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WVU Could Owe Former Athletic Director Shane Lyons Almost $4 Million

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va – Parting ways with Shane Lyons as athletic director may not be the end of West Virginia University having to deal with the alum who was hired in 2015.

Based on the details in his contract, Lyons is likely to still be owed almost $4 million from WVU. Lyons’ deal paid him $895,000 in base salary this year and then $931,000 for each year from 2023 through 2026, according to documents obtained by BlueGoldNews.com.

The only way for the university to avoid having to pay Lyons is if there is an undisclosed reason for the firing, meaning a violation of the law or willful misconduct. Since that does not appear to be the case, Lyons will be owed the remainder of his contract through 2026. That totals about $3.7 million. He will also be paid a pro rated remaining amount on his base contract for 2022, equalling roughly $112,000.

Just hours after the news of Shane Lyons being out as athletic director was announced, WVU Interim AD Rob Alsop met with the media to discuss the hiring process of the new athletic director.

Watch: WVU Interim AD Rob Alsop Talks Hiring Process For Lyons’ Replacement

Alsop mentioned that the search has already been started and will conclude within the next 3-4 weeks. Alsop says a factor in a candidate for a new athletic director will be someone that is innovate with the new world of college.

The main reason this could be an issue for WVU extends to the possibility that head coach Neal Brown could also be let go. If that does happen, he will be owed a $16.7 million buyout. Factor that in with money needed to hire a new athletic director and possibly a head coach, and the university could be needing to spend more in this coming year than it may in several years combined.

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