Binghamton Bearcats buy out Kevin Broadus
The Binghamton Bearcats have bought out former head coach Kevin Broadus’ contract. The club will pay a $1.2 million settlement to Broadus.
Broadus led the Bearcats to their first ever NCAA Final Four Tournament appearance and their first ever conference championship in 2009. However, the program was devastated when star guard Emanuel Mayben
was arrested over the summer for selling crack cocaine, which followed with the team losing five players.
Moreover, the NCAA began an investigation, which attempted to prove that the Bearcats had foregone academic success in the hopes of athletic development. The loss of five players and the ongoing investigation
led to the school’s athletic director resigning and the club firing Broadus, who had just been given an extension through to the end of the 2013-14 season.
However, Broadus claimed the university had no bearing in which to have fired him and filed a racial discrimination lawsuit in March. His attorney Linda Kelly Baden has been handling the case since that
time. The buyout finally settles what has been a major black eye on a program that otherwise looked as though it was making strides.
“I think the settlement speaks for itself. It’s a huge victory and a vindication,” said Baden. “I think the NCAA closing the investigation shows that this was a tempest in a teapot. He didn’t do anything
wrong and others should be looked at, not Kevin Broadus.”
Broadus had an outstanding season with the Bearcats, leading them to an American East title, earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Final Four Tournament. The Bearcats were defeated in the first round,
but looked to be a budding program.
Last season the Bearcats did not play in the American East Conference tournament and struggled throughout the campaign going 13-18 with a conference record of 8-8.
Tags: