Kent State Awarded $1.2 Million in Suit Against Former Basketball Coach

Portage County Judge John Enlow awarded Kent State University $1.2 million after its former men's basketball coach breached his contract by leaving to becomes the head coach at Bradley University. 

The university and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWin's office requested the judgement against former men's basketball coach Gene A. Ford for a breach of his employment contract and damages in the amount of $1.2 million for Kent State. 

A provision in Ford's contract stated that if he resigned or terminated his employment with Kent State, the university would be entitled to liquidated damages totaling the balance of Ford’s annual salary due for the remaining amount of his contract term. 

Ford was hired in April 2008 for a five-year term with an annual salary of 200,000. In April 2010, a new contract was signed extending Ford's employment through the end of the 2014-15 season and increasing the annual salary to $300,000. (This made Ford the highest paid basketball coach in the Mid-American Conference.) 

In March 2011, Ford agreed to become the head basketball coach for Bradley University in Illinois, which breached his agreement with Kent State, according to the judge's ruling. 

The Kent State Athletics director said in a press conference in March that he never had a chance to counter-offer before two-time Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year accepted the head coaching position at Bradley.

“Ohio’s public colleges and universities have a duty to students and taxpayers to be wise stewards of tuition and taxpayer moneys,” DeWine said in a prepared statement. “When coaches and high-profile employees leave public universities in breach of their contracts, the state of Ohio has an obligation to seek the compensation to which it is entitled. I am pleased that the court has awarded the damages due to Kent State.”

Kent State continues to pursue claims against Bradley University for its tortious interference with Kent State’s contractual relationship with Ford.  A trial against Bradley University is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2013.