The University of Connecticut and Jeff Hathaway have reached a buyout agreement, ending his time at UConn, according to a report in the Hartford Courant. Hathaway's future at the university has been in doubt since the hiring of new president Susan Herbst and when reports surfaced at the end of July that an outside firm was investigating the athletic department the writing was on the wall.
The Huskies have had remarkable on-the-court success under Hathaway, but critics (and I count myself among them) have called for his ouster for various off-the-court reasons including his public spat with donor Robert Burton, dissapointing ticket sales and fundraising efforts, and an inability to make progress on a basketball practice facility. More than fan criticism, Hathaway's fate may have been sealed by making an enemy of UConn's most important and powerful force: Jim Calhoun. It's been widely reported that the two do not get along and that Calhoun, who has received a lot of public support from Herbst, was in favor of Hathaway's removal.
There are no details yet about an official announcement or the amount of the buyout (speculation has been that it could be as high as $3 million), but we'll have more details as they are available, as well as our reactions.