By Staff
From staff and wire reports
Former Brewton resident and University of Alabama assistant coach Ronnie Cottrell has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in state circuit court.
Montgomery attorney Tommy Gallio nsaid he and Cottrell's family will hold a news conference at in Montgomery on Monday.
In addition to the NCAA, other defendants listed in the court papers are; Thomas E. Yeager, chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions; Richard A. Johanningmeier, NCAA enforcement representative; Dr. Gene Marsh, the university's faculty athletic representative to the NCAA; Marie Robbins, the university's compliance coordinator to the NCAA; Tom Culpepper of Shelby County, a free-lance sports writer; Paul Finebaum, a sports radio talk show host and newspaper columnist and Clear Channel Communications, Inc., which owns radio stations in the U. S. and does business in Alabama.
Cottrell, who has family in Brewton and Tallahassee, has been a high school football coach and was later a coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State University. In 1997 he was hired as assistant head coach, tight end coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama.
Cottrell claims in the suit that he lost his coaching position, and has been unable to obtain other coaching employment due to the defendants' actions.
The suit seeks damages for of reckless or wanton conduct, breach of fiduciary duties, intentional interference with business, libel, slander and defamation, the tort of outrage, false light and invasion of privacy, wantonness and conspiracy.