There are some things you never dreamed you’d ever put in as part of a headline. This is one of them.
In early November of last year, Kansas announced that David Beaty would be fired as head football coach upon the conclusion of the 2018 regular season. At the time, athletic director Jeff Long stated that the university would honor the terms of Beaty’s contract, which included a $3 million buyout payable over a six-month period. Since then, however, Beaty has received none of the money called for in his contract, leading the coach to file a lawsuit March 12 alleging that “Kansas Athletics breached its contract with Beaty by not making the guaranteed payments after terminating Beaty without cause.”
“Ever since the season concluded, Kansas Athletics has moved the goal posts on Coach Beaty,” one of Beaty’s attorneys said in a statement confirming the lawsuit. “Kansas Athletics can’t walk back its decision to terminate Coach Beaty without cause after confirming it publicly, privately, and in writing.”
“Coach Beaty and his family will always cherish their time at KU, but they do not understand why Kansas Athletics has reneged on its promises.”
In the lawsuit, it’s claimed that Long and at least one other high-ranking KU official had discussed the need to find something, such as “a dead hooker” -- presumably, an over-the-top euphemism for the need to find skeletons in Beaty’s closet -- that would help void the buyout.
In response to the lawsuit, KU issued a statement in which the university claimed they learned of potential NCAA violations committed by Beaty after his firing, leading them to withhold the coach’s buyout. The university further claimed that Beaty’s buyout has been placed in escrow until the completion of the investigation into the allegations of unspecified NCAA violations.Beaty was informed he would not be retained by KU on Nov. 4, 2018, but would be able to coach the remaining games. Immediately following the end of the season, Kansas Athletics staff conducted standard exit interviews of all football coaches and staff, and through that process we learned of possible NCAA violations allegedly committed by Beaty. KU contacted the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference and began an investigation into the matter. Beaty refused to cooperate with the KU review and, ultimately, the NCAA took the lead in the still-ongoing investigation.”
Due to the nature of the allegations, which, if true, would be in violation of the terms of Beaty’s contract, the university has withheld payment of money owed to Beaty pending the outcome of the NCAA investigation. In a show of good faith, the university has placed the full amount owed in escrow.In four seasons as the Jayhawks head coach, Beaty went 6-42 overall and 2-34 in Big 12 play. In mid-November, Kansas confirmed that former LSU head coach Les Miles would be taking over for Beaty.