STARKVILLE — Former Mississippi State football coach Jackie Sherrill reached a confidential settlement with the NCAA Wednesday following a nearly 16-year legal bout.
Sherrill, who has been fighting the NCAA’s allegations of major recruiting violations for years, had filed a lawsuit against college sports’ governing body in 2003.
Rachel and Jim Waide of Oxford represented Sherrill during this stage of the process.
Wayne Ferrell previously served as the former head coach’s longtime counsel before it became evident he would be a witness in the case. Ferrell stepped down roughly a month before the case went to trial.
“It just lingered over coach Sherrill’s head for such a long time,” Jim Waide told the Dispatch. “He feels like coaches have been hurt unjustly or unfairly because of the accusations of major NCAA infractions.”
The case arose out of a number of incidents.
Most notably, Rev. Joseph Scott, the grandfather of former MSU recruit Joseph “Jo Jo” Scott, reportedly said Sherrill had offered a car in exchange for his grandson’s commitment.
Waide said the NCAA previously had a recording of Scott’s confession but they could not produce it. A transcript of the exchange was used in trial, though Waide said Scott indicated more than 20 times in the document that Sherrill had not offered gifts of any kind.
Also involved in the case was the reported gifting of a car to former MSU wide receiver Terrell Grindle. Grindle’s mother Rutha testified that the family had in fact paid for the vehicle as receipts were shown as evidence.
Former MSU quarterback John Bond testified to Sherrill’s character and that he was a staunch proponent of the rules.
“Coaches were not to violate NCAA rules or they’d be fired,” Waide said.
Sherrill coached the Bulldogs from 1991-2003 and boasted a 75-75-2 record in Starkville — including a win in the 1999 Peach Bowl.
J. Cal Mayo, the NCAA’s lawyer during the trial, could not be reached for comment.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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