In a dramatic twist, former Kent State football coach Kenni Burns has filed a lawsuit against the university and several top officials. He’s alleging wrongful termination, breach of contract, and defamation.
Burns, who led the Golden Flashes and ended up with a rough 1-23 record over two seasons, says his April 2025 firing was part of a deliberate conspiracy by the university to save money. The lawsuit, filed on March 31, 2026, lays out a tangled mess of administrative conflict, financial missteps, and alleged misconduct.
The Allegations: Wrongful Termination and Breach of Contract
Burns’ lawsuit is pretty layered, but at its core, he’s arguing that his firing was both unfair and strategic. He claims the university wanted to cut costs and that his termination was the final move in a “malicious scheme” that started in early 2024, right when he and the university were talking about a one-year contract extension.
Financial Mismanagement and P-Card Violations
Kent State pointed to what they called repeated violations of the purchasing card (P-card) issued to Burns as a big reason for letting him go. Their internal report said Burns broke the school’s conflict of interest and code of conduct policies.
Burns, on the other hand, insists he never got proper P-card training and did provide receipts for several flagged expenses. He also mentioned his P-card was suspended in October 2024, months before he was actually fired.
On top of that, Burns had to deal with his home flooding, forcing him to move temporarily. He says this made his financial situation even messier and harder to manage.
Despite the chaos, Burns sent the university a check for over $7,000 to cover some of the disputed P-card expenses. The school cashed it a few weeks later.
Conflict of Interest: The Loan from a Prominent Booster
Another big piece of the lawsuit involves a sizable loan Burns got from Mike Awad, a well-known booster and vendor for the university. The university’s investigation said this loan violated their conflict of interest policy.
Burns paid Awad back $109,000 in a series of checks over 14 months in 2023 and 2024. According to Burns, he told executive deputy athletic director Greg Glaus about the arrangement, and Glaus allegedly shrugged it off, saying others had done similar things with Awad.
Conflicting Evidence and Lack of Quid Pro Quo
Kent State’s report, though, said there’s conflicting evidence about whether Burns actually disclosed the loan to the athletic department or other university leaders. Still, the report didn’t find any sign of a quid pro quo between Burns and Awad.
The Controversial Contract Extension
Burns’ lawsuit also digs into a contract extension finalized in February 2024. The extension included an amendment that changed how much Burns would get if he was fired without cause.
Originally, he’d have received a percentage of his remaining base salary through 2028—about $2 million. The amendment slashed that to a percentage of his base salary for just that year, roughly $371,000.
Allegations of Miscommunication and Delay
Burns’ attorney, Lee Hutton III, says Burns and his team didn’t just miss this change. They reached out to the university, raised concerns, and asked for corrections.
But they kept running into delays, and with the 2024 season going off the rails, things only got murkier. Burns’ agent never discussed the amendment with Glaus, the complaint says, and Burns signed the deal thinking the termination language hadn’t changed from his original contract.
Administrative Response and Legal Proceedings
When Burns and his lawyer brought up the issue to athletic director Randale Richmond, they were initially told the amendment would be fixed to match the original contract. Later, when Burns’ agent checked back, Richmond said the school wouldn’t change it after all.
This refusal has become a key point in Burns’ lawsuit.
Defendants Named in the Lawsuit
Besides Kent State University, the lawsuit names several high-ranking officials as defendants. These include university president Todd Diacon, senior vice president for finance and administration Mark Polatajko, and the board of trustees.
Burns wants these individuals held accountable for what he calls a “malicious scheme” to force him out.
Interim and Permanent Coaching Changes
After Burns was fired, Kent State named Mark Carney as interim coach for the 2025 season. Carney got the permanent job on October 30.
The university hasn’t commented on the lawsuit. So, for now, a lot of questions are still hanging in the air as the legal battle plays out.
Kenni Burns’ lawsuit against Kent State University is stirring up plenty of conversation. It’s another example of just how complicated things can get between college football coaches and university leadership.
The claims—wrongful termination, breach of contract, and even defamation—aren’t exactly light accusations. These kinds of disputes seem to crop up a lot in high-pressure sports programs, don’t they?
If you’re curious and want the full scoop, check out the article on ESPN at this link.
- Schools Covered
- College Football Articles
- Men's College Basketball Articles
- Men's College Soccer Articles
- Women's College Basketball Articles
- Olympic Athlete Articles
- Men's College Baseball Articles
- College Sports Media Professionals Articles
- Hall of Fame Member Articles
- Former College Player Articles
- Game Previews
