Why did Texas Tech fire women’s basketball coach Marilyn Stolins?
SportsPulse: Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt spoke with reporters Friday to discuss the school’s next steps after firing women’s basketball coach Marlene Stallings.
SportsPulse, USA Today
Texas Tech has agreed to pay a little more than $740,000 to former women’s basketball coach Marlene Stallings, who accused the school and athletics director Kirby Hocutt of discrimination and retaliation, part of a settlement, according to USA Today Sports, obtained from the university through a public records request.
The school fired Stallings in August 2020, the day after an investigation by USA Today Sports and The Intercollegiate, the College Sports Investigative Media, was published. The players said there was a culture of abuse under Stallings, describing it as a toxic culture that created “fear, anxiety and depression.”
In her lawsuit, Stollongs argued that two internal reviews by the school before the investigation was published cleared her of the allegations.
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The case filed in October 2020 August 10 was settled.
The settlement shows that Stollings received $300,000 for alleged compensatory damages, including emotional pain, suffering, discomfort, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. According to the settlement, she received $300,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Stalling, as well as an additional $140,666.00 in back wages.
“Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, TTU (Texas Tech University) leaked only one part of the agreement,” Peter Ginsberg, the attorney representing Stallings, told USA TODAY Sports in a text message. But we, unlike TTU, take our obligations and promises seriously and don’t say much. It is TTU. Marlene has a lot to be proud of – and a lot of integrity to play the TTU game.
Ginsburg did not elaborate on what part of the agreement he said denied Texas Tech.
The school previously said it could not comment on the settlement and did not respond to inquiries about Ginsburg’s lawsuit.
Stalling was under contract until March 2024 when she was fired. She was due $720,000 in base annual compensation from the school for the 2019-20 season and $740,000 for 2020-21, according to copies of the agreement obtained by USA TODAY Sports and Intercollegiate. A termination without cause will entitle Stolling to 75% of the remaining base annual compensation, up to a total of $2 million.
She has been out of coaching since leaving Texas Tech.
Last week, Texas Tech announced a contract extension for Hokut through August 31, 2030.
Contributed by: Steve Berkowitz, USA Today Sports
