Arizona Daily Star
Rich Rodriguez was fired on Tuesday after a $7.5 million notice of claim was filed with the state Attorney General’s Office alleging that Arizona’s head football coach ran a hostile workplace and sexually harassed a former employee.
The UA announced Rodriguez’s firing in a news release around 8:30 p.m. University President Robert C. Robbins and athletic director Dave Heeke said they will “honor the separation terms” of the coach’s contract, after an internal investigation did not find enough evidence to fire him for cause. His buyout is about $6 million.
“While this is a difficult decision, it is the right decision,” they wrote. “And it is a decision that lives up to the core values of the University of Arizona.”
Rodriguez, 54, just finished his sixth season as the Wildcats’ coach following stops at Michigan and West Virginia. This year’s team went 7-6, losing four of its final five games after a surprising start. Purdue beat the UA in the Dec. 27 Foster Farms Bowl.
Rodriguez tweeted a statement late Tuesday in which he said he will “vigorously fight these fabricated and groundless claims” made by his former administrative assistant. The coach said he was fired by email.
