Marshall explains Muschamp's departure

[Townhallsavoy]

Failure to communicate
Sunday, January 06, 2008
By PHILLIP MARSHALL
Times Sports Staff pmarsh9485@msn.com

Muschamp claims contract terms put him in tough spot

AUBURN - What Will Muschamp termed a "miscommunication" set off the chain of events that led him to resign as defensive coordinator at Auburn on Friday to accept a similar position at the University of Texas.

Muschamp signed a two-year contract with a rollover provision with Auburn on Oct. 4, 2006. Athletic director Jay Jacobs, on head coach Tommy Tuberville's recommendation, agreed last month to extend the contract to three years and give Muschamp a raise to $425,000 per year. There was no discussion at the time of a completely new contract.

Muschamp told The Times that, when he looked over the copy of the original contract he had with him while in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, he was alarmed. Though the agreement called for him to be paid the full value of the contract should he be fired, he said it did not guarantee he would be paid in full if head coach Tommy Tuberville left.

Muschamp also said that, according to his copy of the contract, he would be required to pay the university the value of the contract should he leave for a coordinator's job in college or the NFL and that the rollover is not guaranteed.

"Obviously, there was a miscommunication on my contract," Muschamp said Saturday. "The way I read it, my contract was up on Feb. 5, 2008. I had to do what was best for my family."

Jacobs said the contract was not intended to tie Muschamp to Tuberville and that he told Muschamp any question about that would be resolved. He said he was puzzled about Muschamp's complaints about the rollover provision and a buyout should he leave for another coordinator's job.

A copy of the original Muschamp contract provided by Auburn to The Times under a Freedom of Information request called for a salary of $300,000 and included a rollover provision that guaranteed the contract would be automatically extended for a year each January unless the university notified Muschamp otherwise.

There is nothing in the eight-page copy of the contract that requires him to pay money to Auburn by leaving for a coordinator's job in college or the NFL. There is no mention of the contract expiring in 2008.

The contract was signed on the final page by Muschamp, former president Ed Richardson, Jacobs and Tuberville.

"I really wonder if he's looking at the right contract," Jacobs told The Times on Saturday.

"I told him he had a guaranteed two-year contract and he had my word on that. I told him that, if the contract he signed 14 months ago wasn't what he thought it was going to be, we would fix that.

"It was important to me that we keep Will. It was important enough that we gave him a $100,000 raise and added a year to his contract. I told him 'We'll tear up whatever you have and write it exactly as you want it.' I made it clear that a contract or money weren't going to be issues."

Muschamp acknowledged that, after he revealed his intention to interview at Texas last Wednesday, Jacobs assured him that any problems he had with his contract would be changed to Muschamp's satisfaction.

"That was after the fact," Muschamp said.

Muschamp said, until last week, he'd not studied his Auburn contract since signing it.

"I didn't know about it," he said, "until the week I was in Atlanta."

After spending Thursday and part of Friday in Austin, Muschamp decided to make the move. He told Tuberville on Friday afternoon.

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/huntsvill....xml&coll=1

Sounds to me like Muschamp was a bitch about the situation.  But what's worse, it sounds like Jacobs is covering his ass in this article.  I don't believe for one second that Jacobs would have "torn up whatever you have and write it exactly as you want it."  What kind of shit is that? 

[Tidesucksass]

Muschamp is a liar.

Muschamp also said that, according to his copy of the contract, he would be required to pay the university the value of the contract should he leave for a coordinator's job in college or the NFL

A copy of the original Muschamp contract provided by Auburn to The Times under a Freedom of Information request ...There is nothing in the eight-page copy of the contract that requires him to pay money to Auburn by leaving for a coordinator's job in college or the NFL. There is no mention of the contract expiring in 2008.

[War Eagle!!!]

Ummm...bullshit. I don't think it had anything to do with his contract or whether or not he would have a job past the '08 season.