Kevin Steele might have tried to throw a coup on the Plains but what he is doing to Tennessee is far worse — and much funnier — than his actions on the Plains.
Let’s rewind a bit: Steele tried to get hired as Auburn’s head coach by backstabbing Gus Malzahn for a few years, didn’t get the job after a fan backlash, took a job at Tennessee under Jeremy Pruitt, Pruitt got fired, new head coach Josh Heupel doesn’t want Steele on his staff and … well, Tennessee is paying him for his “services” during the last two months.
Yeah, that’s how this has gone down.
From Blake Toppmeyer of the Knoxville News Sentinel:
Tennessee will pay the price for firing Kevin Steele less than two months into a two-year contract he received in January.
That price?
As much as $860,870 in severance, according to his separation agreement obtained Friday by Knox News through a public records request.
Steele’s termination letter is dated Tuesday. First-year coach Josh Heupel completed his inaugural staff this week by hiring Mike Ekeler as his 10th assistant.
Under the terms of Steele’s buyout, he’s due to receive his severance in monthly installments throughout the end of his contract, set to expire Jan. 31, 2023.
That is certainly a great buyout for what we assume was little work.