Jim Leavitt keeps K-State clause in new Oregon contract

Jim Leavitt signed a new contract with Oregon on Sunday that will pay him $1.7 million a year through 2022 to remain defensive coordinator for the Ducks.

Of note to Kansas State fans: the clause that was written into his original contract, allowing him to leave without paying a buyout if K-State hires him as head coach, remains intact.

Leavitt would owe Oregon $500,000 should he leave for another job before Jan. 31, 2019. Then that amount drops to $250,000 until Jan. 31, 2021. But he would owe Oregon nothing if he leaves to become head coach at K-State.

From his new contract, which the Eagle obtained through an open records request: “The amounts owed by Coach to the University per this section shall be waived by University in the event Coach leaves University to become the Head Football Coach at Kansas State University.”

K-State fans often mention Leavitt as a potential candidate to replace Bill Snyder whenever he decides to retire. His name was linked to K-State last month when it was reported former athletic director John Currie struck a deal with Leavitt to become K-State’s head coach-in-waiting, but Snyder blocked the move. Snyder later said he tried to hire Leavitt as a position coach, but knew nothing about any other arrangement.

Leavitt is a former K-State assistant, who worked under Snyder before becoming the first head coach at South Florida.

He spent the last season at Oregon and decided to remain at the school as defensive coordinator after Willie Taggart left for Florida State and Mario Cristobal was promoted to Oregon head coach.

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Jim Leavitt keeps K-State clause in new Oregon contract."