Tennessee Reaches $2.5 Million Settlement With Former Athletic Director John Currie

March 22, 2018

Rick Nyman,

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee has agreed to pay former athletic director John Currie $2.5 million as part of a settlement reached less than four months after he was suspended in the midst of a football coaching search.

Currie already had received nearly $280,000 since being placed on paid leave in December. School officials announced Thursday that Currie will get an additional $2.2 million no later than April 1.

Tennessee chancellor Beverly Davenport announced on Dec. 1 she was suspending Currie while seeing if the school could fire him for cause. Currie had been on the job only eight months and was looking for a new football coach at the time.

Phillip Fulmer replaced Currie as athletic director.

The buyout terms of Currie’s contract said he’d be owed $5.5 million if he got fired without cause.