Bret Bielema’s lawyers cite ‘intern’ Butch Jones in argument to resume buyout payments

On Friday, former Arkansas head coach filed a lawsuit against the Arkansas Razorback Foundation for the $7 million of his $12 million buyout that has not yet been paid.

The Foundation, responsible for paying the coach’s salary, stopped buyout payments last year when Bielema was making just $50,000 as a New England Patriots assistant coach. The Foundation argued Bielema has willfully refused to mitigate the amount of money owed to him.

It turns out Bielema is responding to that argument by citing one of his former SEC foes. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports shared a screenshot of the lawsuit’s mention of Butch Jones. The former Tennessee head coach has served as an intern/analyst on Nick Saban’s staff after being fired from Tennessee. Bielema’s lawyers argue he made more than Jones and note that UT has paid Jones’ buyout payments while he makes a low salary. The claims made by Bielema’s clash with the widely reported rumored salary of just $50,000. In the portion of the suit shared by Thamel, lawyers state Bielema made more than 7 times what Jones made in 2019.

Interesting legal nuance here. Bielema’s lawyers are using Butch Jones’ salary at Alabama as an example for why Bret’s low salaries in New England were justified. “(UT) hasn’t manufactured a baseless claim as a pretext to stop paying Coach Jones and to recoup (the buyout $)” pic.twitter.com/aU1cEa1bmy

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 12, 2020

SDS Staff

Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.