UC Davis Basketball Coach Threatens Suit Against Old Employer

New UC Davis men’s basketball coach Jim Les has threatened to sue his former employer, Bradley University.

Les was fired by Bradley in March and named coach at UC Davis two months later. In a letter to Bradley, which was obtained by ESPN Chicago, Les disputes the amount of money owed to him in his contract, which still had three years on it at the time of his firing. In the letter, Les says:

“I’m not asking for anything more than what I am owed, but I am not willing to accept anything less. However, less is what Bradley is attempting to force me to accept.”

Much of the controversy has to do with the fact that in addition to coaching, Les will be teaching at UC Davis. Bradley University said in a public response to Les that the former coach must “offset Bradley financial obligations now that he is employed with the University of California Davis.”

Bradley wants to offset the amount they owe Les by taking into account his entire salary, rather than just the coaching portion.

This ESPN Chicago article features excerpts from the letter and more details about the possible lawsuit.