Former Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez alleged Monday that ex-assistant Melissa Wilhelmsen and her attorney tried to extort $7.5 million from him by threatening to go public with false allegations of sexual harassment and allegations of an extramarital affair to which he later admitted.
Rodriguez's claims were included in a court document filed in response to a notice of allegations Wilhelmsen filed with the Arizona Attorney General's Office in December. In the document, which was obtained by azcentral.com, Rodriguez's legal teams accused Wilhelmsen and her attorney, Augustine Jiminez, of threatening to go public with the allegations if Rodriguez didn't pay "multiple million dollars."
Arizona fired Rodriguez on Jan. 2 in response to Wilhelmsen's allegations.
MORE: Rodriguez responds to firing
Rodriguez's legal team claimed in the document that Jiminez called Rodriguez's attorney on Nov. 2 and Nov. 4 and made a false accusation of sexual harassment, then sent a follow-up email on Nov. 8 demanding money to resolve the matter. Rodriguez's team alleges the extortion attempt continued for several weeks, before Jiminez made a demand for $7.5 million on Dec. 10 with a Dec. 26 deadline — the day before the Arizona football team was to play in the Foster Farms Bowl.
"Demanding the payment the day before the Bowl Game was vicious, cut-throat, and explainable only as the ultimate threat to extort Coach and Mrs. Rodriguez of the $7.5 million," Rodriguez's legal team wrote in its filing.
Rodriguez's attorneys said the coach reported Jiminez's demands to the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's office in Phoenix and the University of Arizona. Azcentral.com reported the FBI and U.S. Attorney's office would neither confirm nor deny an investigation was taking place. It also reported Arizona declined to comment, saying it was a personnel matter.
MORE: Rodriguez assistant adds $8.5 million claim
While Rodriguez denies Wilhelmsen's claims of sexual harassment, he has admitted to a "single truth" regarding an extramarital affair with someone not affiliated with Arizona.
Wilhelmsen claimed in her notice of allegations that Rodriguez made unwanted sexual advances toward her — including walking by in his underwear, attempting to kiss her and grabbing his penis in front of her.
She also claimed Rodriguez created a hostile work environment by forcing her and two other football staffers — a "Triangle of Secrecy" — to keep his affair secret from his wife.
