Decorated ex-Oakland soccer coach sues, saying he was fired for mental-health struggles

Eric Pogue, a highly decorated men's soccer coach at Oakland University, has filed a federal lawsuit against his former employer, claiming the school fired him while he was being treated for mental-health issues.

Pogue also claims that Oakland University officials were well aware of his condition, brought on by the death of his mother, and that school administrators prevented him from discussing mental-health issues and the need to seek treatment with student-athletes, and even kept his diagnosed condition out of a university press release that announced his leave of absence, against his wishes.

Pogue was fired Feb. 6, in a move that surprised many in the university community. Pogue led Oakland men's soccer to seven conference championships in 15 seasons, including his last season, in 2023. He was a six-time conference coach of the year, twice in the Summit League, and four times in the Horizon League, including in 2023. He led Oakland to four NCAA Tournaments.

"Coach Pogue’s accomplishments, especially during the 2023 season, were significant because it demonstrated Coach Pogue was not just qualified to do his job, but was the best at his job in 2023 out of all the head coaches in the (Horizon League) during a time when he was dealing with the debilitating disability of depression," Pogue's attorneys, from Troy-based Akeel & Valentine PLC, wrote in a court filing Monday.

"Because of Coach Pogue’s disability, and his efforts to speak out about the challenges of mental illness which had a significant stigma especially in male athletics, (Oakland) terminated his contract as the head coach."

The 33-page lawsuit was filed in District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division, and names the university and Ashley Stone, a senior associate athletic director, as the defendants. Stone was said to be Pogue's direct supervisor. Athletic director Steve Waterfield wasn't named as a defendant.

Stone and Waterfield didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday night or Tuesday morning, nor did Pogue. A university spokesman released the following statement to The News on Tuesday: "Oakland University categorically denies Pogue’s allegations and will vigorously defend itself in court. With an unprecedented number of student-athletes calling for a change in leadership in the men’s soccer program, and a persistent unwillingness by Coach Pogue to provide hands-on mentorship and training that OU student-athletes expect and deserve, OU concluded that Coach Pogue lacked the ability to lead the program and a change had to be made."

Waterfield has previously declined to discuss Pogue's dismissal, telling The News on Feb. 13, a week after Pogue's surprise firing, "The university does not comment on personnel matters." Pogue's firing was announced in a three-paragraph press release that did not mention his career record or accolades.

Paul Doroh, who was the interim coach during Pogue's leave of absence in 2023 and after Pogue's firing, was named the full-time head coach last week. That press release was five paragraphs long.

Pogue previously declined to comment about his firing when reached by The News, saying in late February, "One day for sure, just not right now." He later released a statement, which read, "I will rise again one day soon."

Pogue was signed to a four-year contract in January 2022, and that contract was to expire in December 2025.

Pogue, 47, in the lawsuit, traced his mental-health struggles to late 2021, following the death of his mother, Gale Ann, at the age of 75 that December. Pogue was his mother's primary caregiver late in her life, and lived with her, in Rochester Hills. After her death, Pogue was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and he began treatment. He informed the university about his diagnosed condition, according to the lawsuit.

After his diagnosis, Pogue had an opportunity to speak to Oakland student-athletes and wanted to discuss mental-health struggles and the stigma around them, but, according to the lawsuit, the university wouldn't allow it. According to the lawsuit, the university began placing restrictions on him at work and urged him to resign.

On June 19, 2023, the university announced Pogue was taking a leave of absence. On June 16, Pogue sent a statement, per the university's request, to be used in the press release. The statement was five paragraphs, and addressed his mental-health battle at length, saying he was "grappling with severe anxiety, depression, and panic which hinder me from performing the job I have cherished and devoted 22 years of my life to with the passion and dedication that it deserves." He went on to say in the statement, "I am actively undergoing treatment as part of my healing journey, and I remain hopeful. I encourage those who may be experiencing similar struggles with mental health and wellness to seek help and support, as you are not alone."

On June 19, Oakland released a three-paragraph press release which said Pogue was on leave of absence for "health-related reasons." Pogue was not quoted in the press release. For comparison, when women's basketball coach Jeff Tungate took a leave of absence this past November, his condition ("urgent spine surgery") was mentioned, and Tungate was quoted.

Also on June 16, in requesting what Pogue wanted to say in the press release, Stone asked Pogue to provide information on 13 bulleted topics, including issues like the roster, game contracts, the locker-room project, recruiting updates and preseason meals and training, according to the lawsuit. Stone requested those answers by June 18, citing the transition to Doroh, who was an assistant under Pogue since 2016.

Pogue, a Western Michigan and Troy High School alum, played professionally after college, and then became an assistant coach at Oakland. He held that job from 2002-09, before being promoted to head coach.

Pogue took a three-month leave of absence, returning when the team was 1-5. After his return in mid-September, the team rallied to win the Horizon League regular-season title. It also beat Michigan and tied Michigan State. Oakland lost in the Horizon League tournament championship game, to Green Bay, on Nov. 11.

On Feb. 6, he was fired by Oakland, nearly three months after the season ended, and after Oakland players had gone through exit interviews. A reason wasn't provided by Oakland in the press release. The News filed a Freedom of Information Act request for Pogue's personnel file, correspondence between Pogue and Waterfield, all complaints filed against Pogue, and Oakland's official reason for Pogue's dismissal. Oakland responded and requested $383.80, or $100 an hour, for a university employee to black-out some exempt information, including Pogue's social security number and home address, before releasing the records to The News. The News has received, in the past, many Oakland records with blacked-out info with no fee requested.

In his federal lawsuit, lawyers for Pogue said the university began placing unusual restrictions on him in the fall of 2023, including a mandate to be in the office 15 hours per week. He said in the lawsuit that the university knew his time was best spent "offsite for recruiting purposes and exercising the same routine that caused him to recruit student-athletes nationally and internationally that have produced winning teams and scholastic success." In the lawsuit, Pogue's lawyers say no other Oakland head coach was required to be in the office 15 hours per week.

Pogue is suing based on five counts, arguing the university violated federal and state laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. He is seeking unspecified compensation, and hopes to "prohibit or enjoin (Oakland) from continuing to discriminate against persons with mental disabilities."

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984