As previously reported, former IU Indy head coach Paul Corsaro, who had previously filed a tort claim against Indiana University in October, became the defendant in a third-party claim filed by Indiana University in response to the lawsuit filed by six former Jaguar players against the system. Though currently coaching in Israel, Corsaro received this claim and has since filed an answer of his own, through his legal representation. The filing was obtained by the HoriZone Roundtable through Corsaro’s representative, Marlon LeWinter.
In his response, Corsaro has filed a countersuit against IU, levying his own allegations of breach of contract, as well as defamation and accusing the university of framing his ouster in a false light, which prevented him from pursuing other collegiate coaching roles and, in his assessment, negatively impacted his career trajectory.
Corsaro is seeking actual damages that not only include monies associated with his base salary but also $20,000 in bonuses that, according to the filing, are related to academic and fundraising goals that were achieved prior to his termination. He is also seeking punitive damages of an undisclosed amount as well.
In the filing, the investigation of Corsaro began after a letter was sent to IU Indy officials on April 15,2025 by Columbus, Ohio attorney Rex Elliot on behalf of six former players, Briggs McClain, Nate Dudokovich, Julian Steinfeld, Ron Rutland III, Ebenezer Ogoh and Caleb Hannah. That prompted Indiana University’s Office of the Vice President & General Counsel to conduct an investigation, per the request of IU Indianapolis athletic director Luke Bosso.
Corsaro, who has denied these allegations from the outset, cooperated with the investigation, and, per the filing, completed an interview with the Vice President & General Counsel, as did four for the former players, members of Corsaro’s staff and the team’s athletic trainer on separate occasions. The filing cites that in spite of the fact that four of the former players were interviewed, the remaining 10 players on the 2024-25 Jaguars roster, include six who were planning to return for the 2025-26 campaign, were not.
On April 30th, according to the filing, Bosso and Corsaro had a one-on-one meeting, in which Bosso stated that Corsaro would be retained at the conclusion of the investigation. In additional to lending his support, Bosso and Corsaro, per the claim, discussed the upcoming season, which included changes to the coaching staff.
While the April 30th meeting led Corsaro to believe that he would return for 2025-26, a May 8 post from the World Exposure Report Men’s Basketball Twitter account told a different story:
When contacted by Corsaro, Bosso, according to the filing, denied the post and reassured Corsaro that he would return. In this instance, the claim alleges that an unknown party familiar with the investigation leaked this information to World Exposure Report, leaving the appearance that Indiana University intended to override Bosso’s authority related to cause.
A day after the World Exposure Report post, the Vice President & General Counsel’s final report was issued, and that of all the allegations levied, only two were substantiated. The filing detailed that the first claim the bumping of a player, was part of a demonstration of absorbing contact from a defending player and did not involve any player who submitted the initial letter. As for the second claim, using coarse language, the filing states that this was not a stipulation of Corsaro’s contract, and that he was never informed by Bosso or any university official that it was inappropriate and needed to be stopped.
On May 13, Corsaro was informed by Bosso that he would be terminated, and, per the filing, Bosso offered Corsaro the chance to resign instead. However, according to the claim, before a decision could be made by Corsaro, a statement on his termination was published by the Indy Star (though Jeff Goodman had posted this an hour and a half prior), suggesting that IU interfered in Bosso’s authority in this matter. It is alleged that this firing was based on the conclusions of the final report, which the claim states failed to specify the violations of Section 6.02(B)(5) that was cited in his termination letter.
As Corsaro has previously stated in public and as reiterated in this claim, he was not afforded the opportunity to appeal this decision, as IU Indy had moved forward with the search for a new coach, hiring Ben Howlett two weeks after Corsaro’s dismissal. Though the appeal was filed by Corsaro, IU Indy’s chancellor, Lacha Ramchand, submitted a two-paragraph answer upholding his ouster on November 17, nearly a full month after October 19, a date the claim stated was supposed to be the deadline for the appeal’s decision.
LeWinter said that Corsaro will have no further comment as the legal process plays out. The full response and countersuit claim can be read below. Exhibit A of this filing is the copy of Corsaro’s contract, which was also included in IU’s response to the initial suit and third-party claim.
Exhibit B of this filing is Vice President & General Counsel’s final report, and can be read in its entirety below.
Exhibit C is the termination letter provided to Corsaro on May 13th.
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