Carlos Locklyn is headed to trial with his former employer.
According to documents obtained by The Oregonian’s James Crepea, Lane County Circuit Court Judge Michelle Bassi denied Locklyn’s request for a partial dismissal of the civil suit Oregon filed against him for alleged breach of contract.
On Monday, Bassi’s office notified attorneys for both Oregon and Locklyn that the case is ready to be assigned a trial date. Locklyn’s attorney, John Berg, filed an amended answer to the university’s lawsuit last Wednesday, reiterating the denials and legal defenses he first presented in May.
At the center of the case is a $400,000 buyout clause in Locklyn’s Oregon contract. Locklyn sent the university a $200,000 personal check after leaving the Ducks for the Buckeyes in April 2024, but Oregon returned the payment, claiming it was insufficient under the terms of the agreement. The university is now seeking the full $400,000 plus 9% interest.
According to Crepea, Locklyn renewed his request that the court declare Oregon’s interpretation of the contract “inaccurate, invalid, and unenforceable,” and that the lawsuit be dismissed with prejudice. He also asked that Oregon be required to pay his legal fees.
Locklyn coached at Oregon for two seasons before joining Ryan Day’s staff in Columbus. He’s entering his second year with the Buckeyes in 2025.
