Spears v Grambling Trial Underway

[TexasTerror]

Never quite understood why coaches believe they have some sort of job security... the only thing that truly matters is the contract and financial considerations...

Now, if a coach was fired and the school attempts to get out of the buyout for unspecified and/or unjustified reasons, than an issue exists.


Former Grambling State University head football coach Melvin Spears Jr. told a jury Tuesday he felt “degraded’’ when the school’s president unexpectedly fired him Dec. 18, 2006, and the university’s police chief escorted him from his office.

“It left a real bad taste in my mouth,’’ Spears testified at the trial of his wrongful termination lawsuit against Grambling and the University of Louisiana System.

Spears, whose record was 20-14 as Grambling’s head coach, guided the team to the Southwestern Athletic Conference and black college national titles in 2005.

The 51-year-old Spears claims Grambling owes him for the final three years of a five-year contract he signed in January 2005. The contract called for him to receive $156,000 annually, the suit says.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/latest/Fired-football-coach-testifies-in-lawsuit.html?showAll=y&c=y

[LBPop]

Me thinks there is more to this story. xchinscratchx Suddenly having an officer escort out a football coach doesn't happen too often, I would suspect.

[StorminASU]

Maybe he had written a computer program to steal the rounded penny amounts that the school handled daily. Maybe he was tired of wearing his Grambling flair

[TexasTerror]

Spears cashed in...


An East Baton Rouge Parish jury awarded former Grambling State University head football coach Melvin Spears Jr. nearly $600,000 on Friday after finding the school breached his contract when it fired him in late 2006.

Spears, who guided Grambling to the Southwestern Athletic Conference and black college national titles in 2005, was named head football coach at Alcorn State University earlier this year.

“It’s a great opportunity to be vindicated. I’m elated,’’ Spears, 51, said of the verdict by a jury of nine men and three women.

The panel voted unanimously to award Spears $449,500 for breach of employment contract and tacked on $11,000 in penalty wages and $139,000 in attorneys’ fees.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/Spears-ruling-Coach-awarded-600000.html?showAll=y&c=y

[citdog]

Spears cashed in...



http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/Spears-ruling-Coach-awarded-600000.html?showAll=y&c=y


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL9ihXiFAko

[kdinva]

Spears cashed in...



http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/Spears-ruling-Coach-awarded-600000.html?showAll=y&c=y
Good for Coach.........maybe Grambling can re-coup that money with 1-AA playoff monies.............oh, wait........xdohx

[mikebigg]

Good for Coach.........maybe Grambling can re-coup that money with 1-AA playoff monies.............oh, wait........xdohx

FCS playoffs are not money makers...we'll pass.

[Cleets]

Rick "The Douche" Neuheisel was fired after clearly and obviously disregarding his contractual obligation not to bet on football games...
And he was rightfully terminated and broke every NCAA gambling rule in the book
and he still won his case because of a legal technicality


AMAZING..!!!! 4.5 MILLION clams later he walks to the bank
and decimated Washington's football program - leaving it in a shambles

[TexasTerror]

MikeBigg -

Where is this money coming from? Grambling's athletic budget is already grossly underfunded (and greatly reliant on institutional support) - is this the source of the payout? This would be a substantial hit in the athletic department if that is where the money comes from.

[3rd Coast Tiger]

interesting