing for acts of dishonesty. The school fired Neuheisel in 2003 for participating in an NCAA basketball pool and lying to NCAA investigators, as well as lying to the university about interviewing for the San Francisco 49ers coaching job.

A mistrial became a possibility last week when it was revealed that the NCAA had failed to provide Neuheisel’s defense team with an updated version of its bylaws. The updated bylaws seemed to help Neuheisel’s defense that NCAA investigators acted improperly in failing to inform him that they planned to question him regarding his participation in the betting pool.

“We’re pleased we had the opportunity to explain our case and we feel that we did that well,” Emmert said. “When things became complicated last week, we concluded that it was best to resolve it. But we felt we had presented our case well and we’re glad we can finally put an end to this chapter.”

“The university presented the grounds (for the firing) in court and is confident of its position,” UW lead counsel Lou Peterson said in a statement. “However, during the final days of the trial, events outside the university’s control raised the serious threat of a mistrial or reversal. The university is pleased that the NCAA assumed responsibility to help resolve the difficult situation that had developed around changes in its procedural rules.”

It is believed that the NCAA first broached the subject of a settlement.

NCAA President Myles Brand said he still believes his organization acted properly in interviewing Neuheisel.

“The settlement in the case is the result of restrictions placed on the NCAA by the court about how (the NCAA) could explain the bylaw and defend its rightful interpretation,” Brand said in a statement.

“I have complete confidence that the NCAA enforcement staff acted properly and in compliance with NCAA bylaws with regard to Mr. Neuheisel’s interviews. Even so, an independent examination of procedures and processes employed by the national office staff to implement NCAA bylaws will be expanded to review this specific instance.”

Neuheisel compiled a 33-16 record at Washington, including a victory in the 2001 Rose Bowl. He is now quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

“The legal system works,” Neuheisel said. “The players got together and found an amicable resolution. I’m thrilled to be moving on.”

The settlement

The University of Washington and the NCAA announced Monday they will pay former football coach Rick Neuheisel $4.5 million to settle his lawsuit. Here’s a breakdown of what Neuheisel gets:

* $2.5 million from the NCAA. The amount includes coverage of Neuheisel’s attorneys fees and costs.

* $500,000 from the University of Washington. The money comes out of the school’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics operating reserve fund.

* The University of Washington agreed not to seek repayment of a $1.5 million loan given to Neuheisel in 2002.