STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State is suing former Nittany Lion defensive coordinator Bob Shoop for nearly $900,000 regarding Shoop's contract buyout that the University claims he owes and refuses to pay, but according to PennLive.com Shoop filed a counter lawsuit Thursday.
Shoop, who left Penn State in 2016 to become the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, claims in his suit he was "constructively discharged/terminated" from his Penn State job in January of 2016. If that's the case, that would take his buyout off the table. Shoop is also seeking $75,000 worth of damages.
Per court documents, Shoop said that his 2015 contract was signed "under duress" and Shoop also claimed that his "working conditions became intolerable" after signing his new deal. No additional details were provided.
Shoop left Penn State with two years remaining on his contract and came with James Franklin from Vanderbilt. Shoop's oldest son, Tyler, is still a walk-on wide receiver with the Nittany Lions and he has aspirations of one day becoming a coach. Tyler, who appeared in one game last season, told me last summer at media day that he wanted to stick it out at Penn State because he liked the program and his teammates. He said his father respected that decision.
Shoop's countersuit raises questions about his working relationship with his bosses, athletic directory Sandy Barbour, Franklin and the higher ups at Penn State, something that only those on the inside working with him daily would know. With many late days and nights spent in meetings and pouring over film the head coach and defensive coordinator seemed to have different personalities, but I never got the impression from my limited window anyway that it was something unbearable for either side. Who knows?
Whenever Shoop was asked about his long-term plans, specifically during the lead up to the TaxSlayer Bowl, he said he hoped to stay at Penn State as long as he could. While that was certainly coach speak and he ended up departing a few weeks later, it's also the type of response that one is going to give when their name is linked to potential other job offers.
However, looking back at the response now it doesn't exactly sound like someone who hated their job or had intolerable working conditions.
“I hope Penn State will have me for ever and ever and ever," Shoop said in the lead up to the TaxSlayer Bowl. "I love being a part of coach Franklin’s program. I love what we’re building here and I’ve said this millions of times I think we’re a 30 for 30 story ready to rock and roll. It’s just a matter of time before we get this thing rolling and we play in the best division in the best conference in college football and that’s really exciting to me.”
We'll see what comes of this one and really, I'm surprised it's gotten this far and this public. Seemingly both sides would want to settle this so it goes away as quickly as possible. Right now it sounds like a messy divorce that's being aired with an audience of thousands.