San Diego Union-Tribune: Chunk of $1 million check from Michigan to San Diego State went to Chuck Long

Posted on Sun, Jun 26, 2011 : 11:22 a.m.

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Chuck Long received a significant chunk of a $1 million check written by the University of Michigan to San Diego State.

Confused? It’s all part of college football’s coaching carousel.

Long preceded new Michigan coach Brady Hoke at San Diego State. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the $2.1 million cost of firing Long in 2008 was recently paid, with the help of a $1 million check from Michigan to buy out Hoke’s contract.

That check from Michigan was dated April 4.

Michigan agreed to pay the buyout when it finalized Hoke’s six-year contract on March 28.

San Diego State's transaction was completed later than anticipated because private money promised to the university to help with the transition never materialized.

At the time of Long’s firing -- the former Iowa All-American went 9-27 as the Aztec's head coach -- school president Stephen Weber said the university had raised more than $1 million to help pay for it. A total of $405,000 was actually received.

Long was owed $1.154 million on his contract. According to the Union-Tribune, the remainder of the $2.1 million cost of the coaching change came from the buyout of his coaching staff's contracts and the cost of hiring a replacement -- including the $240,000 paid to Ball State to buy out Hoke's contract.