Rich Rodriguez Admits Affair, Denies Sexual Harassment Allegations

Rich Rodriguez was fired by Arizona Tuesday night after allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct surfaced. After he was informed of his termination, Rodriguez issued a statement in which he admitted an extramarital affair but denied the other charges against him.

Here’s Rodriguez’s full statement:

"“I was deeply disappointed to learn by email this evening that the University of Arizona is buying out my contract. My coaching staff and I were very excited about the trajectory of our young team, and looked forward to 2018 and beyond. “This action comes on the heels of an outside investigation by the University into alleged workplace misconduct. This investigation concerned a complaint by my former administrative assistant, who threatened a $7.5 million lawsuit alleging harassment. “The University initiated a thorough outside investigation. I fully cooperated with the investigation, including voluntarily taking and passing a polygraph. The University determined that there was no truth to her accusations and found me innocent of any wrongdoing. “This was a thorough investigation that lasted over 10 weeks and included multiple members of my current and former staff. Notably, the complainant refused to cooperate with the investigation. It was comforting to be reassured of what I already knew, the claims were baseless and false. “Regrettably, the complaint included a single truth — in the past, I had a consensual extramarital affair with a woman who is not affiliated with the University. It was wrong, and I have apologized to my wife and family. I am still working incredibly hard to repair the bonds I’ve broken and regain the trust of my wife and children, whom I love dearly.”"

Apparently the allegations against Rodriguez — which are contained in a notice of claim filed last week — are ugly and make him look terrible, though he denies them:

Arizona says it will begin a national search to find a new coach immediately.