MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Rich Rodriguez says opening the books of West Virginia's private fundraising arm is the only way to determine whether his abrupt resignation as football coach harmed the school financially.
That was a key demand in the formal response that Rodriguez filed Friday to WVU's lawsuit over the $4 million buyout clause in his contract. He also said it was the administration's actions — not a better offer — that forced him to resign in December and take the coaching job at Michigan.
WVU attorney Jeff Wakefield said he had not yet read the court documents and could not immediately comment.
Largely, Rodriguez's answer to the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Clarksburg restated many of the arguments his camp has made since Dec. 18, when his resignation sparked a feud with the school. His lawyers have ratcheted up the stakes by drawing the WVU Foundation into the matter.
The foundation, which had been run in part by WVU president Mike Garrison's chief of staff, Craig Walker, is not legally obligated to open its books to public scrutiny under ordinary circumstances. The foundation is a key part of keeping the WVU football program self-sufficient.
"The only way to tell whether or not West Virginia University has been damaged is to see if its donations to the foundation have decreased and/or if other expenses have increased," his lawyers said, noting WVU hired assistant coach Bill Stewart to replace Rodriguez at a significantly smaller salary.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2008-02-01-rodriguez-response_N.htm
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment