A state jury awarded almost $1.2-million on Friday to three former soccer coaches at the University of Southern Mississippi, all men, who said they had been subjected to sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, and lack of due process when the university fired them, according to Saturday’s Hattiesburg American.

Among other things, the lawsuit accused the university and several of its officials of seeking the coaches’ dismissal because they “preferred to have a woman coaching the women’s soccer team.” One coach said a university official had made “sexual advances” toward him and, when he refused, sought to fire him. Another coach said a university official had tried to undermine his position by traveling with the team and by concocting criticism of him, allegedly by his athletes.

The university officials denied all of the accusations, and a Southern Miss lawyer said he was “absolutely shocked at the verdict.” If it is upheld on appeal, the university would cover the jury award, the newspaper reported. —Andrew Mytelka