Rodriguez Testifies He Was Forced to Accept $4 Million Buyout
The parties in West Virginia University’s breach of contract case against former head football coach Rich Rodriguez agreed not to release the videos of the depositions taken in the case, but fortunately for us, there is no such prohibition against releasing the transcripts themselves, as noted by this post from the blog published by the West Virginia University Sports & Entertainment Law Society.
So for your reading enjoyment, here are the deposition transcripts for WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong, Rodriguez, and Rodriguez’s agent, Mike Brown.
Here's one tidbit from Rodriguez's deposition. According to this Associated Press story in USA Today last month, Rodriguez testified that in August 2007, several members of the WVU Board of Governors told him that his outstanding demands for the football program would be met once Mike Garrison was president of WVU. The problem is that when the BOG members allegedly made those statements, WVU was conducting a supposedly nationwide search for the position and Garrison was simply one of the applicants.
Rodriguez’s testimony is being cited by some who opposed Garrison’s selection as evidence that the search was rigged and not intended to find the best candidate for the position. The depositions of Garrison and his chief of staff, Craig Walker, are scheduled for later this month.
In other news regarding WVU v. Rodriguez, the (Charleston) Daily Mail reported that the parties are required to complete mediation by August 1, but WVU does not seem inclined to settle for less than the $4 million buyout. Monongalia County Circuit Judge Robert Stone has scheduled a hearing on dispositive motions for November 10.