According to a report in the Manhattan Mercury, former Kansas State defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Raheem Morris is facing a civil lawsuit filed by the university.

The suit, filed on February 26 by K-State, claiming that Morris, who is currently in the second year of a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as secondary coach, owes the school $106,646 for breach of contract due to early resignation.

Morris joined Ron Prince’s coaching staff at K-State on January 8, 2006 despite the fact that his contract with the Buccaneers was set to expire at the end of January. After one year with the Wildcats in helping lead the team back to a bowl game after a three-year absence, Morris was pursued by Bucs general manager Bruce Allen to replace defensive backs coach Greg Burns, who had been fired after only one year on the job.

Morris resigned from K-State on January 4, 2007 to accept the role of secondary coach with the Bucs. According to his four-year employment contract, Morris was to be paid a salary of $200,000 per year and also received a $5,000 signing bonus plus other fringe benefits such as an $8,000 car allowance and membership to the Manhattan Country Club.

Morris' contract was scheduled to run through March 2009, but the university’s lawsuit asserts that the contract included a provision asserting that if Morris departed prior to March 2007, he would be required to pay K-State six months salary and also refund his signing bonus and moving expenses — a total of $106,646.

Brian Levy, Morris’ agent, believes the payback clause is unenforceable and that this situation will be resolved without any penalty.

"It is a shame that a private matter affecting a well-respected and honest member of the coaching community, became a public issue,” Levy told PewterReport.com. “We are aware of the claims and are defending them aggressively."

When Morris was the Wildcats defensive coordinator in 2006, K-State's defense finished seventh in the Big 12, surrendering 23.8 points per game. After Morris departed in ‘07, the Wildcats defense gave up 30.8 points per game, and ranked ninth in the Big 12.

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