Categories
Coaches Sports Law

Florida Coastal School of Law Sports Symposium

What: Symposium – “NCAA Coaches’ Contracts: Diversity and Negotiating Value in the 21st Century”

Where: Florida Coastal School of Law Room 405

When: Friday, April 17 (10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)

Schedule:

10:30 am – Noon: Ethnic and Gender Issues in NCAA Hiring

Panelists will discuss the topic of diversity in the hiring of college coaches, including the following issues:  (1) Does the Rooney Rule have application in college to increase minority football head coaches at NCAA’s highest level? (2) How does the NCAA view the challenges and solutions regarding minority and gender equity? (3) Are boosters unduly influential in hiring and firing coaches to the disproportionate detriment of minority coaches? and (4) Is Title VII a viable remedy?

  • Moderator, Roger Groves – Associate Professor of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law
  • Kristen Galles – Civil rights attorney and Title IX expert
  • Floyd A. Keith – Executive Director, Black Coaches and Administrators
  • Kenneth L. Shropshire – The David W. Hauck Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Noon – 1:00: Lunch provided

1:00 – 2:30 pm: Maximizing Value for the Coach

Panelists will discuss the various issues that arise in negotiating and structuring college coaches contracts from the perspective of both the university and coach, including compensation and the various types of compensation, for cause termination, tax ramifications, and liquidated damages/buyout clauses.

  • Moderator, Rick Karcher – Associate Professor of Law and Director, Florida Coastal School of Law Center for Law and Sports
  • Robert H. Lattinville – Partner, Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP
  • Terry Don Phillips – Athletic Director, Clemson University
  • Randall W. Spetman – Athletic Director, Florida State University
  • Bennett H. Speyer – Member, Eastman & Smith LTD

Cost: Free.  To register, please call (904) 680-7743 or email rkarcher@fcsl.edu.

For full speaker bios, click here.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.