The Arizona Board of Regents approved amendments to the contract of UA coach Sean Miller that added the threat of a $1 million penalty for wrongdoing and tighter Title IX language.
Miller will lose $1 million of his longevity fund shares if he is charged with a crime or found to have committed a Level I (major) NCAA violation. The adjustment comes in the wake of an ESPN story that said Miller and a sports agent discussed a $100,000 payment to UA freshman Deandre Ayton, and seven months after the FBI arrested assistant coach Book Richardson on corruption charges.Β
UA athletic director Dave Heeke said Miller, who is under contract through the 2021-22 season, agreed to the changes in what was "not a give-and-take conversation" but an agreement between partners.
"Sean was supportive of the direction of putting a hard marker on the table, saying, `Iβm willing to stand behind this,' " Heeke said.
University president Robert Robbins praised the coach for doing so.
βIβm appreciative to Coach Miller for stepping up and, shall we say, putting some skin in this,β Robbins said at the Regent meeting. βHe put his money where his mouth was.
"We obviously supported Coach Miller through a very difficult time and we look forward to him having great success and being our coach for a long time."
Before the Regents voted to pass the amendments, Regent Ron Shoopman said he gave credit to Robbins, Heeke and Johnson for not rushing to judgment.
"In these emotionally charged situations, itβs very easy to get caught up in all the hysteria," Shoopman said. "Rather than do something, this group was thoughtful, fact-based and unemotional. Very pragmatic in moving forward.
"I think it really speaks well that we moved in a methodical way rather than an emotional way."
The Regents also added a provision detailing Millerβs obligations as a βresponsible employeeβ under Title IX, which includes reporting requirements, cooperation with Title IX investigations and participation in Title IX trainings.Β Laura Todd Johnson, UA's senior VP for legal affairs and general counsel, said the Title IX language wasn't only for Miller and will be added to all of UA's coaching contracts.
"It's just a best practice that that weβre committed to," she said.
Miller could, of course, lose all of his longevity fund shares if he is fired for cause. The new provision means he could be penalized even if he remains on the job. A Level 1 violation involves what the NCAA calls a βsevere breach of contractβ and is the most serious of four levels of violations. Examples of Level 1 violations include lack of institutional control, academic fraud, failure to cooperate in an NCAA enforcement investigation, unethical or dishonest conduct.
Miller, who did not attend the Regent meeting, became fully vested in 175,000 shares of Western Refining Logistics stock on May 31, 2017, and he is scheduled to receive the shares on May 31, 2020. He has been scheduled to receive another 50,000 shares in May 2022 if he stays until June 2020.
The contract amendment says the shares were converted at a rate of 0.5233 to Andeavor Logistics LP, a Delaware Master Limited Partnership. Andeavor Logistics was trading at 45.20 per share on Friday morning, meaning Millerβs converted pool of 91,577.5 shares was worth $4.14 million.
Miller earned an estimated total of $2.795 million in 2017-18, not counting the credit toward the additional longevity fund shares. UA is paying him a base salary of $1.5 million plus $700,000 for peripheral duties such as his radio show, as well as $120,000 in performance bonuses. Nike and IMG are each paying him about $200,000.
A federal investigation into college basketball resulted in Richardson's Sept. 26 arrest on federal fraud and bribery charges, while a Feb. 23 ESPN story said Miller allegedly discussed paying $100,000 to secure a recruit. Miller did not coach against Oregon on Feb. 24 and sat out for four more days while UA officials said they asked him βdirect and pointed questionsβ about the allegations.
UA then said on March 1 that Miller would remain as coach and Miller coached the Wildcatsβ final six games of the season.
