Judge: FAMU owes fired coach Earl Holmes nothing

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A Leon County Circuit judge ruled last week Florida A&M "did not violate the terms of its agreement" with then-head football coach Earl Holmes when he was fired four days before homecoming in 2014.

Holmes, in January of 2015, filed a civil lawsuit against FAMU trying to claim he was owed the remaining $400,000 on his contract. He went 6-16 at the helm and was the team's head coach for one full season. He coached two games in 2012 and ei
ght in 2014 before he was fired.

Judge James O. Shelfer, after hearing arguments from the university and from Holmes, said in a May 2 summary judgment that Holmes had the opportunity to do "due diligence" and discover on what terms he could be fired as head football coach.

Holmes was given a 60-day non-renewal notice on Oct. 28, 2014. His contract was officially terminated on Jan. 20 the next year. According to university regulations, any Administrative and Professional Employee can be fired in this way — Shelfer ruled even though Holmes' contract didn't specifically reference that regulation, it was still subject to it, per the language in his deal.

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