In Tulsa, John Hoover reports the Univ. of Oklahoma Board of Regents approved a “three-year extension at $5.15 million per year” for football coach Bob Stoops. He will receive a “$75,000 annual bump in his base salary and other ‘stay bonuses’ and ‘stay benefits.’” The new deal, which goes into effect Jan. 1, is for seven years and $39.4M, not including "incentive bonuses like winning conference or national championships.” OU AD Joe Castiglione “also got a three-year extension as well as a base salary increase from $350,000 to $375,000 and a ‘personal services’ increase from $400,000 to $540,000, as well as an annual ‘stay bonus’ of $110,000 each October, effective 2013” (TULSA WORLD, 9/20).
FREEDOM OF SPEECH: In Memphis, Ron Higgins reported a group of "disgruntled Ole Miss supporters" placed an ad yesterday “in several daily Mid-South newspapers calling for a change in the school’s administration” after the football team's 1-2 start to the season. Lee Habeeb, the spokesperson for Forward Rebels!, said that the “timing of the ad was ‘coincidental’ following the Rebel’s 30-7 football loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday." Habeeb said that the group “had considered for more than a year starting an ad campaign to express its displeasure.” Higgins noted the ad carried the header, “Are You Tired Of Losing, Ole Miss Fans?” The ad continues, “We believe that our coaches are not the problem. Or our athletes. Or our fans. The Ole Miss administration is the problem. ... We’ve waited long enough. We’re tired of losing” (COMMERCIALAPPEAL.com, 9/19).
GIVING BACK: Also in Memphis, Phil Stukenborg writes former Univ. of Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams, who now plays for the NFL Panthers, “presented Tiger football with a major gift toward the school’s Vision for Victory campaign.” UM coach Larry Porter said that the donation “was a ‘six-figure gift’ to enhance the locker room at the Murphy Athletic Complex.” The gift will allow Williams to have “naming rights to the locker room” (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 9/20).
FIRING BACK: In Pittsburgh, Rich Lord reports former Univ. of Pittsburgh football coach Michael Haywood worked for the school “for 17 days, and on Monday he filed a lawsuit claiming he is owed about $4 million.” Haywood said that “his contract as head football coach was breached when Pitt promptly fired him after an arrest in a domestic dispute.” The complaint filed stated the school then "‘terminated Haywood without just cause,’ and must pay him $750,000 for each of the contract years” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/20).
