Whether you are a startup company in North Carolina or the wide receivers coach in Alabama, it is important to stick to the terms of a contract. A former Alabama wide receivers coach has been sued by the school for breach of contract. According to reports, the school is seeking $57,000 from the coach to buy out his contract. He coached at Alabama in 2011 and 2012 before leaving to coach wide receivers for the Chicago Bears.
The University of Alabama claims that it has sent many messages to the coach asking for the money. However, he has not paid the buyout amount and allegedly refuses to do so. It is unclear how long the contract was for or if there were any scenarios under which Groh could leave the school early without having to buy the contract out.
A signed written contract is a binding agreement as long as both parties were over the age of 18 and of sound mind and ability when the contract was signed. In many cases, a verbal agreement is considered binding as well in a court of law. In the event that a contract is being negotiated with a minor, a parent or guardian of that minor must be present to sign the contract as well.
A good contract will spell out exactly what is expected from both parties and can avoid a business dispute in the future. Hiring a contract attorney before signing any such document may be in the best interest of any party subject to an agreement. Contract attorneys will review a proposed contract before it is signed to make sure that the client understands what he or she is agreeing to before the agreement becomes official.
Source: Tide Sports, “UA files complaint against former coach“, Aaron Suttles, February 20, 2014