Originally Posted by cincrazy
And now Gillespie is suing the school. "I thought we had an agreement"
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4210508
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Former Kentucky men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie sued the school Wednesday, seeking at least $6 million he says he is owed on his deal for being fired without cause.
Gillispie's attorney, Houston-based Demetrios Anaipakos said that the Kentucky coach's reason for filing thel lawsuit was pretty simple.
"You can't have your cake and eat it, too, to put it quite simply," Anaipakos said. "There's a public misconception that Coach Gillispie did not sign a contract with the University of Kentucky athletic association. He absolutely did. They drafted it. He signed it. They signed it and their board approved it. Whether you're in Kentucky or Texas, a deal is a deal."
In the lawsuit, Gillispie claims that breach of contract and fraud and that he and the university operated under a signed memorandum of understanding because he hadn't signed a formal contract in his two years.
[+] EnlargeBilly Gillispie
Matt Cashore/US PresswireBilly Gillispie is seeking $6 million from his former employer, Kentucky.
He contends that under that memorandum, he should be paid $1.5 million a year for four of the five years left on the deal. The suit also asks for an undisclosed amount of punitive damages, attorneys' fees, court costs and interest.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Dallas contends the school's athletics association is in breach of contract and has committed fraud because the university never intended to honor the agreement.
"Rather than honor its written, signed deal with coach Gillispie, defendant prefers instead to pretend as though no deal was ever reached," the lawsuit says. "Unfortunately for defendant, its make-believe world is just that."
University attorneys expressed surprise over the lawsuit.
"The university was continuing to negotiate a separation in good faith and his counsel had asked for more time," they said in a statement.
Responding to the statement, Anaipakos said. "I find it difficult to believe they were surprised as they had from March 27 until today to honor a contract they had made with this man."
The lawsuit offers offer several examples where a memorandum of understanding was cited as a contractual agreement between the two parties including a July 2007 letter where the university told Gillispie he could not enter into an endorsement agreement with a Houston-based company because of the language in the memorandum of understanding.
"Both parties operated under it." Anaipakos said. "He received the benefits he was supposed to be getting under that contract and when he tried to sign a personal services agreement they said, 'No, no, no.' They enforced the deal and lived under the deal and then when they ended the relationship said there was no deal."
Anaipakos said the next step is the court scheduling a hearing. He expects that to happen quickly, perhaps within 10 days.
Gillispie lawsuit
Former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie is suing the school, seeking at least $6 million he says he is owed on his deal for being fired without cause. Filing
Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart, reached Wednesday at the Southeastern Conference meetings in Destin, Fla., said he had no comment.
"I just got off the phone with our attorneys and I can't say anything," Barnhart said.
Jimmy Stanton, a spokesman for University of Kentucky president Lee Todd, said there wouldn't be further comment because it now involves pending litigation.
Much of the 24-page lawsuit highlights the 49-year-old Gillispie's biography, describing him as an up-and-coming coach who resurrected a Texas A&M program before leaving to lead Kentucky, the nation's all-time winningest college basketball program.
"He resigned a promising, successful position as head coach with a rapidly ascending program at Texas A&M," it says. "He did so because he believed [the university's] false representations to him during his negotiations."
In three seasons with the Aggies, Gillispie was 70-26, making the NCAA tournament twice including the Sweet 16 in 2007. The previous three seasons before Gillispie came on board, A&M was 20-22.
Gillispie went 40-27 in two seasons with the Wildcats, including a 22-14 mark last season that tied for the second-most losses in the program's 106-year history. A stumble down the stretch left the Wildcats out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991.
Gillispie still has a home near Lexington. He is not coaching right now.
It's spelled GillIspie.
STATEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
First and foremost, there are no NCAA allegations against UK Head Men's Basketball Coach John Calipari. Coach Calipari was forthcoming with the University of Kentucky during the hiring process about any issues under investigation at the University of Memphis at that time.
It is normal procedure for the NCAA to ask a former coach to participate in a hearing. Therefore, Coach Calipari will participate as requested.
Coach John Calipari has received a letter from the NCAA stating that he is not at risk of being charged with any NCAA violations in this case.
This is a University of Memphis issue and the University of Kentucky will not comment any further.
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH JOHN CALIPARI
"Even though I'm not at risk, I will fully cooperate with the NCAA hearing. Beyond that, I concur with the statement from the University of Kentucky and will have no further comment."
Dan Wetzel column on the Memphis NCAA troubles. I wonder like he does,When is the coach to take blame? Calipari may not be culpable in any of this but it was on his watch. This could easily be the 2nd program in which he has had a Final Four stripped from him and his team. I made my trepidations known about Calipari in a post in one of these UK basketball threads when Calipari was being considered for UK's job. They certainly aren't any better after these revelations from Memphis.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...yhoo&type=lgns
Reds Fan Since 1971
There is no way Cal didn't know about this. And the shame of the matter is Memphis will have to deal with the sanctions and the culprits, Cal and Rose will walk away scott free.
To me Cal has always been greasy but never been caught red handed. Maybe this is a lone example but maybe there will be more to come.
You have no idea what you're talking about.
Last time I checked Cal doesn't administer tests or declare kids eligible or ineligible to play college basketball.
Kentucky has a woman named Sandy Bell employed in their athletics office who heads the strictest compliance office in the NCAA.
Memphis AND Kentucky BOTH knew about this situation during the hiring process.
Do you think Memphis would have tried as hard as they did to keep Calipari if he was involved in this situation?
Nothing like that is going to happen at Kentucky because Kentucky's compliance office is one of the best and certainly the strictest in the NCAA.
UK also vetted Cal with the NCAA before hiring him as coach. All parties were fully aware of this situation.
I certainly hope nothing ever happens at UK. But you can only monitor someone and the one's around them so much of the time.
Reds Fan Since 1971
Agreed. But you've gotta look at the actual allegations of this situation in detail.
This type of lack of institutional control simply falls totally upon the shoulders of the university. The coach has nothing to do with where the University of Memphis failed to maintain institutional control in this situation.
100 % correct !
He went to the Final Four at UMass and it got stripped away because of issues with his best player. He went to the Final Four at Memphis and it is now in doubt because of issues with his best player once again. Maybe WMR is right and both of these are totally on the university. However, it does raise the question, can he succeed without someone cheating behind the scenes?
Well we'll find out based on how he does at Kentucky because I guarantee you that everything will be done by the book from all angles. I'm not just making this up about Kentucky's compliance office. They are STRICT.
Part of ESPN's revised article.
"It's important to note that there are no allegations against John Calipari in the report," Peevy said.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Kentucky said "It is normal procedure for the NCAA to ask a former coach to participate in a hearing. Therefore, Coach Calipari will participate as requested.
"Coach John Calipari has received a letter from the NCAA stating that he is not at risk of being charged with any NCAA violations in this case.
"This is a University of Memphis issue and the University of Kentucky will not comment any further."
Kentucky assured its boosters when it hired Calipari it had done its due diligence in checking his background.
"Sandy Bell and the compliance folks talked with the NCAA and checked records and facts," Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said April 1 when Calipari was introduced at Kentucky. "David Price, other people at the high level with the NCAA, assured us how much they enjoyed working with John in that process.
"We have all had our critics about how we manage and lead our programs. For seven years I've had my share and I've been through it. Our commitment at the University of Kentucky to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change. John's commitment to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change."
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