UC fires men's basketball coach John Brannen

In a statement threatening legal action, Brannen's attorney says the coach's ouster was the result of a "hurried" and "incomplete" investigation meant to quickly remove him from the program and avoid a contract buyout.

TONIGHT.

WE START WITHBREAKING NEWS IN U-C'S FIRINGOF ITS MEN'S BASKETBALLCOACH... JOHN BRANNEN.

ITS NOWCLEAR HE INTENDS TO SUE THEUNIVERSITY..

SAYING ITSINVESTIGATION INTO HIM WASINCOMPLETE AND ONLY A PRETEXT.WCPO NINE SPORTS ANCHOR CALEBNOE IS BREAKING THIS DOWN FORUS TONIGHT.

CALEB.THIS IS THE INFO I RECEIVEDTONIGHT, FROM JOHN BRANNEN'SATTORNEY, TOM MARS...IT'S 2PAGES, OF MOSTLY ALLEGATIONSAGAINST THE UNIVERSITY...ááBUTTHERE WERE áA COUPLEá THINGSTHAT STUCK OUT TO ME THE MOST.THE áBIGGESTá NEWS OF ALL --IS THAT BRANNEN WAS FIRED "FORCAUSE" -- ACCORDING TO HISATTORNEY.WHO CLAIMS...áááTHEUNIVERSITY DID NOT WANT TO PAYBRANNEN OVER 5-MILLIONDOLLARS -- TO BUY-OUT HISCONTRACT.BUT TO AVOID PAYING ABUYOUT..

BRANNEN'S ATTORNEYSAYS -- THE UNIVERSITY HAD TOFIND A REASON TO FIRE HIM FORCAUSE.

HE ALSO CITED -- WITH AáCHARTá -- A BUDGET DEFICIT INTHE U-C ATHLETICDEPARTMENT.OTHER KEY POINTSFROM BRANNEN'S ATTORNEY...HESAYS U-C FIRED BRANNEN BEFOREITS INVESTIGATION WASCOMPLETE.

ááHE SAYS THE SCHOOLFAILED TO INTERVIEW A PLAYERWHO SPOKE PUBLICLY IN FAVOR OFBRANNEN.

ááAND SAYS -- BRANNENTURNED TOWN A SEVEN- FIGURESETTLEMENT OFFER MADE BY U-C'SOUTSIDE COUNSEL.NOW AGAIN -- THOSE AREALLEGATIONS MADE BY BRANNEN'SATTORNEY, TOM MARS -- AGAINSTTHE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI.ááU-C OFFICIALLY FIRED BRANNENTHIS AFTERNOON...IN THE UNIVERSITY'S RELEASE TOUS -- THEY SAID IN PART:áááTHEDECISION COMES AFTER ATHOROUGH REVIEW OF OURPROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDEDCONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENT-ATHLETES, COACHES AND STAFF,AS WELL AS WITH COACHBRANNEN.ULTIMATELY, THEUNIVERSITY IS ACTING IN THEBEST INTERESTS OF OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AND OF THEINSTITUTION.WE REACHED OUT TOU-C ABOUT THE NEW ALLEGATIONS.IT TOLD US IT HAS NOTHING MORETO ADD TO ITS PREVIOUSSTATEMENTS TODAY.CALEB, YOU'VE COVERED COACHINGCHANGES BEFORE, AT OTHERPROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY...ISIT ALWAYTHISMESSY?WELL IT'S áNEVERáPRETTY...I'VE COVERED SOMEVERY MESSY ONES IN SOME VERYMESSY ONES IN THE PAST...THISONE IS CERTAINLY RIGHT UPTHERE...ááIT'S LIKE, WHEN ACOUPLE BREAKS UP -- BUTINSTEAD OF JUST GOING THEIRSEPARATE WAYS, AND SPLITTINGIT 50-50...ááINSTEAD, THEYSCREENSHOT ALL THE MEAN TEXTSFROM EACH OTHER, AND PUT 'EMON SOCIAL MEDIA.I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ANOFFBEAT EXAMPLE...BUT THE FACTIS...THIS IS áNOTá GOOD... ANDIT'S NOT GETTING ANY BETTER...ááYA KNOW, THE WORD AT THEVERY HEART OF ALL OF THIS --IS "REPUTATION"...==YOU'VE GOTTHE REPUTATION OF THEATHLETICS DEPARTMENT...ANDYOU'VE GOT THE REPUTATION OFJOHN BRANNEN...==AND BOTH OFTHOSE THINGS ARE BEING PUTINTO QUESTION HERE -- THEYWERE BOTH PUT IN-QUESTION,WEEKS AGO -- WHEN ALLEGATIONSWERE FLYING ALL-OVER SOCIALMEDIA.==BUT WHEN IT BECOMES A"JUDICIAL" SITUATION -- THAT'SWHEN "REPUTATION" BECOMES AMAJOR FOCAL POINT.AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT...INTHIS DOCUMENT...I SAID THEREWERE A FEW THINGS THASTUCKOUT TO ME...ááHERE'S THE OTHERBIG ONE...BRANNENS ATTORNEYSAYS:ááá"JOHN BRANNEN'SLAWYERS WILL TAKE THEAPPROPRIATE STEPS THROUGH THEJUDICIAL PROCESS TO PROTECTAND ENFORCE HIS LEGAL RIGHTSAND REMEDIES."áááSO TAKE FROMTHAT, WHAT YOU WILL, TANYA.