Neither Ohio University’s Athletics department nor the President’s Office kept a tally of potential donations solicited in an effort to keep former basketball Coach John Groce at OU.
OU never presented Groce with a formal counteroffer after the University of Illinois offered him its head coaching spot, but the university did reach out to alumni and donors to try and to keep Groce as OU’s coach.
“It was an effort to reach out to friends and alumni saying ‘would you be willing to help support the program in an effort to be able to retain Coach Groce,’ and there were some positive responses,” said Becky Watts, chief of staff to OU President Roderick McDavis. “But I don’t have a quantifiable amount of what they got in even verbal commitments.”
OU Athletics Director Jim Schaus told Watts he does not have anything in writing, and the donation solicitations were just verbal discussions, she said.
“Absolutely not one dime was collected,” Watts said, adding that she does not have a list of the alumni and donors who were called.
At this point, Ohio Athletics says it cannot provide any further details as Schaus is out of town at the Final Four.
Groce’s base salary at OU was $300,000, and he earned $55,000 in bonuses this season after the Bobcats made their first appearance at the Sweet 16 since 1964. The University of Illinois offered Groce $1.4 million per year for five years to coach the Fighting Illini.
Groce announced his departure yesterday during a press conference in Champaign, Ill.
