PALM HARBOR, Fla. -- Attorneys for Jim Leavitt say the former South Florida coach's firing was unwarranted and he should be reinstated to the job he held for 14 years.
Leavitt was fired last week after a university investigation concluded he grabbed one his players by the throat, slapped the athlete in the face and then lied about the incident that allegedly occurred during halftime of a game.
Leavitt has strongly denied the allegation. The coach has scheduled a news conference at the offices of his attorneys for Monday.
The attorneys released a statement Friday of behalf of the coach, saying the dismissal "is contrary to the terms of his contract" and violates Leavitt's constitutional rights.
The statement said Leavitt "fully and voluntary" cooperated with the university investigation and consistently denied any wrongdoing. It also noted the player and player's father had denied the coach acted improperly.
Citing Miller's father, high school coach and five USF players who were not identified, AOL FanHouse reported that Leavitt hit Miller because he was upset about a mistake the player made on special teams.
Miller's father later backtracked, telling reporters the coach did not strike his son but rather grabbed him by the shoulder pads while trying to motivate the player.
Leavitt, who had a 13-season record of 95-57, told investigators he has never struck a player and that he was trying to lift the spirits of a player who was "down" when he grabbed the player's shoulder pads during halftime of a game against Louisville on Nov. 21.
The probe concluded the coach's account was not credible because it was not supported by statements obtained from others, who either witnessed the incident or were told of it by the player.
Leavitt just finished the second season of a seven-year, $12.6 million contract extension that calls for a base salary of $800,000 in 2010.
The terms of the contract stipulate if he's fired with cause Leavitt is entitled to one month's base pay, in this case $66,667. If fired without cause, the university would owe him substantially more.
