Teague deputy to resign from U of M athletic department

Updated: 5:55 p.m. | Posted: 3:28 p.m.

University of Minnesota's associate athletic director Mike Ellis will resign next week. Ellis wrote in a resignation letter Friday that the university made no findings and will not discipline him in relation to complaints filed against him last summer.

The university had asked Ellis to take a voluntary paid leave in late August, while the five complaints were being investigated.

Ellis was hired in 2012 by former athletic director Norwood Teague, who resigned in August amid reports he sexually harassed two women who work at the University.

In a letter to interim Athletic Director Beth Goetz Friday that was shared by Ellis' attorney, Ellis says he will resign on Nov. 20.

"Working at the University has been challenging and rewarding," he wrote.

"Recent events relating to the former Athletic Director, however, have resulted in me being investigated for certain unsubstantiated, anonymous allegations. I am pleased that the University has made no disciplinary findings against me, and that no discipline has been imposed or proposed against me related to any ongoing investigation. (This doesn't surprise me, as I have done nothing wrong.)"

University officials confirmed Ellis' resignation.

"As of this date, complaints received by the University against Mike Ellis are pending, there have been no findings reached, and there has been no discipline imposed," university spokesperson Evan Lapiska wrote in an email. The nature of the complaints was not disclosed.

"He's been cleared," said Chris Madel, Ellis' attorney. "His resignation really has much more [to do] with him wanting to move on with his life. He's been sitting at home for a couple of months and he has multiple offers of employment. He wants to consider those and move on."

Madel declined to say more about the offers. Ellis was being paid $153,000 per year.