Erik Brady

USA TODAY Sports

Former University of Central Florida defensive coordinator Paul Ferraro accuses UCF football coach George O'Leary of explosive racist remarks in a breach of contract lawsuit filed in circuit court on Friday.

The suit alleges that O'Leary used a derogatory word for African-Americans and called the NFL "one big 'Ru-Ru' tribe." The suit also alleges O'Leary once advised coaches to check African-American players "to make sure their gums are blue, because they are bigger, faster and stronger than (African-American players) with red gums."

Grant Heston, UCF's vice president for communications and marketing, told USA TODAY Sports by email Monday evening: "UCF is an inclusive and diverse institution and our investigation shows that these claims are without merit."

Ferraro was hired as defensive coordinator at UCF in December and left the program before spring practice. The suit alleges he was fired without cause. The school maintains he resigned. The suit asks for damages in excess of $15,000, including unpaid wages. Ferraro signed a two-year contract for $220,000 annually in December, according to a copy of the contract attached to the suit.

"UCF immediately investigated the allegations Mr. Ferraro made when he abruptly abandoned his job," Heston emailed. "The university's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office found the allegations to be untrue.

"None of the individuals alleged to have been the subject of, or to have overheard, these supposed statements corroborated Mr. Ferraro's claims. In fact, until seeking compensation after abandoning his job, it does not appear he ever discussed this with anyone at UCF."

The suit alleges that O'Leary "created a work environment that was permeated by bullying, threatening behavior, and repeated discriminatory epithets by O'Leary," including calling Ferraro "a 'Guinea.' "

The suit says that last Feb. 25 Ferraro sent an email of complaint to O'Leary that he copied to other assistant coaches.

"No longer will I put up with your constant verbal abuse of both our coaching and support staff," the email said in part, according to a copy attached to the suit. "Threatening coaches on a regular basis with their jobs and racial slurs mixed in to make a point is wrong."

UCF athletics director Todd Stansbury sent a letter dated the next day. According to a copy of the letter attached to the suit, Stansbury wrote: "As your actions show that you have no intent to return to your post as Defensive Coordinator of the Football program, we are accepting these actions as your 14 day notice of resignation from UCF Athletics."

Ferraro maintains in the suit that he never resigned. It says that although he returned to Maine before the start of spring practice, the suit says that he "wanted to return to work in an environment free from O'Leary's bullish and discriminatory tactics and that he did not and was not resigning."

Ferraro assumed the post on O'Leary's staff on Dec. 28, 2013, and accompanied the team in an unofficial capacity during its matchup with Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl. UCF would upset Baylor, 52-42, with interim coordinator Tyson Summers leading the defense.

Ferraro left for what O'Leary termed "personal reasons" before UCF had started spring drills. "I wish him well," said O'Leary, who later promoted Summers to the permanent position as the Knights' defensive coordinator.

During his short stint on the UCF staff, Ferraro attended Fiesta Bowl practices as a bystander and helped the Knights recruit the fourth-best signing class in the American Athletic Conference, according to the recruiting site Rivals.com.

Ferraro had spent the previous two seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Maine, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision. He held similar positions at Rutgers, Bowling Green and Georgia Tech, spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons with the Yellow Jackets, who were then coached by O'Leary.

"This is a claim for breach of contract, unpaid wages, whistleblowing, tortious interferences, and civil conspiracy," the suit says in its request for "damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest, attorneys' fees and costs."

The Stansbury letter references the email to O'Leary and says it "contained comments that I am concerned about." The letter says that UCF's Equal Opportunity director and an associated athletics director would be begin "an investigation of your claims."

Said Nathan McCoy, one of Ferraro's attorneys, in an email to USA TODAY Sports: "We respect what UCF means to the Central Florida community and we applaud UCF's accomplishments both on and off the football field. However, coach Ferraro deserves representation like anyone else who has been wronged. We are simply acting as his voice and intend no harm toward UCF or UCFAA. In fact our client made numerous attempts to resolve this pre-suit and out of the public eye.

"That said, this is a case about a man doing what is right: standing up for himself and others by objecting to unlawful conduct. In retaliation, UCFAA treated his objection as a resignation despite his continued insistence to the contrary. Even after being unlawfully terminated, our client willingly participated in an investigation, trusting that it would lead to an improved work environment for his co-workers and reinstatement of his employment. Nonetheless, our client remains unemployed while UCFAA continues to refuse to honor the terms of its agreement with coach Ferraro."

O'Leary coached UCF to an 0-11 season in his first year there in 2004 and rebounded with a bowl team in 2005, one of the best turnarounds in NCAA history. He earned national coach of the year honors at Georgia Tech in 2000. He is perhaps best known for being hired at Notre Dame in 2001 and resigning under pressure because of discrepancies in his resume.

Contributing: Paul Myerberg