How UB Cut Its Hiring Spending on Football Coach Pete Lembo

The University at Buffalo athletic department, however, did not owe the University of South Carolina any money when it hired Pete Lembo.

Lembo’s contract at South Carolina, obtained by The News through a Freedom of Information Act request, states that Lembo did not have to pay “liquidated damages” to South Carolina if he became head coach at the college or NFL level, an offensive or defensive coordinator at the college level or an NFL coordinator.

Nick Saban’s retirement set off a chain reaction of coaching changes: Alabama’s hiring of Kalen DeBoer from Washington, Washington’s hiring of Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch, Arizona’s hiring of San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan, San Jose State’s hiring of UCLA assistant and former Navy man. head coach Ken Niumatalolo and UB’s hiring of Lembo.

Lembo replaced Maurice Linguist as UB head coach later that month and would have owed South Carolina $300,000 as a buyout if he left South Carolina for a non -coach/non-coordinator. Linguist joined DeBoer’s staff at Alabama as co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach.

Alabama would have to pay UB a buyout fee of $600,000 per linguist contract because he left between Dec. 16, 2023 and Dec. 15, 2024. That money, UB athletic director said, Mark Alnutt, will be used to offset costs associated with personnel turnover in the football program, including vacation pay, severance pay for staff members who were not retained on the coaching staff of Linguist and transition costs for incoming assistants.

However, buyouts for three of the four head coaches hired following Saban’s retirement are in the millions.

• The Seattle Times reported in January that DeBoer’s contract in Washington included a $12 million buyout.

• The Arizona Daily Star reported in January that Fisch’s Arizona buyout was worth $5.5 million.

• USA Today reported in January that Brennan’s buyout from San Jose State was worth $1 million.

Like UB, San Jose State didn’t owe UCLA any money when it hired Niumatalolo, who was the Bruins’ tight ends coach at the time. A clause in his contract, obtained by The News through a public records request, indicated that a $50,000 buyout would be forfeited if he left UCLA for a head coaching or varsity coordinator position, or as an NFL coach or head coach.