Attorney Martin J. Greenberg has been a sports lawyer and sports law professor at Marquette University Law School for several decades. During that time he has established an expertise in the representation of collegiate coaches. Professor Greenberg currently teaches a course at the Law School titled "Representing Professional Athletes and Coaches," wherein he provides students with specific instruction related to the "formation, interpretation, negotiation and enforcement of sports marketing contracts as well as coaches' contracts." In addition, since Professor Greenberg created the National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School in 1989, he has provided dedicated research and scholarship related to college coaching contracts. This page provides links to Professor Greenberg's scholarship related to college coaching contract issues.
ARTICLES/PRESENTATIONS
- Coaches’ Buyouts – Accountable Plans (March 1, 2024)
- Housing Benefits: The Brian Kelly/LSU Contract (January 18, 2024)
- Northwestern University faces a myriad of legal challenges (October 31, 2023)
- The Brian Kelly Clause (October 2, 2023)
- Northwestern University Football Hazing Scandal Cracks Open a Culture of Hazing in the Athletics Department (July 26, 2023)
- New Mexico State University: Hazing in Basketball (July 24, 2023)
- College Coaching Contracts: Market Rate Review Provisions (July 12, 2023)
- Update: Nick Rolovich Lawsuit (June 27, 2023)
- Addendum: Texas Tech AD Hocutt Latest Developments (May 17, 2023)
- Kirby Hocutt: A Reputation Tainted by Recent Turbulence (March 3, 2023)
- Post-Script: Nick Rolovich Lawsuit (December 2, 2022)
- Nick Rolovich Termination for COVID-19 Vaccination Refusal (November 1, 2022)
- Ed Orgeron/LSU: An Interesting Termination Agreement (May 26, 2022)
- A New Standard Contract Disclosure in College Coaching Contracts (March 24, 2022)
- Missouri State University’s Unique Rollover Clause: A Tournament Bid to Extend the Contract Term for Five Years (December 27, 2021)
- David Beaty: Colleges Trying to Convert Not-For-Cause Firings to For-Cause-Firings (August 19, 2021)
- Gregg Marshall: How Universities Should Respond to Allegations of Coaching Abuse (January 3, 2021)
- A Financial Divorce – When a Coach is Terminated Without Cause, presentation given during the National Sports Law Institute's fall 2020 annual conference (October 16, 2020)
- DABO SWINNEY: A New Contract for a New Coaching Landscape (July 1, 2019)
- Earl Holmes: A Recap of the Appellate Court Decision (March 1, 2019)
- Separation Agreements: When a University and a Coach Divorce (July 15, 2018) (with Thom Park)
- Earl Holmes vs. FAMU: How a Contract Term can be Cut Short by University Rules and Regulations (January 3, 2018)
- Search Firms (July 1, 2017)
- Rutgers Settles Randall's Abuse Lawsuit (April 1, 2017)
- Joe Wickline: To Call Plays or Not to Call Plays, that was the Question at the Forefront of Wickline's Contract Battle with Oklahoma State (January 9, 2017)
- Coaches Performance Evaluations (September 29, 2016)
- Open Letter to President Mark Emmert of the NCAA - Abuse Must End (June 14, 2016)
- Bo Pelini Firing Outrage (Non-disparagement Clauses in College Coaching Contracts) (April 6, 2016)
- Trademarks in College Coaching (Addendums) (December 21, 2015)
- A Clash of the Titans (November 1, 2015)
- Morals Clauses in College Coaching Contracts (September 3, 2015)
- Ethical Considerations in the Representation of College Coaches (Presentation, July 10, 2015 as part of the Current Ethical Issues in Sports Law Seminar, hosted by the Sports Law Alumni Association)
- College Coaches - Representation Agreements (May 15, 2015)
- Disability and Death Clauses in College Coaches' Contracts (March 30, 2015)
- The Buyout Game - An Opinion (February 25, 2015)
- Buyouts - Coaching Free Agency (January 2, 2015)
- Zero Tolerance - Abuse Must End - An Opinion (October 1, 2014)
- Beckie Francis Sues Oakland for a Non-redacted Investigation Report that Led to Her Termination (August 5, 2014)
- Restrictive Covenants in College Coaches’ Contracts (Presentation, July 11, 2014, as part of the Current Issues in Sports Law Seminar, hosted by Marquette University Law School)
- Checklist for Negotiating and Drafting of Coaches' Employment Agreements (June 11, 2014)
- Representations and Warranties in College Coaching Contracts (June 3, 2014)
- Tough Love - Crossing the Line, (Presentation, March 7, 2014, as originally part of the 2014 DePaul Journal of Sports Law and Contemporary Problems Symposium on The Business of College Athletics)
- Summer Camps: A Coach's Primer (April 10, 2014)
- Bill Gibbons: A Student-Athlete Finally Takes the Coach to Court (February 6, 2014)
- Coaching Free Agency Has a Price: Liquidated Damages Upheld in the Geno Ford / Kent State Case (December 3, 2013)
- Pray To Play: The Termination Of Beckie Francis (October 23, 2013)
- Coach Accountability Reduces Vicarious Liability (September 6, 2013)
- Mike Rice, Jr., For Cause or Not For Cause -- You Make the Call (August 9, 2013)
- Steve Alford - Postscript - An Expensive Buyout Provision (July 29, 2013)
- Steve Alford - Coaching Free Agency is Just a Matter of Money (June 24, 2013)
- CEOs in Headphones - Postscript (June 13, 2013)
- CEOs in Headphones - Financial Engineering (May 1, 2013)
- Consent to Interview - Best Practices (March 25, 2013)
- Wisconsin Concussion Law is a No Brainer (March 5, 2013)
- Opinion: Behind the Bielema Jump, (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 19, 2012)
- Rollover Clauses Still Utilized In College Coaching Contracts (November 1, 2012)
- At Last - Rulings in the Williams v. Smith and Marist v. Brady cases (September 24, 2012)
- The Defense of Sovereign Immunity: Mike Leach and Texas Tech (September 4, 2012)
- Tattoogate Impacts Urban Meyer's New OSU Contract (August 1, 2012)
- University of Illinois Assistant Coaches Controversy: A Re-examination of Assistant Coaches' Term of Contract (March 16, 2012)
- Tattoogate (January10, 2012)
- A Bad Year for College Sports Raises Questions (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 24, 2011)
- "The Secret Agreement" (July 18, 2011)
- Take My Coach and I'll Take You to Court (January 4, 2011)
ARTICLES FROM FOR THE RECORD: THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL SPORTS LAW INSTITUTE
- Head Coach’s Authority to Hire Assistant Coaches and the Necessity of a Paper Trail – The Jimmy Williams Case, Vol. 21, No. 3 (July – September 2010)
- The Use of Clawback Clauses in College Coaches’ Contracts, Volume 21, No. 2 (April – June 2010)
- Leaping Without Looking: MOUs Create Risks When Universities Do Not Know Their Legal Significance, Vol. 21, No. 1 (January – March 2010)
- Interview – You May Be Fired, Vol. 20, No. 1 (January – March 2009)
- Rich Rodriquez – Jumping Has Legal Consequences, Vol. 19, No. 4 (October – December 2008)
- College Athletics – Chasing the Big Bucks, Vol. 19, No. 2 (April – June 2008)
- Good Drafting Makes Good Contracts, Vol. 18, No. 3 (July – September 2007)
ARTICLES FROM THE MARQUETTE SPORTS LAW REVIEW
- Greenberg, Martin J. and Evrard, A. (2016) Special Report: Athletic Directors, Vol. 26, No. 2 (26 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 736)
- Greenberg, Martin J. and Leibsohn, B. (2014) The Disappearance of a Dinosaur: Reassignment Clauses are Losing Their Footing in College Coaches' Contracts, Vol. 25, No. 1 (25 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 39)
- Greenberg, Martin J. and Gruber, Steven D. (2013) You Get Hired to Get Fired, Vol. 24. No. 1 (24 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 141)
- Greenberg, Martin J. and Paul, Djenane (2013) Coaches' Contracts: Terminating A Coach Without Cause and the Obligation to Mitigate Damages, Vol, 23, No. 2 (23 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 339)
- Greenberg, Martin J. and Smith, Jay S. (2007) A Study of Division I Assistant Football and Mens' Basketball Coaches' Contracts, Vol. 18, No. 1 (18 Marq. Sports. L. Rev. 25)
- Greenberg, Martin J. (2006) Termination of College Coaching Contracts: When Does Adequate Cause to Terminate Exist and Who Determines its Existence?, Vol. 17, No. 1 (17 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 197)
- Greenberg, Martin J. (2001) College Coaching Contracts Revisited: A Practical Perspective, Vol. 12, No. 1 (12 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 127)
- Greenberg, Martin J. (1993) Drafting of Players Contracts & Clauses, Vol. 4, No. 1 (4 Marq. Sports L.J. 51)
- Greenberg, Martin J. (1992) Representation of College Coaches in Contract Negotiations, Vol. 3, No. 1 (3 Marq. Sports L.J. 127)
- Greenberg, Martin J. (1991) College Coaching Contracts: A Practical Perspective, Vol. 1, No. 2 (1 Marq. Sports L.J. 207)