After nearly 15 years, Jackie Sherrill and the NCAA have finally come to terms in the court room. Sherrill filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in December 2004, alleging that the powerful organization that oversees college athletics damaged his reputation and conspired to keep him out of coaching. It took a long time for this case to see the light of a courtroom, but Sherrill and his family are all smiles today.
BREAKING: Just informed that lawsuit between former Mississippi State head football coach Jackie Sherrill and the NCAA has been settled. Terms not disclosed. More later.
— Steve Robertson (@ScoutSteveR) July 17, 2019
The trial began on Monday, and the first few days of the proceedings did not go well for the NCAA according to reports. Rather than continue to slug on and risk public embarrassment, the organization moved to settle, and they came to terms on Wednesday afternoon.
Told that after a day and a half of testimony that the two parties reached a settlement. Sherrill can now resume employment at an NCAA member institution in an administrative, coaching or fundraising capacity. He is not restricted in anyway by the NCAA.
— Steve Robertson (@ScoutSteveR) July 17, 2019
Jackie Sherrill is now free to be employed by any college or university in any fashion. It’s probably too late for the 75-year-old to become a head coach again, but he will likely find some sort of role in the coming weeks.
Former Mississippi State University head football coach Jackie Sherrill’s lawsuit against the NCAA concluded Wednesday when the two sides reached a confidential settlement. https://t.co/epe6bNF8yd
— Mississippi Today (@MSTODAYnews) July 18, 2019
The terms of the settlement are confidential, but Sherrill’s legal team confirmed that there was a financial settlement when asked by Mississippi Today. Sherrill was originally seeking a seven-figure settlement when he first filed suit, but the latest lawsuit did not have a specified amount.
It’s an incredible day for our family! After 16 years, justice has finally been served for #JackieSherrill who just won his civil suit against the @NCAA 😅God bless Judge Dewey Arthur for seeing this case and to my amazing dad, who taught us all to never ever give up #justice
— Bonnie Bishop (@BonnieBishop) July 17, 2019
His family is elated with the news too. Sherill’s daughter took to Twitter to celebrate, and the whole family seems to be delighted with the settlement.
Jackie Sherrill was head coach of four different programs over the span of 25 years. He had his greatest success at Pittsburgh, where he went 50-9-1 and won four of five bowl games. Sherrill left for Texas A&M at the end of the 1981 season, and that’s where his troubles with the NCAA started. The Aggies were accused of a myriad of violations by the NCAA, and although Sherrill wasn’t personally found guilty of anything, he was forced to resign and essentially blackballed or the 1989 and 1990 seasons.
He was hired as the head coach of Mississippi State in 1991, and he spent 13 seasons on the sidelines in Starkville. Sherrill led the Bulldogs to a bowl game six times, and he left MSU as the winningest coach in school history.
H/T 247 Sports
