Outgoing athletics director Kyle Brennan may owe Illinois State University more than $60,000, according to terms of his latest contract that cover early resignation.
As reported by ISU public radio station WGLT, Brennan signed a three-year contract extension last summer that gave him a 10 percent raise (to $242,892 annually) and the possibility of up to $20,000 per year in performance bonuses. However, that same revised contract also requires him to pay ISU back 25 percent of his annual salary if he resigned prior to June 2027, according to contract documents obtained by WGLT.
Related: Illinois State University AD Resigns Ahead of Media Report on $23K Donor Trip
That equates to roughly $60,723.
ISU announced Thursday that Brennan resigned effective April 30, after WGLT raised questions about athletic department spending during a donor trip to Indianapolis. WGLT asked an ISU spokesperson Friday whether the university would be seeking or expecting Brennan to pay that $60,723.
“As Kyle’s resignation is effective April 30, the details of his separation are still being worked out at this time,” said the spokesperson.
Brennan was one of ISU's highest-paid employees, overseeing a $30 million budget.
Upon arriving in Normal in January 2021, Brennan's initial contract covered three and a half years and paid him $220,000 annually, plus a $12,600 relocation allowance, a loaner vehicle (or up to $600 per month for a vehicle), and a family golf membership to the Bloomington Country Club. The contract allowed ISU to fire Brennan for “cause” if there was evidence of “discreditable conduct that is inconsistent with the professional standards expected” or any “conduct seriously adverse to the interests of Illinois State University and its athletics programs.”
With less than two years on the job, Brennan was given a three-year contract extension in July 2022. That new contract added the performance bonuses and the 25 percent resignation payment.
