Judge rules Ford owes $1.2 million to Kent State
Geno Ford will be forced to repay $1.2 million to Kent State after an Ohio judge ruled Tuesday that he ended his contract prematurely with the school to take the head coaching job at Bradley University.
Ford's contract as Kent State coach ran through 2015. He left in 2011 for Bradley after three seasons with the Golden Flashes.
The $1.2 million was the buyout amount of Ford's contract, which was restructured in 2010. Kent State argued that Ford and his new employer wrongly believed the buyout terms of $300,000 for each remaining year on the contract could be obfuscated.
Kent State also has sued Bradley for "torturous interference with Kent State's contractual relationship" with Ford. The case is scheduled to go to trial in October.
Ford and Bradley officials offered no response other than a statement reported by The Sporting News from university officials that read, in part, that its actions "have been entirely ethical, legal, and transparent. The lawsuit is ongoing and will continue to be addressed through the court system."
