A legal battle over... Joe Wickline has apparently emerged

[Aaron Carrara]

Brian Davis from the Austin American Statesman was all over this story that appears to see Texas OC Joe Wickline involved in a legal battle with his former employer Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State has filed a lawsuit against WIckline, in the amount of $593,000, for what OSU says is a "breach of contract." See lawsuit filing here - http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/GetCaseInformation.asp?submitted=true&viewtype=caseGeneral&casemasterID=293973&db=Payne 

The lawsuit has to do with whether or not Wickline is, in fact, calling plays for Texas.  This leads to the larger question, according to Oklahoma State, as to whether WIckline is really an Offensive Coordinator for the Longhorns.

The same day Wickline was announced as Texas’ new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, OSU officials hurriedly forwarded a copy of his contract to the American-Statesman. There was a noticeable clause. According to the contract, Wickline would owe OSU the balance of his contract unless he was named offensive coordinator “with play-calling duties” or went to the NFL. At the time, Wickline was signed at OSU through 2016.

Interesting story as it develops....

Davis' original story is here - http://www.mystatesman.com/news/sports/texas-joe-wickline-suing-oklahoma-state-claiming-h/nhqHY/#7b15c3da.257233.735528

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[monarch]

a poster upon the OB has a bit of a snippet upon this story as well.  this is incredible!  coach strong should have seen this coming.  there are many of us fans upon whether we care to admit it or not... that really do not agree upon the way these two offensive coaches wickline / watson are paired upon the TEXAS offense.  it's curious / ambiguous... and a bit discombobulated.  

coach strong shall need to get this situation resolved.  upon my view, from the very beginning.. this was always a can of worms awaiting an opening....

Max Olson        

 
 @max_olson
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To recap: Strong says on 1/15 Wickline is playcaller. On 3/18, Strong says Watson is “final voice†on play calling. (1/2)

10:30 PM - 22 Oct 2014

 

[utisdabomb12]

I haven't seen the contract but from what I've read from second hand sources it doesn't even make reference to being an "offensive coordinator" just "play calling duties". I don't see how Wickline doesn't win this. I guarantee Wickline is involved in the scripted plays Texas runs at the beginning of games. Heck, Wickline is the coach that implemented the Swoopes designed runs this past weekend. 

I really don't see the ambiguity here. Wickline is the co-offensive coordinator and calls/designs some of the plays. If the contract doesn't exclude co-offensive coordinators or specifies how many plays have to be called in order to meet "play calling duties", Wickline will win this. 

A lot of teams implement co-offensive coordinators across the country now. I really don't see the ambiguity. 

 

[monarch]

I haven't seen the contract but from what I've read from second hand sources it doesn't even make reference to being an "offensive coordinator" just "play calling duties". I don't see how Wickline doesn't win this. I guarantee Wickline is involved in the scripted plays Texas runs at the beginning of games. Heck, Wickline is the coach that implemented the Swoopes designed runs this past weekend. 

I really don't see the ambiguity here. Wickline is the co-offensive coordinator and calls/designs some of the plays. If the contract doesn't exclude co-offensive coordinators or specifies how many plays have to be called in order to meet "play calling duties", Wickline will win this. 

A lot of teams implement co-offensive coordinators across the country now. I really don't see the ambiguity. 

if you are not seeing the ambiguity... then you might want to start over referencing the entire story as well as his contract stipulations.  in order for wickline to successfully depart his contract as per OSU without handing over all of the buyout cash.. he shall need to carry the all important title of OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR not co-offensive coordinator!  now surely as astute as you undoubtably are utisdabomb12... you can comprehend this most important detail.  like i stated beforehand, this is indeed why so very many stalwarts were hereby confused in the very beginning upon his hiring.

 

[utisdabomb12]

if you are not seeing the ambiguity... then you might want to start over referencing the entire story as well as his contract stipulations.  in order for wickline to successfully depart his contract as per OSU without handing over all of the buyout cash.. he shall need to carry the all important title of OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR not co-offensive coordinator!  now surely as astute as you undoubtably are utisdabomb12... you can comprehend this most important detail.  like i stated beforehand, this is indeed why so very many stalwarts were hereby confused in the very beginning upon his hiring.

https://twitter.com/ChipBrownHD/status/525156809795833856

Do you have the contract? Based on this letter to Wickline it makes no reference of being "offensive coordinator" merely "play calling duties". There's no doubt Wickline is involved in calling plays, he's the one that scripted the Swoopes runs this past weekend. Unless the contract excludes "co-offensive coordinators" or quantifies how many plays have to be called in order to meet "play calling duties", OSU has nothing. If Wickline hasn't violated the contract OSU needs to pay the man. I haven't seen the contract so I'm not sure if it uses language such as "offensive coordinator". If the language they used is "play calling duties" they will learn to not make such ambiguous contracts. 

 

[monarch]

https://twitter.com/ChipBrownHD/status/525156809795833856

Do you have the contract? Based on this letter to Wickline it makes no reference of being "offensive coordinator" merely "play calling duties". There's no doubt Wickline is involved in calling plays, he's the one that scripted the Swoopes runs this past weekend. Unless the contract excludes "co-offensive coordinators" or quantifies how many plays have to be called in order to meet "play calling duties", OSU has nothing. 

well, i guess that i can present to you the very same impromptu query... "do you have the contract?" (of course i do not)  i am just like you, i am being presented with bits and pieces of this burgeoning puzzle.  now please reference below at a small piece of another story as per one of my other sites...

oh, and of course it shall be properly attributed...   http://texas.247sports.com/Bolt/Report-Wickline-Suing-Oklahoma-State-for-Contract-Release-32265669

When Texas landed Wickline as coach, there was a clause in his Oklahoma State contract that stated he would have to buy out the remaining balance of his contract — $593,478 — if he took another job unless he was named offensive coordinator “with play-calling duties†or left for the NFL.

 

[utisdabomb12]

well, i guess that i can present to you the very same impromptu query... "do you have the contract?" (of course i do not)  i am just like you, i am being presented with bits and pieces of this burgeoning puzzle.  now please reference below at a small piece of another story as per one of my other sites...

oh, and of course it shall be properly attributed...   http://texas.247sports.com/Bolt/Report-Wickline-Suing-Oklahoma-State-for-Contract-Release-32265669

When Texas landed Wickline as coach, there was a clause in his Oklahoma State contract that stated he would have to buy out the remaining balance of his contract — $593,478 — if he took another job unless he was named offensive coordinator “with play-calling duties†or left for the NFL.

Yet, you asserted "he shall need to carry the all important title of offensive coordinator not co-offensive coordinator". How would you know this if you haven't seen the contract?

Like I said, I don't know the language of the contract. Based on the letter sent to Wickline from OSU, I did not see "offensive coordinator" referenced merely "play calling duties". If the contract doesn't exclude co-offensive coordinators or quantify how many plays Wickline has to call in order to meet "play calling duties", they need to pay the man. Call it what you want a contract is a contract. 

 

[monarch]

Yet, you asserted "he shall need to carry the all important title of offensive coordinator not co-offensive coordinator". How would you know this if you haven't seen the contract?

Like I said, I don't know the language of the contract. Based on the letter sent to Wickline from OSU, I did not see "offensive coordinator" referenced merely "play calling duties". If the contract doesn't exclude co-offensive coordinators or quantify how many plays Wickline has to call in order to meet "play calling duties", they need to pay the man. Call it what you want a contract is a contract. 

ok look dude, i am not about to get into playing the dirty dozen here.  it has become quite evident now that you are hereby trying desperately to WIN THE ROUND or so to speak.  i do not need to acquire the freaking contract!  i am just trying in earnest to allow for utisdabomb12 to plainly see what others all over are now espousing regarding the wickline / osu contract stipulations.  there was indeed a phone number to the OSU official upon that "letter" that you keep rambling about.  please contact the osu official and see about acquiring a copy of the original contract yourself.

please trust me, just for that particular effort alone... i shall announce you the WINNER OF THE ROUND!

 

[utisdabomb12]

ok look dude, i am not about to get into playing the dirty dozen here.  it has become quite evident now that you are hereby trying desperately to WIN THE ROUND or so to speak.  i do not need to acquire the freaking contract!  i am just trying in earnest to allow for utisdabomb12 to plainly see what others all over are now espousing regarding the wickline / osu contract stipulations.  there was indeed a phone number to the OSU official upon that "letter" that you keep rambling about.  please contact the osu official and see about acquiring a copy of the original contract yourself.

please trust me, just for that particular effort alone... i shall announce you the WINNER OF THE ROUND!

I'm not trying to win anything, it's a message board. I'm simply saying you are asserting something that may or may not be true. There's nothing to win here. We don't even know what the contract says. 

 

[Juan]

......  i do not need to acquire the freaking contract! ...

The entire matter is a contract dispute.

 

[Juan]

here is page 2 of Holder's cover letter expanded (sadly with his phone # visible)

 

[PeteA422]

So here is the deal, Wickline has the title Offensive Coordinator.  While Watson has the title Assistant Head Coach for Offense.  So, if the contract only states that its ok for a move to an offensive coordinator position with play calling duties, but does not specify a) that the offensive coordinator must be a position that is only subordinate to the head coach, B) how many plays per game is considered play calling duties, or c) have specific definitions of the these two terms within the contract that would spell out and provide clarity, then OSU doesnt have a leg to stand on.

While I would agree the intent of the contract may have been breached, there is nothing better than beating a lawyer at his own word games.  Be more thorough next contract buddy!!!

Again, we will have to wait and see how the thing goes since we don't have a copy of the contract in front of us.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

On one hand, Okie State will have a very hard time winning this battle.

On the other hand, Texas has not exactly been on the up and up with the situation.

Therefore it will be settled out of court.

 

[Lukus Alderman]

I wonder if this is why Strong has recently gone out of his way to give Wickline credit for installing the QB run in our offense.

 

[primal defense]

I wonder if this is why Strong has recently gone out of his way to give Wickline credit for installing the QB run in our offense.

My thoughts exactly. This is not important for football just about money, the important part is we have Wickline and OSU doesn't.

An Oklahoma newspaper ran an article a couple of weeks after we had hired Wickline and implied Gundy was glad Wickline left and it was no big deal that he left. Just read a Tulsa article about how OSU's OL as the season has gone on is not playing well, while ours has gotten better. This will give extra spice to our game against the Cowboys.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

For some reason I'm never able to copy and paste a link to HornSports. But anyway, over on Inside Texas is a free article, Much Ado About Nothing. It's as good a take on the situation as I've read so far. Maybe someone else can copy the link.

 

[primal defense]

For some reason I'm never able to copy and paste a link to HornSports. But anyway, over on Inside Texas is a free article, Much Ado About Nothing. It's as good a take on the situation as I've read so far. Maybe someone else can copy the link.

Same thing happened to me. My computer did some kind of update and ever since then I can't copy and paste links or articles.

 

[Chris Flanagan]

So here is the deal, Wickline has the title Offensive Coordinator.  While Watson has the title Assistant Head Coach for Offense.  So, if the contract only states that its ok for a move to an offensive coordinator position with play calling duties, but does not specify a) that the offensive coordinator must be a position that is only subordinate to the head coach, B) how many plays per game is considered play calling duties, or c) have specific definitions of the these two terms within the contract that would spell out and provide clarity, then OSU doesnt have a leg to stand on.

While I would agree the intent of the contract may have been breached, there is nothing better than beating a lawyer at his own word games.  Be more thorough next contract buddy!!!

Again, we will have to wait and see how the thing goes since we don't have a copy of the contract in front of us.

Yeah even as a 1L, I don't see a breach of contract if it was "play-calling" duties were not defined in the contract. If you really wanted to define the role he must play as a "play caller", then you define it in the contract and then if Wickline accepts the terms, he is legally bound by the contract.

I have not seen the contract but if it didn't define play calling duties, scripting plays before the game constitute play calling duties.

 

[java]

I am inserting a link to Barking Carnival, complete with the Addendum that stipulates Offensive Coordinator with 'play-calling duties'.  Click and read the comments from quite a few attorneys.  Most feel the contract is ambiguous.  Good discussion.

btw, play calling duties are not defined.  In addition, the Addendum was written in 2011, and it precludes Wick from taking a position except HC or OC with PCduties at a Division 1A program, a classification that has not existed since 2006.  Valid contract?

http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2014/10/23/7050797/joe-wickline-oklahoma-state-legal-battle-what-constitutes-play