Stolz Might Consider Staying in a New Job at SDSU

Denny Stolz, fired from his position as San Diego State football coach 2 weeks ago, would consider remaining with the university if an agreement can be reached on how to honor the remaining 3 years of his contract, his lawyer said Thursday.

“Denny likes San Diego State; he loves San Diego, and he would be interested in remaining in the California State University system,” said his lawyer, Roy Bell. “We did not discuss the issue of taking a buyout.”

Bell made his remarks after a meeting Thursday morning with Fred Miller, SDSU’s athletic director, and other university officials.

The meeting was the first between representatives of both sides since Stolz was fired Nov. 14 during his third season as the Aztecs’ coach.

The main unresolved issues, Bell said, concern the university’s assertion that it has the right to reassign Stolz to other duties within the university, and its remaining financial obligation to Stolz.

In announcing the firing, Miller said Stolz would be assigned to other duties within the university. Miller said Thursday that he will meet shortly with Stolz to discuss that assignment. He declined further comment, citing privacy requirements governing university personnel matters.

Bell said the university does not have the right to reassign Stolz, and even if it did, it couldn’t because no comparable job exists.

“There is only one head football coach,” Bell said. “It is a unique position.”

But Bell said he is allowing Stolz to meet with Miller in hopes of finding a job that might meet Stolz’s needs.

The economic questions are another issue, Bell said.

Stolz has a contract that pays him a salary of approximately $64,000 a year through February 1992, sources said.

Bell said the university has indicated it is willing to honor that part of the agreement if Stolz agrees to reassignment. But Bell said the university also is obligated to continue to see that Stolz receives all the financial benefits he earned as coach.

Those benefits approximately double Stolz’s income, sources said. They include such items as the use of an automobile and money from equipment endorsements and television appearances.

Bell said the university contends it is no longer obligated to provide Stolz these benefits because they are from sources other than university income. Bell said these sources include sponsorships and funds from the Aztec Athletic Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for SDSU athletics.

“My concern is the agreement, not who is responsible (for the money),” Bell said. “Our view is that Denny is owed the full value of his contract.”

Bell said that despite the disagreements, the tone of the meeting was productive. He said the university was interested in treating Stolz fairly and reaching an agreement.