Former Syracuse University athletic director Daryl Gross was given a $1.5 million contract after the NCAA sanctioned the SU men’s basketball program for violations that occurred while he led the university’s athletic programs, Syracuse.com reported Thursday.  

Gross stepped down from his position as athletic director in 2015, only 12 days after the NCAA placed sanctions on SU’s basketball program for offenses that included academic misconduct and drug testing policy violations. As part of the sanctions, men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine games and 108 basketball wins were vacated.

Upon his resignation, Gross was appointed to the position of vice president and special assistant to the chancellor. He was given a three-year, $1.5 million contract, according to Syracuse.com. Gross also taught as an adjunct professor in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

The violations began in 2001, before Gross was appointed as athletic director, but they continued during his decade-long tenure. The NCAA’s investigation began after Syracuse self-reported possible violations in 2010.

In a statement released after the sanctions, Chancellor Kent Syverud said the university would benefit from Gross’s “background and experience in the areas of marketing and advancement.” Syverud praised Gross for leading SU into the Atlantic Coast Conference, hiring “outstanding” coaches and increasing athletics’ “fundraising to its highest levels.”

Gross left SU after only six months in his new position. No public projects were ever tied to his name, and the position remains unfilled since his departure. He left SU to work as executive director for athletics at California State University, Los Angeles.

“That contract came to an end by mutual agreement when Dr. Gross accepted his current position,” said Sarah Scalese, SU’s associate vice president for university communications, in a statement. “His decision to leave the University on his own accord substantially reduced the University’s financial obligations.”

Gross received a total compensation of more than $960,000 from the university for six months of work in his new position in 2016, according to SU’s 990 form, which is filed annually by nonprofit organizations.

Published on June 7, 2018 at 11:58 pm

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