Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Golden suing Miami, says he’s still owed $3M
CORAL GABLES — Nearly three years to the day he was fired by the University of Miami, former Hurricanes football coach Al Golden is suing his former employer, claiming the school owes him $3 million.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Miami federal court, Golden’s attorneys outlined the coach’s breach-of-contract claim, writing that “the unpaid portion of Plaintiff’s separation pay as of October 2018 is approximately $3 million and continues to grow.”
Late Wednesday, school officials issued a statement reading: “The University of Miami is disappointed to learn that former Coach Golden filed suit. The University has fulfilled all of its obligations to Coach Golden in connection with his separation from the University and will defend the claims.”
Golden, who is now an assistant coach with the Detroit Lions, was fired as Hurricanes coach on Oct. 25, 2015, a day after Miami suffered the worst loss in program history, a 58-0 defeat to
then sixth-ranked Clemson.
Golden, who was hired by former Hurricanes athletic director Kirby Hocutt in 2010, posted a 32-25 record at Miami, and during his time there, Miami never played for an ACC title and never beat a team that finished the season ranked in the AP Top 25.
The Hurricanes also endured 14 double-digit losses, with seven coming during Golden’s last two seasons in Coral Gables while many fans and former players vocally clamored for a coaching change.
As ugly as the end was, though, Golden inspired hope early during his time at Miami. The coach often earned praise for how he dealt with the damaging effects of a protracted NCAA investigation into the actions of former booster Nevin Shapiro, who allegedly dished out thousands of dollars worth of improper benefits to Miami athletes before Golden was hired.
During the investigation, which began in 2011, the Hurricanes endured two self-imposed postseason bans, one of which kept Miami from playing for the ACC title. With uncertainty about what kind of punishment the NCAA could hand down, recruiting was a challenge and Golden described that stretch of uncertainty around the program as “toxic.”
At the time of Golden’s firing, current Miami athletic director Blake James lauded the coach’s management of that tough situation.
“Al navigated us through the NCAA case. He always represented our institution in a first-class manner,” James said in October 2015.
However, success on the field was hard to come by, and Golden was never able to cash in on some of the bonuses detailed in the original contract Miami and Golden signed in 2011.
According to court documents, those included a $750,000 bonus for a first-place finish in the BCS Championship Game; a $45,000 bonus for a firstplace finish in the ACC Championship and an $80,000 bonus for earning national Coach of the Year recognition from nine different organizations.
Court documents also show Golden was initially entitled to a base salary of $150,000 per year, though that was eventually raised to $160,000. Miami also agreed to provide the former coach with a luxury automobile during the terms of his contract, a $700 monthly stipend for a car for his wife Kelly, and the school agreed to pay for Golden’s membership at the Deering Bay Country Club.
Golden’s contract also stipulated that he receive the use of a suite at what was then called Sun Life Stadium, as well as six parking passes and 20 premium event tickets, 12 tickets for each Hurricanes road game, 16 tickets for any bowl games in which Miami played and eight season tickets for both Hurricanes’ men’s basketball games and baseball games.
Golden, who according to court documents is also seeking interest and attorney’s fees and costs in his lawsuit, isn’t the only former Hurricanes coach to sue the school after being fired.
Former coach Randy Shannon — now the defensive coordinator at UCF — sued Miami for breach-ofcontract in 2012. He and the school settled their dispute later that year, though terms of that settlement were not disclosed.