The University of Alabama paid former assistant football coach Bo Davis more than $316,000 in August, nearly four months after he resigned in the wake of an investigation into NCAA recruiting violations.
Records show that Davis was paid $316,666.66 by check on Aug. 19. He resigned on April 28. UA failed to disclose the payment in response to an open-records request by The Tuscaloosa News, but did reveal other payments made to him in 2016 before and after his resignation.
The payout was "to resolve disputed claims related to his separation from the university," Monica Greppin Watts, UA associate vice president for communications, said in an email response to questions about the disbursement.
Watts said UA declined to disclose the payment in response to The News’ request because it was not "how your request was interpreted." The request asked "how much (Davis) was paid in each pay period as well as a year-to-date total." No year-to-date total was provided, and a listing of disbursements to the coach omitted the large lump-sum check in August.
Davis, a veteran defensive line coach, resigned in April after the NCAA began investigating allegations that he made impermissible contact with multiple recruits. Investigators determined that Davis was untruthful in his responses when confronted with the allegations, and he eventually resigned. As of this week, the NCAA had not issued any ruling on the matter.
"Bo Davis has submitted his letter of resignation," UA head coach Nick Saban said in a prepared statement at the time. "We appreciate all the contributions he made to the program and wish him and his family the very best in the future."
According to documents provided by UA, Davis received regular salary payments of $39,763.34 at the end of each month through April. He was paid $54,808.76 in "accrual pay" at the end of May. UA payroll documents show no such accrual payments to former Alabama assistant coaches Kirby Smart and Mel Tucker, who left the program after the 2015 season to take positions at Georgia.
With the payout of more than $316,000, and not counting his bonus of $85,500.01 for the 2015 national championship season, Davis has now been paid more than the $475,000 he was contracted to make in 2016 had he kept his job. Davis has received $475,720.02 in payments, a number that jumps to $530,528.78 if the accrual payment is counted.
UA Director of Athletics Bill Battle said on June 1 at the SEC Spring Meetings in Miramar Beach, Fla., that UA had "determined there were violations," but Davis was not fired for cause despite several clauses in his contract that would seem to have allowed that course of action.
An article in the contract describing duties and responsibilities says the employee "agrees to abide by and comply with NCAA ... rules" and to "work cooperatively with ... compliance personnel on compliance matters."
The article describing grounds for termination for cause includes "fraud or dishonesty ... in the performance of (employee’s) duties or responsibilities," and "conduct constituting a Level I or Level II violation, or a pattern of conduct which may constitute or lead to a Level I or Level II violation" of NCAA bylaws.
Davis signed a contract effective March 1, 2015, paying him an annual salary of $475,000 through the end of February, 2017. Watts said UA has no further payments to Davis scheduled.
Davis also received a refund check in the amount of $5,475 on Sept. 20 to reconcile his retirement account.
Battle said at SEC meetings in Miramar Beach, Fla., on June 1 that UA "felt like it was in our best interest to separate" with Davis after looking into recruiting violations.
"I know that Bo spoke to the NCAA after we did and he resigned," Battle said. "We have determined there were violations and felt like it was in our best interest to separate. I know that Bo spoke to the NCAA in hopes that he could reduce any penalty that might come to him. We haven’t heard what might come to us. We’re still waiting for those answers.
"You never know. It’s one of our staff members so whether or not action is taken, all we can do is respond to what we find are things that happened. We responded as quickly as (we could). It will be up to the NCAA to decide what they think about our response."
Davis became part of Saban’s original coaching staff at Alabama when he was hired in 2007 as defensive line coach. He stayed through 2010 before leaving for the same position at Texas, where he stayed for three seasons. He returned to UA in 2014 in the same capacity to help lead one of the best defensive lines in the country, highlighted by a stellar 2015 unit. He also coached with Saban in 2006 as an assistant defensive line coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.
In July, the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL announced that Davis was one of five interns hired for training camp. He no longer works for the organization.
