Former UCF Coach Paul Ferraro Sues School for Wrongful Termination

UCF head football coach George O'Leary is at the center of a lawsuit filed by a former member of his Knights coaching staff, ex-defensive coordinator Paul Ferraro.

According to Bright House Sports Network's Ryan Bass, Ferraro is suing the UCF Board of Trustees and UCF Athletic Association for racism and wrongful termination of his contract. The suit, filed on Sept. 26, seeks more than $15,000 in damages and accuses O'Leary of discrimination and bullying.   

Bass' report documents what UCF Vice President of Communications and Marketing Grant Heston had to say on the matter, as he denied any wrongdoing by the school:

"

UCF immediately investigated the allegations Mr. Ferraro made when he abruptly abandoned his job. The university's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office found the allegations to be untrue.

[...] None of the individuals alleged to have been the subject of, or to have overhead, these supposed statements corroborated Mr. Ferraro’s claims. In fact, until seeking compensation after abandoning his job, it does not appear he ever discussed this with anyone at UCF. UCF is an inclusive and diverse institution and our investigation shows that these claims are without merit.

"

Ferraro was hired in December 2013 but left the program for personal reasons before the 2014 season began. The Knights gave up a total of 62 points in losses to Penn State and Missouri to start the year.

These bold accusations have been dismissed by UCF, so it remains to be seen whether anything will come of them. It's worth noting Ferraro has worked with O'Leary before—at Syracuse and Georgia Tech.

Fox Sports Net's Shaun King has praised the job O'Leary has done as coach:

Amid his 11th season at the helm, O'Leary has helped put the Knights on the national map. Led by current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, UCF won the Fiesta Bowl against Baylor to cap off last season's impressive 12-1 record.   

Monday's report makes O'Leary's job a little more difficult after a couple of early setbacks on the field. Rumors courtesy of Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports have suggested that O'Leary, 68, is considering retirement, though he has denied them, per Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.

O'Leary will prepare the Knights for Thursday's road game against Houston (2-2).