Running for the money
With a story fitting for daytime television drama, the K-State vs. Ron Prince battle continues. Recently dismissed former Wildcat coach Ron Prince, along with his attorneys, are asking that Kansas State University pay him $3 million in additional damages for “wanton and malicious misconduct.” Prince, who went 17-20 during his 3-year tenure as head coach at KSU, had an alleged secret agreement with then-athletic director, Bob Krause, giving Prince $3.2 million, with payments starting in 2015 and ending in 2020.
All of this came as news to former K-State president John Wefald, who claimed to have had no knowledge of the deal. The deal apparently was not known to anyone else in the athletic department. Wildcat athletic director Jim Epps issued the following statement concerning the Prince/Krause deal, “On May 11, 2009, I learned of a secret deferred compensation agreement that Bob Krause apparently negotiated with Ron Prince’s attorney. This alleged deal was made without the knowledge of anyone else in the athletics department, including its attorney. This deal was apparently constructed as a further supplement to the buyout provision contained in Prince’s employment contract. I do not know why any additional supplement was justified, or why Bob Krause concealed this agreement from everyone until it was inadvertently discovered last week.” He added, “I do not believe that this agreement is valid, and the athletics department will vigorously fight any attempt to enforce it.” Shortly after Epps issued the statement, K-State suspended him from his post as athletic director.
K-State filed suit earlier this year in Riley County Court seeking to void the $3.2M deal by claiming that no university officials knew of the deal between Prince and Krause. However, Prince and his attorneys contend that Wefald did in fact know of the agreement. Prince’s attorneys contend that several high-ranking university officials, including former president Jon Wefald, had “actual or constructive knowledge” of Prince’s separate buyout agreement.
The situation is complex, to say the least, and the truth will undoubtedly come out at some point in court. What’s unfortunate about the situation is that the residents of Kansas and students at K-State are going to be the ones footing the bill on this. Prince wasn’t the most popular guy in Manhattan before this, and it’s safe to say that he won’t be coming to town anytime soon to visit old friends.
