Gary Andersen’s incredible answer to why he gave up $12.7 million

An opening for a head coaching job at a Power 5 school became available on Monday.

It was reported that Oregon State and head coach Gary Andersen agreed to part ways. Andersen came to OSU after stints at Utah State and Wisconsin.

Andersen led Utah State to an 11-win season in 2012 and a 26-24 overall record in four years. His time at Wisconsin was also successful as he posted a 19-7 record over two seasons.

His time in Corvallis was not as enjoyable. The Beavers won six games combined during his first two seasons and started 2017 with a 1-5 record. As a result, the school and Andersen made a mutual decision to part ways on Monday.

The amazing thing is that Andersen agreed to release OSU from any future payments and obligations. The move is an unprecedented one, but Andersen wanted to be clear on why he made the decision.

Stewart Mandel shared a screenshot of Andersen’s quote on Twitter explaining why he left without the money:

Steve Berkowitz reported that the amount Andersen willing released OSU from paying is $12.7 million:

By terms of contract, if Gary Andersen had been fired w/o cause and he had not waived buyout, he would have been due more than $12.7 million

— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) October 9, 2017

It is hard to fathom Andersen’s decision, but it is an incredibly classy move from the coach.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.