FAYETTEVILLE — Danny Nutt did not resign his employment at the University of Arkansas when he stepped down as running backs coach July 16 and is drawing his annual salary of $ 145, 000 while on sick leave, according to documents obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette through the state’s Freedom of Information Act.

Documents show that Nutt, the brother of Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt, accepted a twoyear guaranty agreement with the university that kicked in Jan. 1, 2007, and extended his contract through Dec. 31, 2008.

“This guarantee, of course, is predicated on your continued job performance, including, but not limited to, compliance with NCAA rules,” Athletic Director Frank Broyles and Houston Nutt said in a letter to Danny Nutt on Feb. 21.

Danny Nutt is drawing sick leave pay, in the amount of his normal monthly salary of $ 12, 083. 33 from the UA, as well as having $ 3, 141. 67 per month contributed by the university toward fringe benefits, which includes his health plan and retirement.

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The documents also show that Danny Nutt had a balance of 477 hours of sick leave as of Oct. 1, meaning that he could be on paid leave essentially through the end of the year.

Full-time appointed employees earn sick leave at a rate of 8 hours per month, with a maximum accrual of 960 hours. Danny Nutt will mark his 10-year anniversary at Arkansas on Dec. 11, meaning he would be eligible to have built the maximum number of sick leave hours.

Danny Nutt is also under agreement to receive $ 25, 000 per year from the Razorback Foundation for personal services, such as making speaking engagements, but it is unclear how his health conditions affects that dispensation. The Razorback Foundation, the athletic department’s private fundraising arm, is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

The former assistant coach also has other leave options available to him, such as the Catastrophic Leave Bank Program, a paid-leave plan for which he can apply while he recovers from a serious health condition.

Danny Nutt, 46, has had ongoing health issues related to bleeding from his brain stem, which first showed up in December 1998. He did not coach in Arkansas’ appearance in the 1999 Citrus Bowl because of surgery and rehabilitation, and he also missed spring practice in 2000 because of the condition.

Nutt suffered an additional recurrence in the weeks leading up to fall practice, forcing him to step aside as an assistant coach, the school said.

However, Nutt continues to occupy an office in the Broyles Center, and his almost-daily presence around the football team while he’s been on sick leave since July 16 has been a source of confusion for some.

“It’s just that he recruited a lot of these guys,” Houston Nutt said. “I can’t tell you how he helps these freshmen that he recruited: D. J. Williams, Grant Cook, [Jake ] Bequette, all these guys.

“ There’s a relationship there that’s not going to go away. And they get homesick, so that’s the biggest thing that he can do. He can help them along with their first year. That’s all you can hope for, to be that encourager, to be that support system.”

Danny Nutt wore a coaching shirt and mingled with players during pregame activities before the season opener, but he really raised eyebrows when he was shown wearing headphones in the coaches box during a 42-29 loss to Kentucky on Sept. 29. NCAA rules limit the number of full-time assistant coaches and graduate assistants who can be in the coaches box and do not allow for noncoaches to be in the box or on the headphones.

However, Houston Nutt called SEC Commissioner Mike Slive before that game to check on guidelines regarding his brother’s involvement with the coaches, and Slive did not call back with a clarification before game day. The week after that game, Slive ruled that Danny Nutt could not be in the coaches box or wear headphones, and SEC associate commissioner for media relations Charles Bloom said Arkansas would face no penalties for the Kentucky game.

Houston Nutt said he didn’t worry about the public response to Danny Nutt’s presence around the program, but he did not like seeing the Freedom of Information Act request from the Democrat-Gazette.

“When you get letters of inquiry, FOIs on your desk, it’s so ridiculous,” Houston Nutt said. “So ridiculous that somebody would think there’s something there [ regarding Danny Nutt ].”

Danny Nutt declined an interview request for this story, saying, “I’m just ready to move on.” However, he said a recent questionand-answer interview published in Celebrate magazine captured his thoughts.

In that interview, conducted by Mari See during fall camp, Danny Nutt said he probably won’t be able to coach anymore. “I can’t do what they’re doing right now,” he said. “Those long hours from 6 a. m. to 11, even 12 o’clock at night, out there in the heat coaching. I can’t do it.”

Danny Nutt’s presence around the team and his dispensation of advice to players is fully within NCAA guidelines.

Tailback Darren McFadden said earlier this year that the running backs “are playing this season for Danny Nutt” and that he remains in their thoughts.

Current running backs coach Tim Horton said he’s consulted Danny Nutt for advice on how to motivate players and deal with personalities.

“I have a lot of respect for Danny as a person and as a coach, so I’ve leaned on Danny quite a bit,” Horton said. “He has always been very, very helpful to me, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s been as positive as it could be considering the situation.”

Horton said Danny Nutt received a “great report” in his most recent visit to Dr. Gazi Yasargil at UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock on Oct. 5.

However, there is no indication when Danny Nutt could be cleared to return to work.

Houston Nutt thinks there’s a position that would fit his brother perfectly.

“A lot of these [college ] programs have player development,” he said. “They have those personal type counselors. He’d be ideal. We just have to see how [new UA Athletic Director ] Jeff Long wants to do things, what’s his philosophy. So you just don’t know.”