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NC State is investigating potential legal claims against LSU related to the departure of men’s basketball coach Will Wade for a second stint as Tigers coach. That includes whether LSU violated a North Carolina state law.
North Carolina State Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Allison B. Newhart wrote to her LSU counterpart Carlton Jones last week about the matter, a development first reported by WRAL in Raleigh. The letter was later obtained by The Associated Press in a records request.
According to NC State, it received three emails from LSU asking the school to “sign a waiver of claims” against LSU in the Wade matter.
Letter cites state law with potential financial harm
Newhart’s letter from last Thursday states that the school “has not agreed, and does not now agree, to release LSU from any liability” related to Wade’s departure after one season with the Wolfpack in March.
“Instead, NC State is investigating whether LSU improperly induced Coach Wade to violate his employment agreement, induced Coach Wade to terminate his employment agreement, and interfered with the timing of the termination of the employment agreement to result in a lower damages award, all to the detriment of NC State,” Newhart wrote.
That includes whether LSU violated the state’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act; Violations may result in financial damages and attorneys’ fees.
North Carolina spokeswoman Lauren Barker, contacted by the AP on Wednesday, said the school had no additional comment beyond the content of the letter. LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette declined to comment to the AP.
The timing of payment for Wade’s purchase is a key factor
LSU hired Wade on March 26, two weeks after Wade publicly stated that he was determined to win big at NC State in Year 2.
Wade’s buyout was for $5 million, but was scheduled to drop to $3 million after April 1. At the time, athletic director Boo Corrigan said the school agreed to reduce that to $4 million to close the matter and not delay the search for a successor that landed former Wolfpack player and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey in less than a week.
Newhart’s letter indicates that NC State received a $4 million transfer from LSU on May 8 to purchase Wade. But he also writes that NC State believes the issue is resolved “solely with respect to Coach Wade’s personal obligations” and that the payment “does not exempt LSU from potential legal exposure.”
Specifically, the letter states that NC State “has reason to suspect that “LSU may have influenced efforts to prevent or delay” notification to the school about the quest to activate the lower purchase payment starting April 1.
Report for Associated Press.
