School Paper Says Morrison Asks $1.2-Million Settlement From USC

Stan Morrison, saying he is still owed money by USC after being replaced as basketball coach last March and leaving the school in August, has asked the university for $1.2 million in damages and compensation for the final two years of his contract.

The story became public in Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Trojan, which claimed it anonymously received a letter, dated Aug. 28, last month in a plain white envelope. In the letter, Morrison’s attorney, Leonard Armato, said USC owes Morrison two years’ salary “as a result of wrongful termination” of his coaching contract.

In addition, it states that the former coach was never compensated for media agreements, shoe endorsements, basketball camps and commercial opportunities. A $600,000 payment to Morrison, now athletic director at UC Santa Barbara, was requested to settle all claims, but the demand was not met, the letter said.

“The whole thing was precipitated by Mike McGee’s firing Stan,” Armato told the Daily Trojan. “While (Athletic Director Mike) McGee was firing him, he encouraged Stan to resign for a smooth transition so as not to damage--from a public relations standpoint--the image of the university.

“The university wanted to manipulate Stan. And Stan--when he said that he resigned even though he was fired--was agreeing with the university’s request that he make it public that he wasn’t canned.”

Neither Morrison nor McGee, on the advice of attorneys, would comment on the letter, the paper said. However, McGee did hint that the matter may go to court, especially since USC’s position remains that Morrison resigned to become an associate athletic director.

“I wouldn’t presume that there’s going to be a settlement,” McGee told the Daily Trojan.

Monday, Armato issued a statement saying that Morrison has no desire to file a lawsuit against the university, “but, to date, USC has refused to make any settlement offer.”

Morrison coached at USC from 1980-86 and compiled a 103-95 record. The 1982 and 1985 teams made the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. playoffs, and after the latter season, Morrison was named coach of the year in the Pacific 10 Conference.