Kansas announced on Nov. 4 it would not retain David Beaty for a fifth season. According to the terms of his contract, a firing without cause called for KU to pay him a $3 million buyout in six installments. So, KU should be about done paying Beaty then, right?
Wrong.
On March 12, Beaty filed a lawsuit against Kansas, accusing his former employer of trying to invent a reason to fire him with cause, thus excusing itself from its $3 million obligation. According to the suit, KU AD Jeff Long discussed with at least one senior administration official how the school needed to find a "dead hooker" in Beaty's proverbial closet.
Kansas fired back saying Beaty has not cooperated in its investigation as to whether an unnamed Beaty assistant committed an NCAA violation, beginning in Dec. 2017. Beaty says he has cooperated. KU says the NCAA has taken over the investigation. Here's a statement the school released in response to Beaty's March 12 suit:
The University of Kansas is aware of a court filing submitted by attorneys of former Head Football Coach David Beaty. While the university typically does not comment on pending litigation, the nature of the current matter warrants further context.
The filing is full of false claims and factual misstatements, including that KU’s Director of Athletics made salacious comments about seeking reasons to withhold payment from Beaty. Simply, that did not happen.
Here are the facts. Beaty was informed he would not be retained by KU on November 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.
While disappointed in the court filing, the university is committed to seeking the truth and upholding our high standards of ethical conduct.
On Tuesday, Beaty's representatives released a blistering statement to SB Nation's Steven Godfrey.
KU’s statement that its review was focused on possible NCAA violations committed by me and that I refused to cooperate is verifiably false. From December 21st of last year to February 1st of this year my attorney sent multiple letters and emails to KU’s attorney trying to get my interview scheduled. Those attempts were accompanied by requests for copies of certain documents of mine that remained in KU’s possession and would allow me to properly prepare and accurately address any concerns.
In his statement Beaty explicitly states that on his own he contacted the NCAA, met with them and answered every question they asked of him.
Beaty, a valuable assistant on the free agency market considering his bona fides both as a wide receivers coach and a recruiter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has not taken a job since his Kansas firing, and this lawsuit and the complexities therein explain why.