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Home > SECWB News & More! > Coaching > Coaching Vacancies > LSU, Chatman Settle Contract Dispute
LSU, Chatman Settle Contract Dispute
by LeAnne Harrington, SECWB.com
Posted: June 26th, 2007 @ 2:43am
Only time will tell, but the sordid dispute between LSU and former women’s basketball coach Dana “Pokey” Chatman appears to have come to an end, at least for now. Chatman and LSU came to a not so amicable agreement on Friday, June 15, regarding the terms of termination of her contract, and any monies she was still owed at the time of her departure. Although Chatman abruptly resigned on March 7, 2007 to “pursue other career opportunities”, word quickly spread that Chatman was stepping down amid allegations of an improper relationship with a former player or players. These allegations were brought to the university’s attention by assistant coach Carla Berry, who has since then resigned as well. At the center of the dispute was the fact that, despite her hasty departure on March 7 (reportedly at the behest of LSU athletic department officials pending termination), the term of her contract ran through April 30, 2007. Included in that contract were sliding-scale post-season incentives which paid coach Chatman bonuses of increasing monetary value the deeper her team went in the NCAA Tournament. Despite coach Chatman’s departure, the Lady Tigers progressed to their fourth straight Final Four, where their run came to an end in the national semi-finals on April 1.
Mary Olive Pierson, Chatman’s Baton Rouge-based attorney, had already reached an agreement with LSU athletic department officials regarding payment of $75,000 to Chatman, which was the remaining payout of her base salary up to April 30, 2007. The point of contention was how much Chatman was owed in post-season bonus money. LSU had initially attempted to put a cap on the post-season payout Chatman would receive, but the university was threatened with a lawsuit on April 13 if an amicable agreement couldn’t be reached. LSU eventually decided to rescind the bonus cap, in keeping with the terms afforded other LSU coaches regarding post-season play. Pierson stated: “Coach Chatman is very happy that it has been resolved. It was an amicable resolution, but it was not too friendly getting here.”
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