Shannon, Miami settle pay dispute

[June 06, 2012]  CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Randy Shannon will not be fighting the Miami Hurricanes in a courtroom.

The university said Tuesday that a breach-of-contract lawsuit the former Hurricanes football coach filed in late April over money he said he was denied after his firing has been settled. Financial terms of the settlement were not released, largely because Shannon's contract with the school required him to keep such details confidential.

The lawsuit was filed in Miami on April 27.

"Contract issues between the University of Miami and Randy Shannon have been fully, fairly and amicably resolved," the university said in a statement. "We are grateful for Coach Shannon's service as a player, assistant and head coach. Coach Shannon will always be a Miami Hurricane."

Shannon's attorneys and the university began working on settlement terms several weeks ago.

Shannon was fired Nov. 27, 2010 after going 28-22 in four seasons with the Hurricanes. Earlier that year, he and the school agreed on an extension that would have kept him under contract through January 2014.

In the lawsuit, Shannon said it was the university's assertion that since he was fired less than one full year after that deal went into effect, the Hurricanes could reduce the amount of money he was guaranteed. Shannon said the school was only paying him about five-sixths of what he has been owed in monthly installments, calling it an "amount overpaid."

Shannon also said the school withheld a bonus that should have been paid because Miami was selected for the 2010 Sun Bowl. Shannon was fired before the team was selected to that game and did not coach in the matchup against Notre Dame, but claimed he was entitled to the bonus because the Hurricanes were bowl-eligible based on what they did under him during the regular season.

Shannon was a linebacker for Miami in the mid-1980s before going to the NFL. The Miami native was a starter on the team that won the 1987 national championship. Shannon was a graduate assistant when the Hurricanes won another title in 1991, then was defensive coordinator when Miami won its fifth and most recent national title in 2001.

As a player, assistant coach and head coach, Shannon spent 21 years with the Hurricanes.

[Associated Press; By TIM REYNOLDS]

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