Mike Siani
WHEELING - A Myrtle Beach, S.C., man and former NFL star who was fired after four games as head coach of the Ohio Valley Greyhounds football team is suing for breaching his contract.
Mike Siani filed the lawsuit April 23 in Ohio Circuit Court and alleges that he was misinformed about the level of players he would be coaching and that the full amount of his salary has been wrongfully withheld..
Siani is represented by Wheeling attorney Michael C. Alberty and lists the Ohio Valley Greyhounds and owner George Kellas as defendants.
Siani says he signed a contract to coach the Greyhounds in 2005 for $17,000 and a room at the Ramada Inn, but was fired after the fourth game of the year.
"Coach Mike Siani realized that Defendant George Kellas' previous representations that the Greyhounds football team would have many successful seasoned veterans of the United Indoor Football League and the National Indoor Football League playing during the 2005 season were false," the complaint says.
The Greyhounds are a Wheeling-based football team competing in the United Indoor Football League.
After the fourth game, Siani says he was informed that he had been fired by Kellas, and that Kellas would not pay him the rest of his salary.
"Defendant George Kellas violated the terms of the contract he had with Mike Siani," the complaint says.
Siani is seeking breach of contract damages.
Siani was a first-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders in 1972 and was named to every All-Rookie NFL team and finished second in voting for Rookie of the Year honors behind Franco Harris. Siani played seven seasons for the Raiders, getting to the Pro Bowl in 1973 and the Super Bowl in 1977 where the Raiders defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. Siani was traded to the Baltimore Colts and finished his NFL career with three years in Baltimore in 1981.
Judge Arthur Recht has been assigned the case.
Ohio Circuit Court case number 06-C-144AR
