It looks as though embattled UConn Huskies athletic director Jeff Hathaway is working his last day on the UConn campus in Storrs, CT.
According to the New London Day, Hathaway has to accept a buyout or he’ll be let go as athletic director at UConn.
The sources said Hathaway will have until the end of business today to accept a buyout plan. If Hathaway does not accept one, he will be terminated.
The sources said Hathaway has asked for $3 million plus other bonuses. It was unclear what UConn has offered. Hathaway works under a six-year contract that rolls over yearly. His base pay, according to the university, is $351,717 with another approximately $600,000 annually for speaking engagements and other duties.
While Hathaway may not be the only one to lose their position at UConn under this review, he is obviously the most high profile. I’m pretty sure that if a professor was losing his or her job, it wouldn’t be news like this.
The review was brought about by new UConn president Susan Herbst who took over this summer. She had ordered a review of the athletic department when she came on board.
This is not surprising in the least especially given the recent turmoil surrounding the men’s basketball program with the Nate Miles scandal and the APR scores. During the Miles scandal, Hathaway didn’t jump out there and defend his head coach Jim Calhoun. And with the weight that Calhoun can pull, it probably wasn’t the smartest thing he could do.
The only coach of the big sports that was actually hired by Hathaway was UConn football coach Paul Pasqualoni. Calhoun and women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma were hired by John Toner.
While it had been reported that Hathaway might be let go when the review was ordered, he wasn’t and has stuck around campus going about business as usual.
Now, he’ll be looking for work.
Update 6:00 p.m.: Hathaway is out as AD at UConn. He’s reached a buyout agreement.
Update 6:45 p.m.: Hathaway has actually “retired” from his duties at UConn.
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