A&M System to consider suing former Sumlin assistant
When former Special Teams Coach Jeff Banks was asked about his future before Texas A&M played in the 2017 Belk Bowl, he said he'd have a lot to discuss with his family before deciding. It appears the Texas A&M University System thought things were more cut and dry.
When the A&M System Board of Regents meets Aug. 16, their publicly posted agenda for executive session starts with "Authorization to Proceed with Litigation Against Jeff Banks for Breach of Employment Contract, A&M System".
Banks, who served as Kevin Sumlin's special teams coach and recruiting coordinator for five years, had a contract with A&M that ran until March 2019. He was hired by Alabama on Jan. 18, after serving as the Aggies' interim head coach in the Belk Bowl. AggieYell.com was told at the time that Banks had been one of a handful of former Sumlin assistants new coach Jimbo Fisher was interested in retaining, along with defensive ends coach Terry Price and offensive line coach Jim Turner. Both Price and Turner are still at A&M.
At the time of the Banks' hiring in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne said the details of buying out Banks' contract with A&M were still being worked out.
According to the Bryan-College Station Eagle, Banks was slated to make $375,000 at Texas A&M this year, which would have made his buyout more than $457,000. According to the terms of his contract with Alabama, he will make significantly less in 2018 -- $267,000 -- but will see a salary boost to $500,000 in early 2019.
Messages to the A&M System, the Alabama General Counsel and the Alabama Athletic Department were not immediately returned.