Eastern Kentucky reaches buyout agreement with Ford

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Eastern Kentucky and its former basketball coach, Travis Ford, have reached a settlement in a dispute over how much the coach owed the university after he left for another job.

Ford, who resigned last month to become the coach at Massachusetts, will pay Eastern Kentucky $150,000 by May 22, according to an agreement signed by both parties Friday.

Eastern Kentucky originally claimed Ford owed the school $225,000, the amount of his base salary for the remainder of his contract at the school, which was to expire April 30, 2007.

Ford also agreed to cooperate with Eastern Kentucky when "assistance is reasonably requested on matters and issues that may arise which were related to his responsibilities" as the Colonels' coach, according to the agreement.

He also said he wouldn't "discuss or disclose to any person any Confidential Information" he had access to while the coach at Eastern Kentucky.

Ford guided the Colonels to their first NCAA tournament berth in 26 years and to a 22-9 record this past season, setting a single-season school record for wins. He attended Eastern Kentucky's annual basketball banquet Friday night.

A joint statement released by the university after the signing of the settlement said that Ford and the university "are grateful to have this matter resolved."