School Sues Haskins to Recover Buyout

The University of Minnesota is suing former basketball coach Clem Haskins, looking to recover its $1.5-million contract buyout and contending he lied about academic cheating.

“The university got ripped off, and we want our money back,” university lawyer Lorie Gildea said Monday at a news conference in Minneapolis.

Gildea said Haskins’ admission to the NCAA that he secretly paid a former tutor $3,000 was the “smoking gun.” The lawsuit also contends Haskins told players to mislead investigators after the story broke in March 1999.

The suit, filed in Hennepin County District Court, seeks damages and legal expenses. It cites fraud, deceit and breach of employment agreement.

Haskins’ attorney, Ron Meshbesher, issued a statement saying the university’s allegations are false. He said the school’s attorneys investigated the matter and that top officials were fully aware of the allegations against Haskins when they approved the terms of the buyout.

“If the university will not honor its agreements, which it deliberately sought and considered, what message does that send to its law students and the rest of the student body?” Meshbesher asked.

Haskins has denied wrongdoing. Mark Yudof, the university’s president, defended the buyout, saying the school was obligated to give him the money because it had no proof of wrongdoing by Haskins at the time.

After repeatedly denying the accusation, Haskins acknowledged to the NCAA in August that he secretly gave $3,000 to a woman who tutored basketball players after she had been ordered to stay away from the program.

Gildea said the university had been considering suing Haskins for some time but waited until an NCAA investigation was complete. The NCAA is expected to rule in October.

Haskins resigned in June 1999, three months after former tutor Jan Gangelhoff said she had written about 400 research papers and tests for about 20 players during Haskins’ tenure.

Motor Racing

Geoffrey Bodine, who missed the first 10 Winston Cup races this season as he recovered from injuries suffered in a horrific stock car crash at Daytona, was fired as driver for Joe Bessey Motorsports.

Bessey, an occasional driver on the Busch Grand National series, called Bodine and told him he would take over the car for the remaining nine Winston Cup races this season.

“I was flabbergasted,” Bodine told The Associated Press. “I told him ‘Good Luck’. I was stunned, it was all I could come up with.”

Bessey was not available for comment and team manager Mark Stinson said he preferred to let Bessey discuss the decision.

The 51-year-old Bodine was in his second season driving for Bessey.

Bodine, currently 44th in the points standings, has only 12 starts on the year and doesn’t have a top-10 finish. He’s out of provisionals and has failed to make the field in five races.

Tennis

Marat Safin’s first Grand Slam title was not a winner for CBS. The preliminary overnight ratings for Sunday’s U.S. Open final on CBS, in which Safin defeated Pete Sampras, drew a 5.1 rating and a 10 share, down 28% from the 7.1 overnight rating and 14 share for last year’s final between Andre Agassi and Todd Martin.

The ratings apparently were hurt by the speed and ease of Safin’s straight-set, 98-minute victory.

Sampras moved atop the ATP champions race rankings for the first time this year by advancing to the U.S. Open final,

Sampras spent a record 276 weeks at No. 1 in the previous rankings system, replaced by the champions race at the end of 1999.

Sampras gained two places to end French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten’s 10-week stint at the top after the Brazilian lost in the U.S. Open first round.

Safin gained one place in the standings to go third, above Magnus Norman.

Hockey

St. Louis Blues defenseman Marc Bergevin will miss the next six weeks after breaking his right thumb during the first day of training camp.

Bergevin, 35, had one goal, eight assists and 75 penalty minutes in 81 games last season. The Blues picked up the option on the final year of his contract in July. A 15-year veteran, Bergevin has 32 goals and 123 assists in 992 games with six teams.

The expansion Columbus Blue Jackets released left wing Brent Ozarowski and defenseman Dan Preston, their third- and fifth-round draft picks, respectively.

Former NHL center Neal Broten will be among three inductees into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 1.

St. Louis Blues General Manager Larry Pleau, and current USA Hockey Executive Director Doug Palazzari, also will be enshrined.

Pro Basketball

The Denver Nuggets signed Andre Woolridge, a 6-foot point guard who has spent most of his playing time overseas since leaving the University of Iowa undrafted in 1997.