Who Didn't Get a Sweet Contract in the K-State Athletic Department?

If the complete strangeness of what was going on in the Kansas State athletic department while Bob Krause was running things was going on at any other program, you would have to think it would be bigger news. Yet it barely seems to make a ripple in college sports.

First it was learned that Krause gave former head coach Ron Prince a "secret" side deal the summer before Prince's firing. Now it turns out that Krause also rewarded his deputy athletic director, Jim Epps, with a long-term contract, complete with a buy-out clause if he were to be fired.

This was learned after the new athletic director, Jim Currie, decided to put Epps on indefinite administrative leave while trying to figure out everything that was going on in the K-State athletic department.

Epps had an addendum added to his contract that has him being payed $225,000 annually, and if he is fired it gives him the remaining value of the salary under the contract. In this case that is $900,000. Most programs do not give assistant, associate or deputy ADs long-term contracts.

Apparently K-State is not most places. At least that is what the school's lawyer is saying in an attempt to downplay things.

"I don't really have a comment on that," she said. "I wouldn't say it's unusual, I guess. I'll just tell you, some employees have addendums and some don't."

Unstated was that it all depended on how much Krause liked you (apparently).