UVa has no worry in Prince dealings

The scenario out in Manhattan, Kan., which seems more akin to an Abbott & Costello routine — or, better, a Three Stooges episode — won’t have any impact on Virginia’s football program.

Ron Prince, who returned to UVa as special teams coach after being fired as Kansas State’s head coach, is in the center of a legal storm. KSU is attempting to have an agreement worth $3.2 million in deferred payments to Prince declared invalid.

The school claims it was a “secret agreement” between former Kansas State athletic director Bob Krause, who has since been fired, and Prince.

Nowhere to hide

Prince’s attorney, Neil Cornrich — a pretty sharp guy who represents some of the top coaches in college and pro football — maintains the agreement was not done in secret.

“Not only is it inaccurate to claim that this was a secret agreement, but also it makes no sense since the contract was mutually agreed upon, signed and legally binding,” Cornrich has stated.

KSU, which seems to be shooting itself in the foot at every turn (the school has since suspended two longtime athletic administrators without explanation), won’t take the blame for any of the obvious missteps it may have taken.

Outgoing Kansas State president Jon Wefald, who is retiring at the end of the month, should take full responsibility for the mess. He hired Krause, a longtime friend who had never been an athletic director, to head the department. Krause happens to be the son-in-law of one of the school’s top sugar daddies.

Hmmm. Does anyone here see any red flags being sent up the pole?

No such secrets

Wefald said he was shocked to find out about the $3.2 million deal in addition to a $1.5 buyout when KSU booted Prince with five years left on his contract.

Well, I don’t know how Kansas State does its business, and I don’t pretend to be a lawyer, although I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. But, in most of the schools I have covered during my career, the athletic director has to get approval on various levels to sign a deal like this.

In other words, there’s no way that UVa’s Craig Littlepage could sign a deal with a coach without running it through the school’s attorneys and most likely Leonard Sandridge, who would keep his boss appraised of the situation.

No “secret” deal would be possible. There would be several sets of eyes on the scenario.

For KSU to claim that no one other than a couple of people in the athletic department knew about this deal is unthinkable. Sounds like a university that realized it screwed up and is now trying to find a way to keep from paying the money.

Plain and simple. Well, maybe not simple. Not when it has to go through the courts, although no one would be surprised it this controversy ends in a financial settlement.

Meanwhile, Cavalier fans shouldn’t be concerned. It will have no bearing on UVa football. Prince won’t lose any sleep over it because it’s out of his control.

As far as coach Al Groh is concerned, this whole thing might as well be happening on the moon.

Maybe that would be a good place to settle the whole issue, a nice “secret” place where Kansas State can hope there’s no media exposure and where Wefald and Krause might seem more at home.