Former Florida A&M football coach Earl Holmes couldn't help but notice what happened to Will Muschamp when he got canned by Florida.
Even though Muschamp almost immediately landed a high-paying job as Auburn's defensive coordinator, Florida will pay him $6.3 million over the next four years, the Tampa Bay Times has reported.
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Holmes, meanwhile, had to file a lawsuit in an effort to recoup the $400,000 that remained on the final two years of his contract with FAMU, the Tallahassee Democrat reported Tuesday.
The former NFL linebacker was fired from his alma mater on Oct. 28 by then-athletic director Kellen Winslow after going 6-16 with the Rattlers, including two games as interim coach at the end of the 2012 season.
"They have the right to do that," Holmes' attorney, Tim Jansen, told the Democrat. "They also have right to pay (Holmes) for the terms of his contract, just like with Will Muschamp down at the University of Florida. When he was terminated, they paid his contract. Coach Holmes deserves the same; we expect the same."
Holmes' dismissal was not received well by many in the FAMU community, and Winslow resigned in December after only seven months on the job. Interim athletic director Earl D'Wayne Robinson and other school officials declined to comment to the Democrat on Holmes' lawsuit.