EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Former University of Evansville basketball coach Walter McCarty is suing the school, saying it owes him more than $75,000 under the terms of the contract he signed four years ago.
The federal lawsuit filed Dec. 20 alleges that the university didn’t fulfill its contractual obligations to the longtime Boston Celtics forward under a five-year contract he signed in March 2018 that called for him to be paid a base salary of $240,000 that would increase by $10,000 annually.
That contract also included incentives that were performance-based, as well as a percentage of fundraising and ticket revenue, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.
McCarty alleges that he’s owed $48,000 for an “exceptional fundraising bonus” for the 2018-19 season. He doesn’t specify the amount he believes he’s owed for the 2019-20 season, but documents state “it is believed that this amount is equal to or greater than” his first season.
McCarty’s contract states that he would be paid 25% of fundraising revenue if it didn’t exceed 20% of his base salary, according to the suit.
“After beating the number-one team in the nation, garnering national publicity for the university, and putting the men’s basketball program on a winning trajectory, that number I was owed was significant,” McCarty said in a statement, adding, “I never received a dime.”
The university said in a statement that it “fulfilled its contractual obligations to Mr. McCarty and is confident the outcome of any legal proceedings will confirm the university’s position.”
The university fired McCarty in January 2020 after an investigation revealed allegations of off-court misconduct.
A former student sued the school and McCarty last year, accusing him of rape and the school of not protecting students from him. A settlement conference is scheduled for Jan. 19 in that case, which alleges McCarty sexually assaulted the woman at his home.
McCarty and the university have denied that suit’s allegations.
McCarty played in the NBA with the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. After his playing career, he served as an assistant coach with the Celtics, the Indiana Pacers and at the University of Louisville before taking the Evansville job.
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