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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 29, 2010

Oregon AG: No wrongdoing in $2.3M Mike Bellotti payment


Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon attorney general's office says a lawyer was deficient for failing to put the contract for departing Oregon athletic director Mike Bellotti in writing but there was no criminal wrongdoing.

The state Department of Justice also said its review found that settling the contract for $2.3 million was not unreasonable.

Bellotti announced in March that he was stepping down as athletic director to become an ESPN analyst, leading to questions about his compensation package.

University of Oregon president Richard Lariviere agreed with the decision by Bellotti, who coached the Ducks for 14 seasons and took them to 12 bowl games before taking the AD job last year.

But Lariviere announced last week that the university's general counsel, Melinda Grier, will not have her contract renewed when it expires next year.