Former Ohio State special teams coordinator Parker Fleming received more than half a million dollars in severance payments from the school following his firing last year, according to documents obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request.
The university’s payroll records show Fleming, who was dismissed with one year left on his contract, picked up $523,551 in severance over the previous 12 months.
The buyout owed to Fleming was subject to income that would have offset Ohio State’s financial obligation, an amount that was worth the remainder of his base salary.
When Fleming signed a two-year extension in 2023, the agreement increased his annual guaranteed compensation to $500,000.
But Fleming did not draw income last year that would have mitigated the six-figure buyout he was due to receive from Ohio State.
In an email to associate athletic director for human resources Krissy Mullins in August, he said he was working as a volunteer independent contractor watching and evaluating film for teams last season.
Fleming said Oregon was to directly pay or reimburse him for any travel expenses, but he was not receiving other compensation.
Ohio State paid the buyout to Fleming in monthly installments through Jan. 31, the date his contract expired.
Along with severance, Fleming received $57,694 for earned and unused vacation days.
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Fleming was fired in January 2024 following six seasons with the Buckeyes, beginning as a quality control coach in 2018 and continuing with a promotion to special teams coordinator in 2021.
Gaffes on punts and returns, ranging from botched snaps to penalties, were issues with special teams units in 2023 that led to Fleming’s departure.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day did not hire a dedicated special teams coordinator to replace Fleming, using a handful of position coaches to handle the units last season.
It’s unusual for Ohio State to pay buyouts to assistant coaches, who are often on one- or two-year agreements.
Most assistants who are fired also find new jobs with offsetting income.
When former linebackers coach Al Washington was let go with a year left on his deal in January 2022, he was hired as Notre Dame’s defensive line coach.
None of Ohio State’s financial statements, as provided to the NCAA, in the aftermath of Washington’s firing showed any severance made in football until the last year, which accounted for Fleming’s dismissal.
Buyouts contributed to the $38 million operating deficit reported by the Ohio State athletic department during the most recent fiscal year, with a considerable sum going toward the severance of former men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann.
Ohio State listed $8.5 million in severance payments made to Holtmann, who was fired last February, for the 2024 fiscal period.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Parker Fleming was paid over $500k after Ohio State football firing
