When UK’s swim coach resigned after being suspended, here is what both sides agreed to
Prior to the June 28 announcement longtime UK swimming and diving coach Lars Jorgensen had resigned, the school and Jorgensen reached a financial settlement that would pay Jorgensen $75,000.
The settlement agreement, which was obtained by the Herald-Leader through the state’s open records law, was signed by Jorgensen and UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart on June 25. The document specified that the agreement did not constitute an admission of any “fault, liability, violation or wrongdoing” by either party.
Jorgensen’s resignation came after he was suspended with pay on May 1, 2023, “due to the continuation of one or more investigations,” according to a letter sent from Barnhart to Jorgensen on June 1, 2023. SwimSwam.com first reported Jorgensen had been suspended on June 21, one week before his resignation was made public.
The letter documenting Jorgensen’s indefinite suspension does not include any information about the nature of the investigation that led to the suspension.
UK previously self-reported a series of NCAA rules violations within the swimming and diving program centering around athletes being required to participate in team activities on mandatory off days during the 2021-22 school year. Those violations resulted in the SEC suspending Jorgensen for one meet in addition to the weeklong suspension from team activities UK had already self imposed.
In accepting the other penalties imposed by UK, the SEC and NCAA noted further rules violations within the program could “result in more significant penalties,” according to documents provided to the Herald-Leader.
Jorgensen’s most recent UK contract was scheduled to end in June 2025. He was set to be paid $197,500 for the 2023-24 school year and $205,000 for the 2024-25 school year.
Per the terms of that contract, UK would not owe Jorgensen any of his remaining salary if he were fired for cause. Among the circumstances that constituted a for-cause firing were level 1 or level 2 violations of NCAA or SEC rules, failure to follow written university policies and procedures, acts of misconduct, failure to comply with an NCAA investigation, violating the NCAA’s sports wagering policy and engaging in conduct that would embarrass the university or harm a student athlete.
If UK had fired Jorgensen without cause, it would have owed him his remaining base salary.
By signing the separation agreement, Jorgensen and UK both agreed to forgo any future claims against each other. Jorgensen also agreed to cooperate with any NCAA or SEC investigation that might involve his tenure at the university or events he had knowledge of. Both parties agreed to refrain from public comment about the settlement except when the university was required to disclose it via the state’s open records law. Jorgensen and UK agreed to refrain from making any public comments disparaging the other party.
UK announced Jorgensen’s resignation in a four-sentence news release distributed to the media shortly after 6 p.m. on June 28. Jorgensen, who spent 10 seasons as UK’s head coach and one as an assistant, provided a statement to SwimSwam through his legal representation that said he and UK had reached “an agreement resolving amicably the issues” between the school and coach.
UK hired former Princeton coach Bret Lundgaard as Jorgensen’s replacement in July.
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