The law firm of Kafoury & McDougal initially filed the claim on Brenner’s behalf in January 2019 in Oregon circuit court, seeking $11.5 million from the NCAA. Brenner upped his claim for pain and suffering from $6 million to $20 million and added a punitive damages suit against the NCAA, according to records acquired by ESPN.
The new lawsuit was submitted on March 24 in response to discovery, which includes depositions of NCAA President Mark Emmert and Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline. Brenner also lists Irele Oderinde, the former Oregon strength and conditioning coach, as a defendant. Taggart, who was recruited by Oregon in December 2016, and Oderinde are likely to attend the trial in person.
Taggart departed Oregon after one season to take the head coaching position at Florida State, where he was dismissed after two seasons. He is now the head coach at Florida Atlantic University. The complaint charges all defendants with negligence, accusing Taggart and Oderinde of administering physical punishment to athletes, failing to ban it, and failing to verify that Oderinde received proper training to perform his position.
According to the lawsuit, Oderinde lacked the appropriate industry qualifications to work at Oregon as a strength and conditioning coach. When ESPN contacted the NCAA on Sunday night, the NCAA declined to comment.
