Arizona Fires Rich Rodriguez Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations

TUCSON, AZ – Rich Rodriguez is out as head football coach of the Wildcats. The University of Arizona announced his firing late Tuesday.

"After conducting a thorough evaluation of our football program and its leadership, both on and off the field, President Robbins and I feel it is in the best interest of the University of Arizona and our athletics department to go in a new direction," Athletics Director David Heeke said in a statement.

The school says that they will honor the terms of Rodriguez's contract, which means a $6.3 million payout. If they had waited much longer, they would have had to pay him at least another $3 million.

His contract ran through May 31, 2020.

In the statement signed by Heeke and university president Robert Robbins that was sent to students and members of the university community, they reference sexual harassment allegations against Rodriguez.

The school hired an outside law firm last October to investigate claims by a former employee of the Department of Athletics that Rodriguez had harassed her several times.

The woman did not cooperate with the probe, refusing to be interviewed and declining to turn over communications she said supported her claims, the school said.

She also hired her own lawyer and last week filed a notice of claim – a common step before the filing of a lawsuit.

While the school says that the investigation found that the allegations could not be substantiated based on the paucity of witnesses and evidence available, the school became aware of information "which caused it to be concerned with the direction and climate of the football program."

Rodriguez sent out a statement saying he "was deeply disappointed to learn by email this evening that the University of Arizona is buying out my contract.

He said that investigation was spurred by allegations from his "former administrative assistant, who threatened a $7.5 million lawsuit alleging harassment."

While the university was clear to say that they determined the allegation could not be substantiated based on what they had available, Rodriguez claimed that "the University determined that there was no truth to her accusations and found me innocent of any wrongdoing."

In his statement, Rodriguez said that his administrative assistant's complaint did contain "a single truth – in the past, I had a consensual extramarital affair with a woman who is not affiliated with the University.

"It was wrong, and I have apologized to my wife and family. I am still working incredibly hard to repair the bonds I've broken and regain the trust of my wife and children."

Rodriguez spent six seasons as the head coach of the Wildcats, running up a 43-35 record.

The team, which had gone 3-9 in 2016, started 2017 strong, going 6-2. It then lost four of its last five games including the annual grudge match against Arizona and the Foster Farms Bowl against Purdue.

He previously was the head coach of West Virginia and Michigan.

Photo of Rodriguez via Christian Peterson/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images