Joe Yukica


Joe Yukica is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of New Hampshire, Boston College, and Dartmouth College, compiling a career college football record of 111–93–4. Yukica played at Pennsylvania State University from 1949 to 1952.

Lawsuit

Yukica was terminated by Edward Leland, the athletic director for Dartmouth College, after back-to-back disappointing seasons in 1984 and 1985. Although Yukica was offered standard compensation for the remaining 18 months of his contract, he instead chose to file suit against Leland in New Hampshire Superior Court for breach of contract. Based on various procedural irregularities regarding Yukica's dismissal, Judge Walter Murphy, a former football coach, issued two temporary injunctions against Leland and Dartmouth College. With the case gaining increased press, partly due to testimony at preliminary hearings by coach Joe Paterno of Pennsylvania State University, and college football recruitment already under way, Dartmouth settled out of court and Yukica went on to coach Dartmouth for another season before resigning.
Although the case never went to trial, Yukica v. Leland has been hailed by the American Football Coaches Association and others as setting an important precedent in sports law. The case also affected how coaching contracts were written, particularly at the college level.

Head coaching record

College