The University of Arizona is weighing whether to fire football coach Rich Rodriguez, two people with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. Those people spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The firing likely would be attributed to the Wildcats’ poor finish to the season, losing four of their last five games, and be done without cause, giving Rodriguez his full $6.3 million buyout. A decision on Rodriguez’s future at the university could come soon.
Beyond the on-field performance, however, the school also has been dealing with a troubling allegation behind the scenes that led school officials last fall to hire an outside law firm to investigate Rodriguez for potential workplace misconduct, according to the people with knowledge of the probe.