Oklahoma State University (OSU) has settled its lawsuit against former assistant football coach Joe Wickline. Wickline was an assistant at the University of Texas (UT) up until a few weeks ago when his contract was not renewed.
OSU spokesman Gary Shutt told the Austin American-Statesman that the settlement amount was $250,000.
A UT spokesman said the school “welcomed” the news, even though it never was a party to the lawsuit.
“The university was not a party to the lawsuit and does not have details regarding settlement terms,” Texas spokesman Gary Susswein told the paper. “UT welcomes the news that the parties have reached an agreement.”
Texas was facing the prospect that Head Football Coach Charlie Strong, former quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson, and quarterback Tyrone Swoopes would have been called to testify had the case gone to trial since they were all named as witnesses.
The impetus for the litigation was a provision in the contract between Wickline, an offensive line coach, and OSU, which mandated that the only way Wickline would be permitted to break his contract is if he took another position that included play-calling duties with another Football Bowl Subdivision school or jumped to the NFL. The clause stated that violating that clause would mean that Wickline would have to pay OSU a buyout fee of $593,487.
On January 15, 2014, Wickline left OSU to join the staff of the newly hired head football coach at UT — Charlie Strong. Wickline had been an assistant coach at the University of Florida when Strong was an assistant coach there. Strong hired Wickline as his offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. At about the same time, UT hired Shawn Watson, Strong’s former offensive coordinator at the University of Louisville, naming him assistant head coach to the offense and quarterbacks coach.
OSU officials became concerned after they learned of comments that Strong made at a March 18, 2014 press conference when discussing who on his staff would call plays.
“Wickline is going to be involved in it,” Strong said at the time. “He’s going to make some calls. Shawn is going to make some calls. When we go down the stretch and we have to have a call made, I think Shawn, because he’s been doing it for a long time and I’m comfortable with him.”
Shortly thereafter, OSU began sending letters to Wickline demanding payment and then ultimately sued for breach of contract.
“Upon information and belief, Wickline is neither the offensive coordinator, nor does he have play calling duties,” according to the lawsuit. “Instead, he is an assistant coach in charge of the offensive line, which is a lateral move from Wickline’s position at OSU and one that does not fall within the exception to pay liquidated damages.”
Wickline filed a countersuit, alleging tortuous interference, in Travis County (TX) court, which was dismissed earlier this year.
